Best and Worst Personal Finance books

Since I began writing this blog, new books land on my desk nearly every day. They cover a full range of money-related topics, from gaining wealth to cutting your grocery bill. There are popular titles, like The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, and there are new books like The Coupon Mom’s Guide To Cutting Your Grocery Bills In Half by local author, Stephanie Nelson.

There’s In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber, and 1,001 Things They Won’t Tell You: An Insider’s Guide to Spending, Saving, and Living Wisely by Johnathan Dahl and the editors of SmartMoney.

With so many titles focused on personal finance and money management themes, it’s difficult to discern the best from the worst. What’s really worth the money?

If you’re looking for the essential authors to line your bookcase, this should help. And if you don’t want to buy them new, don’t forget to check the public library, thrift stores and yard sales where you’re likely to find many of these books.

Get Rich Slowly offers its take on 25 of the best books about money. The list is broken down into categories: personal finance, frugality, investing, success and kids and money, with reviews of each. It also highlights some of the favorites, such as:

• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• The Joy of Simple Living by Jeff Davidson
• The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias
• The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer and Michael LeBoeuf
• 50 Success Classics by Tom Butler-Bowdon
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

There are other compilations of the top books on personal finance. The Simple Dollar took a stab at it, ranking 26 personal finance books from best to worst, leading with Your Money or Your Life. You’ll see some of the titles above, as well as some others like:

• What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles
• America’s Cheapest Family by Steve and Annette Economides
• Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach
• The Money Book For The Young, The Fabulous and The Broke by Suze Orman

There are books on just about everyone’s lists, but everyone is drawn to different aspects of personal finance books based on the individual’s own experiences, knowledge and background.

You should read the reviews and perspectives of a few others:

Best Personal Finance Books For Your Library

Best Personal Finance Books About Money

Top 25 Free & Worthwhile Personal Finance e-books

What are your favorite books about money management and personal finance? What makes a book rise to the top for you? What are your least favorites, and why?

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