The Billionaires Books

By: Alan K. Yarborough

It was several years ago, but I’ll never forget the time I spent with the billionaire’s daughter. We had been dating for a few months when she invited me to visit her family with her at their summer home in East Hampton, New York. I was a little nervous about meeting her parents for the first time, but I was also excited to see their beautiful home and spend some quality time with my girlfriend.

The weekend was going great until I woke up at 2 am on Sunday morning and couldn’t fall back asleep. I decided to get up and get some water, and while I was up, I figured I might as well take a look around the house. I wandered into the library/study and started checking out the books on the shelves. As I was browsing, I felt someone come up behind me. I turned around and, wouldn’t you know it, it was her father. He said he couldn’t sleep either, so we started chatting about all sorts of things.

We talked about self-help books, new technologies, quantum physics, astronomy, extraterrestrial life, and even the possibility of humans going to Mars. At some point, he offered me a brandy and we sat sipping and chatting until 6:15 am. By the time I crawled back into bed, I was pretty tipsy.

For the remainder of the time that I dated his daughter, she teased me about how she had taken me home to meet her parents and her father had tried to steal me away. We ended up dating for a few more months, but eventually she moved overseas for post grad work and we went our separate ways. Even though our relationship didn’t work out, I still keep in touch with her dad and we still discuss good books from time to time. It’s funny how something as simple as a late-night chat in a library can lead to a lasting connection.

So, which self-help books were in Mr. Billionaires library?

Here’s my list:

The Intelligent Investor

Benjamin Graham Classic book on value investing and risk management

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Robert Kiyosaki Personal finance book that advocates for entrepreneurship and investing in assets over passive income

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey

Self-help book that teaches readers how to become more productive and successful by adopting certain habits and principles

Tools of Titans

Tim Ferriss

Collection of interviews with successful people, featuring insights and advice on productivity, health, and wealth-building

The Lean Startup

Eric Ries Business book that teaches entrepreneurs how to build and scale their businesses using a scientific approach to testing and iterating on their products and processes

Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill

Self-help book that teaches readers how to achieve success by adopting a positive mindset and taking specific actions

The 4-Hour Work Week

Tim Ferriss

Self-help book that teaches readers how to achieve financial independence and achieve a better work-life balance by outsourcing, automating, and optimizing their work and personal lives

Awaken the Giant Within

Tony Robbins

Self-help book that teaches readers how to take control of their lives and achieve their goals by changing their beliefs and habits.

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