Top 100+ Books on Prosperity and Wealth Creation

Prosperity booklist 

Prosperity, money and wealth creation or financial freedom – mean different things to different people. Whatever it means to you and if you want to have more of it, there is plenty of advice from people who have mastered the art of wealth creation. And what’s the best, easiest and cheapest way to learn how to do it – speed read their books or at least read the summaries of the books which counts as speed reading (we’ve summarised some of them for you). In an interview with Bill Gates, he was asked, “If you could have one superpower what would it be?” He responded with, “The ability to read super fast.”

Getting the information on how to become financially free or independent is the first step. Applying the principles of wealth creation is another. There are a few important aspects that people who have mastered the art of prosperity have in common: values (top prosperity tip: make sure that money/prosperity/wealth is one of your top values in life), beliefs, mindsets, thinking about money and prosperity as well as actual skills of investing, creating and managing wealth. And there is luck which most wealthy people value as well. You need a variety of books to cover these essential aspects to give you a solid foundation for your prosperity and financial freedom. Best of luck 🙂

Our personal choice for the top 8 books on prosperity, wealth creation and financial freedom

  1. Richard Wiseman The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind (2004) – Read the summary
  2. 50 Prosperity Classics (summarised below)
  3. Anthony Robbins Unshakeable: Your Guide to Financial Freedom
  4. Paul McKenna I can make you rich (2007)
  5. Deepak Chopra Creating Affluence (1998)
  6. Shakti Gawain Creating True Prosperity (1997)
  7. Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer Creating Money: Attracting Abundance (2008)
  8. Anthony Robbins book Money: Master the Game – 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom (2014) – Read the summary

Top speed reading tip for prosperity
Download (prime yourself with) the top books on prosperity into your (unconscious/non-conscious) mind with intention of getting results – it’s called the direct/implicit learning technique.

From: 50 Prosperity Classics by Tom Butler-Bowdon

ATTRACT IT
Master the inner game/mindset of wealth and abundance with books such as

James Allen The Path of Prosperity (1905) In short: You will only become truly prosperous when you have disciplined your mind. Paradoxically, wealth (and happiness) comes most easily to those who forget themselves in their service to others.
Genevieve Behrend Your Invisible Power (1921)
Rhonda Byrne The Secret (2006)
T. Harv Eker Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (2005)
Charles Fillmore Prosperity (1936)
Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks Ask and It Is Given (2004)
Napoleon Hill The Master-Key to Riches (1965)
Catherine Ponder Open Your Mind to Prosperity (1971)
John Randolph Price The Abundance Book (1987)
Sanaya Roman & Duane Packer Creating Money (1988) 
In short: If you know the universe to be an abundant place, you won’t fear not having the resources to pursue your purpose or mission in life.
Marsha Sinetar Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow (1987)
Max Weber The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904–5)

Plus
Richard Wiseman The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind (2004)
Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer Creating Money: Attracting Abundance (2008)
Paul McKenna I can make you rich (2007)
Sharon Maxwell Magnus Think yourself rich (2003)
Heather Summers and Anne Watson The Book of luck (2004)
Jack Canfield The Success Principles (2005)

CREATE IT
Learn from the secrets and strategies of wealth creators such as

Robert G. Allen Multiple Streams of Income (2000)
P. T. Barnum The Art of Money Getting (1880)
Richard Branson Losing My Virginity (2002) In short: Don’t be afraid to be different. On entering any new field or an industry, aim to really shake it up and provide new value.
Felix Dennis How to Get Rich (2006)
Peter Drucker Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985)

In an interview with Bill Gates he was asked, “If you could have one superpower what would it be?” He responded with, “The ability to read super fast.”

Bill Gates (by James Wallace & Jim Erickson) Hard Drive (1992)
Michael E. Gerber The E-Myth Revisited (1995)
Conrad Hilton Be My Guest (1957)
Joe Karbo The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches (1973)
Guy Kawasaki The Art of the Start (2004)
Paul Zane Pilzer God Wants You to Be Rich (1995)
Anita Roddick Business as Unusual (2000)
Howard Schultz Pour Your Heart into It (1997)
Donald Trump The Art of the Deal (1987)

MANAGE IT
Discover the nuts and bolts of personal finance and investing such as

David Bach The Automatic Millionaire (2003)
John C. Bogle The Little Book of Common Sense Investing (2007)
Warren Buffett (edited by Lawrence Cunningham) The Essays of Warren Buffett (1997)
Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin Your Money or Your Life (1992)
Benjamin Graham The Intelligent Investor (1949)
Robert Kiyosaki Cashflow Quadrant (1998)
Peter Lynch One Up on Wall Street (1989)
Andrew McLean & Gary Eldred Investing in Real Estate (2005)
Jerrold Mundis How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously (1988)
William Nickerson How I Turned $1,000 into Three Million in Real Estate – in My Spare Time (1969)
Suze Orman Women and Money (2007)
Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Revisited (2003)
Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko The Millionaire Next Door (1996)

“Become financially independent with this simple formula: earn more, spend less and automate the investing process.” (from Anthony Robbins book Money: Master the Game – 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom (2014) – Read the summary)

SHARE IT
Understand the flow of wealth and how to give something back with

Andrew Carnegie The Gospel of Wealth (1889)
Chuck Feeney (by Conor O’Clery) The Billionaire Who Wasn’t (2007)
Joel T. Fleishman The Foundation (2007)
Paul Hawken, Amory B. Lovins, & L. Hunter Lovins Natural Capitalism (2000)
Lynne Twist The Soul of Money (2003)
Muhammad Yunus Banker to the Poor (1999)

More books on the subject of prosperity and wealth creation

1 William Bernstein The Four Pillars of Investing (2002)
Acclaimed as the best modern guide to stock investing. Pillars include knowing something about market history, and appreciating that investing is about psychology.

2 Victor Boc How To Solve All Your Money Problems Forever (1997)
Mail-order volume in the tradition of Joe Karbo that nevertheless provides a powerful wealth recipe based on affirmations and “glad giving.”

3 Eric Butterworth Spiritual Economics (1998)
Clear explanation of New Thought prosperity principles, used in many church reading groups.

4 Ron Chernow Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Snr (2004)
Unsurpassed biography of the man who amassed more wealth than any American prior to Bill Gates, and how he gave it away.

5 David Chilton The Wealthy Barber (1998)
Popular fable explaining the basics of personal finance. Asserts that readers can become well-off even on a normal wage. Similar ideas to Bach’s The Automatic Millionaire.

6 Deepak Chopra Creating Affluence (1998)
A–Z guide to manifesting wealth through awareness of quantum physics and spiritual principles.

7 Yvon Chouinard Let My People Go Surfing (2006)
The founder of the Patagonia outdoor products company shows how being green and good to your workers can be pillars in building a great company.

8 Paul Collier The Bottom Billion (2007)
The world has never been richer, so why are there still a billion desperately poor people? An Oxford professor’s look at why civil war, dependence on natural resources, and corruption continue to hold back prosperity in the poorest countries—and what to do about it.

9 Robert Collier Riches Within Your Reach (1947)
Originally titled The Law of the Higher Potential, former advertising man’s application of metaphysical ideas to the process of wealth creation.

10 Christine Comaford-Lynch Rules for Renegades (2007)
Entrepreneur, software engineer, and former Buddhist monk provides powerful tips for business and life success revolving around confidence in yourself to make a difference.

11 Nicholas Darvas How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market (1960)
Amusing and still popular account of the development of a successful stockpicking system, written while the author traveled the world in a ballroom dancing troupe.

12 Lee Eisenberg The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life (2006)
Addresses the question of working out how much you need to have a comfortable retirement. Lacks practical advice, more a philosophical journey about your goals and priorities.

13 Tim Ferris The 4-Hour Workweek (2007)
Manifesto for getting out of the 9–5 trap, creating self-managing businesses that allow you to travel and work from anywhere. Has attracted plenty of criticism, but provides many practical tips.

“Luck is being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things. How? By being in the right state of mind (which is in our control).” (Richard Wiseman The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind (2004) – Read the summary)

14 Marc Fisher The Instant Millionaire (1993)
Enjoyable, powerful fable on the power of goals and self-belief in realizing abundance.

15 Philip A. Fisher Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits (1996)
A strong influence on Warren Buffett, Fisher shows why it is better to pay more for a great, growing company than seek to find undervalued companies that may never be great.

16 Edwene Gaines The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity (2005)
In the spirit of Catherine Ponder and Charles Fillmore, Gaines points to tithing, setting goals, forgiveness, and finding your life purpose as the ways to prosperity.

17 Shakti Gawain Creating True Prosperity (1997)
The author of Creative Visualization dissects the connection between money and happiness, urging readers to identify their deepest longings rather than simply trying to earn more.

18 Charles J. Givens More Wealth Without Risk (1995)
The “Dale Carnegie of investing” died in 1997 but his work is still popular. Readers who followed his contrarian approach would have emerged unscathed from the crash of 2000.

19 Joel Greenblatt The Little Book that Beats the Market (2005)
Successful hedge fund manager and professor’s “magic formula” for investing based on the view that stocks are worth only what they consistently return to the investor.

20 Rita Gunther McGrath & Ian McMillan The Entrepreneurial Mindset (2000)
Best book on creating new value in companies by focusing on the customer, in the style of Peter Drucker.

21 Charles F. Haanel The Master Key System (1917)
Businessman’s metaphysical foray into the relationship between thoughts and reality. Rumor has it that the book inspired Bill Gates to leave Harvard to start Microsoft.

22 Friedrich von Hayek The Road to Serfdom (1944)
Written while the Second World War was still raging, far-sighted analysis of the evils of central planning and totalitarianism. A big influence on promoters of political liberty and free markets, including Milton Friedman.

23 James Hughes Family Wealth (2004)
Self-published title that became a bestseller thanks to insightful advice to families who have made money and want to avoid the syndrome of “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.”

24 George Kinder Seven Stages of Money Maturity (2000)
Profound but practical insights into the psychology of money by a top financial planner. Has helped many reconsider their financial attitudes and become prosperous.

25 Ray Kroc Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s (1977)
Entrepreneurial classic telling how a 52-year-old milkshake salesman created one of the iconic companies of our times.

26 Edwin Lefevre Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (1935)
Fictionalized biography of Jesse Livermore, one of the greatest stock-market traders, focusing on crowd psychology and timing.

27 Rieva Lesonsky Start Your Own Business (2007)
Now in its fourth edition, bestselling start-up title covering 800 pages, from the editor of Entrepreneur magazine.

28 Michael Losier Law of Attraction (2003)
Outlines principles found in Ask and It Is Given and The Secret, but goes into detail on the mechanics of manifesting desires.

29 Burton G. Malkiel A Random Walk Down Wall Street: A Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing (2007, 9th edn)
Princeton economics professor’s million-selling title on where to invest, read by novices and professionals alike.

30 Kevin Maney The Maverick and his Machine: Thomas Watson Snr and the Making of IBM (2004)
Riveting biography of Watson and his creation of the first real information-age corporation.

31 David McClelland The Achieving Society (1961)
Harvard psychologist’s intriguing insights into the “achievement motive” that drives entrepreneurs.

32 Joseph Murphy Your Infinite Power to Be Rich (1966)
The author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind turns his mind to prosperity. Many great insights.

33 John Nathan Sony: The Private Life (2001)
Fascinating account of the founders of the Sony Corporation, who saw only opportunity amid the ashes of Japan’s Second World War defeat, and their ethos of being different to succeed.

34 Jacob Needleman Money and the Meaning of Life (1991)
Philosopher’s learned exploration of the idea that money is not just a means of exchange but that its pursuit allows for the fulfillment of human potential.

35 Maria Nemeth The Energy of Money (2000)
Psychologist’s exploration of our deep beliefs and habits about financial matters, and how seeing money as a form of energy can set us free.

36 Michael Phillips The Seven Laws of Money (1974)
A “hippie capitalist” shows how money flows to those who “do the right thing” and respect its objective rules and laws.

37 Daniel Pink Free Agent Nation (2002)
Explores the rise of millions of “free agents” who wish to take control of their work destiny and become prosperous without a corporate crutch.

38 C. K. Prahalad The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits (2004)
Using practical free-market techniques, not government, to raise living standards worldwide.

39 Joseph Schumpeter Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (1942)
Introduced the concept of “creative destruction,” in which innovation shakes up established economies. The entrepreneur is the driving force in this process.

40 Steven S. Scott The Richest Man Who Ever Lived (2006)
Drawn from the example of King Solomon’s life and the wisdom contained in the book of Proverbs, provides a storehouse of guidance for achieving wealth and happiness.

41 George Soros Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve (1995)
Philosophy and trading strategies from one of the great investors of our time.

42 John P. Speller Seed Money in Action: Working the Law of Tenfold Return (1964)
Presents the idea that any money given away always comes back to the giver tenfold, and that giving is itself is a reliable path to wealth.

43 Barbara Stanny Secrets of Six-Figure Women (2004)
Based on interviews with 150 women who earn over $100,000 per year; inspiring tips for how to break out of the pattern of “underearning.”

44 Richard Templar The Rules of Wealth (2006)
British businessman’s 100 rules for prosperity. Not a recipe for overnight riches, it instead advocates hard work, self-knowledge, and copying the mindset of the wealthy.

45 Andrew Tobias The Only Investing Guide You’ll Ever Need (2005, updated edn)
A perennial that provides solid advice on all aspects of personal finance and investing.

46 Elizabeth Towne How to Grow Success (1904)
Money is not success, but success includes the ability to command money.

47 Joe Vitale The Attractor Factor (2005)
Marketing guru’s popular interpretation of the law of attraction, combining metaphysics with many practical tips.

48 William Walker Thought Vibration, or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World (1906)
New Thought classic comparing the law of attraction to the law of gravity. Influenced later prosperity writers.

49 Stuart Wilde The Trick to Money Is Having Some (1995)
In a lighthearted style, Wilde provides many spiritual and practical tips for bringing more money into your life, such as being thankful for even the smallest amounts you receive or find.

50 Bruce Wilkinson The Prayer of Jabez (2000)
American pastor’s mega-selling revelation of an obscure passage from the Bible. If uttered daily, the “Jabez prayer” promises prosperity, “enlarged territories,” and divine protection.

Principles for attracting wealth

Paradoxically, wealth (and happiness) comes most easily to those who forget themselves in the service of others. The law of giving infallibly returns more to the giver than they contribute.

When you focus on other people and circumstances as the source of your prosperity, you tend to lose it. But when you recognize God, a higher power, or the universe as the source of your supply, money begins to flow. Actual money does not make you secure; what does is a thorough knowledge of the universe’s power to provide.

To receive good things you must first cleanse your mind of clutter and negative emotions. In forming a vacuum, you allow good things to rush in. When you are resentful, you are bound to the person or situation you resent. In forgiving, you free yourself and allow the floodgates of prosperity to open.

The universe is perfectly ordered, therefore the person who makes their own affairs more orderly is attuned to universal riches. To receive more money, you must first demonstrate that you can manage what you already have well, however little it is.

The basic law of the universe is that things come into being that did not exist before. When you create mental pictures of health, wealth, and happiness, you are not trying to change the laws of nature, but instead fulfilling your unique promise to bring these things into being.

According to the law of attraction, whatever you put your attention on through thought or desire becomes reality. You attract to yourself things or people that are the equivalent of your current state of being, or “vibration.”

The “creative process” is the specific way in which you can use the law of attraction to obtain what you want. It involves: Asking the universe, and being very clear about what you want; Believing, acting, and speaking as

though you have already received what you have asked for; and Receiving— feeling great that it is coming to you, which sets up the necessary vibration to manifest the desire. This process is summed up in the Bible: “All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them and ye shall have them.”

Deciding to elevate your mood or feeling in each moment is vital for increasing your vibration, which in turn attracts things, people, and feelings of a like vibration. To be both rich and happy, you must make a positive mental attitude a basic habit of living.

If you are low on funds, praise and bless whatever you have, and imagine it growing larger. Blessing both what you have and what others have puts the law of increase into motion.

Gratitude is the key to an abundant life, because it puts you in a state of mind that attracts even more of what you are grateful for. Love, appreciation, and thanks are the essence of prosperity. It is right to become a giver, but you must also learn to be a good receiver.

Principles for creating wealth

The foundation of a prosperous life (combining material wealth, health, and mental wellbeing) is personal character, formed from self-control and cultivation of virtue. A person of integrity, trust, and good character is “bankable”; their riches evolve out of who they are as much as what they do.

Definiteness of purpose is essential to the success of the wealth creator. A clear purpose enables you to see setbacks as temporary, banishes fear and doubt, and inspires the help of others.

Do more than is asked or expected of you, “go the extra mile.” Putting in an extraordinary effort with no guarantee of gain is the basis of most great fortunes.

Whatever you do, provide, or create, make sure you do it in an outstanding way. Remember the Latin dictum In excellentia lucrum—in excellence is profit.

The fear of failure or embarrassment is the greatest obstacle to achieving wealth. Fear puts a brake on action, yet if you are not willing to fail you will forever be bound in circumstances that involve little risk. With little risk there are only small rewards.

Learn, don’t blame. It is easy to blame people or events when things are not going smoothly, but the enlightened wealth creator seeks only to learn in every situation. Don’t complain, look for opportunities.

Thinking big is the basis of all great enterprises and fortunes. You are constantly thinking, therefore it takes no more effort to think big instead of small.

Wealth flows to the person who has a high tolerance for uncertainty or disappointment.

Handle disappointment well, and you will make more attempts to achieve your goals. By the law of averages, where others have given up you will succeed.

Wealth-minded people do not try to avoid risk or complexity. They even embrace large problems because they know that solving them can produce significant value.

It is not enough to want to be rich, you must commit to it. Providence moves all for the person who determines to stick it out, doing what they can to make

a venture work. The half-hearted achieve half-success.

Choose your vocation wisely. Love of your work sets up a “circle of excellence” that cannot fail to deliver great gains over time. But along with love and talent, you must work hard.

If you think you see the future, act on it. Hunches based on in-depth knowledge are usually right. If something captures your imagination, chances are it will capture that of others too.

Everything that you see around you, someone has made a fortune from. All you need is one idea that can make you your fortune, and it is probably to be found in your own backyard.

Don’t be afraid to be different. On entering any new field or an industry, aim to really shake it up and provide new value.

The surest way to wealth is to create a product or service that increases the ease and speed of results.

Above all, it is customers that create wealth. Have customers before you even start your business.

The seed of entrepreneurship is a wish to be in control of your own destiny.

The purpose of entrepreneurship is to deliver new satisfaction and value. It is built on unexpected successes that are quickly capitalized on.

Riches follow ownership. Own something, or at least a part of something.

Have many sources of income. Do not depend on a single wage for your financial security.

Wealthy people create money-producing systems. Middle-class people work within and for these systems, and so never get rich.

All wealth is created first in the mind. Therefore, a political-economic system that fosters and protects the freedom to think, innovate, create, and prosper,

with free and open markets in which to trade the product, is a moral system.

Principles for managing wealth

Live within your means. If you are not wealthy, do not have a wealthy lifestyle.

You will get rich by imitating the mindset of the wealthy, not by imitating their spending.

Poor people are focused on spending money; the wealthy are focused on creating it, saving it, and investing it.

Most people see money as cash in their hands to be used and spent. Wealthy people understand money primarily as seeds to be planted that will grow into money trees.

Plan your spending. Never shop on impulse. The longer you plan a purchase for, generally the more money you will save.

Document your spending. It is the first step to getting control of your finances.

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