Although most of my conversations with clients center on helping them with their U.S. brokerage and IRA accounts, I like it when the conversation turns to what’s on our current reading list.
I’m always thrilled when people tell me that they read one of my books and appreciate when they review it on Amazon. (In fact, I’m very excited to announce that Rich As A King: How the Wisdom of Chess Can Make You a Grandmaster of Investing, which I wrote with world chess champion Susan Polgar, was just named one of the Top 10 in the publisher’s “Best Books of 2015” list.)
Although it’s great to get acknowledged for my own writing, I’d like to share the three books (out of about two dozen) that I read this past year that deserve special mention.
Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, by Peter Diamandis. I liked Peter’s book so much, that I invited him to be a guest on my radio show, The Goldstein On Gelt Show, to discuss his work as the Chairman of the X-Prize Foundation (famous for its $10 million prize for private spaceflight). Abundance is the antithesis of what you hear in the media. Instead of bemoaning the fate of humanity, Peter Diamandis lists the specific steps that the world needs in order to advance to a truly abundant civilization. But better yet, he also points out how we are well on our way to solving the world’s water problems, to feeding and educating billions of people, and to providing unlimited power which will drive innovation in so many fields.
Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel’s Soul, by Daniel Gordis. Reading Gordis’ newest book put me on a highway of modern Israeli history books. His descriptions of Begin’s path made me want to see the formation of the State of Israel from many perspectives, so I subsequently read The Prime Ministers (Avner), The Revolt (Begin), White Nights (Begin), Fear No Evil (Sharansky), The Case for Democracy (Sharansky), and also several books about the formation of the government in the United States.
After that, I read Garry Kasparov’s new book, Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped to get a greater appreciation for the importance of democracy in the world. (I also interviewed Kasparov on The Goldstein On Gelt Show, which was a great opportunity to ask him questions about his book.) Though I recommend reading all of these books, if you only have time for one, then Gordis’ overview will give you a solid understanding of one of the most important figures in Israel’s rebirth, and also allow you to see the extent of Begin’s personal sacrifice that allowed millions of Jews to live safely and happily in their homeland.
Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to Be Happy and Successful in Life, by Tom Corley. One of fundamental problems people have with handling their money is that they have bad training. Starting from a young age, their parents, friends, media, and schooling set them up with poor money habits and crummy financial values. Tom Corley, a friend of mine and also a former guest on my show, wrote a great book which is fun to read and written in short chapters. Each chapter is a story that teaches an important point. Although he presents the ideas in a way that’s easy to pass on to children, the book works for people of all ages. If you’re having any questions about starting off right financially, this is a great read.
I’m starting off 2016 in the middle of two books now, Adjusting Sights (Sabato) and A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel (Radosh).
If you have any great books to recommend to me to add to my 2016 reading list, I’d be very grateful.
Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the Director of Profile Investment Service, Ltd., which specializes in helping people who live in Israel with their US dollar assets and American investment and retirement accounts. He helps olim meet their financial goals through asset allocation, financial planning, and using money managers.
Published January 18, 2016.