2026 Recommended Reading List

Chalk it up to age, upbringing, or disposition – I prefer learning by reading over watching videos or doomscrolling through yet another feed. A good book at the right time can stimulate the mind, spark creativity, and change how we think, act, and view the world. In a world where work and recreation increasingly happen via screens and endless feeds of email, social media, and streaming, reading provides recreation that requires little more than a quiet room with adequate light.

Below is a list of books, along with brief descriptions, that have been important and influential in my life. You'll find books on money, business, mindset, and lifestyle design — and I hope at least one of them lands at exactly the right time for you.

If any of these titles resonate with you, I'd love to hear about it. Please send me an email to discuss any titles listed below (or even to make suggestions for what to read next). Thanks!

Money-related

“The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness”

"Same As Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life"

by Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel has a rare gift for taking big, complicated ideas about money and distilling them into something any person can understand. If you only read one of his books, start with The Psychology of Money, which explores how risk, luck, fear, and comfort shape the financial decisions we all make. Same As Ever covers similar ground but zooms out further, focusing less on personal finance and more on the timeless patterns of human behavior that shape our world. Both are worth your time, and both are the kind of books you'll find yourself recommending to everyone you know.

Honorable mention: "The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life" by Morgan Housel. This is still a great book, but "Happy Money" (below) is actually a more useful book about spending.

“The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life”

by J.L. Collins

The Simple Path to Wealth is a no-nonsense guide to saving, investing, and building financial independence — the ability to afford your lifestyle without relying on earned income. Originally written as a series of letters to his daughter, Collins's book is an excellent starting point for graduates, people entering the workforce, or anyone who wants a clear, actionable roadmap without a lot of jargon getting in the way.

“Just Keep Buying: Proven ways to save money and build your wealth”

by Nick Maggiulli

In Just Keep Buying, Maggiulli lays out clear, actionable strategies for saving, managing debt, and investing — and backs all of it up with data. One of the ideas I've borrowed directly for use with clients is his take on spending: rather than cutting back on everything, the goal is to spend in ways that increase genuine fulfillment rather than just chasing the next new thing. (See more below in Happy Money.) It's a practical, refreshingly honest book that challenges a lot of conventional personal finance wisdom.

“I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works”

by Ramit Sethi

I enjoy listening to Ramit Sethi being interviewed more than I enjoy his writing, but that doesn't change the fact that everything in this book will lead to better financial health and, over time, financial independence. Like The Simple Path to Wealth, this is a great book for people entering the workforce or anyone who wants a step-by-step program for getting their financial life in order without a lot of guilt or excuses getting in the way.

“The Motley Fool Investment Guide”

by David & Tom Gardner

"Rule Breaker Investing: How to Pick the Best Stocks of the Future and Build Lasting Wealth"

by David Gardner

The Motley Fool has done more to educate everyday people about stock market investing than almost any other organization, and The Motley Fool Investment Guide remains a great primer for anyone interested in a business-centric approach to investing. Rule Breakers Investing, written by co-founder David Gardner (without brother Tom) goes further, making the case that the biggest long-term gains come from identifying genuinely innovative companies early and having the conviction to hold on. Taken together, these two books are a solid foundation for anyone who wants to understand not just how to invest, but how to think like an investor.

“Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches"

by Carl Richards

Carl Richards is a CFP® and the creator of the Sketch Guy column in the New York Times, and his whole approach to financial planning is built around the idea that the numbers are rarely the hard part — it's the behavior and emotions behind our decisions that trip us up. His latest book, Your Money, distills that philosophy into 101 simple sketches and short essays designed to spark real conversations about money and what it actually means in your life. I've had the chance to meet Carl a handful of times and his behavioral approach to financial planning resonates very strongly with my own ideas on the topic. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by personal finance, this book is the antidote.

“Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending"

by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton

Happy Money makes a surprisingly actionable case for rethinking how we spend our money: not just spending less of it, but being smarter about how we spend. The authors, both researchers, lay out several evidence-backed strategies for spending in ways that bring genuine satisfaction and fulfillment rather than just scratching a consumerist itch. It's a short, engaging read that will probably make you reconsider at least one or two things you spend money on regularly.

Business

“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”

by Robert B. Cialdini

Influence is essential reading for anyone who runs a business, markets a product, or just wants to understand why people do what they do. Cialdini breaks down the core principles of persuasion — the same ones used to reach the right audience, build genuine interest, and motivate action — with enough clarity and evidence that you'll start recognizing these principles everywhere. And that's the other reason to read it: once you know how influence works, you'll also notice when it's being used on you, and whether what you're feeling about your next purchase is genuine emotion or a carefully placed stimulus.

“Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business”

by Gino Wickman

Traction gives any business owner a practical, no-frills framework for running their business with more clarity and intention. Fair warning: it's not always a smooth read, and some sections could have used another pass from the editor. But the core ideas are genuinely useful, and I'm currently using the framework in my own one-person business to figure out which tasks to offload to AI & automation and which ones still need a human touch.

“Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?”

“This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See”

by Seth Godin

Like Morgan Housel and Carl Richards, Seth Godin is a master at taking big, complicated ideas and making them feel simple and actionable. Linchpin makes the case for becoming indispensable in your career by doing work that only you can do — and, somewhat ironically, the book feels even more relevant today as routine work gets handed off to AI. This Is Marketing is essential for any business owner who wants to reach the right people more effectively: it's not about running more ads, but about understanding your audience deeply enough to speak directly to the problems they have (sometimes before they can even articulate them themselves).

Productivity/Lifestyle Design

“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”

by James Clear

James Clear builds on the science of habit formation to create a framework that is genuinely easier to understand and implement than anything else I've come across on the topic. The key insight is that your brain offloads repeated behaviors to free up mental energy for other things — which is great when your habits are working for you and a real problem when they aren't. This is one of those books worth revisiting every few years, because the ideas apply differently depending on where you are in life.

“Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World”

by Cal Newport

I don't want to get rid of my smartphone, but I do want it to work for me instead of against me. Digital Minimalism makes a thoughtful case for being more intentional about how we use technology and includes a practical "digital detox" process that I'd recommend to anyone who has noticed that the apps designed to be fun just aren't that much fun anymore.

“The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich”

by Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek dramatically changed how I think about work, earning, and lifestyle design. It's full of challenges, thought experiments, and concrete ideas for defining — or redefining — what a great life actually looks like, along with practical suggestions for how to generate passive income to fund it. Even if you don't adopt every idea or launch a lifestyle business, the questions it asks are worth considering.

Mindset

“Meditations For Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts”

by Oliver Burkeman

As a small business owner, there is never a day when I don't feel like I should be doing just a little bit more to get ahead. But as Burkeman points out, there will never be a moment when you've finally taken care of everything and there are no more problems left to solve. Instead of chasing an impossible finish line, Meditations for Mortals offers four weeks of daily lessons and prompts for accepting the finite nature of life and finding meaning in the moment you're actually in, rather than the one you're always racing toward. I've read this book twice already and anticipate doing so again.

“The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom”

by Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements is a great book for recognizing the stories we tell ourselves about reality and how those stories shape our actions and beliefs. The opening section on Toltec philosophy requires a little patience if you're a skeptic, but it pays off: the four agreements themselves are easy to remember, very actionable, and genuinely useful as guideposts for figuring out which thoughts and behaviors are serving you and which ones are just old stories you've been carrying around for too long.

“Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why”

by Laurence Gonzales

A friend introduced me to this book with the best endorsement I've ever heard: "I've read this several times, and each time it applied exactly to what was happening in my life." Deep Survival explores the neuroscience behind why some people make bad decisions despite having good information, how seasoned experts make rookie mistakes, and why certain patterns seem to repeat themselves no matter how much experience someone has. I recommend keeping a copy to revisit every 5-10 years.

Happy reading!

Timothy Iseler, CFP®

Founder & Lead Advisor

Iseler Financial, LLC | Registered Investment Advisor | Durham NC

If any of this resonates with you — the books, the ideas, or just the nagging feeling that your financial life could use a little more intention — I'd love to have a conversation. Iseler Financial helps creative professionals get clear on where they stand and make smarter decisions now so they have more and better options later. Reach out any time.