What books can help you get rich?

To get rich, the first step is to change the way you think and act with your money. There’s no magic formula, but some books are considered global pillars of financial education. The most recommended books for building wealth include Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. These reads will give you the keys to save effectively, invest wisely, and make your money work for you.

Changing your mindset about money

Wealth starts with psychology. Before you start crunching numbers or opening brokerage accounts, you absolutely need to break through your limiting beliefs about money and success.

The importance of financial psychology

The relationship we have with money shapes our spending and saving habits. Without an internal shift in perspective, even a lottery win can end up being blown through.

Does reading books really make you rich?

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Reading books about finance won’t make you rich by magic, but it will radically change the way you think and spot opportunities. The financial education you gain through reading helps you avoid costly mistakes and apply strategies proven by the greats. In the end, it’s the regular action inspired by these books that truly creates wealth.

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• Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill): Written after studying more than 500 millionaires of his time — including Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford — this book shows that wealth starts with a burning desire and a clear vision. It teaches you how to turn an idea into a fortune through persistence and autosuggestion.

The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind (T. Harv Eker): The author explains that we all have an "inner financial blueprint" rooted in our subconscious since childhood. If that blueprint isn’t programmed for success, no technical strategy will work.

Good to know

According to research by Thomas Corley, author of Rich Habits, 85% of self-made millionaires read at least two books a month focused on education, career, or personal development, compared with only 15% of the rest of the population.

Mastering the basics of personal finance

Once you’ve adopted the right mindset, it’s essential to understand how money works in everyday life. These are the foundations of your future financial freedom.

Controlling cash flow

Making a lot of money doesn’t help if your spending rises at the same pace. Taking control of your finances means managing your budget with surgical precision.

What is the best book for getting rich?

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While there’s no single answer, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad is widely considered the best place to start. It brilliantly breaks down complex concepts and permanently changes how a beginner sees money. For anyone who struggles to save, The Richest Man in Babylon is also an absolute classic.

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• The Richest Man in Babylon (George S. Clason): Told through parables set in ancient times, this book delivers the golden rule of wealth building: "Pay yourself first." It recommends saving and investing 10% of all your income consistently before paying a single bill.
• Rich Dad Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki): This is the go-to book for understanding the fundamental difference between:
  
  • An asset: Something that puts money in your pocket on a regular basis (rental real estate, dividend stocks, royalties, businesses).
  • A liability: Something that takes money out of your pocket (sports car, oversized primary residence, consumer debt).The goal when building wealth is to limit liabilities and accumulate assets that will eventually pay for your lifestyle.

Good to know

In France, according to a Banque de France survey, more than 77% of French people say they have a medium or low level of knowledge when it comes to financial matters.

Investment strategies and wealth creation

To speed up the wealth-building process, you inevitably have to move from simple safe saving to growing your capital through investing.

Getting comfortable with markets and compound interest

Investing takes patience and strong emotional control so you don’t panic during downturns.

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What book should you read to start investing?

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To get started with investing without taking huge risks, The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel is ideal for understanding behavioral biases. If you want technical stock market strategies, The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham is the ultimate bible, even if it’s dense. Finally, One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch is perfect for learning how to pick company stocks.

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• The Psychology of Money (Morgan Housel): This modern, highly accessible book explains that good investing isn’t about pure math — it’s about behavior. Managing your ego, accepting volatility, and letting compound interest do its work are the real secrets to long-term wealth.
• The Intelligent Investor (Benjamin Graham): Considered by Warren Buffett to be the best investing book ever written, it teaches value investing and how to protect yourself against irrational market swings.

Entrepreneurship as a shortcut to financial freedom

If stock market investing is a slow and steady method, entrepreneurship is the fastest vehicle for building significant capital in a short amount of time.

Building profitable systems

The goal isn’t to create a self-employed job where you work 80 hours a week, but to build an entity that generates income even while you sleep.

How do you get rich starting from zero?

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Getting rich from scratch means focusing on creating value rather than selling your time. Experts recommend first developing high-income skills, then building a scalable business. The other path — slower but mathematically sound — is to live below your means and invest the surplus every month in the financial markets.

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• The Millionaire Fastlane (MJ DeMarco): The author blows up the myth of "work hard for 40 years to get rich in retirement." He proposes a model based on systems-driven entrepreneurship. The idea is to build a business that’s decoupled from your working time, meets a massive need, and creates wealth quickly and sustainably.
• The 4-Hour Workweek (Tim Ferriss): This modern classic teaches you how to optimize your time, delegate low-value tasks, and create "muses" — small automated businesses — to fund the lifestyle of your dreams without waiting until old age.

Learning by example: reading billionaires’ biographies

Financial education also comes from studying the journeys of those who reached the top. Biographies offer practical lessons and valuable warnings.

The imitation game of great minds

Understanding how great magnates responded to adversity helps you build steel-like resilience for the challenges of entrepreneurship and investing.

What are the books for getting rich? - Key takeaways

To build your own financial library and start your path toward independence, it’s crucial to choose your reading based on your current gaps.

Summary of the foundational books

Here’s a recap of the essential reads, organized by theme, to help you choose which book to start with today:

By combining the saving lessons of George S. Clason, the financial intelligence of Robert Kiyosaki, and the entrepreneurial strategies of MJ DeMarco, you’ll have a complete intellectual arsenal to transform your financial situation for good.