The Psychology of Money

Why I'd hand it to you

This is the money book I would hand to anyone starting out, and to plenty of people who aren't. Housel's case is simple: how you behave with money matters more than how smart you are about it. He works through luck, risk, patience and the idea of having enough in short chapters you can read in one sitting. It is calm and sensible, never preachy. What it is not is a how-to. You won't get a budget, an asset mix or a list of funds, so if you want a step-by-step plan, pair it with something more practical. As a way to rethink your relationship with money, though, it does the job well.

— Matt Jordan