READING LOG

I started keeping a log of the books I’ve read since 2017.

 

2017

  • 1. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley – COMPLETED Dec. 2016 (9/10 – shows us that most millionaires don’t live the flashy lives portrayed in the media but are actually much more frugal than most people)
  • 2. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller – COMPLETED Dec. 2016 (7/10 – a different perspective on the parable of the prodigal son where the elder brother is just as lost as the younger brother)
  • 3. The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life by J.L. Collins – COMPLETED Jan. 2017 (9/10 – details a simple way to invest and emphasizes low-cost index funds like VTSAX; lots of great information too)
  • 4. Half Retire – How to Escape the Rat Race Without Waiting to Win the Lottery! by Marcus Arce – COMPLETED Jan. 2017 (5/10 – goes through different ways to avoid typical full-time employment that usually lasts until traditional retirement age)
  • 5. PUSH – A Guide to Living an All Out Life: The Story of Orangetheory Fitness by Ellen Latham, MS – COMPLETED Jan. 2017 (9/10 – written by the founder of Orangetheory Fitness; goes through the journey of how she came up with the concept and the franchise; lots of excellent testimonials and inspiring stories)
  • 6. I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi – COMPLETED Jan. 2017 (7/10 – covers a wide variety of concepts; would be more useful to recent grads or those new to managing finances)
  • 7. Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham with Janice Rogers – Completed Mar. 2017 (9/10 – required reading for Daniel DTS class I’m taking; tells the story of how YWAM began and tells amazing stories of how God used them in the early years)
  • 8. Entitlemania: How Not to Spoil Your Kids, and What to Do If You Have by Richard Watts – COMPLETED July 2017 (10/10 – author who has personal experience working with many wealthy families teaches parents what to do and not to do to prevent spoiling your kids; the responsibility mainly falls on the parents, NOT the kids)
  • 9. My strategy to retire early: My journey to become financially independent and retire in my early 30s by Benjamin Davis – COMPLETED July 2017 (6/10 – author describes his strategy to retire early; interesting because I have similar goals but not as relevant for me because he plans to retire in Portugal)
  • 10. unWorking: Exit the rat race, live like a millionaire, and be happy now by Clark Vandeventer – COMPLETED December 2017 (9/10 – really inspiring and great read; author discusses his hard times as well as the good; more about living life now, and that we don’t need money to be happy)
  • 11. Passive Income by George Pain – COMPLETED December 2017 (6/10 – very quick read; not much new for me, but it quickly describes the well known ways to make passive income)
  • 12. 50 Ways to Lose Weight by Colin Stuckert – Completed December 2017 (7/10 – quick read; outlines 50 ways to lose weight; most I already knew, but some new ones in there that were pretty good)

2018

  1. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance – Completed Feb. 2018 – (10/10) – What an inspiring book! It’s amazing what can be accomplished by a man on a mission. He may not be the nicest guy, but he sure can get stuff done. I have a lot more respect for him now and am inspired to do something on my own too.
  2. The Art of Non-Conformity: Set your own rules, live the life you want, and change the world by Chris Guillebeau – Completed Feb. 2018 – (8/10) – Some solid points about changing your perspective on the way you live your life and doing what’s important to you.
  3. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie – Completed Feb. 2018 (10/10) – This is a classic that’s been around since 1936. This is a book that everyone should read. Great anecdotes to illustrate points.
  4. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – Completed March 2018 (9/10) – Slow start, but the second half of the book is gripping and fabulously written. Told from the point of view of a dog, Enzo, this story really pulls at your emotions. What an ending!
  5. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick – Completed May 2018 (10/10) – A look into the lives of six North Korean defectors, how they lived, and how they got out. Extremely well-written and worth a read.
  6. Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez – Completed May 2018 (7/10) – This is a classic for the FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early) movement, but there wasn’t anything too groundbreaking for me. However, if you’re new to FI, this is an excellent place to start.
  7. Grace-Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel – Completed July 2018 (7/10) – Kimmel suggests parenting with grace to provide a sound foundation for growing morally strong kids that will thrive in any environment. A decent read but a bit repetitive at times.
  8. These are the Generations: The Story of How One North Korean Family Lived Out the Great Commission for More Than Fifty Years in the Most Christian-Hostile Nation in Human History by Mr. and Mrs. Bae – Completed Sept. 2018 (7/10) – The story of a couple who truly lived out their Christian faith and eventually defected to South Korea.
  9. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker, M.D. – Completed Dec. 2018 (8/10) – Emphasizes the importance of the father-daughter relationship. Provides anecdotes to support each point.

2019

Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth – and How You Can Too by Chris Hogan. The points are good and the stories are inspiring. However, I feel that the research methodology inherently has some bias because the types of millionaires that inherited their wealth or got a lot of help don’t usually realize their privilege and probably wouldn’t respond to or be interested in participating in a study like this. Basically, I slightly disagree with the thesis that an overwhelming majority of millionaires are self-made. I’d say most are, but not as many as stated in the book.

Fundamental of Financial Planning, 5th Edition, (Dalton) – read for UVA CFP class, Spring 2019

Fundamentals of Investing, 13th Edition, Smart, Scott B., Gitman; Lawrence J., Joehnk; Michael D. – read for UVA CFP class, Summer 2019

Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits, 15th Edition, (Dalton), read for UVA CFP class, Fall 2019

Boston Bound: A 7-Year Journey to Overcome Mental Barriers and Qualify for the Boston Marathon by Elizabeth Clor. I came across this book as I was looking through other runners on Strava that ran the same race as me. I too have had a long-time goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, so the title piqued my interest. She struggled with mental barriers but eventually employed a sports psychologist and a coach to help her overcome issues and reach her potential.

Hansons Marathon Method by Luke Humphrey with Keith and Kevin Hanson. This book teaches you about all aspects of how to run your best marathon. It differs from other methods in that the longest run is only 16 miles but on tired legs. Overall, a good read for those interested in running a marathon or those looking to improve their performance in a marathon.

Training Essentials for Ultrarunning: How to Train Smarter, Race Faster, and Maximize Your Ultramarathon Performance by Jason Koop with Jim Rutberg. I read this just AFTER running my first ultra. It provides insight into many aspects of ultrarunning, including training, nutrition, pacing, crisis management, racing strategy, etc. Written by a coach with years of experience with elite (and non-elite) athletes.

2020 (very busy with real estate this year and didn’t have a lot of time to read)

Estate Planning, 11th ed. (Dalton textbook)

Insurance Planning, 6th ed. (Dalton textbook)

Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear – (10/10); excellent book that I’d highly recommend. I’ve already implemented some small changes.

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it by Chris Voss (9/10); great book on negotiation that helped me improve my active listening skills and communication with my wife.

2021

Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown, M.D., with Christopher Vaughan, founder of the National Institute for Play (7/10); interesting examples of how bringing play back into life can make many things better

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. (10/10) I actually really enjoyed this book and thought it hit home for me. It addresses the effect of technology in our lives. It talks about the importance of silence and solitude, Sabbath, simplicity, and slowing. There’s a podcast if you want don’t feel like reading. I already applied a few changes in my life because of this book.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. (10/10) I had started this book many times but wasn’t able to finish it because I was always reading at someone’s house. My client gifted me a copy, and I finally finished it. It has some great illustrations in it that show the value of being an owner/investor over being an employee/self-employed.

2022

The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann. (10/10) This is a quick read and one of the best books I’ve read. It uses short interactions with people to illustrate points. By going out and providing value and being a giver, one can be more successful in business, life, and relationships.

21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals by Frank Cook. (8/10) Even though this book was a bit dated (talks about CD-ROMs as the future), there was a decent amount of good advice in here. I would say it was still worth reading, even though I’m not a new agent.

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan. (8/10) This is more of a book on focus, productivity, and improving yourself than anything else. There wasn’t really much about real estate. That said, there were a lot of good points and lessons.

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller with Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan. (9/10) This book goes into how to really build a business in real estate. Leads, listings, leverage. He talks about how to build a great team and eventually net a million in passive income.

Wealth Conundrum: A Money Manager wrestles with the puzzle of wealth by Ralph Doudera. (8/10) A money manager goes through his journey of managing money through a Christian perspective.

2023

I forgot to log which books I read this year.

2024

All It Takes Is A Goal: The 3-Step Plan to Ditch Regret and Tap Into Your Massive Potential by Jon Acuff. (8/10) Similar to Atomic Habits. Any major goal can be accomplished by breaking it down into small goals.