Christmas is my favourite time of the year. It’s a time for family, friends and giving.
On the topic of giving, deciding what presents to give can be a challenge for some. My favourite at this time of year is the gift of a book. There’s a book for every type of person and thousands and thousands of options to choose from.
If you are struggling to find the right one, I’ve done the hard work for you and outlined my top book gift tips for 2024/25.
1. The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason
The ‘OG’ of books on personal finance. It’s a tiny book written in 1926 that is the original book on gaining control of your finances.
It’s written as a parable told through the eyes of an impoverished boy, Arkad, who, despite a challenging beginning, becomes the richest man in ancient Babylon.
Simple, practical and life-changing – a must-gift for anyone aged between 18 and 21 in particular.
2. McDonalds: Behind the Arches by John F. Love
This is the greatest book ever written on real estate. It tells the story (and secrets) of the most successful real estate company in the world, McDonalds.
Mickey D’s went from having no real estate in the 1960s to having a real estate portfolio worth $30 billion, which made up 55 per cent of its profit globally.
As McDonald’s chief financial officer Harry Sonneborn tells owner Ray Kroc: “You don’t seem to realise what business you’re in. You’re not in the burger business, you’re in the real estate business.
“You build an empire by owning the land. What you ought to be doing is owning the land upon which that burger is cooked.”
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Our lives are the sum of our habits. Habits are small decisions we make and actions we perform daily. Some are highly productive and propel our lives forward; others are repeated behaviours. Unfortunately, some habits can hinder our progress.
This is a page-turner that gives interesting, real-life examples of the power of our mind when it comes to habits, and how we can replace bad habits with good ones.
Author James Clear puts it perfectly when he says: “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”. So true!
4. Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by DrJoe Dispenza
This is a book about habits but, for me personally, had a greater impact on goal setting and visualisation. A good idea to save this one for just after New Year’s as you ponder what you want to achieve in 2025.
Author Dr Joe Dispenza talks about the science of habits, saying: “It makes sense that we should concentrate not merely on avoiding negative emotions, like fear and anger, but also on consciously cultivating heartfelt, positive emotions, such as gratitude, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, fascination, awe, inspiration, wonder, trust, appreciation, kindness, compassion and empowerment to give us every advantage in maximising our health.”
I’ll let you ponder that one…
5. Damn Right: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe
I only got to meet one of my grandparents and she passed away when I was in my early teens.
Charlie Munger is the wise older grandparent I never got to pick the brain of. Most famous for being Warren Buffet’s business partner for more than 50 years before his passing earlier this year, he is extremely successful in his own right.
Janet Lowe does an amazing job putting to paper all of Charlie’s extremely well thought out philosophy for extracting the most out of our time on Earth and does it in an entertaining way by weaving Charlie’s legendary sense of humour.
As Charlie used to say… “There is no better teacher than history in determining the future… There are answers worth billions of dollars in $30 history book.”
6. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
Rare that I pick up a book and realise how much I underestimated what I would learn from it. That is the case with this absolute must-read from former journalist James Nestor. He documents his first-hand experiment with learning the lost art of breathing properly.
What can be so important about breathing properly? That was my thought when I picked it up. Turns out a lot – from better sleep, improved immunity, improved focus, creativity and improved cardiovascular capability.
Anyone who snores or wants to sleep better needs this in their Christmas stocking this year!
7. 7 Steps to Wealth 9th Edition by John L Fitzgerald
My uncle just released the 9th edition of his Amazon best seller. It’s the first edition post-Covid. It retains all the classic and proven 7 steps to building wealth through real estate, but also touches on what has changed between edition 1 in 1998 and 9 (2024).
Most importantly, he uses his 43 years of real estate experience to forecast what the future will look like and how to maximise the opportunity that exists in that future.
8. Bulletproof Investing by James Fitzgerald
Shameless self-promotion to wind up my list. My book is a documentary of my journey learning the knowledge, skills and tools to never have to worry about money.
I’ve had feedback from readers of all ages – 13 to 85! A truly versatile Christmas gift 😉.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you and your family this festive season.
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