The Total Money Makeover

When it comes to getting out of debt, this book has held its lead as one of the best for decades.  David, our creative director, cites Total Money Makeover as one of the most influential books in his teen years, saying that without it, he wouldn’t have known how to keep himself from the financial mistakes his friends and family were making in their own lives. Thanks to the lessons learned in this book, he has been debt free for over two decades — even while building a business.

That said, we need to be clear that it takes discipline to follow what this book teaches. Many people try to wriggle out of how helpful it is by finding exceptions that don’t apply to them, or getting triggered by the occasional religious language. If you’re in debt, you can’t afford to be so fickle about it — read this book and be sincere about implementing what it teaches.