MatthewWolfe.com

Updated 12-29-09

These are some of the books that I have read that got me where I am today. These are inspirational books and they are how-to books. I give you my 100% promise that I have read every single one of these books listed here. I am throwing in my affiliate links so that if you do decide to check out one of these books, I might get some credit for it.

The 4-Hour Workweek

This is probably one of the most inspiring and informational books that you can read. This guy, Tim Ferriss, basically travels around the world and lets outsourcers run his online business. He has a website that sell dietary supplements and he gives step by step information about how he has his business on autopilot. Not only is this book inspirational because he discusses his travels and his success, it’s very informative as well. He actually gives you step by step action plans to go out and do what he did. If you have any interest in internet marketing or simplifying your life to work less and make more, this is a must read. Probably one of my favorite books of all time. You can buy it here.

Crush It!

I received this book for Christmas 2009. I began to read it and could not put it down. I basically read the entire book straight through. It’s the new 4-hour Workweek for me. The book is basically about how everyone should quit what their doing to work towards something they are passionate about. Take your passion and move it online. The business world as we know it is changing and social media and internet marketing are the future. This book explains how anyone can turn a passion in to a business and leverage the power of social media to create their own personal brand. It’s an amazing book and Gary’s take on social media and social networking sites make this book worth the cost alone. Check it out here.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

My good friend and fellow internet marketer, Josh Bartlett, turned me on to this book. He basically told me that after reading this book, you’ll feel like you can sell anything to anyone. Guess what… He was right. This book gives you so many tools, as well as explains the psychology behind them, to sell anything to anyone. This book is not only applicable to online businesses. It’s applicable to anyone who ever wants to sell anything. If you are in to affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing, product creation, or even marketing through blogs, this book is a must read! You will put this book down feeling like you understand how people think and what gets them to pull out their wallets. Check it out here.

This is the book that inspired me to get out of the rat race. Before I read this book, I didn’t give a crap about my personal finances. I didn’t have many goals for my future. I was just doing what I was doing and getting what I was getting. I read this book and it changed my way of thinking about everything. There’s people out there making so much money working way less than I am. I am just as smart as them. Why can’t I do that too. What do they have that I don’t? This book would fit more in the inspirational category. There are no clear steps to take to move towards your goals. This book is more about changing your mentallity on things. You can achieve financial freedom. You just have to learn what the rich people know already that you don’t. Great read. You Can Buy It Here.

This book falls more in to the how-to category. Ewen Chia talks you through exactly how he made his money on the internet. There is a wealth of knowledge in this book. I recommend it more for once you’ve already had some experience making websites or blogs. He doesn’t go in to detail about how to set them up for the first time. Ewen is big on list building. Give away something that people will want so that you can capture them on your list. Once you’ve got them, continue to give them valuable information to keep them. Sprinkle in affiliate promotions here and there, watch the dollars roll in. It’s got great ideas and great resources. The back of the book has a list of probably 100 different online tools to help your business. These alone make the book worth the money. You can check it out here.

This book will change your outlook on life. In fact, I will give you “The Secret”. Think positively, keep your goals in sight, and believe that you WILL reach them. This book explains how this phenomenon works and gives tons of examples of people that it has worked for. It has been a game changer for me. I use these philosophies everyday to achieve my goals in life and I believe that it has been paying off! Trust me, this book will change the way you think and the way you see your goals. A must read. Get it here.

The E-Myth

I read this book back when I helped my parents run their brick and mortar company. It is about starting your own business and then figuring out how to take yourself out of the day to day operations. Have you ever heard the saying “Work on your business, not in your business.”? That comes from this book. The concepts are so relevant to online businesses as well. With so many places to outsource day to day work that you really don’t want to do, there’s no reason you can’t pull yourself out and work on building the business. Learn how to focus on the big picture and keep from getting caught up in the day to day work that you can hire others to do for you. A lot of The 4-Hour Workweek took concepts and ideas from this book. Highly recommended. Check it out here.