Post: #1

The thread titles says it all. I know we have a biographies thread, but I'm specifically looking for books about/by men (or women) who built something out of nothing.

No big deal if they didn't completely come from rags (dirt poor, etc) - as long as they forged their own way in life instead of coming from big money.

"How to Get Rich" by Felix Dennis is an obvious starter.

Share your favorites.

EDIT: Not sure how many of these fit exactly what I'm looking for to a "t," but I put together this list after a bit of digging the Fastlane Forum:

Richard Branson "Losing my Virginity"
Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist
Duncan Bannatyne - Anyone Can Do It
'How To Be Rich' by J. Paul Getty
Ted Turner - Call me Ted
T. Boone Pickens - Boone
T. Boone Pickens - The Luckiest Guy in The World
T. Boone Pickens - The First Billion is the hardest
Peter G. Peterson - The Education of an American Dreamer: How a Son of Greek Immigrants Learned His Way from a Nebraska Diner to Washington, Wall Street, and Beyond
Clayton Mathile - Dream No Little Dreams
Michael Bloomberg - Bloomberg by Bloomberg
Henry Ross Perot - My Life and the Principles for Success
George Soros - Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Sumner Redstone - A Passion to Win
Donald Trump - The Art of the Deal
The Dream: How I Learned the Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship and Made Millions
The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Second Edition
Against the Odds: An Autobiography
Delivering Happiness: A Path To Profits and Purpose.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Rudyard Kipling

Post: #2

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. - I read this when i was 14 still think might be one of the best books ever written on the topic of rags to riches.

The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall- ----Christopher Hibbert.

Also read the prince by machiavelli it was written as a gift to Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici.

The House of Rothschild by Niall Ferguson

Losing My Virginity: by Branson

Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life by Alan Schom

Sam Walton: Made In America

The Wolf of Wall Street better book than movie but i guess that always the case.

Post: #3

It may be a cliche and not exactly an autobiography but I highly recommend Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki to anyone who is new to the idea that there is more to life than working and needs an inspirational book to put their mindset up to the next level.

Post: #4

The romance of the Rotschilds:
http://archive.org/stream/romanceofroths...t_djvu.txt

Post: #5

Mike Tyson autobiography is interesting because he came from the ''dirt'' but too bad he was not able to make his success consistent, but I highly recommend his autobiography, probably the best I have ever read.

Post: #6

You gotta watch those Greeks.. They will work for twenty years, save everything then roll the dice. The funny thing is some of them learn how to do it continuously which is a sight to behold.

Post: #7

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography is a great book and well worth reading, even though he neglects to mention all the pussy he had (in addition to being perhaps the greatest and most characteristic American of his or any time, the guy was a relentless and successful womanizer and his libido was legendary).

Post: #8

(09-22-2014 07:20 PM)pitt Wrote:  Mike Tyson autobiography is interesting because he came from the ''dirt'' but too bad he was not able to make his success consistent, but I highly recommend his autobiography, probably the best I have ever read.

Dirt huh? I don't believe that. I lived in Greece in the 70s on a small island with one phone and dirt. I don't think mike came from dirt in Poughkeepsie or wherever.

Post: #9

(09-22-2014 08:13 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  

(09-22-2014 07:20 PM)pitt Wrote:  Mike Tyson autobiography is interesting because he came from the ''dirt'' but too bad he was not able to make his success consistent, but I highly recommend his autobiography, probably the best I have ever read.

Dirt huh? I don't believe that. I lived in Greece in the 70s on a small island with one phone and dirt. I don't think mike came from dirt in Poughkeepsie or wherever.

This should give some clarity, and it's worth watching for a variety of reasons:

Post: #10

(09-22-2014 09:01 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  The thread titles says it all. I know we have a biographies thread, but I'm specifically looking for books about/by men (or women) who built something out of nothing.

No big deal if they didn't completely come from rags (dirt poor, etc) - as long as they forged their own way in life instead of coming from big money.

"How to Get Rich" by Felix Dennis is an obvious starter.

Share your favorites.

EDIT: Not sure how many of these fit exactly what I'm looking for to a "t," but I put together this list after a bit of digging the Fastlane Forum:

Richard Branson "Losing my Virginity"

Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist
Duncan Bannatyne - Anyone Can Do It
'How To Be Rich' by J. Paul Getty
Ted Turner - Call me Ted
T. Boone Pickens - Boone
T. Boone Pickens - The Luckiest Guy in The World
T. Boone Pickens - The First Billion is the hardest
Peter G. Peterson - The Education of an American Dreamer: How a Son of Greek Immigrants Learned His Way from a Nebraska Diner to Washington, Wall Street, and Beyond
Clayton Mathile - Dream No Little Dreams
Michael Bloomberg - Bloomberg by Bloomberg
Henry Ross Perot - My Life and the Principles for Success
George Soros - Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Sumner Redstone - A Passion to Win
Donald Trump - The Art of the Deal
The Dream: How I Learned the Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship and Made Millions
The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Second Edition
Against the Odds: An Autobiography
Delivering Happiness: A Path To Profits and Purpose.

Just read J Paul Getty's How To Be Rich and Dennis' How to Get Rich and listened to Ted Turner's self-narrated autobiography. Although not recently, I've listened to To Boone Pickens These are fantastic.

You learn more on how to behave, how to "see," and how to cultivate money than any howto guide written by some schlep. These guys are the real deal. These are true references where each time you re-read a couple months apart you learn some new nuggets of wisdom.

Any other new recommendations since original posting?

If I had to add one book I would add "Reminiscences of a Stock Operator" by Edwin Lefevre which is the biography of Jesse Livermore. Very exciting book.

Post: #11

Regarding Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal - I believe someone pointed out once that if he'd just put his large inheritance in an index fund, he'd have done just as well. I don't think he's a good source.

Regarding any Robert Kiyosaki books, I don't think the guy is a good source. I think his books are trite, and there is plenty of criticism of him floating around http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html.

Post: #12

(02-09-2015 02:35 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  Regarding any Robert Kiyosaki books, I don't think the guy is a good source. I think his books are trite, and there is plenty of criticism of him floating around http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html.

Seconded. And as a plug, stick around and have a long browse through John T. Reed's site. Lots of interesting stuff in there. The website design might go back to the 1990s, but the guy firmly believes what he writes is what he sells, not what his website looks like.

Post: #13

(09-22-2014 07:20 PM)pitt Wrote:  Mike Tyson autobiography is interesting because he came from the ''dirt'' but too bad he was not able to make his success consistent, but I highly recommend his autobiography, probably the best I have ever read.

Agreed, it's really an amazing book. Rags to riches, to rags again and then riches again (I think?). I'm not too sure about Tyson's current financial situation actually.

Post: #14

(02-09-2015 02:35 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  Regarding Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal - I believe someone pointed out once that if he'd just put his large inheritance in an index fund, he'd have done just as well. I don't think he's a good source.

Regarding any Robert Kiyosaki books, I don't think the guy is a good source. I think his books are trite, and there is plenty of criticism of him floating around http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html.

I definitely co-sign on Kiyosaki. He might be good for those people who don't understand basic personal finance, but for the rest of us, he's hardly worth reading.

John T Reed, on the other hand, has solid advice that can be applied in RE investing. Although he sounds like a grumpy uncle, his info is spot on.