Books Recommended by Nick Loper

One of the most important ones that comes to mind is somewhat cliche: Rich Dad Poor Dad. My roommate recommended it to me in college and it was one of the first "business books" I read. It hammered home the idea of buying or building assets instead of liabilities or "stuff", investing for cash flow, and freeing yourself from the rat race when your business or investment income exceeded your expenses. Pretty simple, but powerful for my impressionable 19-year old mind!

In The E-Myth Revisited, I remember this distinct realization that I'd built myself another job, not a business. That book got me really excited about creating systems and processes in place and delegating as much work as I could. Letting go wasn't an overnight thing, and it's something I still struggle with, but the message of working ON the business instead of IN it was something I was able to run with right away.

The one I refer people to the most is probably The Go-Giver, which is about being genuinely helpful first without any expectation of reward. I started my first real business for the noble goal of making money, and by luck, it worked out. Afterward I started several others that flopped. Why? They just weren't that helpful. When I read this, it really solidified a shift in thinking to an attitude of creating truly helpful resources and worrying about the money second. And that strategy has been working much better!