I really loved The Psychology of Money and The Art of Spending Money. Honestly, I wish I had received these books with my very first paycheck (but they didn’t existed at that time). They would make great gifts for anyone just starting their working life.

The first book is packed with practical advice on how to build wealth. But the second one—focused on how to actually use money—is even more valuable to me. It’s one of the books I’ve annotated the most. Even if you aren’t interested in money at all, you should ABSOLUTELY read both.

What I appreciate most is how well these books describe what’s going on in our heads when we deal with money. They helped me better understand myself and others. Money is really about the stories we tell ourselves, and the good news is that those stories can change. When they do, money becomes a tool instead of something that controls us.

Chasing the wrong goals in life is one of the easiest ways to end up unhappy. These books make one thing very clear: money alone won’t make you happy—unless you consciously use it to maximize true happiness.