Best Books for Young People in their Twenties

In this post, I’ll put forward some of the really terrific books that young people in their twenties should sink their teeth into (er… not literally).

Early adulthood has both a fun side and a tough side. On the one hand, you’ve probably got out of university, have blossoming independence, and are looking forward to the start of a whole new life with you behind the wheels. On the other hand, you have to worry about things like paying your own bills, your relationships, building a career, et cetera.

Life is all fun until you realize that you’ve got responsibilities. You’ve got a whole journey ahead of you and most decisions you make – whether good or bad – stay with you. It’s so easy to veer off the right track and make an absolute mess of your own life, and that should scare you.

A little bit.

No?

At any rate, there’s no need to worry. Once you open your mind up to learn, you will be fine. And there are tons of really great resources out there from really great people who have been through all this stuff before, have done a lot of research, and have put together a wealth of knowledge to help people like us.

In essence, there are some really great books that young people out there in their twenties will benefit a lot from. I’m talking about books that will help you grow both in life and in your budding career.

Top Books for Young People in their Twenties

Here are some books that are guaranteed to positively change your life.

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

How To Win Friends And Influence People is the ideal book for young people in their twenties. It is guaranteed to change your life forever. Not only will it teach you all the do’s and don’ts of social life, but it will also teach you how to be an entrepreneur.

We all know that the digital age has made it harder to be influential outside of the Internet, which is just as important as web influence, but Dale Carnegie breaks down all the steps you need to take in order to make friends with everyone you meet. It teaches you how to relate better with the people around you or overcome competition from others.

Every young person needs to read this book at least once a year.

2. The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy

With the evolution of the modern world, knowing the art of selling is absolutely key to building up a brilliant career, whether you’re selling products, your ideas or yourself for that matter. Take, for instance, writing a great pitch. It requires knowing a great deal about what your prospective client wants and how you can convince them that you are the perfect guy for the job.

Being good at something means nothing if you don’t know how to approach people and make them fall in love with what you have to offer. No matter what career path you choose, a good sales technique is a golden crown on your head.

The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy gives you valuable information and strategies about how to make more selling by focusing on one thing – the person. Sometimes people forget the basics of selling and jump right over to getting results, but in order to get results, you need to know the basics. Brian Tracy goes over those major points thoroughly.

3. Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson

With only 96 pages of wisdom, Who Moved My Cheese is an easy weekend read. Featuring four mice – Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw – the story goes over the four different personalities and how they can affect one’s business.

This book will enlighten young twenty-somethings on how to make better choices especially in business but also in life generally. It will teach you how to become flexible with your decisions in order to move forward confidently towards your dreams and goals.

At the end of the book, it’s recommended to draw a map and position yourself between the four mice, at the personality type that best fits your own. If you are within a type that will most likely keep you from succeeding in business, do something.

4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter

Rich Dad Poor Dad is another great read for every young person.

When you are younger in age, financial education might not be as high as the older competition, which puts you in a place of vulnerability. Robert Kiyosaki’s book breaks down everything you need to know about financial education without giving you a headache.

The book will shine a light on the 9-5 job and the rat race that keeps you in that job you hate in order to pay the debts. He teaches you how to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true by giving you the cold, hard truth about wealth – it’s not found by going to school, getting good grades, graduating with a diploma, and working for a secure company.

5. Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki

Reading books on financial education is key to succeeding.

Kim Kiyosaki takes on the challenge to inform women everywhere about the power of money and how they can get a piece of that too in Rich Woman. She empowers women to learn about their finances to make sure that they don’t depend on men for the rest of their lives.

She teaches women of all ages how to create a budget, invest in real estate, stocks or businesses, and how to use the financial knowledge you have – the one they don’t teach you in school – to become wealthy and independent.

6. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman goes over the two systems found in our mind, that can make or break our ability to move forward and succeed in life, in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow.

He talks about the fast and emotional system, and the slow, more logical system that makes up our whole mind. He breaks down the various effects of each system on our success, mentality, confidence, and teachability index.

You’re a twenty-something and you’re trying to find your feet in the world? Yeah, you need this.

7. The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman

The last book on our list is a door that takes you right into the mind of LinkedIn’s co-founder and chairman, Reid Hoffman, where you will learn how to develop an entrepreneurial spirit.

In this book, The Startup of You, Reid Hoffman teaches you how to develop the entrepreneurial mindset even if you’re still working for someone else – as most twenty-somethings probably are. The book will help you start to think like an entrepreneur, which will of course help you spot opportunities and make the most out of them.

Nothing but joy.