"Debt Free for Life" by David Bach

I listened to this book as an audio book CD while driving around in my car.  While I'm not in debt, I have some family members in debt and wanted to learn more.  If there is anything I've learned from this book, it is that I never want to be in debt!  While debt is temporary and people can get out, it is emotionally and [obviously] financially difficult.  Bach explains how credit cards work and what compounding interest does to people.  For instance, if someone borrows $10,000 on credit cards, over time with interest, they can really owe upwards of $20,000 or more.  I also learned about credit counselors, debt consolidators, bankruptcy, scam artists trying to help with debt, and more.  From a law perspective, it was interesting to know that some debts can be forgiven after a certain amount of years.  It also was fascinating to learn about unclaimed money that I can search for on government websites.  Bach is a compassionate soul that really aims to help people be financially free.  Whether you're in debt or just learning about finances, I recommend you read this book.  

"The Crash Detectives" by Christine Negroni

Half story, half journalism, this book explains complex aircraft accidents to the lay reader while staying true to what happened.  Scientific details are included in a way that is not drab and monotone but rather exciting and fascinating.  Negroni briefly goes over a whole slue of aircraft accidents from the 1950s thru modern times.  She sets the story of what happened, why it happened, how human factors were involved, and how the aviation industry changed for the better.  I like how Negroni does not place blame but also does not whitewash crashes.  There are several instances in the book where someone is described as warning others but who is ignored, dismissed, and sometimes even demoted.  Negroni calls these such people the "Jeremiah's" of the aviation industry.  While the book talks about accidents, it is not graphic or overly scary.  Still, I wouldn't recommend reading this on a flight!

"Wealth Beyond Wall Stree" by Brett Kitchen & Ethan Kap

While listening to the radio, I heard an advertisement for a free finance book when I called a number.  So I called, and, as promised, the book was indeed free.  I did not have to give any credit card or bank information to receive the book.  Now, onto the contents.  The book starts out discussing financial independence and how risky the stock market is.  There are historical charts about how the stock market crashed in the past, which is not untrue.  In order to build wealth without risking money in the stock market, the authors recommend annuities and life insurance.  While the book was interesting, I have to say it wasn't the easiest to follow.  The acronym IUL was used multiple times and only defined once or twice.  After reading the book, I am still not sure how annuities and life insurance work.  At the end of the day, money has to come from somewhere.  I got the impression that annuities and life insurance is just a really fancy piggy bank.  It holds money that will be paid later.  Since the IULs are based off of index funds, I may consider researching more into just index funds on my own.  Annuities and life insurances are not without fees, which at least the authors are honest about.  I don't think this is a terrible book, I just don't think it is the best for finance either.  Making wealth involves no shortcuts or easy hacks.  People need to work hard, save, mind their business, and take risks.  There is no zero risk high return investment.

"Dealing with People you Can't Stand" by Dr. Rick Brinkman & Dr. Rick Kirschner

Do you have any people in your life you can't stand?  Well then, join the club!  In this humorous book, the authors go over several archetypes of people with "difficult" personalities.  Readers will understand why people act the way they do, where they are coming from, and--most importantly--how to deal with them.  While the majority of examples in this book are related to the workplace, I would argue that the information can be applied to all sorts of relationships from family to friendship to romantic.  I personally enjoyed all the fun side stories and cartoons sprinkled throughout the book.  Difficult people are hard enough to deal with and read about, but this book lightens it up a bit.

"Come Eat With Me" by Rob Douglas

This delightful little book is a collection of short stories written almost in a diary style.  They cover tales from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the author's own life.  In each story, the theme of eating together is woven in as hospitality is elevated.  Douglas postulates that God is the ultimate host and guest as He seeks to both serve and be served.  This book is such fun to read and really made me think.  It is a relaxing read for a bus, train, or other trip.  You can put it down for a few days and pick it up later without missing a beat.  When rewriting the Bible stories, I like how Douglas didn't just regurgitate what's already written in the scriptures.  Rather, he tells the stories thru the eyes of Bible character, adding in extra emotion and reliability.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it quite literally gave me some food for thought!