I asked ChatGPT: If someone wanted to understand how money works and start building wealth, which books should they read in the next 12 months if they read two books a month?
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The 12-Month Plan (2 books / month)
Month 1 — Money fundamentals
- The Richest Man in Babylon† — George S. Clason
Timeless parables on saving, discipline, and compounding. - I Will Teach You to Be Rich† — Ramit Sethi
Step-by-step systems to automate bills, saving, and investing.
Month 2 — See money clearly
- Your Money or Your Life† — Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez
Match spending with values; a nine-step reset. - The Psychology of Money† — Morgan Housel
Why behavior beats spreadsheets; think long term.
Month 3 — Own the whole market by default (index funds)
Plain-English note: Index fund = a basket that automatically owns tiny pieces of hundreds or thousands of companies, so you don’t have to pick stocks.