BEst reads in 2020

Not everything about 2020 has been bad. As I look back on this year of self-quarantine madness, I see that I was able to get in more reading of quality books than in years filled with travel and nights out with friends.  Here are five good reads I enjoyed in 2020 with some observations about the way the authors brought out the evil or goodness of money in telling the stories. (Note: I have provided links to the books sites on Amazon, but I do not receive any commission. Just a service to you as a reader.)

One Minute Out by Mark Greaney

If you’re not familiar with the Gray Man protagonist in these Mark Greaney novels, think of John McClane from the Diehard movies joining the CIA. All Gray Man books are great spy stories with high tech trained good and bad guys.  But this one gets a special shout out because Greaney does an excellent job exposing the horrors of the sex trafficking industry.

Money is the key ingredient of this novel. He effectively shows us how lust after the money in human trafficking corrupts everyone involved. Businessmen distance themselves from what they are actually doing by objectifying the women as “the product” or “the merchandise.”  It’s an eye opening read for those of us who haven’t looked closely at this debased industry and the massive amount of money that keeps it active. And there is a lot of insight into the world of the CIA for those of us that find the latest developments into surveillance scary, but fascinating.

Amazing Grace, William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas

Metaxas tells twin stories of the power of money. On the one hand, he takes us back to the 18^th century and the meaningless lives of the rich who spent their days in gluttony, drinking to excess and entertaining themselves. Part of the story is how Willian Wilberforce turned away from this life he was born into. He developed a strong work ethic and adopted a stewardship belief that caused him to recognized his money was not his own.  His time and talents became resources given to him for a higher purpose of blessing others and fighting the social decay all around him. Eventually his battle against the slave trade came to consume him. He came to engage in a battle with the power of money that sustained the monstrous evil of slavery that corrupted all that it touched.

Once again, the story of Wilberforce shows how big money incentives blinded supporters of the slave trade to defend an otherwise indefensible practice of human bondage. The book also connects us to interesting historical characters such as John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, and the leading figures of the Methodist movement. The book shows there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to our money as a powerful tool that can be used for either good or evil.  And, as you may know, he wins his greatest battle against slavery just three days before he dies. An inspiring story for those who may be discouraged about the battles in our own culture.

The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury

I loved this book for a couple of reasons. First, much of the West was settled by those moved by greed to make some bad decisions chasing after gold. It may have been foolish to set off for California in the 1800’s looking for gold. But it was downright stupid to pack up and move to Nome, Alaska based on some rumors of gold! Nevertheless, the power of gold brought many from the southern 48 states to an environment they had no idea how to survive in. But the real story is one of survival from an outbreak of a deadly diphtheria epidemic in 1925. I generally recommend survival books to those who have a spending problem and need to be inspired that it’s possible to be content and learn to live with much less. And I love dogs, so any book that makes the dogs out to be the real heroes is a book I can recommend.

$4.83 The Cost to Impact the Life of a Child for a Year by Jenn Tarbell and Lance Wood

If you’ve never looked at the impact of micro lending and savings groups in developing countries this book is for you. As the title implies, $4.83 goes a long way to changing the lives of children oversees. Obtaining just a little capital can be the difference between a woman going into prostitution or starting a small business that can support her family. Story after story will melt your heart as you hear of the hardship others face that is unimaginable to those of us in North America with our social safety nets. This book will expand your consciousness about the suffering abroad and the opportunities we have to make a difference with our money.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

There is a lot of money wasted every year on financial literacy. There is nothing wrong with teaching others about the time value of money or budgeting, but it just doesn’t work very often if it doesn’t address behavior.  And of course, behavior is tough to teach! I love this book because it avoids the math lectures that can tell us exactly what to do, and instead focuses on the strange ways people think about money and gives us insight into this subject using psychology. I found it a useful book to rethink some of my own behaviors with money.

These were five, of many, that I really enjoyed reading this year. If you have a favorite that was a great read and taught you something about money, I’d love to hear from you!

Joe Kesler

Smart Money with Purpose