“Knowledge is power. What is the best finance book you have ever read, and why?”

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”

That’s a quote from PJ O’Rourke. In my opinion, the funniest man alive. I’ve read his two “finance” books, if you could call them that, Eat the Rich and CEO of the Sofa. They are both informative and guffaw-on-the-couch hilarious. But don’t read them thinking they will help you get rich. They won’t. They will make you want to pour yourself a stiff drink – largely because he’s seems to be constantly liquored while he’s writing and tells you about every sip. I did.

So, what’s on my bedside table now? Family Trusts by Nick Renton. It’s fascinating, but probably only to finance professionals. Very technical and heavy and, like a bowling ball, it makes a heck of a thud when it hits the floor.

The one that I made the most notes while reading – one way to judge impact – was Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Some criticise Rich Dad as a bit twee and lightweight. Perhaps. But it clearly and accurately explains the different core attitudes to money that separate “poor” people and “rich” people (investors and business owners).

In 1999, there was one book that changed my life. It was called Seven Steps to Wealth by John Fitzgerald. It’s not a great piece of prose, but it simply explained the basics of property investment. The real good it did was to kick-start my hunger for financial knowledge.

Bruce Brammall is the author of Debt Man Walking (www.debtman.com.au) and a licensed financial adviser.