“What books would you recommend?” “What podcasts do you listen to?” At Foster Group we often get asked questions like these. Here’s a short list of some recent responses from our team. This is not intended to be a “Best of All Time” list, but rather a list of some of the sources that have been most meaningful to individuals on the Foster Group team recently. Our team is full of interesting and diverse thinkers. You’ll see it’s an eclectic list of books with everything from novels to philosophy. The podcasts range from business leadership to building strong families.
What might catch your eye is how few of the titles and authors are writing or speaking specifically about investing or financial planning. I’ve discovered that sometimes the best insights for positive financial experiences come from perspectives found in seemingly unrelated fields. Our human experience, along with how we learn, doesn’t always fit neatly within one categorical set of boundaries (e.g. finance, physical health, history). For me Arthur Brooks’ writing about aging and life stages created a more hopeful picture of my future contributions at work. It also convinced me that prioritizing relationships over investment data may actually lead to better investment and life experiences.
As you look over the list, start with what looks interesting to you. They are not in any order of importance! Trying to pick the “best” book or podcast can be immobilizing. Start reading or listening and if it doesn’t strike you fairly quickly, try another title. And if you have read or listened to something that you think we should be reading or listening to, please let us know! We are always happily adding to our “to read” or “to listen to” lists.
Happy reading (or listening)!
