Most financial advice books written today are too "old". Any book that says "maximize your 401(k) in your salary job" needs to be dropped into the trash can. Today's world, especially for the US middle class, is almost back to the bad old days of the Guilded Age (1890-WWI) where you could make it as an independent entrepreneur - until the government-backed monopolies crushed you. So watch out for those guys, and diversify, diversify, diversify. Diversify as if the Mob is about to send "Knuckles" Malone to your apartment or house for a "discussion", followed by finding out all the legal bank accounts in your name are mysteriously drained dry the next day. The Real World is not nice.