Did you ever want to read about financial or tax issues but didn’t know where to begin? Here are some books that you might find helpful.

Money is about spending, saving and investing. Here are some basic financial guides:

• 7 MONEY MANTRAS FOR A RICHER LIFE by Michelle Singletary.
  Many money books promise you painless fantasy wealth. Michelle Singletary’s aim is to help you live well with the money you have.
• PERSONAL FINANCE FOR DUMMIES By Eric Tyson.
  This is the first of Eric Tyson’s very readable books that will give you an overview to your financial life. If you like this one, you can go on to his INVESTING FOR DUMMIES and MUTUAL FUNDS FOR DUMMIES.
• THE RANDOM WALK GUIDE TO INVESTING by Burton Malkiel.
  Conciseness is the key. Burton Malkiel gives ten useful and accessible rules for financial success.

Money is about how you live your life and how you approach the very subject of money itself.

• YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.
  Isn’t there more to life than just earning money? This book will help you think about the relationship of money to how you want to live your life.
• THE SEVEN STAGES OF MONEY MATURITY by George Kinder.
  This author is one of the founders of the life planning movement which sees financial planning as more than about dollars and cents. The book aims to help you understand the spirit and value of money in your life.
• MONEY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE by Jacob Needleman. How do you feel about money? Needleman explores the relationship of money to the rest of your life.

Money is involved in your relationships…a lot.

• FOR RICHER, NOT POORER: The Money Book for Couples by Ruth Hayden. A wonderful book for people who live together to look at how you handle money issues and your lives together.

Most of us spend much of our lives earning money.

• WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE by Richard Bolles. Are you happy getting up in the morning? Discover what you should do with the rest of your life and how to go about getting there.

Many of us are involved in owing money.

• GUIDE TO SURVIVING DEBT from the National Consumer Law Center. A good guide to credit issues and how to handle the problems that come from having them.

Two basic tax guides, one free, one not, are:

• YOUR FEDERAL INCOME TAX For Individuals
  The Internal Revenue Service annually updates Publication 17 to answer questions on taxation for individual taxpayers. You can call 1 800 829 3676 or go to your local IRS and get a copy of Publication 17 for free.
• JK LASSER’S YOUR INCOME TAX
  When you go into your bookstore around tax time to look for a tax guide, you’ll see piles of different popular tax books. Many of them are good. I have found this the one I like best for answers to many basic tax issues.