Books That Got Me Hooked on Finance

by Henrik Bacilieri

Posted on August 4, 2015

When I first got interested in finance, I felt like I had shown up late to a party where everyone already knew the rules—and I didn’t even know where the door was.

I wasn’t a numbers guy in school. I didn’t grow up around money talk. But once I realized how powerful financial knowledge could be, I knew I had to catch up fast. So I started reading.

Here are a few books that grabbed me early on and started reshaping how I see money, freedom, and the bigger picture:

📖 Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

Everyone talks about this book—and I get why. It was the first time I understood the difference between working for money and having money work for you. The way Kiyosaki explained assets, liabilities, and mindset made me rethink everything I thought I knew.

📖 The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason

Simple. Timeless. Practical. These parables hit hard. "Start thy purse to fattening" still sticks with me—because I never saved before. Now, I think about how every euro or dollar has a job to do.

📖 Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

A little old-school, a bit intense at times, but the core message is clear: your mindset is everything. I don’t believe success is just about positive thinking, but this book pushed me to think bigger and believe it's possible.

📖 The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham (still reading)

This one’s heavy—way more technical. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’m trying to understand the basics of value investing and risk. It’s teaching me patience and discipline. Definitely not a weekend read, but worth the effort.

I’m not an expert. I’m just a guy from Sicily trying to build something real—and these books are helping me lay the groundwork.

If you’re just starting like I am, I’d recommend picking one and diving in. Don’t worry about understanding everything. Just start.

This is step one. More coming.

Henrik Bacilieri

Popular posts from this blog

About Me – The Start of Something Different

Image
Hey there, My name is  Henrik Bacilieri , and this blog is a new chapter for me—a space where I’ll be documenting a journey I’ve only just begun. I was born on  November 9, 1990 , in a small town called  Sicily , Italy. Life growing up was simple, and like a lot of kids, I had big dreams. First, I wanted to become a  pilot . That was the dream that lit up my childhood. I’d stare up at the skies and imagine myself flying across the world. That didn’t pan out. Then came  soccer . I was convinced I’d make it as a professional player. I worked hard, pushed myself, believed in it… but that didn’t take off either. After a few dead ends and a lot of self-questioning, I found myself in the  United States , living with my uncle in  Ohio . That’s where things started to shift—slowly. I was introduced to  finance , and something just clicked. It wasn’t love at first sight, but the more I learned, the more intrigued I became. The idea of building wealth, unde...
Read more

How I Found Finance in Ohio

  by Henrik Bacilieri If someone had told me five years ago that I’d be sitting in Ohio writing about  finance , I probably would’ve laughed. To be honest, I didn’t even know what “finance” really meant back then. I grew up in  Sicily , Italy—small town, small circle, and even smaller conversations about money. We talked about work, family, and dreams... but no one really talked about  wealth , or how it was built. For a long time, I didn’t even know that was an option. Back home, I dreamed big. First, I wanted to be a  pilot . That one didn’t last long after life hit me with a dose of reality. Then I tried to chase  soccer —my passion, my escape, my everything at one point. But sometimes passion isn’t enough when you’re missing the right system, resources, or timing. By the time I landed in the  United States , I was kind of at zero. I moved in with my  uncle in Ohio , just trying to reset and figure out what came next. No master plan, no backup ...
Read more

Stepping Away for Now

by Henrik Bacilieri I’ve written dozens of posts on this blog—some excited, some uncertain, some proud, some reflective. But this one feels different. Heavier, maybe. More personal. I’m stepping away from the blog for the foreseeable future. This decision hasn’t come lightly, and I owe it to you—whether you’ve read every post or just a few minutes of one—to explain why. Life Behind the Curtain The last few months have brought a mix of incredible highs and unexpected challenges. On paper, things look amazing—my portfolio has grown well past $8 million under management, my real estate journey is maturing, crypto has been strong, and I’ve even found someone special I’m building with. But success doesn’t inoculate you from struggle. I’ve been going through some personal issues that have made it hard to write, to share, to even show up publicly the way I used to. These challenges are deeply personal—rooted in identity, privacy, pressure, and the weight of rapid growth. As a result...
Read more