My kids are still young, so I have a few more years before I’ll be recommending adult-level non-fiction, but I was thinking recently about what books will be at the top of my list to recommend to my kids. My current list of top recommendations for them are:

1. Who am I? and Am I loved?
   • The Bible – As a Christian, this is the top of the list for me and I hope my children grow to find meaning and joy in reading the Bible and learn to connect with a loving Father who is focused on joy and not rules, judging, and punishments (This list isn’t all faith-centered, so even if you’re not Christian, I encourage you to read the list, especially Finding a Job You Can Love, How Will You Measure your Life, and the books in “How can I live well?” section)
   • The Return of the Prodigal Son is a book about the Biblical parable, which was recommended to me by several people, and at first I was doubtful of its value, based on how short the parable is; but the book is really a story of the journey from child to immature phases of adulthood into a wise, generous, father. It’s a great read, and reminds me of some of the powerful concepts in Sage: A Man’s Guide into his Second Passage.
   • Finding a Job You Can Love by Ralph Mattson and Arthur Miller – The title isn’t a great fit for the content, but this is an impactful book that helps identity your strengths/preferences (see this Analyze Your Life’s Story blog post)
2. What is my purpose?
   • Hero on a Mission by Donald Miller – great introduction to story roles (victim, villain, hero, and guide), how to view/shape your life story, and how to pursue a live of meaning
   • Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper – impactful reflection on purpose within Christian worldview
   • How Will You Measure Your Life? by Calyton Christensen and James Allworth – incredible book about how smart, successful people often tend toward very unhappy lives
3. How can I live well?
   • Die with Zero by Perkins is another book that threw me with the title — I thought it would just be about financial generosity, but it’s more about big-picture life planning (with more of a focus on experiences/adventures and less about finances)
   • I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi – great personal finance book, written in a very accessible, funny way (his email newsletter is also full of great content, and his Netflix series was a fun way to see personal finance practices applied in real people’s lives)
   • The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman – overview of business concepts (there’s so many other great business books, but I think it’s great to start here before checking out great ones like Patrick Lencioni’s work, Clockwork by Michael Michaelowicz, Good to Great by Jim Collins, Effective Executive by Drucker, Lean Startup by Eric Ries, 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, A World Without Email by Cal Newport, Measure What Matters by John Doerr)