inspiration - reading

so i didn't realize this before, but i've created a library of inspiration. i now have a whole host of books that make me better my life. visiting with a friend last week, we ended up talking about all these topics that worry us day-to-day - namely health and wealth. i needed to spread the knowledge. unfortunately i wasn't able to just buy them all (again) and give them to her. but i was able to compile a list and forward it along so she can take advantage of them at her leisure.

i sent her the list below.

freelance
she is working as an assistant at a real estate company and is paid as a consultant. so basically she's freelance just like me. i found this book especially helpful about taxes and pay rates and setting up an office. little tidbits that you wouldn't think to make decisions about until it might be too late.

finances
exactly like me my friend has an unthinkable amount of student loan debt. her income is unpredictable and saving is hard. this book is great for getting organized and for answering those random questions. what is an IRA? why would i want one? i set up a complete filing system, a high-interest savings account, and seriously think about what i should pay off when every couple of months. reevaluating my financial status every couple of months is the best, because it reminds me where i need to be putting my money. saving for a rainy day is great, except the interest i get on my high-interest savings account is still ridiculously small compared to the interest on my student loans or credit card debt.

food
really weird, but a vegetarian friend (different friend) recommended this book to me. her exact comment was "it won't make you want to be a vegetarian. it just makes you think about food." which i found to be totally true. i knew a lot of what was already in the book. how they raise chickens, turkeys, pigs, cattle, and even vegetables. it just puts it in a way that makes you think. do i want to pay extra for organic, cage-free, or even local? what do they mean by organic? is it worthwhile for a majority of america's farmland to grow soy, corn, and wheat? why not zucchini, apples, or beets? stuff like that. and since my friend has recently returned to vegetarianism (original friend) and has brought her boyfriend along for the ride, i thought she or he would like to read this book. because like my other friend said "it doesn't make want to become vegetarian, it makes you think about food."