I would describe myself as a bookaholic and read many books related to my work, physical and mental well-being as well as reading books to my children. Reading The Adventures of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey to my children is a lot of fun.

To help me remember what I have read and make use of the information I discover, I use Tony Buzan's 'mind mapping' techniques. The author and educational consultant has co-authored over 100 books and written his own series of books including Use Your Memory, Master Your Memory, Use Your Head, The Mind Map Book and The Speed Reading Book.

So that I can remember what I read I also keep a journal, and if I discover a new idea I make a note. Keeping a notebook and using mind maps of the things I have read makes it easy to go back and reflect on the things I have learnt.

If I were asked to recommend a book to friends it would be Extraordinary Relationships; A new way of thinking about human interactions by Roberta Gilbert. The book offers a succinct presentation of the family-systems theory and how it can be applied to benefit relationships throughout a person's life. The book is a valuable primer for anyone wanting to understand relationships. Another book I stumbled across and found fascinating was The Biology of Transcendence by an American author called Joseph Chilton Pearce.

A compelling spiritual book is the Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, a Hindu Yogi who went to America to teach yoga to the west. I found it hard to put this book down. It talks repeatedly about providing guidance in the spiritual sense.

Because I work in the wealth management business, focusing on philanthropy and succession planning, a book I often recommend to clients is The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stoval. The book takes the reader through a young man's journey to gain his uncle's inheritance through a series of challenges. Every step of the way there is a lesson for the reader. It is a quest for what it means to live life well and has captivated millions of readers throughout the world.

It has also become the basis of numerous educational and philanthropic initiatives that build upon the inspiring insights that unfold in this stirring story.

I also enjoyed reading Family Wealth: Keeping it in the Family by James Hughes Jr, which offers some good ideas on how to maintain wealth through generations. Another book I have read and found helpful is The Trusted Advisor, by David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford, which provides an equation for thinking about the different components of trust.

Finally, Brag! The art of tooting your own horn without blowing it written by Peggy Klaus, a top Fortune 500 communication and leadership coach, is a book I enjoyed very much because it is filled with personal and professional self-promotion dilemmas and solutions. It is really about bragging in today's competitive business world and how to get away with it.