Two years ago, five friends created the Smart Cookies Money Group when they realized that, despite good jobs, they had $35,000 in credit card debt between them and very little savings. Spurred by an episode of Oprah featuring financial advice, the women took it upon themselves to learn the basics of spending, saving, investing, and paying down debt. In one year, they paid off nearly half of their debt, saved $15,000, contributed to retirement accounts, and even began the process of buying homes. In a straightforward and accessible manner, they present their stories, and, more importantly, the steps they took to achieve their success.

According to former Yahoo CSO Tim Sanders, the business world is facing a revolution--the "Responsibility Revolution." Sanders argues that mindful consumers want to work for, invest in, and buy goods and services from companies that focus on social responsibility as well as on the bottom line. To that end, he offers concrete suggestions--and examples--for transforming corporate cultures into ones that support both community involvement and a "green" approach to day-to-day operations. Check out the book--and his website--to learn how you, and your company, can make a difference, and a profit. Don't think you can do it? Think again.

A lot of books have been written about legendary investor Warren Buffett, but for an up-to-date portrait of the life and career of the "Oracle of Omaha," author Alice Schroeder's hefty biography is a good place to start. Thanks to her extensive access to Buffett himself, Schroeder sheds new light not only on his career, business principles, and strategies, but also on his private life, a topic on which he is usually quite silent. For another biography, try Roger Lowenstein's Buffet: The Making of an American Capitalist (first published in 1995); for something by Buffett himself, try The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine what life was like before Google, but if you're curious about the chain of events that led to the creation and rapid growth of this Internet leader or about Google's business goals and strategies, you'll want to check out this "spellbinding behind-the-scenes look" (Publishers Weekly) at the company's history--and future. Drawing on unprecedented access to Google's CEO and the heads of its newest businesses, Planet Google traces the story of the company's ambitions and influence (including such topics as its recent acquisitions and its role in reshaping business and culture) in a fair and impartial manner.

If you're concerned by two major issues in the news now--climate change and finance--this book will help you learn how you can improve both situations. With 50 suggestions that will help you save the planet and save money, Go Green, Live Rich runs the gamut from simple tips (turn off your computer monitor) to more labor-intensive ones (grow your own vegetables). There's something for everyone here (how about a volunteer vacation?), and author David Bach (Start Late, Finish Rich) offers resources that will help you make a success of both your financial plan and your greener lifestyle.

A family of seven living completely debt-free? Saving money, paying off a mortgage, and still living a comfortable lifestyle--with 5 kids and all the expenses that go with them--on one salary of about $35,000 a year? How do Steve and Annette Economides do it? In America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money, they present a multitude of tips and suggestions for taking charge of your finances, paying off debt, and living within your means. You might not take all of the tips to heart (they shop for groceries once a month--but it can take 5 hours), but there's plenty of help if you want to reduce your grocery or utility bills.

Calling all women who want more control over their personal finances! In Women & Money, money master Suze Orman explores the complex relationship between women and their finances. More than just a laundry list of suggestions to get you started, this book offers a streamlined five-month plan that, by its end, will have you saving and ready to invest. If you want to learn more about managing your money, if you don't have a clue where to start, or if you're afraid even to look at your monthly bills, check out Women & Money and get started on the road to controlling your finances.

With near-evangelical zeal, author and radio show host Dave Ramsey wants to help ordinary people of ordinary means rescue themselves from financial instability. In a book full of motivational asides, Ramsey offers a straightforward program of "baby steps" to financial security, which for him means a sizeable emergency savings fund, complete eradication of debt (including mortgages), and substantial retirement savings. The "baby steps" require a hard look at your financial fitness, but with his sensible plan--and your own will power--you too can reach your financial goals.

Ever notice that a cell phone bill for $49.99 usually ends up costing you closer to $55? According to a study of American consumers, people lose about $1,000 a year to hidden fees and surcharges--and that's only based on 10 of the most likely culprits (like Internet providers and cell phone plans). Author Bob Sullivan (he writes the twice-weekly Red Tape Chronicles for MSNBC) calls this "gotcha capitalism," and it makes him angry! So to combat the multiple ways consumers are cheated by big business, he aims to educate consumers about these hidden charges--and he shares a series of simple but effective tactics for eliminating fees and getting your money back. What would you do with an extra $1,000?

Instead of exhorting you to make more money, ultimate cheapskate Jeff Yeager just wants you to spend less. Not just vocal about the importance of living within one's means, being self-reliant, and making sensible decisions when purchasing a car and home, Yeager puts your relationship with money in perspective, and also shares ideas of just how you can achieve your goals. But rather than asking you to make sacrifices, Yeager just wants you to make better choices--and understand what you truly want and need (and not what society dictates you should have). Follow his sensible tips, which are offered with more than a few witty asides, and you may--literally--laugh all the way to the bank.