5 Must-Read Books on Investing. 5 page-turning books on investing that…
By: Q.Ai, A Forbes Company
Tags: Money, Learning, Personal Finance, Investing, Personal Development

Whether you’re a total veteran or a complete newbie when it comes to investing, it certainly pays to have a good grasp on the unspoken rules of investing, various investing techniques, the market, and the lessons the pros have learned that provide powerful insights. And you can find all of that and more in books on investing.

We know, reading about investing sounds boring. That’s why we’ve done the digging for you to come up with these five page-turning books on investing that aren’t teeming with confusing Wall Street-speak and won’t put you to sleep. We promise these are worth a read, wherever you are in your investment journey.

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing

Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor is often touted as the holy grail of investing books. Graham, himself, is recognized around the world as the godfather of value investing and the dean of Wall Street. The first edition of this book was published in 1949, which Warren Buffett called “the best book on investing ever written.” Graham’s book is basically a bible. And the revised version is peppered with Wall Street Journal financial columnist Jason Zweig’s coveted insights — so it’s relevant in modern market times.

The text takes readers through the basics of getting started invested and dives deeper with recommended portfolio management strategies, an exhaustive history lesson on the stock market and tips on conducting fundamental stock analysis. It’s a long one, but it’s a must-read.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns

John C. Bogle, author of The Little Book of Common Sense Investing and founder of Vanguard Group, is credited with revolutionizing the mutual fund industry by creating the first-ever index fund. So it’s safe to say that he knows a thing or two about investing. Plus, rumor has it that he and Warren Buffett were best buds; Buffet has even called his book a must-read for “investors large and small.” Bogle basically explains why he thinks that the market is a lose-lose situation — and how exactly he’s turned the odds in his favor.

A tireless pioneer in the investing sphere, Bogle’s demystification of the stock market and innovative techniques offer investors professional intel on how to hang onto their money for the long-haul. Never mind that the book is a quick and easy read, so you might as well get your hands on it.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to devote hours on end to managing some extensive portfolio to succeed in investing. And Burton Malkiel explains exactly why in his book, A Random Walk Down Wall Street. Malkiel shares how investors all need to start somewhere, and he unpacks much of the financial jargon that litters the world of investing to help beginner investors get on their feet.

Malkiel enlightens readers on making better market predictions, reveals some common mistakes investors should avoid, and shares several long-term investment strategies that are based on various stages in life. All without promising any get-rich-quick schemes as all too many books of this kind do.

One up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

One up on Wall Street is a cornerstone classic by the renowned mutual fund manager, Peter Lynch. In fact, more than one million copies of it have been sold — and for good reason. Lynch is an optimist who maintains that it’s not only plausible for beginning investors to do just as well, if not better, than the professionals, but he believes that investors at every level already have all the tools they need at their fingertips. His book, One up on Wall Street, empowers readers to slow down, see the investment opportunities all around us, and jump on them before everyone else even recognizes their potential.

When investors get in early, he argues that they can find the “tenbagger” stocks that appreciate tenfold and turn average stock portfolios into star performers. And he offers accessible advice on exactly how to find them by reviewing companies’ financial statements and understanding what numbers actually matter. The book is especially relatable as Lynch writes from personal experience, having gone from an intern at Fidelity Investments to growing his own wildly successful mutual fund, the Magellan Fund, from millions to billions.

Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments

Gaining insights into top-performing investment strategies and discovering tips and tricks for optimizing your returns is all valuable information. But understanding the big-time blunders that some of the most widely known investors have made can also help you ensure that you don’t repeat their mistakes. That’s right: One surefire way to learn how to invest well is by learning what some of the best investors didn’t do so well.

In his book, Big Mistakes, Michael Batnick shares stories from investing big wigs like Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman, Jack Bogle, John Maynard Keynes and more. And, no, this is not just a book full of harrowing accounts of trades going horribly awry — you know, just to make investing seem even more intimidating than it already is. It’s actually brimming with valuable takeaways that are well worth your time.