The most recommended investment books

Who picked these books? Meet our 69 experts.

69 authors created a book list connected to investment, and here are their favorite investment books.
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Book cover of Dual Momentum Investing: An Innovative Strategy for Higher Returns with Lower Risk

Jason Kelly Author Of The 3% Signal: The Investing Technique That Will Change Your Life

From my list on to learn systematic stock market investing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing and The 3% Signal, among other financial books, and editor of The Kelly Letter. Despite having been ranked by CXO Advisory as one of the best stock-market forecasters, I gave up the practice in favor of price reaction. I realized that nobody knows where stocks are headed, myself included, and set out to find ways to beat the market without forecasting—and succeeded. My readers and I are now much happier and wealthier.

Jason's book list on to learn systematic stock market investing

Jason Kelly Why did Jason love this book?

I first encountered Gary Antonacci’s strategy in his paper “Risk Premia Harvesting Through Dual Momentum,” in which he called momentum “the premier market anomaly.” He found that combining absolute and relative momentum delivered optimal results. In this book, he shows how to boost performance with monthly switching among three asset classes in the following decision tree: Did the S&P 500 beat US bonds over the past 12 months? If no, own US bonds. If yes, did the S&P 500 beat global stocks over the past 12 months? If no, own global stocks. If yes, own the S&P 500. Just three funds could power this system: SPY (S&P 500), AGG (US bonds), VEU (global stocks ex US).

By Gary Antonacci,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dual Momentum Investing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The strategy that consistently gets high returns with low risk--because it knows when to adapt

After examining more than two hundred years of data across dozens of markets and asset classes, the conclusion is clear: Momentum continually outperforms. However, most mainstream investors haven't had a way to fully discover and implement the benefits of momentum investing . . . until now! Whether you're an independent investor, investment professional, or money manager, Dual Momentum Investing enables you to consistently profit on major changes in relative strength and market trend.

Based on the award-winning work of Gary Antonacci, an expert in modern…


Book cover of Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment

Martin S. Fridson Author Of Investment Illusions: A Savvy Wall Street Pro Explores Popular Misconceptions About the Markets

From my list on investing from a money manager.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a money manager for high-net-worth individuals. During my Wall Street years, I was ranked number one in my category in the Institutional Investor All America Research Survey for nine consecutive years. The CFA Society New York presented me its Ben Graham Award in 2017. I’ve served as a governor of the CFA Institute and consultant to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. My writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, the Financial Times, and various scholarly journals. I live in New York City with my wife, musicologist Elaine Sisman. We have two children and five grandchildren.

Martin's book list on investing from a money manager

Martin S. Fridson Why did Martin love this book?

As head of the Yale University endowment fund, the late David Swensen was one of the foremost innovators and most successful practitioners of institutional investing. Remarkably, he also wrote one of the best books ever for individual investors. Unconventional Success shows why on average, mutual fund investors significantly underperform the funds they own: They trade excessively, buying at the highs and selling at the lows, creating tax inefficiencies in the process. Swensen also valuably details hazards to avoid in fund selection. 

By David F. Swensen,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Unconventional Success as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In UNCONVENTIONAL SUCCESS, investment legend David Swensen reveals why the for-profit mutual fund industry consistently fails the average investor, from its excessive management and incentive fees to the frequent 'churning' of portfolios that forces investors to pay higher taxes. Perhaps most destructive of all are flagrant schemes designed to thwart regulators and further erode portfolios, limiting investor choice and reducing returns. Swensen's solution? A 'contrarian' investment alternative that creates more diversified, equity-oriented, 'market-mimicking' portfolios that minimize loss and reward the investor with the courage to stay the course. Swensen backs up his unconventional proposal with well-documented evidence supporting not-for-profit investment…


Book cover of Money Masters of Our Time

Peter J. Tanous Author Of The Pure Equity Plus Plan: Your Path to a Multi-Million Dollar Retirement

From my list on to retire with millions in the stock market.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a professional investment advisor for over 50 years and it took me that long to figure out the best way for individuals to retire with a decent size multi-million dollar fortune. The books I recommend speak to this topic from some fascinating and different points of view. But why did it take so long? I don’t know. I suppose the obvious answers aren’t so obvious at first, especially in a business as complex as the securities industry. But I think I finally figured it out and the solution is so elegantly simple. My professional life’s work!

Peter's book list on to retire with millions in the stock market

Peter J. Tanous Why did Peter love this book?

The book features the ideas of some of the most successful investors of all time, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, and John Bogle. What was it that made these investors so successful, and why are there so few of them?  Money Masters was one of the first in a series of books about the success of some of Wall Street’s greatest investors and it is still relevant today. These books are especially useful in preserving the thinking of great investors after they pass on. The book adds fuel to the fire of the “Efficient Market Theory” which holds that the market is highly efficient and the only way you can beat it is through luck! Try telling that to some of these great investors!

By John Train,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Money Masters of Our Time as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An expert reviews the experts - new and updated appraisals of the winning investment strategies of the greatest financial wizards. Money Masters of Our Time is a reappraisal and revision of those money masters who have stood the test of time plus a look at new money masters. Train emphasises the parts of their various business careers that illuminate their investment techniques focusing on notable individuals whose decisions to buy and sell have actually made money grow. How do they reason? Where do they get their information? How much do they depend on fact and how much on psychology? What…


Book cover of Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2013

John M. Longo Author Of Buffett's Tips: A Guide to Financial Literacy and Life

From my list on Warren Buffett on investing and life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an investor from three perspectives or dimensions. First, I manage money for individuals and institutions as Chief Investment Officer of Beacon Trust, a $4 billion registered investment advisor based in NY/NJ. Second, I teach MBA classes in investing at Rutgers Business School, Columbia Business School, London Business School, and Hong Kong University (HKU) Business School. Third, I write articles and books on investing, including The Art of Investing: Lesson’s from History’s Greatest Traders and Buffett’s Tips: A Guide to Financial Literacy and Life. I’ve personally met Warren Buffett on four separate occasions and think he is an excellent role model from both investing and personal perspectives.  

John's book list on Warren Buffett on investing and life

John M. Longo Why did John love this book?

Carol Loomis has edited Buffett’s widely read Letter to Shareholders for many decades. She is also an outstanding journalist who was a writer and editor at Fortune for 60 years. Her book is a compilation of many of her interviews with Buffett over the years, with some additional commentary. As the book subtitle indicates, the book covers “practically everything” in a conversational format so it is sort of a quasi-biography of Buffett.

By Carol J. Loomis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tap Dancing to Work as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tap Dancing to Work compiles six decades of writing on legendary investor Warren Buffett, from Carol Loomis, the reporter who knows him best.

Warren Buffett built Berkshire Hathaway into something remarkable - and Fortune had a front-row seat

When Fortune writer Carole Loomis first mentioned a little-known Omaha hedge fund manager in a 1966 article, she didn't dream that Warren Buffett would become the world's greatest investor. Nor did she imagine that she and Buffett would be close friends.

As Buffett's fortune and reputation grew, Loomis used her unique insight into his thinking to chronicle his work, writing scores of…


Book cover of Investing for Growth: How to Make Money by Only Buying the Best Companies in the World - An Anthology of Investment Writing, 2010-20

Gautam Baid Author Of The Joys of Compounding: The Passionate Pursuit of Lifelong Learning

From my list on value investing from a longtime investor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the Founder of Stellar Wealth Partners, a SEBI-registered Research Analyst firm and small case manager for investors in the Indian stock market. I am the author of the international best-seller on value investing, The Joys of Compounding. Once a strong foundation is created for a business, owners don’t work for money. Rather, money works for them. As an investor, your money is working for you 24/7. You are becoming wealthier with each passing second, alongside the increasing intrinsic value of your businesses. An investor builds earnings power through a business ownership mindset. 

Gautam's book list on value investing from a longtime investor

Gautam Baid Why did Gautam love this book?

Some people love to make successful investing seem more complicated than it really is. In this anthology of essays and letters written between 2010–20, Terry Smith makes the case for simply buying the best companies in the world. These are businesses that generate large amounts of cash and know what to do with it in the form of sound capital allocation. The result is a powerful compounding of returns for the long term.

This book serves as a good reiteration of the thinking and principles underpinning Smith’s investing approach, including his three-step investment mantra: “Buy good companies. Don’t overpay. Do nothing.” It also highlights the nuances of the process, including why Smith favors return on capital employed (ROCE) and free cash flow (FCF) yield as metrics for assessing companies and why Smith is less enamored of measures such as earnings per share (EPS).

By Terry Smith,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Investing for Growth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Buy good companies. Don't overpay. Do nothing.

Some people love to make successful investing seem more complicated than it really is. In this anthology of essays and letters written between 2010-20, leading fund manager Terry Smith delights in debunking the many myths of investing - and making the case for simply buying the best companies in the world.

These are businesses that generate serious amounts of cash and know what to do with it. The result is a powerful compounding of returns that is almost impossible to beat. Even better, they aren't going anywhere. Most have survived the Great Depression…


Book cover of Restarting the Future: How to Fix the Intangible Economy

Edward J. Hoffman, Matthew Kohut, and Laurence Prusak Author Of The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects

From my list on creating and sustaining knowledge at work.

Why are we passionate about this?

The three co-authors of The Smart Mission: NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects have been at the center of organizational and leadership transformation. Dr. Ed Hoffman was NASA’s first Chief Knowledge Officer and the founding Director of the NASA Academy of Program, Project, and Engineering Leadership (APPEL). Matthew Kohut is the managing partner of KNP Communications. He has prepared executives, elected leaders, diplomats, scientists, and public figures for events ranging from television appearances to TED talks. Laurence Prusak was the founder and executive director of the IBM Institute for Knowledge Management and one of the founding partners for the Ernst and Young Center for Business Innovation.

Edward's book list on creating and sustaining knowledge at work

Edward J. Hoffman, Matthew Kohut, and Laurence Prusak Why did Edward love this book?

What will the future of work look like, and how can we prepare to navigate it successfully? This book is at the top of the list for understanding the profound shift that we are living through. The authors follow up their excellent Capitalism without Capital by continuing to describe a workplace based on intangibles. The economy today is driven by forces that place a premium on innovation, knowledge, ideas, and brand, and these intangibles are increasingly vital for growth and success. An outstanding book that provides a framework for the future of work.

By Jonathan Haskel, Stian Westlake,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Restarting the Future as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the acclaimed authors of Capitalism without Capital, radical ideas for restoring prosperity in today's intangible economy

The past two decades have witnessed sluggish economic growth, mounting inequality, dysfunctional competition, and a host of other ills that have left people wondering what has happened to the future they were promised. Restarting the Future reveals how these problems arise from a failure to develop the institutions demanded by an economy now reliant on intangible capital such as ideas, relationships, brands, and knowledge.

In this groundbreaking and provocative book, Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake argue that the great economic disappointment of the…


Book cover of Where Are the Customers' Yachts? Or a Good Hard Look at Wall Street

Victor Haghani Author Of The Missing Billionaires: A Guide to Better Financial Decisions

From my list on intelligent financial decision-making in less than 200 pages.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have over four decades of experience working and innovating in the financial markets and have been a prolific contributor to academic and practitioner finance literature. I started my career at Salomon Brothers in 1984, where I became a managing director in the bond-arbitrage group, and in 1993 I was a co-founding partner of the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management. I founded Elm Wealth in 2011 to help clients, including my own family, manage and preserve their wealth with a thoughtful, research-based, and cost-effective approach that covers not just investment management but also broader decisions about wealth and finances.

Victor's book list on intelligent financial decision-making in less than 200 pages

Victor Haghani Why did Victor love this book?

I loved this timeless classic. This book gets down to the essence of how to safely navigate Wall Street, where everyone wants a slice of your financial pie. It’s a quick and hilarious read that challenges the conventional investment wisdom that Wall Street tries to get you to believe.

You’ll become a more savvy and skeptical investor and avoid costly mistakes in your financial life. I gave a copy of this book to all my three children, and they loved it too!

By Fred Schwed,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Where Are the Customers' Yachts? Or a Good Hard Look at Wall Street as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Once I picked it up I did not put it down until I finished...What Schwed has done is capture fully-in deceptively clean language - the lunacy at the heart of the investment business' - From the Foreword by Michael Lewis, Bestselling author of "Liar's Poker". '...one of the funniest books ever written about Wall Street' - Jane Bryant Quinn, "The Washington Post". 'How great to have a reissue of a hilarious classic that proves the more things change the more they stay the same. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent' - Michael Bloomberg. 'It's amazing how…


Book cover of Investing for Kids Activity Book: 65 Activities about Saving, Investing, and Growing Your Money

Juwan Rohan Author Of Money Talks: The Beginners Guide To Investing For Kids

From my list on for children to learn financial literacy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm very passionate about teaching children's financial literacy and business because with social media, it's easy for children to get caught up in the flashy and shiny materialist things. I like to teach kids about business and how to use the mistakes in business to scale and grow. I have expertise in this area as I've written three books, taught financial literacy & business at schools, and own a few different businesses. After I graduated college, I was thrown into the 'real world' with a good job and learned my lessons the hard way by spending too much money on things that did not matter. Hence my passion to want to help The Misguided.

Juwan's book list on for children to learn financial literacy

Juwan Rohan Why did Juwan love this book?

This book is a great option for children who want more activity rather than just reading. This book will keep you engaged!

It's another great option to work with your children and spend quality time teaching them how to make better financial decisions so that they are prepared for the world. I really enjoyed completing this book with my little nephew and the joy on his face when he realized how much money he can potentially have in the future is priceless.

By Justine Nelson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Investing for Kids Activity Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Help your child become a financial whiz kid—for ages 8 to 12

It’s never too early to set children on the path to financial literacy. This activity book, a companion to Investing for Kids, teaches them how to become savvy with their finances. Through educational and engaging exercises, they’ll learn how to track their spending, make good investments, and so much more.
Build a financial vocabulary—Your kid will sound like a finance pro as they learn all sorts of important financial terms like mutual funds, debit vs. credit, and simple interest vs. compound interest. Explore engaging activities—They’ll develop their money…


Book cover of Wealth Warrior: 8 Steps for Communities of Color to Conquer the Stock Market

Jannese Torres Author Of Financially Lit!: The Modern Latina's Guide to Level Up Your Dinero & Become Financially Poderosa

From my list on books about money written by Latina authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a 5x award-winning personal finance educator and money expert who specializes in helping Latinas reach financial freedom through entrepreneurship and investing. I have been fascinated by personal finance since 2016 when I realized that I hadn’t learned anything important about money after discovering personal finance podcasts. I’m a firm believer that financial literacy is the gateway to freedom, so my work involves educating women of color on how to use money to exercise their power. 

Jannese's book list on books about money written by Latina authors

Jannese Torres Why did Jannese love this book?

Linda Garcia is the true definition of a powerhouse! Not only does she talk about the stock market and how to become an investor, but she makes it easy to follow along and learn. She does an amazing job breaking down financial terms for everyone to understand. It’s as if she’s gently guiding you through all the things you’ve wanted to learn but hadn’t had the opportunity or access to.

This is a perfect resource to build generational wealth. It’s a must-read, and I highly recommend it if you are ready to work on your money wounds and build generational wealth.

By Linda Garcia,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wealth Warrior as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This much-needed conversational guide to the stock market by a financial expert empowers you to heal money wounds, establish financial literacy, and make your money work for you.
 
 Financial educator Linda García breaks down one of the most elusive yet effective financial systems in existence. A single mother at a young age, Linda struggled to survive. As bills and eviction notices flowed in, she felt stuck. After getting advice from a work friend, Linda took the leap and invested two hundred dollars. Soon, two hundred dollars a month grew to seven thousand dollars, then that became a high six-figure investment.…


Book cover of Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life

Jonathan Chevreau Author Of Findependence Day

From my list on financial independence and retirement.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a veteran semi-retired Canadian financial journalist who has long made a distinction between the terms “Retirement” and “Financial Independence.” I  recently turned 70 and have been financially independent since my early 60s BUT I am not yet retired. I coined the term Findependence in my financial novel Findependence Day, and since 2014 have been running the Financial Independence Hub blog, with new blogs every business day.

Jonathan's book list on financial independence and retirement

Jonathan Chevreau Why did Jonathan love this book?

The late Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard Group, published this excellent book in 2009.

Consider the following apophyrical tale related in Chapter 10 of Enough: “Too Much Success, Not Enough Character.” It concerns an old greyhound who spent his days at a race track chasing a mechanical rabbit. Over the years, the dog had won over a million dollars for his owner but ultimately decided to quit: not because he was mistreated or had become disabled but because “I found out that the rabbit I was chasing wasn’t even real.”

Those who accumulate more money than they need in life and end up as the richest denizen in the cemetery would do well to reflect on the main premises of Enough. Remember, financial independence is about having income exceed expenses, no matter how modest those expenses might be. It’s about working only because you want to, not because you…

By John C. Bogle,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Enough as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

John Bogle puts our obsession with financial success in perspective Throughout his legendary career, John C. Bogle-founder of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group and creator of the first index mutual fund-has helped investors build wealth the right way and led a tireless campaign to restore common sense to the investment world. Along the way, he's seen how destructive an obsession with financial success can be. Now, with Enough., he puts this dilemma in perspective. Inspired in large measure by the hundreds of lectures Bogle has delivered to professional groups and college students in recent years, Enough. seeks, paraphrasing Kurt Vonnegut,…