Fans pick 84 books like The Intelligent Investor

By Benjamin Graham,

Here are 84 books that The Intelligent Investor fans have personally recommended if you like The Intelligent Investor. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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

Eric Tyson Author Of Investing For Dummies

From my list on getting smarter about investing and money.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was growing up, I saw family members and friends, who were otherwise smart people who could master other aspects of their lives, have difficulty with personal finance decisions and investing. When my dad was laid off during a recession, he had some retirement money distributed to him, and I got interested in investing as he researched and tried with difficulty to handle this money himself. In my young adult years, I was a sponge to learn as much as I could about personal finance. 

Eric's book list on getting smarter about investing and money

Eric Tyson Why did Eric love this book?

I first read this book as required reading for a college course, and it greatly changed how I thought about investing.

Over the years, I’ve read updated editions, and it never gets stale and always includes new information and insights. But the foundational issues have stood the test of time and remain in the newest edition.

I also love this book because it introduced me at a young age to mutual funds and Vanguard.

By Burton G. Malkiel,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked A Random Walk Down Wall Street as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Today's stock market is not for the faint hearted. At a time of frightening volatility, the answer is to turn to Burton G. Malkiel's advice in his reassuring, authoritative, gimmick-free and perennially best-selling guide to investing. Long established as the first book to purchase before starting a portfolio, A Random Walk Down Wall Street now features new material on "tax-loss harvesting"; the current bitcoin bubble and automated investment advisers; as well as a brand-new chapter on factor investing and risk parity. And as always, Malkiel's core insights-on stocks and bonds, as well as investment trusts, home ownership and tangible assets…


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

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 how this “Little Book" gets right to the point and explains why every investor should include low-cost index ETFs in their portfolios. This is a great guide for beginners and old hands alike. It is a book devoted to simplicity.

I loved Bogle’s “Cost Matters Hypothesis” which is simpler and more relevant than the also important “Efficient Markets Hypothesis” that is taught in Finance 101 classes. 

I felt this book empowered me to take control of my financial life. It’s a book I always recommend to people who are looking to improve their financial lives. I learned a lot from Vanguard founder John Bogle's 80+ years of experience and wisdom. Invest just 60 minutes in this book and reap a lifetime of informed, confident investing decisions.

By John C. Bogle,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Little Book of Common Sense Investing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The best-selling index investing "bible" offers new information and is updated to reflect the latest market data The Little Book of Common Sense Investing is the classic guide to getting smart about the market. Legendary mutual fund veteran John C. Bogle reveals his key to getting more out of investing: low-cost index funds. Bogle describes the simplest and most effective investment strategy for building wealth over the long term: buy and hold, at very low cost, a mutual fund that tracks the S&P 500 Stock Index. Such an index portfolio is the only investment that guarantees your fair share of…


Book cover of Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Milan Somborac Author Of Monday Morning Millionaire: How to Beat Wall Street at Its Own Game

From my list on how to invest in the stock market successfully.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a stock market investor for over 50 years and made every mistake possible, including some original ones. For over 30 years now I have invested confidently and successfully and I share my experience with members and subscribers to my Monday Morning program. The accolades pour in on a daily basis.

Milan's book list on how to invest in the stock market successfully

Milan Somborac Why did Milan love this book?

The expanded third edition of this book was published in 2008. It contains the wisdom and wit arising from many years of the author’s investment experience. He and his partner Warren Buffett manage one of the largest investment operations in history.

By Charlie T. Munger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poor Charlie's Almanack as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A revised edition of the Traditional Chinese edition of Poor Charlies Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger. Munger is Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation.


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 Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders

Darius Foroux Author Of The Stoic Path to Wealth: Ancient Wisdom for Enduring Prosperity

From my list on investing for beginner and intermediate investors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Darius Foroux (pronounced Dare-eus For-oe), and thanks for exploring my recommendations. As a former mutual funds advisor, I understand the complexity of finance, a lesson driven home when I lost two-thirds of my investment in 2007. Not wanting to repeat my costly mistakes, I earned degrees in business and finance, launched a business, and continuously educated myself on investing. The biggest thing I learned? Investing and wealth-building aren’t logical but emotional. I'm passionate about helping others achieve financial independence and live on their terms. My book empowers you to manage your emotions, build wealth, and enjoy life, regardless of the stock market's ups and downs.

Darius' book list on investing for beginner and intermediate investors

Darius Foroux Why did Darius love this book?

As mentioned, I’m a big fan of Buffett’s investing strategy. That’s because it can be applied by anyone, even those who don’t work in finance–while yielding a good profit. Since I don’t want to be stressing over the markets daily, the best fit is a passive investing strategy.

This book gathers 50 years of Warren Buffett’s letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, a great way to better understand the man’s thinking process. Buffett doesn’t only talks about how investing really works, he also shares his philosophy for life. 

By Warren Buffett,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Warren E. Buffett first took control of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a small textile company, in April of 1965. A share changed hands for around $18 at the time. Fifty letters to shareholders later, the same share traded for $226,000, compounding investor capital at just under 21% per year-a multiplier of 12,556 times.

This book compiles the full, un-edited versions of 50 years of Warren Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. In addition to providing an astounding case study on Berkshire's success, Buffett shows an incredible willingness to share his methods and act as a teacher to his many…


Book cover of Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk

Darius Foroux Author Of The Stoic Path to Wealth: Ancient Wisdom for Enduring Prosperity

From my list on investing for beginner and intermediate investors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Darius Foroux (pronounced Dare-eus For-oe), and thanks for exploring my recommendations. As a former mutual funds advisor, I understand the complexity of finance, a lesson driven home when I lost two-thirds of my investment in 2007. Not wanting to repeat my costly mistakes, I earned degrees in business and finance, launched a business, and continuously educated myself on investing. The biggest thing I learned? Investing and wealth-building aren’t logical but emotional. I'm passionate about helping others achieve financial independence and live on their terms. My book empowers you to manage your emotions, build wealth, and enjoy life, regardless of the stock market's ups and downs.

Darius' book list on investing for beginner and intermediate investors

Darius Foroux Why did Darius love this book?

This book taught me a great deal about how managing risk differed between modern and past times. This helped me to spot whether a “prediction” is likely to happen. (In investing, plenty of “experts” often like to predict a crash, a bull market, or a bubble).

Humanity used to rely on oracles and soothsayers to have a clearer vision of what the future would bring. Questions like: What jobs would be in demand in X years? What kind of risks should we prepare for in our lives and careers? Which companies would grow or go bust? With the right mindset and risk management tools, I’ve learned to answer these questions better.

By Peter L. Bernstein,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Against the Gods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable ...an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." -The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." -The Wall Street Journal "A lively panoramic book ...Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." -Business Week "Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." -The Economist "[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." -Worth "No one…


Book cover of The Little Book of Valuation: How to Value a Company, Pick a Stock, and Profit

Joe Carlen Author Of The Einstein Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham

From my list on understanding value investing and business value.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investor and a professional business valuation specialist, I have a passion for understanding the true intrinsic value of both publicly-traded and closely-held (private) companies. There’s no denying that Warren Buffett, emulating the example of his mentor Benjamin Graham, applied a private company valuation approach to the selection of publicly-traded stocks and the results speak for themselves. Furthermore, given my somewhat technical educational and vocational background, I am more comfortable than most valuators with highly technical and IP-weighted businesses. That is why I consider IP valuation to be an integral element of business valuation. 

Joe's book list on understanding value investing and business value

Joe Carlen Why did Joe love this book?

The process of business valuation lies at the core of value investing. That’s what Damodaran, longtime Professor of Finance at NYU, addresses in this book. An excellent distillation of the key business valuation approaches that are most relevant for investment, The Little Book of Valuation will make the valuation work less daunting and less arduous for the lay investor of the 21st century. 

As well, like the two previous books, this book also underscores the fact that, without a systematic approach to valuing publicly-traded stocks as if they were private companies, proper value investing is not even possible, let alone profitable. Perhaps to underscore this truth, one of the recommendation blurbs is provided by Shannon Pratt, one of the leading gurus of private business valuation and the author of my 4th book pick.

By Aswath Damodaran,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Little Book of Valuation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An accessible, and intuitive, guide to stock valuation Valuation is at the heart of any investment decision, whether that decision is to buy, sell, or hold. In The Little Book of Valuation, expert Aswath Damodaran explains the techniques in language that any investors can understand, so you can make better investment decisions when reviewing stock research reports and engaging in independent efforts to value and pick stocks. Page by page, Damodaran distills the fundamentals of valuation, without glossing over or ignoring key concepts, and develops models that you can easily understand and use. Along the way, he covers various valuation…


Book cover of Valuing a Business: The Analysis and Appraisal of Closely Held Companies

Joe Carlen Author Of The Einstein Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham

From my list on understanding value investing and business value.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investor and a professional business valuation specialist, I have a passion for understanding the true intrinsic value of both publicly-traded and closely-held (private) companies. There’s no denying that Warren Buffett, emulating the example of his mentor Benjamin Graham, applied a private company valuation approach to the selection of publicly-traded stocks and the results speak for themselves. Furthermore, given my somewhat technical educational and vocational background, I am more comfortable than most valuators with highly technical and IP-weighted businesses. That is why I consider IP valuation to be an integral element of business valuation. 

Joe's book list on understanding value investing and business value

Joe Carlen Why did Joe love this book?

Aside from valuing businesses for investment purposes, I am a practitioner of the valuation of private (or “closely held”) businesses. In my profession of business valuation, the late Shannon Pratt is widely recognized as one of the leading gurus, not least because of the six editions of Valuing a Business. I recommend this book here because, if one can master even a few of the rigorous business valuation methods detailed in this book, that will elevate one’s value investing skills tremendously. The previous books all set the stage and offer enough practical advice for one to progress from beginner to intermediate but, for those eager to master business valuation and, therefore, the determination of intrinsic value, Valuing a Business would be the next logical step. 

By Shannon P. Pratt, Alina V. Niculita,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Valuing a Business as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Capitalize on All the Latest Legal, Financial, and ComplianceInformation Needed to Analyze and Appraise Any Business

For over 25 years, Valuing a Business has provided professionals and students with expert business valuation information, offering clear, concise coverage of valuation principles and methods. Over the decades, the book's unsurpassed explanations of all valuation issues have made it the definitive text in the field, against which every other business valuation book is measured.

Now updated with new legal, financial, and compliance material, the Fifth Edition of Valuing a Business presents detailed answers to virtually all valuation questions_ranging from executive compensation and lost…


Book cover of IP Valuation for the Future: Trends, Techniques, and Case Studies

Joe Carlen Author Of The Einstein Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham

From my list on understanding value investing and business value.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investor and a professional business valuation specialist, I have a passion for understanding the true intrinsic value of both publicly-traded and closely-held (private) companies. There’s no denying that Warren Buffett, emulating the example of his mentor Benjamin Graham, applied a private company valuation approach to the selection of publicly-traded stocks and the results speak for themselves. Furthermore, given my somewhat technical educational and vocational background, I am more comfortable than most valuators with highly technical and IP-weighted businesses. That is why I consider IP valuation to be an integral element of business valuation. 

Joe's book list on understanding value investing and business value

Joe Carlen Why did Joe love this book?

In our increasingly technology-dependent economy, business value and the value of intellectual property (IP) intersect like never before. That’s why understanding how to value patents (both individual patents and patent portfolios), trademarks, and copyrights are essential skills to those serious about discerning business value in the 21st century. Mr. Anson includes a good discussion of the best IP valuation methods and the case studies are especially instructive. 

By Weston Anson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

In today's economic landscape, there is a growing awareness of intellectual property and its value at all levels. IP Valuation for the Future looks at all matters related to IP value, whether the value is in a transaction, litigation, or other context. This guide provides a valuation overview for attorneys who need a basic grounding in the principles and financial standards of IP valuation along with a basic review of the core attributes, categories, and permutations of various IP.
In addition, this is a helpful resource for bankers, financial professionals, venture capitalists, and other professionals. It also serves as an…


Book cover of The Warren Buffett Way

Joe Carlen Author Of The Einstein Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham

From my list on understanding value investing and business value.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investor and a professional business valuation specialist, I have a passion for understanding the true intrinsic value of both publicly-traded and closely-held (private) companies. There’s no denying that Warren Buffett, emulating the example of his mentor Benjamin Graham, applied a private company valuation approach to the selection of publicly-traded stocks and the results speak for themselves. Furthermore, given my somewhat technical educational and vocational background, I am more comfortable than most valuators with highly technical and IP-weighted businesses. That is why I consider IP valuation to be an integral element of business valuation. 

Joe's book list on understanding value investing and business value

Joe Carlen Why did Joe love this book?

While Graham is the pioneer of value investing, there’s no question that his student, employee, and, ultimately, close friend Warren Buffett is its most successful practitioner. Although the essence of their respective approaches is similar, there are some important differences to understand. As the best book about Buffett’s investing style that I’ve encountered thus far, Hagstrom’s The Warren Buffett Way highlights some of Buffett’s most astonishing investment coups and the logic behind them. Upon reading both of those books, the reader will have gained a nuanced understanding of how Buffett took the Graham approach to business valuation/security selection and improved upon it. 

By Robert G. Hagstrom,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Warren Buffett Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Warren Buffett is the most famous investor of all time and one of today s most admired business leaders. He became a billionaire and investment sage by looking at companies as businesses rather than prices on a stock screen. The first two editions of The Warren Buffett Way gave investors their first in-depth look at the innovative investment and business strategies behind Buffett s spectacular success. The new edition updates readers on the latest investments by Buffett. And, more importantly, it draws on the new field of behavioral finance to explain how investors can overcome the common obstacles that prevent…


Book cover of A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing
Book cover of The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns
Book cover of Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

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Interested in investment, value investing, and Warren Buffett?

Investment 67 books
Value Investing 9 books
Warren Buffett 19 books