10 Best Investing Books

The idea of investing money for someone who knows nothing about the stock market and who has never studied finance is…scary.

It doesn’t have to be, however. Books can help answer many of your questions and clear up any misconceptions you may have about investing money, as well as inspire you to start building your wealth.

The key to finding the best investing books is to turn to those that successful people have read or written, which is what we’ll highlight in this guide.

Here are the top 10 titles you need to read to build a solid foundation for your investing plan.

Top 10 Investing Books Comparison Table

Picture Name Number of Pages Price Rating (1-5)
1. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein
  • 512
$$
  • 4.7/5
2. Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Expanded Third Edition
  • 548
$$$$
  • 4.7/5
3. A Random Walk down Wall Street: The Time-tested Strategy for Successful Investing
  • 496
$$
  • 4.6/5
4. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns
  • 272
$$
  • 4.6/5
5. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing.
  • 640
$$$
  • 4.5/5
6. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
  • 336
$
  • 4.5/5
7. MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
  • 688
$$
  • 4.4/5
8. How to Make Money in Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times and Bad, Fourth Edition
  • 464
$$
  • 4.4/5
9. Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett
  • 700
$$$
  • 4.4/5
10. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings
  • 320
$$
  • 4.4/5

Tips to Help You Choose the Right Titles

You could just read all of these books (and you probably will if you’re serious about investing), but since they all have different information, the book you start with can make a difference.

  • If You’re a Beginner. Those of you who are new to investing should start with Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

This book will help set you in the right mindset when it comes to investing, and this book has achieved international success after being translated into many different languages.

MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom is another great one for beginners and experienced investors alike.

  • If You’re Young. Many young investors will enjoy The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing.

The author provides you with a bit of history about the stock market (it was written in 1949) and is highly regarded by Warren Buffett.

Long-term investing is key for younger investors, so fill your brain with knowledge about financial decisions that will help you create a comfortable retirement nest egg.

  • If You’re Older. Perhaps you have a bit of investing experience but would like to focus more on it now that you’re older; what should you read?

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing is always a great choice, and so is The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After Fifty. While we didn’t include this title in our table (it isn’t one of the absolute best investing books ever written), it is great for investors who are close to retirement.

These are all great starting points for each category of readers. One book is never enough, however, so if you’ve already read any of these, then you need to pick up some of the other books we’ve included on our list.

Top 5 Best Investing Books Reviews

No matter your age or knowledge of investing, these are some of the best books on investing that you can ever read. If you haven’t read any of them yet, get a copy of each and read them all.

1. Buffett by Roger Lowenstein

Buffett by Roger Lowenstein

When you learn from the best, you have a much higher chance of success. Many people want to know how Warren Buffett became so successful in life, which is why any book with his name on it is bound to be useful.

In this book, Roger Lowenstein explains Buffett’s thought process and describes how he approaches his investments. Strategies from the billionaire? Now that is what you need floating around in your brain.

The level of research Lowenstein invested is extensive, and you get a better feel for who Warren Buffett is as a man and human being in addition to his business experience.

We wouldn’t recommend this as the very first book you read about investing, but once you have a few titles under your belt, you absolutely need to read this book.

2. Poor Charlie’s Almanack

Poor Charlie’s Almanack

This book is a bit more of an investment (no pun intended!) than some of the other titles on our list, but if you’re serious about investing, it is a priceless resource.

Author Charles Munger paints a vivid portrait of his life, and mixes in his philosophical viewpoints as well as a bit of psychology, history and – of course – business.

He shares insight not just on business but life in general, and how to be successful at everything – business or not.

New and young investors should purchase a copy of this early on in their investing adventures since it contains valuable insight and information that you will refer to constantly.

The book is large, so don’t expect to finish it in one sitting. Read it slowly and digest the info.

3. A Random Walk Down Wall Street

A Random Walk Down Wall Street

Those of you who want to read a more direct, straightforward guide will enjoy “A Random Walk Down Wall Street.”

It is an easy read – not as heavy on the psychology as the previous book is. Author Burton G. Malkiel gives you practical, sensible advice about investing in the stock market. Even if you’re interested in other types of investments, the ideas and suggestions are still valuable (knowledge is power).

Many who want to start a portfolio are encouraged to purchase this book, and while the original version was printed in 1973, new and updated versions have made an appearance throughout the decades with more relevant to modern investors.

We recommend this version of the book, which was released in 2016.

4. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

“The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” can’t be missing from your reading list. The title says it all.

It contains insight from a variety of successful financial geniuses, including Warren Buffett, Burton Malkiel (author of the previous book we just mentioned), and Benjamin Graham to name a few.

This book shows you how to be successful with index investing (from the man who invented the index fund) but just because his opinion is a bit biased doesn’t mean that it’s not useful. He provides readers with plenty of facts and uses basic math to help prove his points.

It’s a quicker read and also comes in an audio CD version for those of you who don’t have time to flip pages.

5. The Intelligent Investor

5. The Intelligent Investor

Our final suggestion is “The Intelligent Investor.”

This book tops many “must read” lists, so if you haven’t yet taken the time to purchase it, do so now!

It highlights what an “Intelligent Investor” does to be successful, and the author explains the stock market in a very simple way that makes it easy for new investors to understand. Even if you haven’t studied economics or finance, this book is very approachable.

It is a step up from “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and the MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom, so if you’re newer to investing and have already read these two titles, this is the next one to read.