A List of Great Investing Books, Organized by Skill Level (Part 1–Learn)​

 Never liked the look of finance textbooks or the business section at Barnes and Noble? Picking the right reads for your investing journey can be intimidating just like picking stocks and bonds. Here Wizest has compiled a list of all-time favorites among investing professionals, organized by skill level. (If podcasts are more your thing, no worries! We’ve got you covered.)

The Little Book that Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt

Here in a brief and approachable book, the legendary founder of hedge fund Gotham Capital, Joel Greenblatt, explains a philosophy for just about anyone to earn superior investment returns. Greenblatt has a gift for simplifying and teaching real finance using everyday examples that anyone can grasp. The book begins with a story about selling chewing gum in elementary school and ends with a disciplined formula for selecting, buying, and selling a stock portfolio.

The Education of a Value Investor by Guy Spier

Part biography, part self-help book, and part investment strategy, follow the author, Guy Spier, as he achieves financial enlightenment. After a privileged education, including a degree from Oxford, Spier begins his career like many other sharks on Wall Street. Then, a chance encounter with “value investing” teaches Spier to focus on the big picture, to avoid chasing overnight returns, and to balance his portfolio with a better quality of life–earning better returns in the process. 

More Money than God by Sebastian Mallaby

For those who are interested in the Wild West of high finance, Mallaby has crafted a masterful history of the hedge fund industry. If you never thought that you could be intrigued by complex financial instruments, let Mallaby put your assumptions to the test. The author explains how the creativity, ambition, and greed of a handful of enterprising individuals has shaped modern economic history. From speculating on cocoa and frozen orange juice, to clandestine meetings with government officials in developing countries, Mallaby explains the colorful reality behind high-stakes investing.

Enjoy this list? Come back for Part 2–Advance! We'll be posting soon.