Jessie Moore has been writing professionally for nearly two decades; for the past seven years, she's focused on writing, ghostwriting, and editing in the finance space. She is a Today Show and Publisher's Weekly-featured author who has written or ghostwritten 10+ books on a wide variety of topics, ranging from day trading to unicorns to plant care.
These days, there are plenty of ways to learn about investing — from TV to podcasts to stock trading courses online.
Yet over the years, books about investing still win when it comes to in-depth explanations and conversations about financial topics. The best investment books have ideas that can change how you look at personal finance, investing, and life.
That leads to an important question — what books on stocks should you read? Here I’ve picked out 10 of the best books on stocks and have helped hundreds of thousands or even millions of investors.
You can (and should) learn a lot about investing from books.
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At-a-Glance: 10 Best Investing Books to Read
There is an investing or personal finance book for everyone, whether you’ve been day trading for years or just learned what a bond was yesterday.
These are the ten best investing books to read:
1. “The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness” by Morgan Housel
2. “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham
3. “The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America” by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham
4. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki
5. “Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money” by Bola Sokunbi
6. “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi
7. “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey
8. “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S Clason
9. “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy” by William D. Danko
10. “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need” by Andrew Tobias
10 Best Books About Investing in 2025
Note that these best investment books are in no particular order of quality or recommendation. People will have different opinions on what is best. Or, choose a few that interest you and see what finance and investing wisdom you can glean from these best investing books to read.
1. “The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed and Happiness” by Morgan Housel
Goodreads rating: 4.37
“Saving is the gap between your ego and your income.”
Investing and taking care of your finances is about math, right?
Not exactly. If that were true, ads for investment firms would have much more math on them. The market would be much more rational than it appears to be sometimes. People might not spring $500 for a karaoke machine when their house is in foreclosure.
How do people think about money and investing? This book contains 19 stories on the topic, ranging from the normal to the odd. Yet with each story comes a lesson.
Emotions, conversations, and relationships play a greater role than most people realize, and this book is precisely about that topic. The other books on this list will give you all the necessary data. Let this one explore the fuzzier stuff.
To become a better investor, you must first understand yourself and others regarding money. This book will help you do just that.
2. “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham
Goodreads rating: 4.25
“The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists.”
Another one of those books on investing in stocks from the last century that you can still learn the fundamentals from, “The Intelligent Investor” is a great book of value investing from one of the best financial advisors who ever lived.
Key points that hold true to this day:
- The investor should not be beholden to the whims and irrationality of the market. They should instead focus on the real-life performance of companies.
- Fundamental analysis is essential.
- Focus on undervalued stocks that can perform well long-term.
Multiple famous investors and business leaders say this is the best book on investing ever written and the best book they have read on the topic.
This book is the primary text on value investing, a philosophy that has influenced investing to this day. It will teach you how to better think long-term when investing.
See Benjamin Graham’s ideas at work!
On WallStreetZen, you can access company stocks trading below their intrinsic value based on Ben Graham’s formula from Chapter 14 of “The Intelligent Investor.”
3. “The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America” by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham
Goodreads rating: 4.29
“I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful”
The advice given by Warren Buffet might be a little overhyped, if only because it cannot be more hyped in the investing world. He’s the famous investor everyone knows about and the guru everyone will quote and turn to (this humble writer included).
However, he has his position and success for a reason and it is worth it to listen to what he has to say in the midst of every other voice.
Lawrence Cunningham provides the intro and context to the book, a collection of letters or essays from Buffett to Berkshire Hathaway holders over the years. I recommend reading a letter or two a day until you finish.
By following this book’s specific texts and lessons, Buffett indirectly teaches readers his greater investing ideas, his focus on good business instead of short-term stock gains, and more.
Warren Buffet is considered one of the greatest investors of all time. Read one of the best books on investing in stocks and learn what you can, if only to understand why your views differ from his.
4. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Goodreads rating: 4.12
“Learn to use your emotions to think, not think with your emotions.”
This famous personal finance and investing book speaks to and appeals to the average person hoping to save for retirement and make a better life for themselves.
It’s a book as much about general wisdom and personal finance as it is about investing. Key takeaway? To master the markets, you may need to work on yourself first.
This book won’t resonate with everyone. Some financial self-help and investment writers heavily disagree with Kiyosaki on various points. Yet by entering the debate with an open yet skeptical mind, you’ll be better able to see how many people think about money, improving your own situation.
This is not a textbook or your standard investment book. It’s a book about how to evaluate your own relationship with money. Consider the stories and examples used in the book and how they might apply to your life.
5. “Clever Girl Finance: Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money” by Bola Sokunbi
Goodreads rating: 4.22
Women and women’s issues are often left out of investing and finance conversions, at least in public.
Bola Sokunbi runs one of the most significant personal finance and investing platforms for women in the world and has some of the most experience in thinking about these issues alongside general investing concepts.
It doesn’t talk down to its readers but does cater to them in a way that other books don’t, all the while remaining accessible to anyone.
And yes, the book goes over creating a basic investment plan and building wealth for the long term. In fact, its style makes it one of the best investing books for beginners in general.
If you are a woman and other books about investing make you feel left out, this book might address some of your concerns and answer some of your questions. Additionally, it’s an excellent overall primer on investing and financial literacy.
Investing books can teach you a lot about how the financial markets and stocks work. But to transition from learning to doing, you may need a more active resource. One of our favorites? Investors Underground.
Investors Underground offers one of the most complete trading ecourses out there.
It’s led by Nathan Michaud, a world-class trader and educator, who has built an impressive collection of stock trading courses and resources.
As a member, you can access 1000+ videos, pre-market broadcasts, trade recaps, and IU’s Live Trading Floor. IU also has a Trading Encyclopedia to teach new traders the basics of trading.
6. “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi
Goodreads rating: 4.16
“The single most important factor to getting rich is getting started, not being the smartest person in the room.”
“I Will Teach You to Be Rich” is a simple guide about getting the most you can from your money and your time.
About half the book is about personal finance tips, negotiating with creditors and sales representatives, and getting the best deal on everything. It might be helpful to you.
Sethi takes a simpler approach to investing than many others for the investing half, advocating for funds instead of day trading.
He also lays out a very strong argument against fees and charges from banks and brokerage firms. If you agree with his strategies, you’ll find it one of the best investing books for beginners.
Finally, he considers what it is to be rich and how one should examine their spending and investment habits. Are you working for your money, or is your money working for you?
This book is meant to provide a primer for every aspect of your financial life, from paying bills to prenups to simplifying your investments. If that interests you, this book deserves your attention.
7. “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey
Goodreads rating: 4.23
“Savings without a mission is garbage. Your money needs to work for you, not lie around you.”
While Dave Ramsey himself is someone you or I might not agree with on a multitude of points, he has some important things to say about debt, and The Total Money Makeover helped millions for a reason.
Dave Ramsey hates debt. Hates it. I’ve never read a book that hated debt this much. And he has some compelling arguments for getting rid of debt before making too many investments.
Some may find the book a bit extreme, unattainable, or risky in its own right. But it will likely challenge some of your pre-existing ideas about credit, debt, investing, and where and why you should put your money.
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8. “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S Clason
Goodreads rating: 4.25
“Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared.”
We’re going back in time for this one, though not all the way back to Babylon.
“The Richest Man in Babylon” is structured into a series of parables that were originally pamphlets written between 1920 and 1924, all relating to personal finance and wealth accumulation. It was one of the best investing books for beginners back then and remains so now.
Some would say it’s a bit dated, and others might find the backdrop corny. Still, it features lifestyle and investment advice that is mostly timeless and is one of those books about investing that focuses on values and principles instead of advanced math and investment techniques.
This book may appear simple to many readers, but it sets fundamentals to help a household prepare for future investment. If you want to get your financial house in order before investing, its wisdom still guides people well.
9. “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy” by Thomas J. Stanley
Goodreads rating: 4.06
“The foundation stone of wealth accumulation is defense, and this defense should be anchored by budgeting and planning.”
Often it is best to learn by example. “The Millionaire Next Door” provides examples in spades, particularly in the form of statistics about the lifestyle and investment choices of millionaires that live relatively normal lives.
This book eschews anecdotal examples of success and looks at the lifestyles of millionaires and successful people in America. How do they live their lives? What cars do they drive?
How do they invest their money?
The answers might surprise you, and this book will cut out many myths about the investor lifestyle. Also, it’s easy to follow and one of the best investing books to read from a writing standpoint.
This book demonstrates that the road to wealth for most people is a long, steady one, built upon investing fundamentals and discipline. Most people don’t get rich quickly or make one good trade and live off that.
More required reading: Check out our blog post “How to Make a Million Dollars in 2025.”
10. “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need” by Andrew Tobias
Goodreads rating: 3.91
“A very basic thing to know about your money is that, over the really long run, people who buy equities—stocks—will almost surely make a lot more money (if they’re at all sensible in how they do it) than people who make “safer” investments.”
The title might be an exaggeration, but the contents of this, one of the best books on stocks for beginners, are not.
In this volume, Tobias goes over all of the key ideas and terms in investing, allowing you to
1) Have a better understanding and vocabulary when you read other sources and
2) Have a basic footing so you don’t make basic mistakes.
3) Rethink some of the basic financial decisions people make all the time, whether it’s savings, a wedding ring, setting up an IRA, or something else.
If you need to get the basics and learn a few things about where to put your money, this is the book to start with. Though true to it being one of the best investing books for beginners, the more investment books you’ve read, the less this book will help.
Note: Make sure to get the most modern edition you can. Otherwise, some information might be outdated.
Budgeting. Allocation. Where to put your money. It’s a lot to figure out. Empower (formerly Personal Capital) can help.
While the platform is known as a portfolio management tool, here’s a secret — it’s also loaded with plenty of FREE resources and calculators, including a no-cost Budget Planner and free Financial calculators.
Many users go for the free tools but are so impressed that they upgrade to Empower’s investment accounts or wealth management services. See for yourself what Empower has to offer…
Final Word:
A daily reading habit is an investment that will never fail you, and picking out the right books on stocks and thought leaders to learn from will let you accumulate wisdom from people who have done it all.
Again, I urge you to try out one of the books above, depending on your current situation. They all have helpful information, but some of them have the power to change your life.
FAQs:
What books should I read as a beginner investor?
If you are looking for basic advice on personal finance and how to set up your financial life before investing, “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey and “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” are great options for getting the fundamentals down.
What is the best way for a beginner to start investing?
If you haven’t set up a 401K if it's available, start with that, especially if matching employer contributions are available. You just cannot beat a guaranteed 100% add-on to what you contribute. It’s not free money, but it’s pretty close.
Is $1,000 enough to start investing?
Absolutely. In fact, you can start investing with just $100 (though your options will be limited). Many books state that starting the habit of investing and regularly contributing to your accounts is the most important thing.
What do beginner investors invest in?
It partially depends on their preferences and interests, but beginner investors often invest in ETFs, index funds, mutual funds, or other investments that are groups of assets instead of picking out individual stocks.
Where to Invest $1,000 Right Now?
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Our May report reveals the 3 "Strong Buy" stocks that market-beating analysts predict will outperform over the next year.
