9 of the best books on investment according to Goodreads

In an internet-powered age it’s possible to invest well with minimal professional help. There are podcasts and e-newsletters curating useful content for investors as well as financial journalists and bloggers that can point you in the direction of financial freedom and savvy investments. And then of course, there are good old-fashioned books. Here’s our pick of books on investment with exceptional ratings, voted up by significant amounts of people on sites like Goodreads. We’ve also included some newer books, which haven’t accumulated high numbers of votes yet but have flattering testimonials and high ratings.

Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason

The Richest Man in Babylon provides financial wisdom told through a series of stories set in ancient Babylon. The book is hailed as one of the greatest books ever written on personal wealth and financial planning, sharing the secrets to managing your money and achieving personal prosperity.

4.2/5 Goodreads (41,439 votes)

4.5/5 Barnes & Noble

5/5 Project Life Mastery

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill draws on stories of several entrepreneurs, including Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, to find out what made them the successful businessmen they were. Examining ‘What makes a winner?’, this book lays out practical steps to achieving your financial goals.

4.1/5 Goodreads (91,762 votes)

4.4/5 Audible

4.7/5 eBay

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons For Corporate America by Lawrence A. Cunningham

If you’re going to learn about investing, why not learn from the most successful investor in the world, Warren Buffet? The Essays of Warren Buffett is a collection of annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, containing useful pearls of business and financial wisdom that you can use in your own investment strategy.

4.3/5 Goodreads (2,911 votes )

4.3/5 AbeBooks (2,742)

4.2/5 Barnes & Noble

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

Benjamin Graham, known as the “Dean of Wall Street” and “the father of ‘value’ investing’, was known for making money on the stock market for both himself and his clients, without taking big risks. His book, The Intelligent Investor, teaches timeless lessons, particularly the philosophy of ‘value investing’ and the importance of developing long-term strategies.

4.2/5 Goodreads (20,370 votes)

4/5 Barnes & Noble

4.4/5 Chapters.Indigo.ca

Also recommended by Tim Ferris, author, entrepreneur and angel investor.

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez 

A book that focuses on the difference between making a living and making a life. Its premise is that to achieve a lifestyle where your life controls your money, you need to reframe your relationship with your finances so that it matches up to your values. The authors prescribe nine steps for optimising money as a tool for freedom. We wrote about it in detail here.

4.1/5 Goodreads ( 6,996 votes)

A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G Malkiel

Even though A Random Walk Down Wall Street was written by Burton G Malkiel back in 1973, this is still widely considered one of the best investing books containing information, which is still useful today. Suitable for both beginner investors and seasoned investors, this book simplifies investing, making it easy for anyone to understand.

4/5 Goodreads (11,900 votes)

4.4/5 Barnes & Noble

4/5 AbeBooks

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Want to get your money in order but don’t know where to start? Ramit Sethi’s ‘I Will Teach You to Be Rich’ is a great money management book broken down into chapters on credit cards, banks, investing, budgeting and automation. Want to negotiate a pay rise? Get out of debt? Learn how to open investment accounts even with a small amount of money? Ramit will show you how. Packed with tips, this book is describerd by Lifehacker as a solid introduction to money.

4/ 5 Goodreads (8,952 votes)

The Choose Yourself Guide To Wealth by James Altucher

Touted as the field guide to the “New World” we live in, and the eye-opener of the century, it’s a guide to building, keeping, and investing your money and breaking free from “the chains of rusted, old thinking.” Its GoodReads intro is bold: “You can play by the old rules and get left behind, or you can use these new ideas and become wealthy.”

4/5 Goodreads (704 votes)

The Investor’s Manifesto: Preparing for Prosperity, Armageddon, and Everything in Between by William J. Bernstein 

Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Investor’s Manifesto will help you understand the nuts and bolts of executing a lifetime investment plan, including: how to survive dealing with the investment industry, the practical meaning of market efficiency, how much to save, how to maintain discipline in the face of panics and manias, and what vehicles to use to achieve financial security and freedom.

4/5 Goodreads (627 votes)

4/5 Investor Junkie

See book notes and an enthusiastic recommendation from Derek Sivers, author, successful entrepreneur, musician. He publishes insightful notes on every book he reads.

See also The Intelligent Asset Allocator.