20 Books Every Trader Should Know About
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12/25/13
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March 13, 2012
20 BOOKS EVERY TRADER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
Posted by Brian Lund in General Ram blings , Trading and tagged w ith Market Wizards
Before I get into this list, I have a warning for those looking for a book on trading, how to trade, or how to become a better trader. Learning about trading via books is a holdover from before this thing called “the internet,” which allowed things like trading blogs, trading services, and trading communities to exist. Books are good for a general overview of the markets and trading concepts, trader biographies and anecdotal stories, and trading psychology, but by the very nature of their format, they are too limited and not dynamic enough to be relevant for very long. Use them for a foundation, for ideas, but mostly for enjoyment. I think you will find that your trading will drastically improve that day you decided to stop looking for the latest trading book, and “write your own book” on trading. As with every list, there will be disagreements. ”Why is that book on the list?” ”Why isn’t that book on the list?” I picked 20 books that stood out for me as a trader, that were a #valueadd (or a #valueloss) for one reason or another. That doesn’t even have to mean that they are about trading. For example, the “General Interest” section is made up of books that I think appeal to a trader’s mindset. With that in mind, feel free to add your picks to the “comments” section, along with a sentence or two as to why you liked (or hated) them. By the way, I was too lazy to link all the books, but you can find them all at Amazon. Old School: The Market Wizards Series – Jack Schwager: Chances are you will find these books on the shelf of any serious trader. They are without a doubt the most comprehensive collection of interviews with superstar traders ever published. However, their dirty little secret is that although they capture perfectly a moment in time, they are extremely dated and will give you almost no insight into today’s markets or how to trade them. Their value now is in showing how even the greatest traders initially struggled and often blew up (repeatedly) before becoming successful. Stan Weinstein’s Secrets For Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets – Stan Weinstein: This book was the
Click image to get the book
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1/8
12/25/13
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
first to quantify one of the most important concepts in trading; the four stages in which stocks move, which are the basing, advancing, topping, and declining stages. Despite the fact that the cover of this book has not been updated since it was published in 1988, stage analysis is still relevant today.
Streams Blogs How to Symbol Make Money In Stocks – O’Neil: As anMarketplace unnamed trader friendSignals of mine recently said, all you need or User
to do is review the charts in the first 150 pages of this book and you will be good to go.
These charts
along with O’Neil’s annotations, give you a great foundation to understand the patterns stocks form before they go on massive runs. Reminiscences of a Stock Operator – Edwin Lefevre: Tough call on this book, only because I don’t think it is the Rosetta Stone of trading books like it is often described as. The language is dated and colloquial, which though strange, is actually part of its charm. There are definitely some foundational lessons for trading in this book, but you as the reader have to do the historical conversion in your head from venue’s like “bucket shops,” to today’s market. How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market – Nicolas Darvas: This book should really be called, “How I Made$18,000,000 (Adjusted for Inflation) in the Stock Market,” because that is how much it would be in today’s dollars. That would be phenomenal for anybody, but for someone who did it while traveling the globe, in a pre-internet, computer, iPad, Smart phone world……while working as a professional dancer? Well that is just epic. His “Darvas Box” system, though crude and in need of adjustment to factor in today’s HFT, is still a foundation of a solid trading style/discipline. Trading Education: The Stock Twits Edge – Howard Lindzon: Okay, before you accuse me of trying to kiss the ass of my blog overlords at StockTwits, let me just tell you that I was recommending this book publicly, way before I ever resurrected this blog, let alone was asked to join the network. This is the book I wish was written when I started trading 25 years ago. The irony though is that it could not really have been written until just recently. It is the “Market Wizards” for the retail trader, and more importantly, each chapter is written by someone who currently has an active presence on social media. Plus it’s the only place you will ever see @The_Real_Fly write two whole pages without saying “fuck!” The Trading Book – Anne-Marie Baiynd: I like Anne-Marie, but if she had asked me if it was a wise choice to add another trading book to the world, I would have advised against it. I would have been wrong. I was amazed at the scope of material that this book was able to cover, and do so in a meaningful way. Anne-Marie’s economical (and often humorous) style, takes you right to the core of each concept, doing away with irrelevant and superfluous information. I don’t think it is hyperbole to say it is an instant classic for the beginning/intermediate trader. Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nisson: There are a lot of books out these on candlestick charting, but almost all of them are derivative of Nisson’s tome. It goes through and explains the basis concepts, as well as the most relevant patterns, related to candlestick charting. Unless you really need to know about the “three-drunk-salarymen-rolled-by-the-hooker-in-the-Shinjuku-trainstation” pattern, this book is all you will ever need for candlesticks. Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom – Van Tharp: Yes the title is cheesy and sounds like something from a late-night infomercial, but this book has one of the best overviews of the different types of methodologies you can use to make money in the markets. But more importantly, it shows you how to go about formulating a methodology for trading in the markets. The information on risk and position sizing alone makes the book worthwhile. Psychology: The Disciplined Trader & Trading In The Zone – Mark Douglas: These are the definitive books on trading psychology. I know traders who went from perpetual losers to consistent winners after reading these books. The way Douglas climbs into the psyche of a trader is scary, and there is a good chance you will wonder aloud how he managed to plant the hidden camera and microphones that he used to take notes on your trading deficiencies. Real World Trading: Pit Bull – Buzz “Buzzy” Schwartz: Extremely dated, but still the only full auto-biography (I believe) of a “Market Wizard.” It is a look into the mind and process of an extremely disciplined trader who is still putting up crushing numbers to this day. And despite the fact that he shares James Altucher’s somewhat dubious scatological advice regarding “cleaning out the plumbing” before starting the day, it’s a good read. I don’t even know how this is legal, but you can read the whole book online for free here. One Good Trade – Mike Bellafiore: If you want to know what it’s like trading in the real world of a prop firm, this is the book. But even more so, this book shows you how to focus on process instead profits to
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
become a successful trader. There are a number of great trading lessons in this book, all wrapped around relatable stories (kinda like a blog I know). The writing is a bit rough, but then again it’s not meant to be Shakespeare. General Interest: The 50 Best (and Worst) Business Deals of All Time – Michael Craig: This book is like eating a piece of candy; you will enjoy it so much but before you know it, it will be done. Clocking in at under 200 pages, it gives concise, informative, and fascinating insights into some well-known, and some not so well-know business successes and failures. The chapter about the ABA’s settlement with the “Spirits of St. Louis” alone is worth the price of admission. Backstage Wall Street: An Insider’s Guide to Knowing Who to Trust, Who to Run From, and How to Maximize Your Investments – Joshua Brown: I am cheating here a bit, because as I write this, I am only half-way through the book; but that half alone is strong enough to put it on my list. Sure, once again you can accuse me of “kissing ass” to one of the heavyweights of financial blogging, but really….if you have read Josh’s blog for any amount of time, you know he’s the real deal. This book pulls no punches, and will probably be looked back upon years from now as the clarion call against the entrenched Wall Street establishment (though I still think most of the Occupy Wall Street crowd are a bunch of douches). December 2013 Mean Business – Al Dunlap: Dunlap made his name as a “turn-around” specialist for near-death companies, and this book chronicles some of his most famous successes. I get that Dunlap’s career ended in shareholder actions, SEC investigations, and his banning from ever running a public company again. But just because Michael Jackson’s final few albums sucked doesn’t mean that “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” weren’t masterpieces. Dunlap was an asshole to be sure, but often times an asshole is what is needed, and his excesses in restructuring were merely a response to the bloated corporate excesses of the times. It’s hard to fool guys like Kerry Packer, Sir James Goldsmith, and the principles at KKR, so “Chainsaw” Al must have been doing something right at some point. The New Financial Capitalists: KKR and the Creation of Corporate Value – George P. Baker: Love them or hate them, KKR changed the way M&A was done, and left an imprint on corporate financing that is still felt today. It is hard to forget in the wake of the recent credit crisis, that KKR was always responsible, and almost always successful in using debt and leverage to save failing companies and create or unlock value for shareholders and their investors. This is an authorized biography of the company, but done in a truly objective fashion, and highlights how the key to a KKR deal did not so much have to do with the money (debt) that they brought to the table, but the wealth of managerial talent they brought to their target companies. Avoids: Trading For A Living – Alexander Elder: This is the “gateway” book that every new trader seems to come through on the road to trading, but I have to say, I have never been a fan of Dr. Elder. It stems for my suspicion that he makes (and has always made) more money from writing about trading and putting on overpriced seminars on trading, than he has from actually trading. In this book he espouses a multiple time frame method that is rudimentary at best and his nod to trading psychology is done better and in more depth by Douglas. The only interesting aspect of this book is his explanation of how trading is NOT a zero sum game, but that is really only worthy of a blog post at most. The Education of a Speculator – Victor Neiderhoffer: I have a blog friend, who not only is a 100x better trader than I could ever hope to be, but is a connoisseur of art and literature, and even surfs. He is also a friend of Niederhoffer’s and thinks highly of him. That is why it pains me to say that “Education…” is probably one of the top 5 worst written books I have ever read. It would be better titled, “Let Me Tell You What A Great Squash Player I Am.” And even though I am sure there was meant to be some subtext in his narcissistic stories that relate to trading, it is written in such a purposefully exclusionary way that you can’t find it. Since I am part of the “chattering classes” it is probably that Neiderhoffer, a true intellect, is just writing above my level, but unless you are picking this book up on the way to your Nobel Prize luncheon, it’s probably best to just skip it. Hey, don’t forget to check out my eBook on trading, destined to be on this top 20 list someday. Just click the banner below. Make sure to check out my new book Trading:The Best Of The Best-Top Trading Tips For Our Times (just click the banner below). November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 April 2007 Check Out What You’ve Missed!
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• 7 months ago
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I think Trading for a Living is the most important book out there for beginners who are just landing in the world of financial instruments. It basically sets you up and tells you in a few words what you're about to confront. The triple time frame system that Dr. Elder presents in his book is fairly simple and the worst a trader can do over time by following it is break even. Although I suspect in bull stock markets it can bring nice profits. With Forex it's a different story. However, what Dr. Elder emphasizes is the need to be following the bigger trend. And from there on a trader can build his own system or can pick another system off the internet and pass it through the filter of the bigger trend rule, which is the safest bet in any markets. All these books have some value but all of them fail at taking the trader out of a mathematical state of mind and teaching him to assess the market context first. So if I would write a book, my biggest time frame would be the market context time frame and then daily and then hourly and so on. If you're gonna read the 'New Market Wizards', in the first interview Bill Lipschutz tells how he and his colleagues would assess market context in their early days: "hey, the GM showroom was full when I passed by today, let's buy GM stocks!" and basically this way of thinking represents a rudimentary but still efficient way of assessing a certain market context. Unfortunately few books actually actually
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
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still efficient way of assessing a certain market context. Unfortunately few books actually actually concentrate on market context...
6 s hibu s 2 Jan
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
• a year ago
I like 'Trading for a living', becouse it change my trading life and also many of my friends.
• Reply • Share ›
• a year ago
I have read over 50 stock trading books and there were only a few good ones like: · The small stock trader by Mika · "Lessons from the greatest stock traders of all time" and "How legendary traders made millions" both by John Boik · "Reminiscences of a stock operator" and "How to trade in stocks" both by Jesse Livermore · How I made $2,000,000 in the stock market by Nicolas Darvas · How to make money in stocks by Willien O’Neil
2
• Reply • Share ›
K ingg K inghh 1
• 5 months ago
Anyone who wants to trade - read 'trading for a living'. It is one of the best books out there.
• Reply • Share ›
K ingg K inghh
• 5 months ago
Are you dumb or brokers community paid you to call 'trading for a living' book not good?? It is by far the best book one needs to read.
1
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund 5 B obit y Grant
Mod
Kingg Kinghh • 5 months ago
I am dumb....
• Reply • Share ›
• 20 days ago
I'm fairly new to trading, and I have to say "The Naked Trader" by Robbie burns was the best starting point I found - http://www.harriman-house.com/...
• Reply • Share ›
JB Marwood
• 3 months ago
Thanks for sharing this list although I cant say I agree with you on your view that blogs are more important than books now. On the contrary, I find much of the information on the internet about trading to be sketchy. Good books provide far higher quality content IMO.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
JB Marwood • a month ago
Well either way, it is good to know that there is quality content out there.
• Reply • Share ›
Mik el
• 4 months ago
I think your book is the worse. Just collected others ppl quotes in twitter and selling as a book. Not quite what I pay for :(. Trading for Living is a good book.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
Mikel • 4 months ago
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
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bc lund
Mikel
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
You miss the point of the book...it is not just tips but a directory of 50 active traders. Everyone has a live link to both their StockTwits stream and web presence, so you can always follow those to find their latest content. The book never goes out of date. And really.....are you going to sweat $4.99...of which $3.49 goes to fight pediatric brain cancer? C'mon.....
• Reply • Share ›
t ec hhoney
• 7 months ago
The best one I have found is the Reminiscence of a Stock Operator by Jesse Livermore...
• Reply • Share ›
bahs t onweds awk s
• 11 months ago
General Interest... consider adding "Little Book of Behavioral Investing" by Montier. Slanted towards investing but it's also helpful with trading.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
bahstonwedsawks • 11 months ago
Cool, thanks for the heads up.
• Reply • Share ›
Chic k t rader
• a year ago
I love your list of recommended books and have read many of them. I would also suggest recently published "The Emotionally Intelligent Investor: How Self-Awareness, Empathy and Intuition Drive Performance" by Ravee Mehta who previously worked at Soros fund mgmt. He also has an interesting blog post at www.theemotionallyintelligenti....
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The Cat t lelis t
• a year ago
Would that great friend of your be Jeff Watson by any chance?
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
The Cattlelist • a year ago
Yes.
• Reply • Share ›
S t efan Cheplic k
• a year ago
ah man, education of speculator was great!
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
Stefan Cheplick • a year ago
Boy, I just hated it. Maybe I need to re-read it.
• Reply • Share ›
TradeW it hP et e
• a year ago
Great list of books. Anyone needing another old school read should check out the books by Justin Mamis. His "The Nature of Risk" teaches the Investor Sentiment Cycle which is a must for all investors to understand.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
TradeWithPete • a year ago
Cool, thanks for the heads up Pete.
• Reply • Share ›
Mik a
• 2 years ago
"The small stock trader" by Mika is also a small unique book that covers almost all the major stock market topics such as the traits of a successful small stock trader, how to choose a few simple focus stocks, market sentiment and industry, fundamental analysis, technical analysis, short selling, your edge and competition, catalysts that move the stock prices, stock trading plan, discipline, risk management and psychology. It is a simple book of about 100 small-sized pages (more like a collection of tips, perhaps 4-5 hours read), but it will answer many of your questions, so, it is a great book to start (no need to mention that about 90% of your lessons you are going to learn from your own experience/mistakes). It is also a fun-to-read book, as it is accompanied by a few jokes and observations from poker, intelligence world, relationships, happiness, Zen, and psychology.
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A nt hony Irby
• 2 years ago
That is a good useful list and thanks for the freebie Pit Bull link I am reading it now. Two other good
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
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That is a good useful list and thanks for the freebie Pit Bull link I am reading it now. Two other good ones for technical analysis are the classic Technical Analysis of Stock Trends (Edward and Magee) and Technical Analysis Using Multiple Time Frames (Brian Shannon.
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
Thet radingwife
• 2 years ago
Very useful list. Thank you for putting it together. I also really like Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets by John Murphy. It has been my trading bible for a few years. Also for options, I like Option Volatility & Pricing by Sheldon Natenberg. The absolute Must reads (imo) though are the Mark Douglas books which you mention above....especially Trading in the Zone.
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bc lund
Mod
Thetradingwife • 2 years ago
Yes, Murphy is good, could have been on the list too.
• Reply • Share ›
John B . E gan
• 2 years ago
Probably should have included Brian Shannon's "Technical Analysis Using Multiple Time Frames" ..Not only does he tweet under @alphatrends , but maintains a webpage and blog. His videos and explanation of VWAP and Level II (on his webpage) are IMO the best around. His webpage displaying his book as "In the top 10" is at http://www.alphatrends.net/ .. After buying several dozen books covering the same old moving averages etc, his actually explained very succinctly how to trade. It is now one of only 3 books that I still own. I re-read it periodically to bone up again. And although I haven't bought yet, I'm seriously looking at buying Bulkowski's 2 books. One on candles and one on chart patterns. There is nothing like the scientific approach to percentage win/loss etc that he brings to these two concerns. His webpage is : http://thepatternsite.com/
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
John B. Egan • 2 years ago
I put your suggestion in the follow up post "Readers Suggestions." Thanks!
• Reply • Share ›
B en
• 2 years ago
Moneyball-Michael Lewis This book chronicles the meaning of having courage in your convictions. It exemplifies defining what works and relentlessly sticking to and executing a plan. Especially good if you like baseball.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
Ben • 2 years ago
I did like the movie, but I would have ended up working with the Red Sox :)
• Reply • Share ›
S huaib A rs had
• 2 years ago
I found Corey Rosenbloom's "The Complete Trading Course" highly insightful and practical. http://www.amazon.com/Complete...
• Reply • Share ›
David
• 2 years ago
I have to endorse Weinstein and Darvas especially. Weinstein's book helped me turn my trading around and laid the foundation for my eventual move to full time trading. Although my systems have evolved a great deal since then, his book lays out a wonderful framework for long term trend following. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in Darvas' book that I would recommend it to any new trader as the first book they should own. On the other hand, Lefevre is problematic. Some good insights mixed with a whole bunch of foolishness that could confuse a newbie (eg. trading on hunches, over trading, poor risk control and excessive leverage, violating his own (successful) trading rules, etc). Livermore's eventual suicide is perhaps the best lesson we can learn from his career.
• Reply • Share ›
B erk ek
• 2 years ago
A very detailed and a good list. I have read most of it, but I would recommend another must read; I think it was one of the best books I have ever came across called "Master the Markets - Taking a Professional Approach to Trading & Investing by Using Volume Spread Analysis" by Tom Williams. It is best if you want to find out how volume affects trading and where you should be at that moment.
• Reply • Share ›
Darvas Trader
• 2 years ago
Excellent list. I love the "old school" titles especially. Of course, I'm a little biased towards the Darvas
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
7/8
12/25/13
Excellent list. I love the "old school" titles especially. Of course, I'm a little biased towards the Darvas title.
• Reply • Share ›
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
John Mc Laughlin, S t oc k Coac h
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• 2 years ago
Interesting, to say the least; authentic and useful.
Igor
• 2 years ago
I think you should add books from Brett N. Steenbarger they are top books on trading psychology. And Trading in the zone from Mark Douglas as well http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF...
• Reply • Share ›
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Brian Lund In Media
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March 13, 2012
20 BOOKS EVERY TRADER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
Posted by Brian Lund in General Ram blings , Trading and tagged w ith Market Wizards
Before I get into this list, I have a warning for those looking for a book on trading, how to trade, or how to become a better trader. Learning about trading via books is a holdover from before this thing called “the internet,” which allowed things like trading blogs, trading services, and trading communities to exist. Books are good for a general overview of the markets and trading concepts, trader biographies and anecdotal stories, and trading psychology, but by the very nature of their format, they are too limited and not dynamic enough to be relevant for very long. Use them for a foundation, for ideas, but mostly for enjoyment. I think you will find that your trading will drastically improve that day you decided to stop looking for the latest trading book, and “write your own book” on trading. As with every list, there will be disagreements. ”Why is that book on the list?” ”Why isn’t that book on the list?” I picked 20 books that stood out for me as a trader, that were a #valueadd (or a #valueloss) for one reason or another. That doesn’t even have to mean that they are about trading. For example, the “General Interest” section is made up of books that I think appeal to a trader’s mindset. With that in mind, feel free to add your picks to the “comments” section, along with a sentence or two as to why you liked (or hated) them. By the way, I was too lazy to link all the books, but you can find them all at Amazon. Old School: The Market Wizards Series – Jack Schwager: Chances are you will find these books on the shelf of any serious trader. They are without a doubt the most comprehensive collection of interviews with superstar traders ever published. However, their dirty little secret is that although they capture perfectly a moment in time, they are extremely dated and will give you almost no insight into today’s markets or how to trade them. Their value now is in showing how even the greatest traders initially struggled and often blew up (repeatedly) before becoming successful. Stan Weinstein’s Secrets For Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets – Stan Weinstein: This book was the
Click image to get the book
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
1/8
12/25/13
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
first to quantify one of the most important concepts in trading; the four stages in which stocks move, which are the basing, advancing, topping, and declining stages. Despite the fact that the cover of this book has not been updated since it was published in 1988, stage analysis is still relevant today.
Streams Blogs How to Symbol Make Money In Stocks – O’Neil: As anMarketplace unnamed trader friendSignals of mine recently said, all you need or User
to do is review the charts in the first 150 pages of this book and you will be good to go.
These charts
along with O’Neil’s annotations, give you a great foundation to understand the patterns stocks form before they go on massive runs. Reminiscences of a Stock Operator – Edwin Lefevre: Tough call on this book, only because I don’t think it is the Rosetta Stone of trading books like it is often described as. The language is dated and colloquial, which though strange, is actually part of its charm. There are definitely some foundational lessons for trading in this book, but you as the reader have to do the historical conversion in your head from venue’s like “bucket shops,” to today’s market. How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market – Nicolas Darvas: This book should really be called, “How I Made$18,000,000 (Adjusted for Inflation) in the Stock Market,” because that is how much it would be in today’s dollars. That would be phenomenal for anybody, but for someone who did it while traveling the globe, in a pre-internet, computer, iPad, Smart phone world……while working as a professional dancer? Well that is just epic. His “Darvas Box” system, though crude and in need of adjustment to factor in today’s HFT, is still a foundation of a solid trading style/discipline. Trading Education: The Stock Twits Edge – Howard Lindzon: Okay, before you accuse me of trying to kiss the ass of my blog overlords at StockTwits, let me just tell you that I was recommending this book publicly, way before I ever resurrected this blog, let alone was asked to join the network. This is the book I wish was written when I started trading 25 years ago. The irony though is that it could not really have been written until just recently. It is the “Market Wizards” for the retail trader, and more importantly, each chapter is written by someone who currently has an active presence on social media. Plus it’s the only place you will ever see @The_Real_Fly write two whole pages without saying “fuck!” The Trading Book – Anne-Marie Baiynd: I like Anne-Marie, but if she had asked me if it was a wise choice to add another trading book to the world, I would have advised against it. I would have been wrong. I was amazed at the scope of material that this book was able to cover, and do so in a meaningful way. Anne-Marie’s economical (and often humorous) style, takes you right to the core of each concept, doing away with irrelevant and superfluous information. I don’t think it is hyperbole to say it is an instant classic for the beginning/intermediate trader. Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques – Steve Nisson: There are a lot of books out these on candlestick charting, but almost all of them are derivative of Nisson’s tome. It goes through and explains the basis concepts, as well as the most relevant patterns, related to candlestick charting. Unless you really need to know about the “three-drunk-salarymen-rolled-by-the-hooker-in-the-Shinjuku-trainstation” pattern, this book is all you will ever need for candlesticks. Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom – Van Tharp: Yes the title is cheesy and sounds like something from a late-night infomercial, but this book has one of the best overviews of the different types of methodologies you can use to make money in the markets. But more importantly, it shows you how to go about formulating a methodology for trading in the markets. The information on risk and position sizing alone makes the book worthwhile. Psychology: The Disciplined Trader & Trading In The Zone – Mark Douglas: These are the definitive books on trading psychology. I know traders who went from perpetual losers to consistent winners after reading these books. The way Douglas climbs into the psyche of a trader is scary, and there is a good chance you will wonder aloud how he managed to plant the hidden camera and microphones that he used to take notes on your trading deficiencies. Real World Trading: Pit Bull – Buzz “Buzzy” Schwartz: Extremely dated, but still the only full auto-biography (I believe) of a “Market Wizard.” It is a look into the mind and process of an extremely disciplined trader who is still putting up crushing numbers to this day. And despite the fact that he shares James Altucher’s somewhat dubious scatological advice regarding “cleaning out the plumbing” before starting the day, it’s a good read. I don’t even know how this is legal, but you can read the whole book online for free here. One Good Trade – Mike Bellafiore: If you want to know what it’s like trading in the real world of a prop firm, this is the book. But even more so, this book shows you how to focus on process instead profits to
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
become a successful trader. There are a number of great trading lessons in this book, all wrapped around relatable stories (kinda like a blog I know). The writing is a bit rough, but then again it’s not meant to be Shakespeare. General Interest: The 50 Best (and Worst) Business Deals of All Time – Michael Craig: This book is like eating a piece of candy; you will enjoy it so much but before you know it, it will be done. Clocking in at under 200 pages, it gives concise, informative, and fascinating insights into some well-known, and some not so well-know business successes and failures. The chapter about the ABA’s settlement with the “Spirits of St. Louis” alone is worth the price of admission. Backstage Wall Street: An Insider’s Guide to Knowing Who to Trust, Who to Run From, and How to Maximize Your Investments – Joshua Brown: I am cheating here a bit, because as I write this, I am only half-way through the book; but that half alone is strong enough to put it on my list. Sure, once again you can accuse me of “kissing ass” to one of the heavyweights of financial blogging, but really….if you have read Josh’s blog for any amount of time, you know he’s the real deal. This book pulls no punches, and will probably be looked back upon years from now as the clarion call against the entrenched Wall Street establishment (though I still think most of the Occupy Wall Street crowd are a bunch of douches). December 2013 Mean Business – Al Dunlap: Dunlap made his name as a “turn-around” specialist for near-death companies, and this book chronicles some of his most famous successes. I get that Dunlap’s career ended in shareholder actions, SEC investigations, and his banning from ever running a public company again. But just because Michael Jackson’s final few albums sucked doesn’t mean that “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” weren’t masterpieces. Dunlap was an asshole to be sure, but often times an asshole is what is needed, and his excesses in restructuring were merely a response to the bloated corporate excesses of the times. It’s hard to fool guys like Kerry Packer, Sir James Goldsmith, and the principles at KKR, so “Chainsaw” Al must have been doing something right at some point. The New Financial Capitalists: KKR and the Creation of Corporate Value – George P. Baker: Love them or hate them, KKR changed the way M&A was done, and left an imprint on corporate financing that is still felt today. It is hard to forget in the wake of the recent credit crisis, that KKR was always responsible, and almost always successful in using debt and leverage to save failing companies and create or unlock value for shareholders and their investors. This is an authorized biography of the company, but done in a truly objective fashion, and highlights how the key to a KKR deal did not so much have to do with the money (debt) that they brought to the table, but the wealth of managerial talent they brought to their target companies. Avoids: Trading For A Living – Alexander Elder: This is the “gateway” book that every new trader seems to come through on the road to trading, but I have to say, I have never been a fan of Dr. Elder. It stems for my suspicion that he makes (and has always made) more money from writing about trading and putting on overpriced seminars on trading, than he has from actually trading. In this book he espouses a multiple time frame method that is rudimentary at best and his nod to trading psychology is done better and in more depth by Douglas. The only interesting aspect of this book is his explanation of how trading is NOT a zero sum game, but that is really only worthy of a blog post at most. The Education of a Speculator – Victor Neiderhoffer: I have a blog friend, who not only is a 100x better trader than I could ever hope to be, but is a connoisseur of art and literature, and even surfs. He is also a friend of Niederhoffer’s and thinks highly of him. That is why it pains me to say that “Education…” is probably one of the top 5 worst written books I have ever read. It would be better titled, “Let Me Tell You What A Great Squash Player I Am.” And even though I am sure there was meant to be some subtext in his narcissistic stories that relate to trading, it is written in such a purposefully exclusionary way that you can’t find it. Since I am part of the “chattering classes” it is probably that Neiderhoffer, a true intellect, is just writing above my level, but unless you are picking this book up on the way to your Nobel Prize luncheon, it’s probably best to just skip it. Hey, don’t forget to check out my eBook on trading, destined to be on this top 20 list someday. Just click the banner below. Make sure to check out my new book Trading:The Best Of The Best-Top Trading Tips For Our Times (just click the banner below). November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 April 2007 Check Out What You’ve Missed!
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Best Community A ndrei Cos min
• 7 months ago
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I think Trading for a Living is the most important book out there for beginners who are just landing in the world of financial instruments. It basically sets you up and tells you in a few words what you're about to confront. The triple time frame system that Dr. Elder presents in his book is fairly simple and the worst a trader can do over time by following it is break even. Although I suspect in bull stock markets it can bring nice profits. With Forex it's a different story. However, what Dr. Elder emphasizes is the need to be following the bigger trend. And from there on a trader can build his own system or can pick another system off the internet and pass it through the filter of the bigger trend rule, which is the safest bet in any markets. All these books have some value but all of them fail at taking the trader out of a mathematical state of mind and teaching him to assess the market context first. So if I would write a book, my biggest time frame would be the market context time frame and then daily and then hourly and so on. If you're gonna read the 'New Market Wizards', in the first interview Bill Lipschutz tells how he and his colleagues would assess market context in their early days: "hey, the GM showroom was full when I passed by today, let's buy GM stocks!" and basically this way of thinking represents a rudimentary but still efficient way of assessing a certain market context. Unfortunately few books actually actually
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
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still efficient way of assessing a certain market context. Unfortunately few books actually actually concentrate on market context...
6 s hibu s 2 Jan
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
• a year ago
I like 'Trading for a living', becouse it change my trading life and also many of my friends.
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• a year ago
I have read over 50 stock trading books and there were only a few good ones like: · The small stock trader by Mika · "Lessons from the greatest stock traders of all time" and "How legendary traders made millions" both by John Boik · "Reminiscences of a stock operator" and "How to trade in stocks" both by Jesse Livermore · How I made $2,000,000 in the stock market by Nicolas Darvas · How to make money in stocks by Willien O’Neil
2
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K ingg K inghh 1
• 5 months ago
Anyone who wants to trade - read 'trading for a living'. It is one of the best books out there.
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K ingg K inghh
• 5 months ago
Are you dumb or brokers community paid you to call 'trading for a living' book not good?? It is by far the best book one needs to read.
1
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bc lund 5 B obit y Grant
Mod
Kingg Kinghh • 5 months ago
I am dumb....
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• 20 days ago
I'm fairly new to trading, and I have to say "The Naked Trader" by Robbie burns was the best starting point I found - http://www.harriman-house.com/...
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JB Marwood
• 3 months ago
Thanks for sharing this list although I cant say I agree with you on your view that blogs are more important than books now. On the contrary, I find much of the information on the internet about trading to be sketchy. Good books provide far higher quality content IMO.
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bc lund
Mod
JB Marwood • a month ago
Well either way, it is good to know that there is quality content out there.
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Mik el
• 4 months ago
I think your book is the worse. Just collected others ppl quotes in twitter and selling as a book. Not quite what I pay for :(. Trading for Living is a good book.
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bc lund
Mod
Mikel • 4 months ago
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
5/8
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bc lund
Mikel
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
You miss the point of the book...it is not just tips but a directory of 50 active traders. Everyone has a live link to both their StockTwits stream and web presence, so you can always follow those to find their latest content. The book never goes out of date. And really.....are you going to sweat $4.99...of which $3.49 goes to fight pediatric brain cancer? C'mon.....
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t ec hhoney
• 7 months ago
The best one I have found is the Reminiscence of a Stock Operator by Jesse Livermore...
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bahs t onweds awk s
• 11 months ago
General Interest... consider adding "Little Book of Behavioral Investing" by Montier. Slanted towards investing but it's also helpful with trading.
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
bahstonwedsawks • 11 months ago
Cool, thanks for the heads up.
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Chic k t rader
• a year ago
I love your list of recommended books and have read many of them. I would also suggest recently published "The Emotionally Intelligent Investor: How Self-Awareness, Empathy and Intuition Drive Performance" by Ravee Mehta who previously worked at Soros fund mgmt. He also has an interesting blog post at www.theemotionallyintelligenti....
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The Cat t lelis t
• a year ago
Would that great friend of your be Jeff Watson by any chance?
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
The Cattlelist • a year ago
Yes.
• Reply • Share ›
S t efan Cheplic k
• a year ago
ah man, education of speculator was great!
• Reply • Share ›
bc lund
Mod
Stefan Cheplick • a year ago
Boy, I just hated it. Maybe I need to re-read it.
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TradeW it hP et e
• a year ago
Great list of books. Anyone needing another old school read should check out the books by Justin Mamis. His "The Nature of Risk" teaches the Investor Sentiment Cycle which is a must for all investors to understand.
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bc lund
Mod
TradeWithPete • a year ago
Cool, thanks for the heads up Pete.
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Mik a
• 2 years ago
"The small stock trader" by Mika is also a small unique book that covers almost all the major stock market topics such as the traits of a successful small stock trader, how to choose a few simple focus stocks, market sentiment and industry, fundamental analysis, technical analysis, short selling, your edge and competition, catalysts that move the stock prices, stock trading plan, discipline, risk management and psychology. It is a simple book of about 100 small-sized pages (more like a collection of tips, perhaps 4-5 hours read), but it will answer many of your questions, so, it is a great book to start (no need to mention that about 90% of your lessons you are going to learn from your own experience/mistakes). It is also a fun-to-read book, as it is accompanied by a few jokes and observations from poker, intelligence world, relationships, happiness, Zen, and psychology.
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A nt hony Irby
• 2 years ago
That is a good useful list and thanks for the freebie Pit Bull link I am reading it now. Two other good
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
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That is a good useful list and thanks for the freebie Pit Bull link I am reading it now. Two other good ones for technical analysis are the classic Technical Analysis of Stock Trends (Edward and Magee) and Technical Analysis Using Multiple Time Frames (Brian Shannon.
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20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
Thet radingwife
• 2 years ago
Very useful list. Thank you for putting it together. I also really like Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets by John Murphy. It has been my trading bible for a few years. Also for options, I like Option Volatility & Pricing by Sheldon Natenberg. The absolute Must reads (imo) though are the Mark Douglas books which you mention above....especially Trading in the Zone.
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bc lund
Mod
Thetradingwife • 2 years ago
Yes, Murphy is good, could have been on the list too.
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John B . E gan
• 2 years ago
Probably should have included Brian Shannon's "Technical Analysis Using Multiple Time Frames" ..Not only does he tweet under @alphatrends , but maintains a webpage and blog. His videos and explanation of VWAP and Level II (on his webpage) are IMO the best around. His webpage displaying his book as "In the top 10" is at http://www.alphatrends.net/ .. After buying several dozen books covering the same old moving averages etc, his actually explained very succinctly how to trade. It is now one of only 3 books that I still own. I re-read it periodically to bone up again. And although I haven't bought yet, I'm seriously looking at buying Bulkowski's 2 books. One on candles and one on chart patterns. There is nothing like the scientific approach to percentage win/loss etc that he brings to these two concerns. His webpage is : http://thepatternsite.com/
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bc lund
Mod
John B. Egan • 2 years ago
I put your suggestion in the follow up post "Readers Suggestions." Thanks!
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B en
• 2 years ago
Moneyball-Michael Lewis This book chronicles the meaning of having courage in your convictions. It exemplifies defining what works and relentlessly sticking to and executing a plan. Especially good if you like baseball.
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bc lund
Mod
Ben • 2 years ago
I did like the movie, but I would have ended up working with the Red Sox :)
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S huaib A rs had
• 2 years ago
I found Corey Rosenbloom's "The Complete Trading Course" highly insightful and practical. http://www.amazon.com/Complete...
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David
• 2 years ago
I have to endorse Weinstein and Darvas especially. Weinstein's book helped me turn my trading around and laid the foundation for my eventual move to full time trading. Although my systems have evolved a great deal since then, his book lays out a wonderful framework for long term trend following. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in Darvas' book that I would recommend it to any new trader as the first book they should own. On the other hand, Lefevre is problematic. Some good insights mixed with a whole bunch of foolishness that could confuse a newbie (eg. trading on hunches, over trading, poor risk control and excessive leverage, violating his own (successful) trading rules, etc). Livermore's eventual suicide is perhaps the best lesson we can learn from his career.
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B erk ek
• 2 years ago
A very detailed and a good list. I have read most of it, but I would recommend another must read; I think it was one of the best books I have ever came across called "Master the Markets - Taking a Professional Approach to Trading & Investing by Using Volume Spread Analysis" by Tom Williams. It is best if you want to find out how volume affects trading and where you should be at that moment.
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Darvas Trader
• 2 years ago
Excellent list. I love the "old school" titles especially. Of course, I'm a little biased towards the Darvas
bclund.com/2012/03/13/20-books-every-trader-should-know/
7/8
12/25/13
Excellent list. I love the "old school" titles especially. Of course, I'm a little biased towards the Darvas title.
• Reply • Share ›
20 Books Every Trader Should Know About. - bclundThe bclund Blog
John Mc Laughlin, S t oc k Coac h
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• 2 years ago
Interesting, to say the least; authentic and useful.
Igor
• 2 years ago
I think you should add books from Brett N. Steenbarger they are top books on trading psychology. And Trading in the zone from Mark Douglas as well http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF...
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