Warren Buffett Books

“I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute” -Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is the world’s leading corporate investor and philanthropist. He is the CEO, major shareholder and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and is ranked among the richest people in the world. Known as the Wizard of Omaha, he is well known for his value investing philosophy. If you want to invest like Warren Buffett, there are several books that have inspired and therefore been recommended by this influential man, putting you on the right path to investing enlightenment. So here is a brief overview of the most influential books that will put you on the right path to buying stocks like Warren Buffett.

The smart investor by Benjamin Graham

This book was written by the second most influential man in Warren Buffett’s life right after his father. Benjamin Graham, also known as the father of value investing, mentored Buffett and grounded him with the basic intellectual framework. The book was published in 1949 and has since sold millions of copies around the world. This book, which has been praised by Warren Buffett as the best book ever written, does not focus on maximizing profit but on minimizing loss. The Intelligent Investor is not a book for traders or speculators, but for true investors. The best part of this book is that it is suitable for laymen providing guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.

The Little Book of Common Sense: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns by John C Bogle

This book provides the most practical advice complete with expert assessments, showing you that investing is all about common sense. This book will not only change your investment attitude, but it will be your bible that guides you towards the path of success, regarding how to add to your portfolio, using certified investment strategies.

Face the Street: What Wall Street and Corporate America Don’t Want You to Know by Arthur Levitt.

Arthur Levitt was the longest-serving chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, overseeing the stock market dot-com boom days of the 1990s. In this book, Arthur Levitt reveals the tactics of American companies to accumulate the billions invested in mutual funds and stocks by American workers. Levitt also reveals how to invest in the stock market and mutual funds the smart way. He focuses his advice on small individual investors and guides them on exploit detection tips, reviews press releases and annual reports, and also discusses tactics worth adopting to get the most out of trusted sources.

The investment theory of value by John Burr Williams

It was the year 1938, when the first edition of this book was released. Today it is still considered one of the most reliable books, which discusses the evaluation of financial assets. Burr Williams has combined concepts with real experiences that took place in the investment world, providing verifiable information. The big discovery made by Williams was to give an educated guess that provides fundamental value called the Dividend Discount Model; this value is still subject to questioning in the institutional sectors of the market by professional investors.

Paths to wealth through common stock By Philip Fisher

Designed to help investors with management concerns and concerns, this book contains one innovative concept after another, with the goal of helping all businesses that need honest investment advice. In this book, Philip Fisher reveals why the valuable earnings generated by common stock ownership reduce risk and increase profit. Many of his ideas in this book are based on orthodox investment strategies, which can still yield remarkable returns, making them highly relevant in today’s market.

Security Analysis: Principle and Technique by Ben Graham and Dave Dodd

For nearly 70 years, Benjamin Graham’s theories, recognized as groundbreaking, have inspired and influenced investors. The Security Analysis, published in 1934, is nothing short of a bible for professionals and potential investors alike. The second edition, from 1940, has been the most inspiring book by Graham’s protégé, Warren Buffett.

Common Stocks and Uncommon Earnings by Philip A Fisher

Contemporary financial professionals such as Warren Buffett use Philip A Fisher’s investment principles, as he is considered the pioneer of modern investment theory. This book identifies the value of maximum length growth stocks versus short duration stocks and their impacts on the initial foundation of any business/investment. Published in 1958, this investment classic is considered the foundation of many of today’s investment beliefs and philosophies.

Where are the clients’ yachts? Gold A good look at Wall Street by Fred Schwed, Jr.

This book is known for being funny and engaging as it reveals the hypocrisy and stupidity of Wall Street. The topic of discussion represents the story of a guest in New York who naively asks after admiring the yachts of brokers and bankers, where were the yachts of the clients? This shows that clients could not afford yachts, although they were in constant interaction with their investment advisers, ie brokers and bankers. This book provides all the sage advice and promises along with a realistic perspective on the world of investing; here clients lose everything but their brokers acquire their targets, so it helps investors get a feel for the tough world of Wall Street.

Interpretation of financial statementsby Benjamin Graham co-written with Spencer Meredith

Many investors are laymen and are not accountants or financial analysts. If they want to take a look at the balance sheet, they need to understand financial terms and the roles they play in analyzing the company. Instead of taking a short course on business accounting, the best way is to start reading this classic book on Interpreting Financial Statements.

In this book, Graham seamlessly walks you through the terms used on a company’s balance sheet and discusses their importance in determining a company’s financial position. He demystifies the complexity of concepts like maintenance and depreciation, ‘liquidation value’ and net tangible assets.