Congratulations! You have expressed interest in investing. This alone already puts you ahead of the curve.
But where to begin?
One successful investor once told me: “The worst thing you can do when you start out is to actually buy stocks. You should buy books instead”. This is valuable advice which I was given a little too late. But you have the chance to do it right.
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Investor starter pack.
Below is a set of reading materials which any person who is seriously interested in investing (in my opinion) should start with.
POOR CHARLIE'S ALMANACK
Book of wisdom - how to live a good life, bring value to people, avoid stupidity and become a better person every day.
As a result of behavior described above you end up being rich.
Book of wisdom - how to live a good life, bring value to people, avoid stupidity and become a better person every day.
As a result of behavior described above you end up being rich.
ONE UP ON WALL STREET
How an ordinary person who buys groceries, electronics and clothes in a local mall can do very well in stock market by simply learning couple of fundamental truths.
How an ordinary person who buys groceries, electronics and clothes in a local mall can do very well in stock market by simply learning couple of fundamental truths.
THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON
We always think of ourselves as super intelligent and so progressive generation, don't we? We have smart phones, we aspire to go to Mars and we've figured it all out. This book shows that the way you think about your life and your money was exactly the same 2000 years ago. Fascinating book and such an easy read.
We always think of ourselves as super intelligent and so progressive generation, don't we? We have smart phones, we aspire to go to Mars and we've figured it all out. This book shows that the way you think about your life and your money was exactly the same 2000 years ago. Fascinating book and such an easy read.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
This books gives you an insight into such concepts as "second-level thinking," the price/value relationship, patient opportunism, and defensive investing. Marks also adds his own annotations, expanding on his book's original themes and issues. A new chapter addresses the importance of reasonable expectations, speaks on value investing, productivity, and the economics of information.
This books gives you an insight into such concepts as "second-level thinking," the price/value relationship, patient opportunism, and defensive investing. Marks also adds his own annotations, expanding on his book's original themes and issues. A new chapter addresses the importance of reasonable expectations, speaks on value investing, productivity, and the economics of information.
THE LITTLE BOOK THAT BEATS THE MARKET
This book was literally written in a way so that a little kid would understand. All simple is genius. Hats off to Joel Greenblatt for this masterpiece.⠀
This book was literally written in a way so that a little kid would understand. All simple is genius. Hats off to Joel Greenblatt for this masterpiece.⠀
Why these books?
- It doesn’t matter whether you are a newbie, or a seasoned investor who had already observed couple of bear markets. These reads carry timeless advice and this advice is helpful to you regardless of your experience. For example, famous value investor Mohnish Pabrai said he re-reads Poor Charlie’s Almanack every year, and every time he finds something new.
- They say the best investors used to be the ones with best information funnels. Today, the best investors are the ones who have the best filters. Don’t let the informational garbage and hype sexy ideas distract you from fundamental principles. And these fundamental principles are reiterated and restated in the literature above.
- This literature will not only make you a better investor but also a better person. Ideas are the same: work hard, spend less than you earn, invest the remainder in good companies and think long term. Do this for some time and you’ll succeed before you know it. Simple but not easy, as Mr. Buffett says.
- People always pitch “Intelligent investor” by Ben Graham as a must read. Obviously, you must read this book at some point of your investing journey. However, it could throw you off if you are a complete newbie. If I were to read “Intelligent investor” as a beginner, only Chapters 8 and 20 would be my choice
- “Think and grow rich” by Napoleon Hill. It is indeed a good book, however, too money oriented and materialistic to my liking. “Well isn’t investing all about money?” you’d ask. It is about money. But here is what I noticed after watching hundreds of interviews of successful investors and entrepreneurs: they never talk about money, they never had a magical number in their head when they started (as book suggests), and they never wanted to be “big”. What those successful people did have in common was set of values and principles they would never compromise with, extreme work ethic, vision and courage to be misunderstood.
Bonus - an interview every investor should watch
If you are aspiring to be an investor one day, please take a few hours of your day and watch the following interview:
Anthony Deden | Grant Williams | Real Vision
This interview is full of golden nuggets and timeless wisdom.
That's it! You are off to a great start on your investing journey with these books.
I hope you will enjoy as much as I did when I was just starting out!
I hope you will enjoy as much as I did when I was just starting out!
If you are a person who needs a structured way to learn things, I have a comprehensive DIY investing course where I laid out all the steps one needs to take to become an investor. The course is based on my "zero to hero" investing journey.
Click the button below if you are interested.
Click the button below if you are interested.
If you have any questions about this starter pack in particular or investing in general, please, feel free to reach out via email (admin@bringtheinvesting.com) or Instagram. I will help with what I can!
"Investment in knowledge pays the best interest"
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
