Best stock trading books: 10 classics worth reading
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Books will not make you profitable, but good ones give you vocabulary, frameworks and healthy skepticism. These ten cover the ground most traders eventually revisit.
Start here
A Beginner's Guide to the Stock Market
Matthew R. Kratter. A short, accessible introduction to how the market works, aimed at people starting from zero.
How to Make Money in Stocks
William J. O'Neil. The growth-stock investing approach behind the CAN SLIM method, with many chart examples.
Technical analysis and chart patterns
Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets
John J. Murphy. A broad, widely used reference covering trends, patterns, indicators and market relationships.
Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns
Thomas N. Bulkowski. Statistical studies of dozens of chart patterns, from the author of the Pattern Site.
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques
Steve Nison. The book that introduced candlestick analysis to many Western traders.
Street Smarts: High Probability Short-Term Trading Strategies
Linda Raschke and Laurence Connors. A collection of short-term trading setups, with a focus on testing and discipline.
Psychology and discipline
Trading in the Zone
Mark Douglas. A classic on the mental side of trading: thinking in probabilities and accepting risk.
Market Wizards
Jack D. Schwager. Interviews with successful traders about how they think and manage risk.
History and perspective
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
Edwin Lefèvre. A fictionalized account of a legendary speculator's career, still quoted a century later.
Technical Analysis Explained
Martin J. Pring. A thorough, well-organized textbook on technical analysis and market cycles.
Tips for buying used
- Check the edition. Newer editions of technical-analysis books may update charts and data.
- Look at photos for highlighting or missing pages, and read the seller's condition notes.
- Compare "Buy It Now" and auction listings, and add shipping to the price.
Want to put the reading to use? See our guides to chart patterns and stock screeners.
Not investment advice. Books describe other people's methods and history. Past results do not guarantee future results.