Best Investment Banking Books
Best Investment Banking Books
Securing an investment book is a great help, regardless if you are just a beginner or want to step up your investment banking knowledge. There are plenty of books to choose from when it comes to financing, investments or analysis. With so many choices, it’s easy to get lost in which book to pick and start with. Luckily, we have come up with the list of best investment banking books that can help you get started. Before we proceed on listing the best books to read, let us first define what investment banking is.
What is Investment Banking?
Investment banking is a banking related sector that aids private and public entities to produce capital. Investment banks will buy unsold shares and help in selling securities. Their role extends to facilitating mergers and acquisitions (M&A). They also support in stock placement, market making, trading, and FICC (fixed income instruments, currencies, and commodities) services. Investment banks don’t take deposits that differ them from commercial and retail banks.
The activity of investment banking is about buying or selling. Selling by trading securities to other forms of securities or through cash. Buying by providing advice to companies that are into investments buying like equity and mutual funds and life insurance.
7 Best Investment Banking Books
To help you out, here is a compilation of the best investment banking books according to Goodreads’ popular list of investment banking books and Amazon’s top-rated books.
1. Liar’s Poker
Author:
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 4.15 out of 5 stars with 70,504 ratings and 1,994 reviews
- Amazon – 4.3 out of 5 stars, ranked at #4 in Bonds Investing and #12 in Stock Market Investing with 934 customer reviews
About the Book
This non-fiction and the semi-autobiographical book has launched the career of Michael Lewis as a successful author. This book narrates Lewis’ experiences as a bond salesman right after he graduated from Princeton and the London School of Economics.
You will find two different story threads in his book. The first thread is autobiographical of the author. Fresh out of college, Lewis was hired by Salomon Brothers. This part of the book will give you an inside look at the actual personality, culture and work ethics of bond traders and salesmen.
The second thread of the book gives you a general overview of Wall Street. Also, you get to learn the history of Salomon Brothers.
Product Details
Published by W. W. Norton & Company, this book comes in a paperback edition, hardcover, and a kindle.
Reviews
This book received mixed reviews both from the author’s followers and non-followers. The author has presented the complex topics of investment in a language that common people would understand. While other readers believe this is not the best work of the authors, a lot would agree that this book is not only informative but entertaining as well.
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2. Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle
Authors:
John Rolfe and Peter Troob
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 3.94 out of 5 stars with 4,362 ratings and 139 reviews
- Amazon – 4.7 out of 5 stars, ranked at #3 in Valuation books with 178 customer reviews
About the Book
This biography book will take you into the world of Rolfe and Troob as they worked as junior associates at the elite Wall Street investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.
Hungry for power, glamour, and money, these authors tell a hilarious confession about the real life of Wall Street. Its uncut and uncensored storytelling will take you into the carnival world of Wall Street. That behind the glamour of an investment bank lies an army of overworked soldiers that aim to spin gold out of straw.
Product Details
This book was published by Grand Central Publishing and comes in Kindle, Hardcover & Paperback formats. Paperback edition contains 288 pages and has a dimension of 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches.
Reviews
If you’re looking for a book that will get you interested in investment banking or finance, this is your best choice. This book is easy to read and understand. More importantly, the characters are relatable. It’s no wonder Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle is the favorite of many young analysts and business school students.
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3. Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions
Authors:
Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 4.31 out of 5 stars with 620 ratings and 21 reviews
- Amazon -4.7 out of 5 stars with 178 customer reviews. Ranked at #3 in Consolidation & Merger and #4 in Valuation
About the Book
The world of investment and finance is not only cutthroat but also fast-evolving. You need a solid technical foundation if you want to become successful in this field.
Many investment books missed out on the lifeblood of the corporate financier’s work which is valuation. Thankfully, Rosenbaum and Pearl have recognized this need and wrote a book that will help everyone trying to break into Wall Street.
This highly authoritative and accessible book focuses on the primary valuation methodologies currently used on Wall Street. Aside from the technical fundamentals behind valuation, this book also includes perspective and practical judgment skills of the authors to help guide the science.
Product Details
This book is published by Wiley and comes in Kindle and Hardcover format. Hardcover edition has 464 pages with a dimension 7.2 x 1.3 x 10.1 inches.
Reviews
A lot of readers would agree that this book is a good reference for any MBA student or finance professional. It is well-written and contains comprehensive details and practical advice about corporate valuation.
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4. The Intelligent Investor
Author:
Contributors:
Jason Zweig and Warren Buffett
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 4.23 out of 5 stars with 56,053 ratings and 1,439 reviews
- Amazon -4.5 out of 5 stars with 2,086 customer reviews. Ranked at #4 in Introduction to Investing and #3 in Finance
About the Book
The author, Benjamin Graham, created this book with a goal in mind to provide resources for ordinary investors. This investment book is a huge success because it breaks down the complicated concepts of investing in terms that are simple and easy to understand. More importantly, average investors can implement these terms.
Graham shows the readers an alternative to fundamental stock analysis instead of just following the market. It helps you form a solid foundation to make businesslike decisions. This book is probably one of the most influential investment books ever written.
Product Details
Published by Collins Business, The Intelligent Investor comes in Kindle, Hardcover and Audiobook formats. Paperback edition has 640 pages with a dimension of 5.3 x 1.6 x 8 inches.
Reviews
Multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffett described this book as “the best book about investing ever written.” The strategies and methods mentioned by Graham in his book are very effective and long-term. Indeed, this is a holy grail for anyone who wants to venture into the world of investing.
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5. Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Author:
Thomas Piketty
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 4.04 out of 5 stars with 19,245 ratings and 1,686 reviews
- Amazon – 4.4 out of 5 stars with 1,870 customer reviews. Ranked at #2 in Comparative Economics and #7 in Development & Growth Economics
About the Book
Written by a respected academic economist, this book tackles about inequality backed up with real numbers to support his story. Many economists gave praises to Thomas Piketty for his fresh take on a very sensitive subject. He noted in this book that inequality is not an accident. Rather, it is a result of capitalism. Proper economic education and growth may greatly impact and lessen the said inequality.
This book aids in understanding economic history. Furthermore, it also shows how this history affects the economy today.
Product Details
Paperback edition has 816 pages with a dimension of 5.5 x 1.8 x 8.4 inches. Published by Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press. Also available in Kindle, Hardcover and Audiobook formats.
Reviews
This book has received enormous attention and praises from policy-makers and academics alike. This is not an easy book to read. Surprisingly, it’s not a difficult one either. It’s a must-read not just for the economists but for everyone.
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6. Technical Analysis For Dummies
Author:
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 3.68 out of 5 stars with 271 ratings and 17 reviews
- Amazon – 4.1 out of 5 stars with 127 customer reviews. Ranked at #556 in Business Investments and #7020 in Investing
About the Book
This book covers everything about the fundamentals of technical analysis. The author wrote the basic principles of analysis in a way that beginners can easily follow. Charts and other overly technical terms were skipped to deliver a basic explanation for better understanding. Also, this book contains tools to help starters do their market analysis. Moreover, this book could also help enhance your capability to win the market by knowing when to sell. It’s a perfect guide for those who are planning a big step in trading. The author laid out principles that can improve your investment and limit big losses.
Product Details
Paperback edition is published by For Dummies with 360 pages and a dimension of 7.3 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches. A Kindle format is also available for purchase.
Reviews
This book received praises on how the author simplified the technicalities of market analysis. Its clear and basic approach to discussing points of technical analysis is comprehensive. Add this book into your collection as it is loaded with a lot of useful information.
On the contrary, some of the readers don’t agree with the author’s claims. They would not even recommend this to beginners. Generally, you can learn a lot from this book whether you are a beginner or a veteran.
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7. Understanding Wall Street
Author:
Jeffrey B. Little
Ratings:
- Goodreads – 3.66 out of 5 stars with 205 ratings and 16 reviews
- Amazon – 4.4 out of 5 stars with 19 customer reviews. Ranked at #2368 in Investing Basics and #5434 in Introduction to Investing
About the Book
With more than 8000 copies sold, this book serves as a helpful reference for successful investing. It teaches newbies everything they need to know about the stock market. Moreover, it provides information about the most important issues in the world of investment. The book has been a huge success that a 5th edition has already been released.
Product Details
Understanding Wall Street is published by McGraw-Hill Education. It comes in a Kindle edition that has 304 pages of print length. It is also available in Audiobook and Hardcover format.
Reviews
This book received mostly positive reviews from readers. This informative and entertaining piece is more than just about Wall Street. It covers all the basic concepts and theories in a manner that’s easy to understand. It’s strongly recommended if your goal is to make money in trading.
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Recommendation
The books that made this list are good references for those that want to make it big in the world of investment. Each book has strong points and insights that make them a must-read.
What are the best books according to your level in the investment world?
For Beginners:
If you have just taken your first few steps in the world of investment, Capital in the Twenty-First Century is the best book to start. You would need to take a look back at the history of the economy to be able to understand the present economy. Understanding the beginning and growth of capitalism and economy can help hone and sharpen your skills.
For Intermediate:
The Intelligent Investor is ideal for this level. This book is perfect for those who are already in the world of investment but feels like there’s plenty of room for improvement. Furthermore, this book does not just provide the basics of investment. It will also help you create better investment tactics and plans.
For Advanced:
Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions is a good choice if you’re looking for a more advanced read. This book will teach you everything you need to know about valuation. And since not many books deal with this issue, you have an edge against your fellow investors.
The world of investment is not for the faint-hearted. You need tons of research, passion, and determination to be able to survive and climb the ladder of success. These best investment banking books will give you not just the ins and outs of the investment world. Some of these books will also give you a first-hand look through on what it’s like to live in the crazy, chaotic yet rewarding world of the investment industry.