30 Days to Becoming a Better Investor – Day 29
Alexander Barbara of WealthJunkie recently discovered a way to read the first three chapters of Benjamin Graham’s “Intelligent Investor” for free. If you have not gotten a change to read this classic investment book, I highly recommend you read at least these first three chapters for free. I’m not the only one recommending it. Warren Buffett wrote, “I read the first edition of this book in 1950, when I was nineteen. I thought then that it was by far the best book about investing ever written. I still think it is.”
I have another tip about investment books to share with you today. Did you know that you can search many investment books online? Using Amazon.com you can search many books and read the pages that contain your search term! The only limitation is that you must be logged into Amazon using an account that has made a recent purchase. However, everyone can preview the cover, table of contents, index, and an excerpt from the book.
I often reference the following investment books:
- The Intelligent Investor
by Benjamin Graham
- Security Analysis: 1934 Edition
by Benjamin Graham, David Dodd
- Security Analysis: 1940 Edition
by Benjamin Graham, David Dodd
- Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings
by Philip A. Fisher
- Value Investing
by Bruce C. N. Greenwald
- Investment Valuation
by Aswath Damodaran (You can even read the whole manuscript of Investment Valuation here.)
- You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
by Joel Greenblatt
- The Warren Buffett Way
by Robert G. Hagstrom
- Damn Right!
by Janet Lowe
- Yes, You Can Time the Market!
by Ben Stein
I hope you find these links a useful reference. Let me know if I missed any important books on this list that you reference often. I’ll add them to the list.
Why not the 1951 edition of Security Analysis? Do you know what the differences between the editions are exactly? Amazon says:
Security Analysis: The Classic 1951 Edition features a far more contemporary focus on the wisdom and legitimacy of common stocks for individual investors. This essential addition to any investment library features:
* Graham and Dodd’s original words and insights, unvarnished and still compelling
* Timeless methods for measuring asset values and cash flows, still a centerpiece of value investing worldwide
* Income statements and balance sheets moved to the front of the book for ease of use
Can you tell me anything else about the differences betwen the editions and why you didn’t recommend the 1951 edition? I am going to buy one edition of this book, but I am not sure which one I should buy.
Among value investors, most prefer to refer to either the 1934 or 1940 editions of Security Analysis. I do not have all the editions of Security Analysis, so I can’t really tell you what is different about the 1951 edition.
You might want to read FocusInvestor.com’s review of Security Analysis. It discusses some of the differences between the various versions.