Recommend Me A Book, Any Book

Hi ya'll. Was just wondering if anyone would recommend me a book. I'm just about to order Financial Shenanigans from Amazon (after being so inspired by Einhorn), and thought I might as well order some more. Doesn't have to be finance related. Could be something on psychology, philosophy, career development, self-reflection or even cosmology. Preferably something underrated. Thanks.

Or maybe I should just read some financial statements...

86 Comments
 
lasampdoriaAre you a history buff? If you are, I have millions of suggestions.

Somewhat. And depends on what kind of history. The last book I read on (natural) history was Guns, Germs and Steel. If there was only one book you could read for the rest of your life, what would that be? Or your top 3. Thanks!

 
"WTFinance" If there was only one book you could read for the rest of your life, what would that be?

uhhhh the bible obviously

![https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DelayedDirectCockatiel-size_restricted.gif][h…]

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

read the old testament or new one if you havent

you will get every of the areas mentioned above inside it

and then go through other "holy books" - quran, qabalah, kabbalah, etc.

regardless of your opinion on religions or god or whatever, those books are simply gold, amazing stuff virtually every sentence carries a message. after going through them, you will feel as a much richer person

if you dont want to read the "holy books", i have million suggestions - from remarque to tolkien :D

 
animalzread the old testament or new one if you havent

you will get every of the areas mentioned above inside it

and then go through other "holy books" - quran, qabalah, kabbalah, etc.

regardless of your opinion on religions or god or whatever, those books are simply gold, amazing stuff virtually every sentence carries a message. after going through them, you will feel as a much richer person

if you dont want to read the "holy books", i have million suggestions - from remarque to tolkien :D

Great stuff. Reading these books is crucial to personal enlightenment. Must read for everyone.

"Come at me, bro"- José de Palafox y Melci
 

Top 5:

Naturalis Historia (Roman era encyclopedia)- Pliny the Elder Alexander the Great- Robin Lane Fox Commentarii de Bello Gallico- Julius Caesar Encyclopedia Brittanica The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA-Antonio J. Mendez

But I'm a huge history nerd.

You might like Naturalis Historia, great volumes regarding everyday lie in Ancient Rome. Snapshot in time (around 70AD).

If it is top3 of anything other than the 3 I listed above, then:

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001- Steve Coll The Ascent of Money- Niall Ferguson Lord of Finance- Liaquat Ahamed

"Come at me, bro"- José de Palafox y Melci
 

Thanks. I've read most of the finance books listed here. Although, I'm looking for something less mainstream. As for the holy books, I've went through the old testament, but wasn't much of a fan. Sorry, but I find more enlightenment in secularism, but we can agree to disagree.

 

General improvement and for Career stuff: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Be excellent at anything, and What color is your parachute.

Some good finance books: The (mis) behavior of markets, the big short, and Against the Gods.

 

-- The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT (seriously one of the most depressing books ever, but somewhat strangely peaceful by the end) -- The Presidents Club (you'd think the topic is dry, but the writing is superb) -- Best Practices for Equity Research Analysts (not really ER-exclusive; just a good overall guide to valuation and company analysis in general) -- The Fabric of the Cosmos (astrophysics and cosmology; written in such a way that it's nowhere near dumbed down, but still very colourful and understandable) -- Why Men Love Bitches (mainly because I'm curious if any of the men on here actually think like this)

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 
Best Response
chicandtoughness-- The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT (seriously one of the most depressing books ever, but somewhat strangely peaceful by the end) -- The Presidents Club (you'd think the topic is dry, but the writing is superb) -- Best Practices for Equity Research Analysts (not really ER-exclusive; just a good overall guide to valuation and company analysis in general) -- The Fabric of the Cosmos (astrophysics and cosmology; written in such a way that it's nowhere near dumbed down, but still very colourful and understandable) -- Why Men Love Bitches (mainly because I'm curious if any of the men on here actually think like this)

The Idea Factory: Sounds mind bending. I'm going to look into it. Presidents Club: Also going to look into it. Best Practices: I skimmed through it in the library. Very good read. Fabric of Cosmos: I actually have it sitting on my desk collecting dust, but the universe can wait. Why Men Love Bitches: Sounds like you have relationship issues..

Thanks for the suggestions!

 
chicandtoughness-- The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT (seriously one of the most depressing books ever, but somewhat strangely peaceful by the end) -- The Presidents Club (you'd think the topic is dry, but the writing is superb) -- Best Practices for Equity Research Analysts (not really ER-exclusive; just a good overall guide to valuation and company analysis in general) -- The Fabric of the Cosmos (astrophysics and cosmology; written in such a way that it's nowhere near dumbed down, but still very colourful and understandable) -- Why Men Love Bitches (mainly because I'm curious if any of the men on here actually think like this)

Girlfriend has the last book and gives me less drama when she's actually read any of it. I read bits when I'm waiting on her to get ready. It's stereotypically true for the most part.

 

Just finished up With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge. Gripping stuff if you're at all into WWII and generally feeling great about your current life. Puts a lot into perspective.

WSO Content Management Intern
 
huanleshalemei
BTbankerHow to Win Friends and Influence People -Dale Carnegie

I was just gonna order this from Amazon, but... anyways, Google is our best friend.

The rule is that if the author is dead, it's okay to download it for free.
 

Ethics for the New Millennium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This is probably the best $15 I've ever spent. The first chapter was a little tough for me to wrap my head around, but it is necessary to set up the rest of the book. It is truly enlightening.

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” --Aldous Huxley
 
TripWestEthics for the New Millennium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This is probably the best $15 I've ever spent. The first chapter was a little tough for me to wrap my head around, but it is necessary to set up the rest of the book. It is truly enlightening.

I've always been skeptical about people who claim to be holy, yet spends most of his/her time soliciting their books. Too cynical?

 

reminiscences of a stock operator

Theodore Roosevelt series by Edmund Morris

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr Ron Chernow

House of Morgan Ron Chernow

The Great Gatsby

A Farewell to Arms

 

Here are a few more...I believe some of these have been mentioned already.

Street Freak -- Jared Diliian (story about trader at Lehman, great book)

Fooled by Randomness -- Taleb (much better than Black Swan)

The (mis)Behavior of Markets -- Benoit Mandlebrot (what Taleb bases most of his popular works on)

Outliers -- Malcom Gladwell

Almost anything by Michael Lewis

The Next 100 Years -- George Freeman (interesting book about predictions for this century from the founder of STRATFOR. http://www.amazon.com/Next-100-Years-Forecast-Century/dp/0767923057)

Path of Destruction (Star Wars: Darth Bane, Book 1) Drew Karpyshyn (the first fiction book I read in over ten years and I couldn't put it down....story about how the rule of the dark side works....ha-ha)

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Tucker Max (absolutely hilarious)

Most books by George Carlin

Also, I started reading the book by David Einhorn (Fooling Some of the People) and thought it was absolutely painful to read...I couldn't even finish it.

On Bullshit -- a micro-book about the pervasiveness of bullshit in society

Back to the Land -- CJ Maloney (basically how a pet project of Eleanor Roosevelt in the new Deal was the beginning of welfare in the US and how it impacted the people in the experiment)

 
Moneyball
TripWestEthics for the New Millennium by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This is probably the best $15 I've ever spent. The first chapter was a little tough for me to wrap my head around, but it is necessary to set up the rest of the book. It is truly enlightening.

I've always been skeptical about people who claim to be holy, yet spends most of his/her time soliciting their books. Too cynical?

Ha a little skepticism doesn't hurt. The book is more about philosophy than religion, and he makes a point to say that in the book. It is a good read about how another culture sees the world without making you feel like he is saying, "my word is law".

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” --Aldous Huxley
 

The Count of Monte Cristo - IMHO the best book ever written. One unfortunate man is framed by three covetous friends for treason. This is the tale of his reinvention and retribution.

Don't worry that this is both a classic and 1200 pages, I seriously couldn't put it down and I am not an English professor.

100% recommend if you are only ever going to read one novel in your life!!

ps Robin Buss translation is the best

1percentblog.com
 

+1 for Comte de Monte-Cristo. One of the first novels I read in its entirety in the native language. There is something amazing about French literature, there really is.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

How to Piss in Public: From Teenage Rebellion to the Hangover of Adulthood- Gavin McInnes Shit My Dad Says- Justin Halpern

Harvey Specter doesn't get cotton mouth.
 

Don't get me wrong - I think Why Men Love Bitches is an excellent book for females (for those who haven't flipped through it, it's basically a huge, $9.99 pep talk on how to be less of a doormat, less whiny, and less overbearing as a girlfriend/woman in general). It certainly helps explain why Bankerella has so many fanboys ;)

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 
chicandtoughnessDon't get me wrong - I think Why Men Love Bitches is an excellent book for females (for those who haven't flipped through it, it's basically a huge, $9.99 pep talk on how to be less of a doormat, less whiny, and less overbearing as a girlfriend/woman in general). It certainly helps explain why Bankerella has so many fanboys ;)

Nobody likes bankerella for her "sassy personality"...

 
triplectzNobody likes bankerella for her "sassy personality"...
That's not what I said.
Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

Two of my favorite books of all time -- All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carried. Both are depressing as all hell, but I'm a better person for having read them.

 
heister

Guns, germs, and steel

What's that, a history of warfare? :D
Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 
heister

Guns, germs, and steel

+1. To summarize in one sentence: Guns, Germs, and Steels is about how environmental factors (geography, demography, and ecology) led to Europe (and Asia) dominating the New World.

Or, per Wikipedia:

"The book attempts to explain why Eurasian civilizations (including North Africa) have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that Eurasian hegemony is due to any form of Eurasian intellectual, moral or inherent genetic superiority. Diamond argues that the gaps in power and technology between human societies originate in environmental differences, which are amplified by various positive feedback loops. When cultural or genetic differences have favored Eurasians (for example, written language or the development among Eurasians of resistance to endemic diseases), he asserts that these advantages occurred because of the influence of geography on societies and cultures, and were not inherent in the Eurasian genomes."

 

Gang Leader For A Day- awesome book!! definitely check it out if you want to read about socioeconomic trends- it's an "insider" profile of some of Chicago's gangs/the Chicago hood (a sociologist from UChicago became friendly with and ingrained himself in a gang, to the point where he was allowed to be the gang leader for a day).

 

Some books that I have read multiple times and will continue reading multiple times: Ender's Game, Animal Farm, Lone Survivor (Unbroken is a similar story, both AMAZING), How to win Friends.. there are definitely others that I'm forgetting off the top of my head but these are a good start. Finance books are good, but they don't "get me going" like some military or fiction books. Enjoy

 

Lost in the Cosmos- Walker Percy

********************************* “The American father is never seen in London. He passes his life entirely in Wall Street and communicates with his family once a month by means of a telegram in cipher.” - Oscar Wilde
 

+1 for Jack Kerouacs on the road --- if you like this you would like his othe book the darma bums

If you like history (WWII)-- the good war by studs terkel

The Great Gatsby-- you have probably read it already but its just as good the second time over( or 3rd)

 

[quote=Tmgolf

The Great Gatsby-- you have probably read it already but its just as good the second time over( or 3rd)[/quote]

Better I'd say.

I feel this was about The Stranger as well.

 

I recommend some history books.

"A History of the English Speaking Peoples" by Winston S. Churchill;

"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" by Paul M. Kennedy;

"The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon;

"The Decline of the West" by Oswald Spengler.

The latter two might need greater effort when reading. Good luck and happy reading.

 

A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe

Bonfire of Vanities is also another good Tom Wolfe novel and has a Wall Street twist to it (about a trader who kills a black kid in a hit and run accident while cruising around the bronx with his mistress.

and of course The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test

 

I second The Next One Hundred Years by George Friedman. Some of his predictions are crazy (like a resurgent Japan) but very interesting and thought-provoking.

Literature-wise, I think On The Road by Jack Kerouac is a classic that a lot of people on here could appreciate. Make sure to get the original scroll version. Basically, Jack Kerouac wrote the book during a three week amphetamine binge onto a single scroll of typewriter paper. He couldn't get anyone to publish it so eventually he had to tone it down somewhat, the original scroll version depicts his true vision.

 

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