S&T Literature/Books for Interns?

Curious to see what books are must-reads for SAs before they hit the desk, or even during the internship

Common recommendations I've found are John Hull's book on options and derivatives, and Fabozzi's handbook of fixed income securities

What other books are there that are readable and beneficial for interns? I'm specifically interested in corporate credit, distressed debt, equities, and hoping to learn more about derivs as well.

Cheers!

20 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Hull should give you all you need on Derivatives especially on an intern level.If you want more, get Intro to Credit Derivatives by Choudhry. Distressed debt by Moyers is considered the bible on that topic. It's pricey, but you can find a pdf online. Mezzanine financing by Nijs and Private Debt by Nesbitt are solid reads on the credit side. If you have the time check Trading in the Zone by douglas, more behavioural but incredialy valuable.

 

'Must Read' will be desk-dependent. In my experience, some good books are:

  • Dynamic Hedging by Taleb – more advanced derivatives topics, still apropriate for jr analysts
  • The Art of Currency Trading by Donnelly – gimmicky title, but good intro to directional fx trading
  • Derivatives Markets by McDonald – Good 'Derivatives for Dummies' type book if you are not quantitatively inclined
  • Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives by Hull – Derivatives bible. Good mix of intuition and analytic rigor
  • Distressed Debt Analysis by Moyer – Important if you are on a distressed desk. Very intuition-focused
  • Fixed Income Securities by Tuckman/Serrat – Hands-down the book I recommend to people going into fixed income. Builds on itself comprehensively. Will be a slow read if you are completely new to FI, but worth it.
  • Soly Yield Curve Series by Ilmanen – A classic which was influential at the time of publication. Must-read in rates.
  • Handbook of Fixed Income Securities by Fabozzi – This is a famous desk reference that covers a lot of products. I don't think it's that great a read for a comprehensive overview, but if you're confused by a type of security and don't want to bother colleagues with dumb questions, it can be good.
  • Interest Rate Swaps and Other Derivatives by Corb – Classic read on swaps. I would say it is a bit hindered by fact it was written in aftermath of GFC, as it does not include OIS discounting which has changed swaps pricing quite materially. Still, this was the book that helped me finally 'get' swaps in UG.
  • The Trader's Guide to Key Economic Indicators by Yamarone (RIP) – Great way to get a handle of the nuances of different data releases which move markets if you are working in macro.
  • The Volatility Smile by Derman – Primarily about equity derivatives models. Actually a quite enjoyable read, in my opinion. Introduces nuance surrounding the concept of implied volatility and efforts to grapple with the wonkier behavior of asset prices which complicate derivatives pricing. I read this after reading 'My Life as a Quant,' and (while I am not a quant, or even quant-adjacent!) I have a much better handle on the history of the models we use every day.
  • A Pragmatist's Guide to Leveraged Finance by Kricheff – Great no-nonsense introduction to leveraged credit. Will it teach you how to manage CDS basis trades or price structured credit products? No. But it takes you from 0 to 1 in understanding the ABC's of credit markets.
  • Various CDS Primers from Investment Banks – If you have access. Have not found any books which actually teach the nitty gritty of CDS. In UG I learned how default swaps work from Merrill's 2006 Primer, thought it was pretty good. Learned the basis from JPM handbook, and credit options from MS.

This only scratches the surface, but I have read and will vouch for these.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”