Best books on investment banking for a student?

+SB for Macabacus. The interview guides aren't very helpful for actually learning stuff. They're more for cramming before an interview.

Agree with alpha_q resources above and your comment around Rosenbaum. It's probably still the best available, and Macabacus provides more advanced templates.

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/books-to-read-about-ma-before-st…

There have been a bunch of similar threads recently... read those.

But to answer your question, books have limited value here, because most aren't written by practitioners and/ or are out of date. Your firm will have you do it a different way, and you're better off coming into the internship a clean slate if that makes sense.

The Rosenbaum book on valuation (plenty of free copies online) is the one exception to this.

Also, you'd be better off practicing your Excel / PPT skills, because that will be most useful on the internship and will help you prove early competency -> get more interesting projects -> get the offer -> get better full-time staffings... it snowballs.

I already read the Rosembaum, I had it as a text in one of my classes at uni. People told me it's OK, but not exactly the same as what they teach you at the analyst training.

This Company and Investment Valuation looks like was written by people from banking, nobody here has read it??

So a fun first read is Monkey Business, also try the Intelligent Investor( its about value investing, so not directly related to IB, but its still a great book). If you truly want to help yourself, learn modeling in excel. Specifically, accounting, valuation and dcf, maybe throw in some lbo if your feeling lucky. I use Wall Street Prep, but whatever floats your boat. If you study this stuff you will be at a great advantage come junior year recruiting, also start networking with alumni. Have some informational interviews over the phone or some coffee. Try to secure a private wealth or pe/growth equity internship for your freshmen summer. That should set you up for boutique ib sophomore summer. Happy hunting.

First do you go to a target or semi target, even if you don't you can still get an internship it will just be a little more difficult. Email as many alumni as you can in the field you want and when you run out of alumni go to just cold emailing people at firms you are interested in. Stick to private wealth management, if you can pull something better by all means do it. Utilize your linkedin account to network and your career center at school. Also, follow the study tips for excel I stated above, and get a copy of Wall Street Oasis's study material or M&I guides which will have everything you need to pass interviews.

Bank by David Bledin is another humorous take by the author of the bitter investment banker email. Not bad, it gets a solid B from me.

Accidental Investment Banker is more dry but probably more educational overall. I'd give it a C, maybe C+

If you're into investing, I would recommend You Can Be A Stark Market Genius Too by Joel Greenblatt. Bad title, good book. A-

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Young Money - one of the more recent books about IB Liar's Poker When Genius Failed - LTCM Monkey Business Flash Boys

I read these freshmen year summer and I definitely recommend Young Money the most. It's the first book I give to anyone interested in IB.

Too big to fail - Will give you substantial walking knowledge of wall street banks and their backstories (i.e. why is it Bank of America Merril Lynch, etc.)

Definitely How to Win Friends and Influence people.

why has nobody suggested this yet

https://www.amazon.com/Damn-Feels-Good-Banker-2008-08-05/dp/B01MXJ7A40/…

Barbarians at the Gate is a good read to learn what LBO shops do and how banks function is supporting those deals. Although the industry has changed a lot since then, it gives some insight into what the job actually entails.

Have you read the classics? Liar's Poker, Monkey Business. GSElevator's Straight To Hell is very entertaining. If you want more serious/technical book, try some of Nassim Taleb's works.

48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

First, would argue that it isn't the awkward point on the calendar, it's one of the best. Make sure to enjoy yourself over the next couple of weeks because you will be worked this summer. That being said, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Rosenbaum's Investment Banking and Barbarians at the Gate are a few I recommend (in that order).

If you are solely concerned about being prepared for your SA - I would highly recommend the following: 1. Get a subscription to Wall-Street Journal and read it everyday. Literally keep WSJ open and read the Business and Markets section periodically throughout the day and familiarize yourself with some deals, market movements, and other interesting news that is going on. This will go a long way when you're with colleagues and they're talking about something interesting that is going on in the markets, and will help you learn the way bankers analyze the news. 2. Rosenbaum & Pearl: There is a pdf guide out there, not too hard to find on Google. But I would recommend placing an order on Amazon, getting the book and skimming through the most important chapters (Comps, DCF's, Excel formatting, M&A modelling) I think the LBO section is less important for the purposes of the summer. The book is a little dry, but explains the concepts pretty thoroughly and will help you relate some of the readings to the work you actually do.

IMO, I don't think there's anything that can really prepare you for the job, only sculpt you and make you sharper. If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a PM. Good luck.