Chapter 18. Selecting the Best Investment Books
In This Chapter
Recognizing that some books advertise more than they educate
Being skeptical about authors' claimed returns
Presenting my favorite investing books
Over the years, I've read hundreds of investing and financial books. I hope you haven't subjected yourself to this task!
Note
Although most books have something to offer, too many investing books are burdened with biased, wrongheaded advice and misinformation. As a non-expert, you may have a hard time sifting through the heap for the tidbits of treasure. The bad stuff can pollute your otherwise intelligent thinking and cause you to make investing mistakes that millions before you have made.
I hope that I'm not the first person to tell you not to believe everything you read. Publishing is no different from any other business — companies are in it to make money. As with other industries, the shortsighted desire to reap quick profits causes some companies to publish content that seems attractive in the short term but is toxic to readers in the long term. In this chapter, I help you sift through the confusion to find books worth reading.
Beware of Infomercial Books
Note
The worst books tend to confuse more than they convey. Why would an author want to do that? Well, some authors have an incentive to make things complicated and mysterious. Their agenda may be to sell you a high-priced newsletter or persuade you to turn your money over to them to manage.
One book "author" said to me, "Royalties, ...
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