With the upcoming holiday season, we reached out to our Carnegie Investment Counsel team to share gift book recommendations. No two answers were alike and the recommendations were rich and unexpected.
Which Books Helped You Learn About Finances?
How to Buy Stocks and Books by William O’Neil
“How to Buy Stocks and any books by William O’Neil of Investor’s Business Daily fame are books that I recommend for learning about finance.”
Greg Halter
Director of Research
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
“I am very passionate about helping people, and things that worked for me may help others. I have been a big Dave Ramsey fan for a long time. I have taken his courses and now I am able to teach them to others. Dave is a syndicated radio financial guru. He is very intelligent in basic finance and helping people achieve their goals. Growing up with a father in financial investing and planning, I appreciate the way he describes complicated planning into simple steps and planning for the future.”
Ian Matheson
Wealth Advisor
How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
“While not directly financially related, I read it as I was struggling as a young broker. The thing I most remember is how important it is to LISTEN. Contrary to what I believed, you didn’t have to be a flashy, fast-talking, charismatic personality to sell. You had to let clients talk, understand their needs, and provide a solution.”
Gary Wagner, AIF
Principal and Chief Operations Officer
One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch
“It taught me to understand that stocks had real companies behind them, and it was vital to understand how they make money and grow.”
Peter Vanden Broeck
Senior Portfolio Manager
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
“This was the first finance book I ever read early in high school, and it taught me the fundamentals of personal finance and investing in practice. This is one of the books that sparked my interest in the financial world and definitely has made an impact in my life since that first read.”
Jake Steffens
Portfolio Management Associate
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel
“It provided a great introduction to the financial markets.”
Doug Pease
Trader and Portfolio Manager
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike
“A book that helped me learn about finance was The Outsiders.”
Razmig Pounardjian
Portfolio Manager
How to Buy Stocks by Louis Engel
A History of Interest Rates by Sidney Homer
The Robber Barons by Matthew Josephson
The Guggenheims: A Family History by Debi Unger
Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing by Jacob Goldstein
“Books I have read that inspired me to pursue a career in the investment business include How to Buy Stocks by Louis Engel, which I have read in three different editions; A History of Interest Rates; The Robber Barons; The Guggenheims: A Family History; and Jacob Goldstein’s latest book Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing is a must-read.”
Howard Trauger
Managing Director, Philadelphia Office
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
“Lots of books taught me about money. A couple of the best were Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, and Blink.”
Brent Luce
Senior Portfolio Manager
Witness by Whittaker Chambers
“I recommend Witness as a gift book.”
Richard Alt
Chief Investment Officer, Principal and Portfolio Manager
Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Capitalism by John Mackey
“I love this book because of the philosophy that companies can be more successful by focusing on a higher purpose and core values, stakeholder integration, and a conscious culture. It speaks to creating value for customers and employees versus only focusing on the short-term bottom line and how that can give a competitive advantage.”
Stephanie Bush
Chief Compliance Officer
If you want, I can also give you a 2–3 sentence intro paragraph to place above this so it feels more editorial and less like a questionnaire.
Looking for a Financial Advisor for You?
If you are currently looking for help with financial planning, contact us. We are happy to schedule an introductory meeting at your convenience.
Disclosure: This was prepared by Carnegie Investment Counsel (“Carnegie”), a federally registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information is provided as of the date indicated and believed to be reliable. Carnegie assumes no obligation to update this information, or to advise on further developments relating to it. This is prepared for informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized tax or investment advice. Carnegie does not provide tax advice or services.
