Home Business Goldman Sachs’ Recommended Reading List – Industry Background and Flavor Part I

Goldman Sachs’ Recommended Reading List – Industry Background and Flavor Part I

When you purchase through our sponsored links, we may earn a commission. By using this website you agree to our T&Cs.

Goldman Sachs put together a list of the best books and it is impressive and long – unfortunately it is hard to sift through since it just has the title and the author without any information on the book so we are helping you out by filing in that info. If you want to find the full list go here we also list it below at the bottom along with descriptions. Note: we do not endorse the short term trading strategies (well we really do not officially endorse anything) but to keep the list complete we have included all descriptions of books below. Because this is lengthy we will be breaking them up by section so stay tuned for more!- which brings to Industry Background and Flavor – there are some real classics in here and a few lesser known names.

Also see Bill Gates: 5 Books To Read This Summer

Goldman Sachs reading list sections

Written About, By or For Money Managers and Traders

Industry Background and Flavor

Broad Industry History

Analytical and Reference

Periodicals

Wall Street Journal (daily, Monday through Friday)

Barron’s (weekly publication)

General

IMD

FICC & Equities

Options/Derivatives

See Written About, By or For Money Managers and Traders -> here

Industry Background and Flavor is a lengthy section so we are splitting up –   part I below

Understanding Wall Street by Jeffrey Little & Lucien Rhodes

Over the past twenty-five years, Understanding Wall Street has helped investors at every level to understand exactly how the stock market works, and how they can build strong portfolios.

Over the past quarter century, Understanding Wall Street has helped everyone from rookie investors to Wall Street veterans understand exactly how the market works and how to determine which stocks to buy … and which to avoid. The fourth edition of this top-selling guide–still as easy-to-read, practical, and comprehensive as the first three–has been completely updated to help investors prosper in today’s new, no-limits marketplace.

The Global Bankers by Roy Smith

An interesting and illuminating perspective on global banking as it was carried out on the eve of the 1990s from its three continental centers: New York, London, and Tokyo.

rom Publishers Weekly

This balanced, instructive and readable narrative both records and projects a new financial era. In worldwide perspective, Smith, who teaches finance at New York Univeristy, analyzes Japan’s major investment in U.S. industry, London’s huge bond market in “Eurodollars” free of regulation, Germany’s potentially dominant role in a tariffless Europe after 1992, the massive Third World debt’s impact on American bank earnings and foreign involvement in Wall Street’s high-stakes mergers and acquisitions. “The financial industry simply cannot escape the consequences of globalization,” the author convincingly declares. Smith is particularly enlightening on the Japanese ethic and related bargaining methods in his depiction of Goldman Sachs, where he was a partner, negotiating a deal for international operations with Tokyo’s Sumitomo Bank.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book provides an insider’s view of the rapidly evolving integration of the world’s financial markets. The author formerly worked for Goldman Sachs and now teaches international banking and finance at NYU. Given the freer trade measures to be enacted in 1992 in the European Common Market, his book is on a timely and important subject. However, the first half of the book has too many technicalities and too much jargon. The second half of the book does better in providing some historical perspective. Still, the major trends and motivations that fuel international finance remain somewhat obscured after reading this book. Most libraries will find that general books on international finance and banking will cover this subject more successfully.
– Richard C. Schiming, Mankato State Univ., Minn.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Money Masters by John Train

If you want to read a concise book about the investment styles and philosophies of historic “golden age” investors this book might be the one for you. Any student considering asset management as a career should read this one as well as The New Money Masters, its counterpart that highlights investors post 1975 or so.
I would encourage everyone to understand the difference from this book and its latter brother, the NEW MONEY MASTERS. This book is primarily focused on investors that became household names via the companies that are their legacy such as T. Rowe Price, John Templeton and Warren Buffett. Other notable investors are Paul Cabot, Philip Fisher, Benjamin Graham, Stanley Kroll, Larry Tisch, and Robert Wilson. If you want to know how the experts do it, this is a great anthology to get you started. Listen to the best and forget the rest!

The New Money Masters by John Train

An expert reviews the experts – new and updated appraisals of the winning investment strategies of the greatest financial wizards.

Money Masters of Our Time is a reappraisal and revision of those money masters who have stood the test of time plus a look at new money masters. Train emphasises the parts of their various business careers that illuminate their investment techniques focusing on notable individuals whose decisions to buy and sell have actually made money grow. How do they reason? Where do they get their information? How much do they depend on fact and how much on psychology? What are their criteria in selecting a stock? What stocks are they buying now, and why?

The ?Money Masters? covered are: Warren Buffet, Paul Cabot, Philip Carret, Philip Fisher, Benjamin Graham, Mark Lightbrown, Peter Lynch, John Neff, T. Rowe Price, Richard Rainwater, Julian Robertson, Jim Rogers, George Soros, Michael Steinhardt, John Templeton, Ralph Wanger, Robert Wilson. Train centres on their investment techniques and methods and also gives brief biographical evaluations

Money Masters of Our Time by John Train

In Money Masters of Our Time John Train once again displays his ability to explain clearly the strategies, experience, and human qualities of those money masters who have stood the test of time, as well as newer ones. He brings together experts who represent various investment “schools”–growth, value, technology, emerging markets, specialty companies, micro-caps, turnarounds, top down, bottom tip, and others–clarifying their similarities and differences and showing how different methods and techniques work.

Whether contrasting the long-term approach of Warren Buffett, with the “relentless pursuit” style of Peter Lynch or distilling the principles of market timing or expounding a list of investment “don’ts,” John Train makes the collective wisdom of the greatest, most successful investors available to all, professional and amateur alike. Money Masters of Our Time covers the investment methods of: T. Rowe Price, Warren Buffett, Paul Cabot, Philip Carret, Philip Fisher, Benjamin Graham, Mark Lightbown, Peter Lynch, John Neff, Richard Rainwater, Julian Robertson, Jim Rogers, George Soros, Michael Steinhardt, John Templeton, Ralph Wanger, and Robert Wilson. Train focuses on their investment techniques and also gives critical evaluations. The text includes an Introduction, Appendixes, and an Index.

The Intelligent Investor: The Classic Text on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham

The Classic Text Annotated to Update Graham’s Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Market Conditions

The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham’s philosophy of “value investing” — which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies — has made The Intelligent Investor the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949.

Over the years, market developments have proven the wisdom of Graham’s strategies. While preserving the integrity of Graham’s original text, this revised edition includes updated commentary by noted financial journalist Jason Zweig, whose perspective incorporates the realities of today’s market, draws parallels between Graham’s examples and today’s financial headlines, and gives readers a more thorough understanding of how to apply Graham’s principles.

Vital and indispensable, this HarperBusiness Essentials edition of The Intelligent Investor is the most important book you will ever read on how to reach your financial goals.

The Visual Investor: How to Spot Market Trends by John J. Murphy

The Visual Investor, Second Edition breaks down technical analysis into terms that are accessible to even individual investors. Aimed at the typical investor–such as the average CNBC viewer–this book shows investors how to follow the ups and downs of stock prices by visually comparing the charts, without using formulas or having a necessarily advanced understanding of technical analysis math and jargon. Murphy covers all the fundamentals, from chart types and market indicators to sector analysis and global investing, providing examples and easy-to-read charts so that any reader can become a skilled visual investor.

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Warren Buffett

The year 2015 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Berkshire Hathaway under Warren Buffett’s leadership, a milestone worth commemorating. The tenure sets a record for chief executive not only in duration but in value creation and philosophizing. The fourth edition of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America celebrates its twentieth anniversary. As the book Buffett autographs most, its popularity and longevity attest to the widespread appetite for this unique compilation of Buffett’s thoughts that is at once comprehensive, non-repetitive, and digestible. New and experienced readers alike will gain an invaluable informal education by perusing this classic arrangement of Warren’s best writings.

The fourth edition’s new material includes:

 

  • Warren’s 50th anniversary retrospective, in what Bill Gates called Warren’s best letter ever, on conglomerates and Berkshire’s future without Buffett;

 

  • Charlie Munger’s 50th anniversary essay on ”The Berkshire System”;

 

  • Warren’s definitive defense of Berkshire’s no-dividend practice; and

 

  • Warren’s best advice on investing, whether in apartments, farms, or businesses.

Buffettology: The Previously Unexplained Techniques That Have Made Warren Buffett The Worlds by Mary Buffett and David Clark

In the world of investing, the name Warren Buffett is synonymous with success and prosperity. Learn how Warren Buffett did it—and how you can too.

Building from the ground up, Buffett chose wisely and picked his stocks with care, in turn amassing the huge fortune for which he is now famous. Mary Buffett, former daughter-in-law of this legendary financial genius and a successful businesswoman in her own right, has teamed up with noted Buffettologist David Clark to create Buffettology, a one-of-a-kind investment guide that explains the winning strategies of the master.

* Learn how to approach investing the way Buffett does, based on the authors’ firsthand knowledge of the secrets that have made Buffett the world’s second wealthiest man
* Use Buffett’s proven method of investing in stocks that will continue to grow over time
* Master the straightforward mathematical equipments that assist Buffett in making investments
* Examine the kinds of companies that capture Buffett’s interest, and learn how you can use this information to make your own investment choices of the future

Complete with profiles of fifty-four “Buffett companies” — companies in which Buffett has invested and which the authors believe he continues to follow — Buffettology can show any investor, from beginner to savvy pro, how to create a profitable portfolio.

The Warren Buffett Way: Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor by Robert G. Hagstrom Jr.

Simply the most important new stock book of the 1990s, to date. Buy it and read it.” -Kenneth L. Fisher Forbes

The runaway bestseller-updated with new material included for the first time!

“The Warren Buffett Way outlines his career and presents examples of how his investment techniques and methods evolved and the important individuals in that process. It also details the key investment decisions that produced his unmatched record of performance.” -from the Foreword by Peter S. Lynch Bestselling author, One Up on Wall Street and Beating the Street

“. . . an extraordinarily useful account of the methods of an investor held by many to be the world’s greatest.” -The Wall Street Journal

“Robert Hagstrom presents an in-depth examination of Warren Buffett’s strategies, and the ‘how and why’ behind his selection of each of the major securities that have contributed to his remarkable record of success. His ‘homespun’ wisdom and philosophy are also part of this comprehensive, interesting, and readable book.” -John C. Bogle Chairman, The Vanguard Group

“It’s first rate. Buffett gets a lot of attention for what he preaches, but nobody has described what he practices better than Hagstrom. Here is the lowdown on every major stock he ever bought and why he bought it. Fascinating. You could even try this at home.” -John Rothchild Financial columnist Time magazine

The Alchemy of Finance: Reading the Mind of the Market by George Soros

New chapter by Soros on the secrets to his success along with a new Preface and Introduction.
New Foreword by renowned economist Paul Volcker
“An extraordinary . . . inside look into the decision-making process of the most successful money manager of our time. Fantastic.” -The Wall Street Journal
George Soros is unquestionably one of the most powerful and profitable investors in the world today. Dubbed by BusinessWeek as “the Man who Moves Markets,” Soros made a fortune competing with the British pound and remains active today in the global financial community. Now, in this special edition of the classic investment book, The Alchemy of Finance, Soros presents a theoretical and practical account of current financial trends and a new paradigm by which to understand the financial market today. This edition’s expanded and revised Introduction details Soros’s innovative investment practices along with his views of the world and world order. He also describes a new paradigm for the “theory of reflexivity” which underlies his unique investment strategies. Filled with expert advice and valuable business lessons, The Alchemy of Finance reveals the timeless principles of an investing legend.
This special edition will feature a new chapter by Soros on the secrets of his success and a new Foreword by the Honorable Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
George Soros (New York, NY) is President of Soros Fund Management and Chief Investment Advisor to Quantum Fund N.V., a $12 billion international investment fund. Besides his numerous ventures in finance, Soros is also extremely active in the worlds of education, culture, and economic aid and development through his Open Society Fund and the Soros Foundation.

Bill Gross on Investing by William H. Gross

Learn where the markets are headed–and how to ride them to success.

Global changes point toward a dramatically different next decade in the realm of finance. As the bull markets of the last twenty years fade away, new investment tools and strategies are necessary. In this book, William Gross, one of today’s most respected money managers who has built his fame on tracking economic trends, prepares readers for a completely new approach to investing. He emphasizes bonds, the right kinds of stocks, and a globalized investment portfolio for this new era in investment. In an accessible style, Gross intermingles discussions of investment with humor, wit, and personal anecdotes.

William H. Gross (Laguna Beach, California) is the founder, managing director, and CEO of Pacific Investment Management Company, which manages over $90 billion in assets for both institutional investors and individuals  (at the time of this edition – how times have changed)!

Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street by Peter L. Bernstein

Capital Ideas traces the origins of modern Wall Street, from the pioneering work of early scholars and the development of new theories in risk, valuation, and investment returns, to the actual implementation of these theories in the real world of investment management. Bernstein brings to life a variety of brilliant academics who have contributed to modern investment theory over the years: Louis Bachelier, Harry Markowitz, William Sharpe, Fischer Black, Myron Scholes, Robert Merton, Franco Modigliani, and Merton Miller. Filled with in-depth insights and timeless advice, Capital Ideas reveals how the unique contributions of these talented individuals profoundly changed the practice of investment management as we know it today.

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay

his classic survey of crowd psychology offers an illuminating and entertaining look at three grand-scale swindles. Originally published in England in 1841, its remarkable tales of human folly reveal that the hysteria of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the junk-bonds frenzy of the 1980s were far from uniquely twentieth-century phenomena.
The first of the financial scandals discussed, “The Mississippi Scheme,” concerns a disastrous eighteenth-century plan for the commercial exploitation of the Mississippi valley, where investors were lured by Louisiana’s repute as a region of gold and silver mountains. During the same era, thousands of English investors were ruined by “The South-Sea Bubble,” a stock exchange based on British trade with the islands of the South Seas and South America. The third episode involves Holland’s seventeenth-century “Tulipomania,” when people went into debt collecting tulip bulbs — until a sudden depreciation in the bulbs’ value rendered them worthless (except as flowers).
Fired by greed and fed by naiveté,  these historic investment strategies gone awry retain an irrefutable relevance for modern times. Extraordinary Popular Delusions is essential and enthralling reading for investors as well as students of history, psychology, and human nature.

Greed and Glory on Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman by Ken Auletta

On a quiet July morning, one of the world’s most powerful and prestigious investment banking partnerships was launched on the path to ruin-not by the economy, not by an act of God, but by a self-inflicted wound.

The firm was Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb, a revered Wall Street institution with roots that stretched back to the Civil War. And what happened that July morning in 1983 would not only spell the end of a banking firm but would come to symbolize the recklessly high-flying Wall Street of the 1980s.

Through hundreds of hours of interviews, through access to private company records, through the confidence of board members, partners, associates and employees, Ken Auletta created a prophetic spellbinder which resonates especially today. It is a story of greed, ego and error; a tale of primal combat between two men and between two irrevocably different and hostile worlds; a superb example of investigative journalism that rivals any best-selling novel for sheer surprise, drama and excitement.

The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow

Published to critical acclaim twenty years ago, and now considered a classic, The House of Morgan is the most ambitious history ever written about American finance. It is a rich, panoramic story of four generations of Morgans and the powerful, secretive firms they spawned, ones that would transform the modern financial world. Tracing the trajectory of J. P. Morgan’s empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the financial crisis of 1987, acclaimed author Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the family’s private saga and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved—a world that included Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, Franklin Roosevelt, Nancy Astor, and Winston Churchill. A masterpiece of financial history—it was awarded the 1990 National Book Award for Nonfiction and selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the Twentieth Century—The House of Morgan is a compelling account of a remarkable institution and the men who ran it, and an essential book for understanding the money and power behind the major historical events of the last 150 years.

The House of Nomura: The Inside Story of the Legendary Japanese Financial Dynasty by Albert Alletzhauser

A major work of finance, big business, and politics by the only Westerner who has gained access to the inner sanctum of Nomura Securities, the Nomura family records, and the amazing cast of characters who make up the Nomura dynasty.

From Library Journal

The house of Nomura is one of several large financial conglomerates (or zajbatsu ) which currently influence the Japanese and world business environment. Though Nomura is not a recognizable name in most parts of America, the financial assets controlled by the group are enormous. Alletzhauser, an American stockbroker who spent two years in Tokyo, tells the history of Nomura from its beginning in 1872 through two wars to its present-day stature as one of the most influential financial groups in the world. The story abounds with insights into Japanese society and culture, making it a thoroughly captivating experience for a wide range of readership.
– Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point, N.Y.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The New Crowd: The Changing of the Jewish Guard on Wall Street by Judith Ramsey Ehrlick & Barry J. Rehfeld

A detailed social history of the rise of the Jewish entrepreneurs of Wall Street. The colourful characters who run these highly successful firms are described.

From Library Journal

Since the end of World War II, the talented sons of the great wave of Jewish immigrants have managed to overcome class differences and barriers and gain power and control over the German Jews who founded and dominated some of the most prestigious firms on Wall Street. Sanford Weill, Felix Rohatyn, and Michael Milken are just a few of the major personalities whose careers are detailed in this readable book that provides a look at recent Wall Street history from a different perspective.
– Steven J. Mayover, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

One Up On Wall Street : How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market by Peter Lynch

More than one million copies have been sold of this seminal book on investing in which legendary mutual-fund manager Peter Lynch explains the advantages that average investors have over professionals and how they can use these advantages to achieve financial success.

America’s most successful money manager tells how average investors can beat the pros by using what they know. According to Lynch, investment opportunities are everywhere. From the supermarket to the workplace, we encounter products and services all day long. By paying attention to the best ones, we can find companies in which to invest before the professional analysts discover them. When investors get in early, they can find the “tenbaggers,” the stocks that appreciate tenfold from the initial investment. A few tenbaggers will turn an average stock portfolio into a star performer.

Lynch offers easy-to-follow advice for sorting out the long shots from the no-shots by reviewing a company’s financial statements and knowing which numbers really count. He offers guidelines for investing in cyclical, turnaround, and fast-growing companies.

As long as you invest for the long term, Lynch says, your portfolio can reward you. This timeless advice has made One Up on Wall Street a #1 bestseller and a classic book of investment know-how.

Beating the Street by Peter Lynch

More than one million copies have been sold of this seminal book on investing in which legendary mutual-fund manager Peter Lynch explains the advantages that average investors have over professionals and how they can use these advantages to achieve financial success.

America’s most successful money manager tells how average investors can beat the pros by using what they know. According to Lynch, investment opportunities are everywhere. From the supermarket to the workplace, we encounter products and services all day long. By paying attention to the best ones, we can find companies in which to invest before the professional analysts discover them. When investors get in early, they can find the “tenbaggers,” the stocks that appreciate tenfold from the initial investment. A few tenbaggers will turn an average stock portfolio into a star performer.

Lynch offers easy-to-follow advice for sorting out the long shots from the no-shots by reviewing a company’s financial statements and knowing which numbers really count. He offers guidelines for investing in cyclical, turnaround, and fast-growing companies.

As long as you invest for the long term, Lynch says, your portfolio can reward you. This timeless advice has made One Up on Wall Street a #1 bestseller and a classic book of investment know-how.

“Our Crowd”: The Great Jewish Families of New York by Stephen Birmingham

A novelist who has specialized in creating tales of the rich and well placed offers an insider’s view of one of the wealthiest segments of an affluent city: Jewish upper–class life in New York.

Working with diaries, letters, and personal reminiscences supplied by members of interwoven families–Loeb, Lehman, straus, seligman, and Guggenheism, among others–Stephen Birmingham has assembled a remarkable composite portrait. some of his tales are wildly funny. others are poignant. All are set within a world of numbing opulence–Fifth Avenue mansions, chateaux on Long Island, castles in Westchester, vast art collections–millions given away so quietly and steadily that they have never properly been counted. This economic power and unique culture was played out alongside–but never a part of–the gentile establishment.

Remarkable individuals, resplendent dynasties–out of the elegant fabric of their lives, Birmingham has fashioned superb social history.

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre

Although Reminiscences…was first published some seventy years ago, its take on crowd psychology and market timing is a s timely as last summer’s frenzy on the foreign exchange markets.”
Worth magazine

“The most entertaining book written on investing is Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, by Edwin Lefèvre, first published in 1923.”
The Seattle Times

“After twenty years and many re-reads, Reminiscences is still one of my all-time favorites.”
Kenneth L. Fisher, Forbes

“A must-read classic for all investors, whether brand-new or experienced.”
William O’Neil, founder and Chairman, Investor’s Business Daily

“Whilst stock market tomes have come and gone, this remains popular and in print eighty years on.”
GQ magazine

First published in 1923, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator is the most widely read, highly recommended investment book ever. Generations of readers have found that it has more to teach them about markets and people than years of experience. This is a timeless tale that will enrich your life—and your portfolio.

Part I index below

Understanding Wall Street by Jeffrey Little & Lucien Rhodes

The Global Bankers by Roy Smith

The Money Masters by John Train

The New Money Masters by John Train

Money Masters of Our Time by John Train

The Intelligent Investor: The Classic Text on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham

The Visual Investor: How to Spot Market Trends by John J. Murphy

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Warren Buffett

Buffettology: The Previously Unexplained Techniques That Have Made Warren Buffett The Worlds by Mary Buffett and David Clark

The Warren Buffett Way: Investment Strategies of the World’s Greatest Investor by Robert G. Hagstrom Jr.

The Alchemy of Finance: Reading the Mind of the Market by George Soros

Bill Gross on Investing by William H. Gross

Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street by Peter L. Bernstein

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay

Greed and Glory on Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman by Ken Auletta

The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow

The House of Nomura: The Inside Story of the Legendary Japanese Financial Dynasty by Albert Alletzhauser

The New Crowd: The Changing of the Jewish Guard on Wall Street by Judith Ramsey Ehrlick & Barry J. Rehfeld

One Up On Wall Street : How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market by Peter Lynch

Beating the Street by Peter Lynch

“Our Crowd”: The Great Jewish Families of New York by Stephen Birmingham

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre

Our Editorial Standards

At ValueWalk, we’re committed to providing accurate, research-backed information. Our editors go above and beyond to ensure our content is trustworthy and transparent.

Want Financial Guidance Sent Straight to You?

  • Pop your email in the box, and you'll receive bi-weekly emails from ValueWalk.
  • We never send spam — only the latest financial news and guides to help you take charge of your financial future.