The 10 Best Books on Investing to Read in 2020

This revised and updated version of an investing classic is one of the best books on investing to read this year. Investments can be an intimidating field. Many first-time investors feel like they have to create an extensive portfolio at the beginning. Malkiel understands this and helps newcomers feel comfortable with small steps, such as developing their first 401(k). He focuses in on long-term investing, predicting prices, and avoiding common mistakes. His book teaches the terms and meanings of investment terminology, believing that you must first understand what is being said to be able to learn to invest wisely.

Fabrice Cabaud / Getty Images

Graham was a renowned professor, economist, and investor. He influenced some of the greats in investment history, including Warren Buffett. Graham lays out the information in a no-nonsense manner, focusing on making smart, common sense investments that, while not making you rich, keep you from losing your nest egg. His background as a professor is evident in his style; while not completely lacking in positive reinforcement, Graham expects the reader to learn about the investment and employ common sense while investing.

Petar Chernaev / Getty Images

Author John C. Bogle knows quite a bit about investing. As the founder of Vanguard Group and creator of the first index fund, Bogle's book was endorsed by Warren Buffett himself, who said that this is one book on investing that everyone should read, regardless of the size of their investment portfolio. Bogle takes a bold stance, saying that the stock market is a no-win situation for many investors. He shows how to effectively change this, so the odds are in your favor.

Tzido / Getty Images

Don't let the title fool you. While this book seems focused on corporate investments, Warren Buffett's advice is also designed to help the shareholder. It seems fitting to learn from a man who has had so much investment success in an ever-changing economic atmosphere. In his now-classic book, Buffet explains the relationship between a corporation and its investors, crucial information for all shareholders but especially vital for anyone new to investing, who is still trying to grasp the basics.

J. Countess / Getty Images

Shiller is a 2013 Nobel Prize winner in economics, so it's fair to say he has good advice for investors. His book is less of a how-to-invest guide and more of a how-to-think investment guide. He advocates for looking at the big picture in regards to investment strategy. Shiller's view that psychology, which is often irrational, actually drives the stock market is more than a little unorthodox. Instead of trying to keep up with the cycling market, he advises taking a look at the market average over a decade of ups and downs, to get a clearer look at the stock's value.

monsitj / Getty Images

Marks is a highly sought-after adviser in the world of investing. Here, he relays his decades of experience to others and explains the main factors to making successful investments and how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls. Marks has a frank and honest way of conveying his triumphs and his missteps in his long investment career, which helps others learn how to assess the risks and devise an investment strategy that could work to their advantage.

scyther5 / Getty Images

Lynch believes there are plenty of solid investments just waiting to be found. He states that investors must simply slow down when searching for a good investment to find good options. By doing this, any investor can find the best investment opportunities before everyone else sees the stock's potential. Lynch's philosophy is that even the greenest investor has a chance to succeed, by using skills they already have.

NicoElNino / Getty Images

The advice that Tobias gives in the updated version of this 40-year-old book is not specifically aimed at the wealthy investor. He provides tips for those who have limited capital, too, and guides them on how to build that capital through solid investments. Tobias writes in a very easy-to-read manner that is often quite humorous and his conservative approach to investing can help a newcomer learn the ropes without putting everything on the line.

SARINYAPINNGAM / Getty Images

This book provides a unique spin on the typical investment guide. Instead of piling a bunch of tips together and giving investors a strict budget they will never follow, Pape offers a step-by-step program. The simplicity of his plan is enticing, giving even the newest investors the confidence to forge ahead. He also shows readers how to save up for a deposit on a six-figure house in 20 months, how to double their income through the Trapeze Strategy, how to find a financial advisor that won't rob you blind, and why you don't need a million dollars to retire.

Peshkova / Getty Images

Kahneman's book takes a different approach to investments by delving into the psychology of investing. His experience as a Princeton University psychology professor, along with his 2002 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, makes him the perfect person to educate investors on this method. Kahneman's greatest theme regarding psychology is human irrationality, and in this bestseller, he discusses how our thought processes can affect the success a person will have as an investor. He insists that everyone has some sort of bias that affects how we choose our investments. He advises on how to put away biases, whether conscious or subconscious and keep them at bay, in order to find greater investment success.

Easyturn / Getty Images