The value investor's reading list.
If you read one investing book, make it The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. The foundational text. Buffett calls it 'by far the best book about investing ever written.' After it, read Security Analysis and Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. The full list below holds 42 books in 6 topics, each in the order we'd read them.
Every 13F on this site is downstream of a way of thinking. These are the books that map it — the value-investing canon, the mental-model classics, and the books the managers we track actually wrote or live by. It's the reading behind the Superinvestor Handbook and the ConvictionScore methodology.
Curated, not exhaustive — the shortlist we'd hand a serious investor, not a padded top-100. Start at the top of Foundations and work down.
The list at a glance
| Topic | Books | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | 8 | The Intelligent InvestorBenjamin Graham |
| Mental models & temperament | 5 | Poor Charlie's AlmanackCharles T. Munger |
| Behavioral finance | 5 | The Psychology of MoneyMorgan Housel |
| In their own words | 9 | One Up On Wall StreetPeter Lynch |
| Macro & memoirs | 9 | The Big ShortMichael Lewis |
| Valuation | 6 | Damodaran on ValuationAswath Damodaran |
Most of these have strong audiobook editions. A free Audible trial covers many of them — a low-friction way to start (Poor Charlie's Almanack, The Snowball, and The Big Short all read especially well).
Start a free 30-day Audible trialNew Audible members only · cancel anytime · many assigned titles included with membership.
Whose books?
Several of these were written by — or are about — managers we track. Each profile shows their live 13F holdings alongside the reading behind their thinking.
Common questions
What is the best book on value investing for a beginner?
Start with The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. The foundational text. Buffett calls it 'by far the best book about investing ever written.' After it, read Security Analysis and Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits — the rest of the foundations shelf is in the order we'd read it.
Which of these books were written by investors HoldLens tracks?
- Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders
- David EinhornFooling Some of the People All of the Time
- Seth KlarmanMargin of Safety
- Joel GreenblattThe Little Book That Beats the Market and You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
- Mohnish PabraiThe Dhandho Investor
- Howard MarksThe Most Important Thing and Mastering the Market Cycle
Each profile shows that investor's latest 13F holdings.
What should I read to understand Warren Buffett?
On this list: The Essays of Warren Buffett, The Snowball, The Intelligent Investor and Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. The complete Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters are on the list too, and Berkshire's latest 13F holdings are on HoldLens.
What is the best book on how to value a stock?
Start with Damodaran on Valuation by Aswath Damodaran. The standard reference for putting a number on a business, from cash flows to multiples. The valuation shelf has the rest, from plain-language guides to the professional texts.
Does HoldLens earn money from these book links?
Yes. The book links go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate HoldLens earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Books are chosen on merit, never paid placements.
Amazon affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, HoldLens earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. These are books we genuinely recommend, chosen on merit, never paid placements. Nothing here is investment advice — always do your own research.