Learn the ins and outs of investing in Australian and international share markets with these useful and informative share trading books.
When you’re starting out investing in shares, knowledge is power. Before you even place your first trade or receive your first dividend, it’s important to learn as much as you can about how to buy and sell shares.
From the basics of how the market works to in-depth analysis of complex trading strategies, there’s a whole world of information out there that could help you become a successful share trader. One way you can access and digest some of that knowledge is through share trading guide books.
Share trading books can be an extremely potent weapon in the arsenal of any share market investor, allowing you to learn everything there is to know about investing in shares. Let’s take a look at five of our favourite share trading books and how they can help you become a better investor. We also have some coupon codes for you to save money off these books.
Top 5 share trading books
Trading Secrets by Louise Bedford
Louise Bedford has more than 20 years of experience as a trading mentor, and in this book she shares her secret to finding a successful trading strategy. If you’re looking for a book that explains some pretty complex topics in a concise and easy-to-understand way, add Trading Secrets to your reading list.
The trading world can be very confusing for novice investors, so this book is perfect if you want to wrap your head around how you can invest in the share market for profit. Bedford’s entertaining writing style is also a refreshing change compared to many of the other “dry” books in this area, making this a highly enjoyable and informative read.
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
This classic tome about investing features in most lists of share trading books every investor should read - and with good reason. Labelled by investment guru Warren Buffett as “by far the best book about investing ever written”, The Intelligent Investor lays out Graham’s positive trading program for investing in stocks.
Like so many other share trading books it’s an American publication, but unlike some guides it offers insight and advice that can help traders the world over. Thorough, detailed and with more than one million copies sold, this is the ultimate guide to value investing.
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham from Booktopia
The Definitive Book on Value Investing
View detailsMarket Wizards: Interviews With Top Traders by Jack Schwager
If you want to hear about trading straight from the mouths of the professionals, this is the book for you. Market Wizards features a collection of interviews with successful stock market traders from the 1970s and 1980s, and gives you an insight into their own experiences as traders. Not only is it fascinating reading, but the traders interviewed are also forthright and honest about mistakes made and lessons learned.
Market Wizards was so successful that Schwager has since released three more books, as well as The Little Book of Market Wizards in 2014. This last publication features the most important lessons from almost 50 of Schwager’s interviews, making it well worth a look too.
Market Wizards: Interviews With Top Traders by Jack Schwager from Booktopia
Interviews with Top Traders
View detailsAdaptive Analysis for Australian Stocks by Nick Radge
If you’re looking for an Australian guide to the technical analysis of shares, Adaptive Analysis for Australian Stocks is definitely worth adding to your collection. Veteran trader Nick Radge uses the book to show readers a different way of looking at profitability and explains how you can use price movements to maximise your profit.
Half the battle is also recognising a losing trade and how to get out of it as soon as possible, and Radge’s advice will resonate with many finding their way in the trading world. For further reading, Radge’s Unholy Grails is also well worth a look.
Trading Tactics by Daryl Guppy
Australian financial columnist Daryl Guppy has written a series of books that are full of great advice for Australian investors. They’re all worth a look, but we thought we’d include Trading Tactics on our list because it’s all about finding and exploiting profitable share trading opportunities.
In Trading Tactics, Guppy explores everything from understanding bar charts to using depth of market and using profit and loss numbers to assess potential trading opportunities. Designed to suit anyone from a beginner to an experienced trader, this book also includes checklists to help you improve your trading behaviour.
Trading Tactics by Daryl Guppy from Booktopia
View detailsNow that you've read the books, are you ready put it into practice?
Did you have these questions about share trading books?
Can I still read a share trading book even if it’s not specifically about the Australian market?
Yes, there are thousands of investment books out there which, while not written specifically for an Australian audience, still contain stacks of useful advice for Australian share traders. However, in some books you will need to be willing to wade through some sections which do not apply to the Australian market.
Can share trading books tell me which shares to buy?
No. You are the only person who can decide which shares to buy. However, share trading books can provide very handy advice on investment strategies, how the stock market works, and how to analyse shares and investment opportunities.
Will reading one share trading book teach me everything I need to know?
No, but nor will reading 50 share trading books. While reading about investing in stocks is vital to help you make better trades, there is no way you can learn everything there is to know about share trading from a book.
