 | The Truth About Money 3rd Edition by Ric Edelman
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $0.53 This book doesn't suck. A broad, topical review on a huge assortment of money-related topics. This would be a good place for a beginning investor to start.
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 | Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Buy used from: $1.71 This book SUCKS. Although some of the advice is good, it's obvious. He brags about the great returns he's had on some real estate deals, but these are not repeatable. Very little detail.
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 | The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio by William J. Bernstein
Buy used from: $8.86 This book doesn't suck. An unusual book in that it's less about methods for investing and more about understanding how human psychology ties into the markets. An excellent way to learn some investing history and hopefully how to avoid repeating past mistakes.
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 | Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth: The 8 Secrets of How 5,000 Ordinary Americans Became Successful Investors--and How You Can Too by Ric Edelman
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $0.01 This book SUCKS. Sorry, Ric. Truth by repeated assertion is not a valid technique for proving your case.
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 | The Intelligent Asset Allocator: How to Build Your Portfolio to Maximize Returns and Minimize Risk by William Bernstein
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $6.14 This book doesn't suck. Loads of detail about the mechanics of asset allocation and rebalancing. A bit too detailed for most folks, but an excellent companion to All About Asset Allocation or The Four Pillars of Investing.
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 | Beating the Street by Peter Lynch
Buy new: $10.87 / Used from: $0.01 This book SUCKS. Sorry, Peter, I remain unconvinced that superior effort will allow me to achieve superior investment performance. I think it's far more likely that any information or special understanding I can legally get has already been factored into the market price.
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 | All About Asset Allocation by Richard Ferri
Buy new: $17.05 / Used from: $2.32 This book doesn't suck. A quick review of the inevitable relationship between risk and return, and how asset allocation can help reduce the risk for a given return.
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 | Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment by David F. Swensen
Buy new: $19.80 / Used from: $3.25 This book doesn't suck. The best part of this book is the detailed breakdown of all the different slimy tactics various mutual fund companies have used to extract money from their clients/investors. He makes an excellent case for only using not-for-profit mutual fund companies whose goals are aligned with the investor.
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 | All About Index Funds: The Easy Way to Get Started (All About Series) by Richard Ferri
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $6.98 This book doesn't suck. However, it's pretty basic. It was interesting to learn some of the techniques used to achieve indexing on small stocks without boosting their prices from the mere act of purchasing too much of their stock too quickly.
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 | A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing (Revised and Updated) by Burton G. Malkiel
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $7.40 This book doesn't suck. More than just a discussion of how stock prices are unpredictable, the book discusses asset allocation, an interesting history of the "greater fool" logic for buying expensive stocks, and much more.
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 | Value Averaging: The Safe and Easy Strategy for Higher Investment Returns (Wiley Investment Classics) by Michael E. Edleson
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $10.32 This book doesn't suck. A rare find in personal finance-- a book with good, cited references and enough detail to duplicate his analysis. The overall idea is interesting but I can't shake the feeling that the author has simply rediscovered asset allocation.
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 | Mastering the Art of Asset Allocation: Comprehensive Approaches to Managing Risk and Optimizing Returns by CFA,David M. Darst
Buy new: $35.47 / Used from: $0.69 This book doesn't suck. If a thick tome full of correlation analysis appeals to you, this is it. I'm a sick, sick, man and enjoy being able to understand with mathematical precision how asset allocation theory works. If you are similarly afflicted, this is for you. If not, I wouldn't go here...
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 | How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff
Buy new: $8.60 / Used from: $4.09 This book doesn't suck. The book goes beyond the "fact" that 94% of all statistics are made up on the spot and discusses how simple it is to spin facts like statistics to support whatever claims the author may want.
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 | Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies by Russell Wild
Buy new: $16.49 / Used from: $3.79 This book doesn't suck. It's really an asset allocation book with an ETF emphasis. However, the part on asset allocation is probably the most concise summary of how asset allocation works I've seen.
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 | The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Buy used from: $1.99 This book SUCKS. Well, mostly. He makes a few good points, most importantly that it's important to live for today as well as tomorrow. However, it's far too much of an autobiography than a means to escape the rat race.
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 | Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Buy new: $18.48 / Used from: $13.32 Thie book doesn't suck. He manages to maintain logic and mathematical rigor while writing a good, relevant, readable book. How does one even do that?
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 | The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $9.31 This book doesn't suck. I have to admin I delayed reading this much-recommended book because the cover looked silly. The high-quality contents are in sharp contrast to the silly cover. The book makes an excellent point that many mutual fund fees are unnecessary and completely avoidable.
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