Recommended Reading List
A couple books I’d recommend reading to gain a foundation for finance.
1Breaking In & Technicals3 books
You won’t learn modeling from a book. Read these for the frameworks and vocabulary, then practice in Excel — our free models are a good place to start.
- 1.1View on Amazon ↗Investment Banking: Valuation, LBOs, M&A, and IPOsJoshua Rosenbaum & Joshua PearlThe standard IB textbook. Covers comps, DCF, LBOs, and M&A mechanics in the form analysts use them. Worth skimming before recruiting and keeping as a reference after.
- 1.2View on Amazon ↗The Little Book of ValuationAswath DamodaranA short version of Damodaran’s NYU valuation course. Good for understanding the reasoning behind DCF assumptions rather than just memorizing the steps.
- 1.3View on Amazon ↗Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of CompaniesMcKinsey & CompanyThe most thorough reference on what drives company value and why. Not a cover-to-cover read — use it to look things up when you need the underlying logic.
2Deal Stories & Markets6 books
The deals and blow-ups people in the industry reference all the time. Knowing them helps in interviews and on the job.
- 2.1View on Amazon ↗Barbarians at the GateBryan Burrough & John HelyarThe story of the RJR Nabisco LBO. The most detailed account of how a big deal plays out between bankers, lawyers, and boards.
- 2.2View on Amazon ↗Liar’s PokerMichael LewisMichael Lewis on working at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. The classic book on Wall Street culture.
- 2.3View on Amazon ↗When Genius FailedRoger LowensteinThe collapse of Long-Term Capital Management. A clear lesson on leverage and why risk management exists.
- 2.4View on Amazon ↗Too Big to FailAndrew Ross SorkinA detailed account of the 2008 financial crisis, and a good explanation of how banks, the Fed, and the Treasury interact under stress.
- 2.5View on Amazon ↗King of CapitalDavid Carey & John E. MorrisThe history of Blackstone. A good starting point on private equity and what PE firms do with the companies they buy.
- 2.6View on Amazon ↗The Big ShortMichael LewisThe 2008 crisis told through the investors who bet against the housing market. Also one of the most readable explanations of structured credit.
3Investing Classics4 books
The investing books most people in the industry have read. Useful background even if you never manage money.
- 3.1View on Amazon ↗The Intelligent InvestorBenjamin GrahamGraham’s value-investing framework, including margin of safety. Chapters 8 and 20 are the important ones; the rest you can skim.
- 3.2View on Amazon ↗One Up on Wall StreetPeter LynchPeter Lynch on picking stocks based on what you can observe yourself. An approachable first investing book.
- 3.3View on Amazon ↗Hedge Fund Market WizardsJack D. SchwagerInterviews with top hedge fund managers on how they actually trade and manage risk. The best window into how the buy-side thinks.
- 3.4View on Amazon ↗Security AnalysisBenjamin Graham & David L. DoddThe foundational value-investing text, with the seventh edition adding commentary from modern practitioners. A reference to dip into rather than read straight through.
4Career & Influence3 books
Most of the job runs on relationships. These cover negotiation, career strategy, and habits.
- 4.1View on Amazon ↗Never Split the DifferenceChris VossNegotiation techniques from a former FBI hostage negotiator. Useful in networking, interviews, and comp conversations.
- 4.2View on Amazon ↗So Good They Can’t Ignore YouCal NewportCal Newport’s case for building rare skills before chasing passion. A useful frame for the first years of a career.
- 4.3View on Amazon ↗Atomic HabitsJames ClearA practical system for building consistent habits. Helpful for the repetitive parts of recruiting like outreach and interview prep.
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