What is actually on this list
Ten books, published between 1949 and 2017, averaging 8.1 out of 10 overall. By subject they break down as finance (3), productivity (3), money (2), leadership (1), psychology (1). Every one has a full review here with ratings for practicality, readability, impact and difficulty, plus who it is for and who should not bother.
If you want the gentlest entry point, Accounting Made Simple is rated 2/10 for difficulty. The most demanding is The Intelligent Investor at 7/10 — worth knowing before you start it rather than three chapters in.
Common questions
How were these ten chosen?
This is a list for practitioners rather than for people learning the mechanics — the assumption is that the technical work is not the constraint. What usually is: explaining a number to someone who finds it threatening, pricing the work properly, and running a practice rather than just doing the jobs in it. So it mixes advisory and communication with a couple on business ownership, because a practice is a business and most of them are run less deliberately than the businesses they advise. Nothing here will help with an exam. It is aimed at the part of the job the qualification does not cover,
Do I have to read them in order?
No. The numbering reflects how strongly we would recommend each one, not a sequence. Most people are best starting with whichever addresses the problem in front of them right now, and the difficulty ratings on each review will tell you what you are taking on.
Are the Amazon links paid?
They earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It has no bearing on what makes a list or what rating a book gets — several books on this site are reviewed and then recommended against.
