Best Trading Books for Entrepreneurs, CEOs and Freelancers

Trading is something humans have done since the beginning of time. Ever since people discovered that things have value, they have been quick to use that to their advantage. But what are the tricks of the trade, so to speak, when it comes to trading?

You and I want the same thing; we both want that secret wisdom legendary traders have. While reading through the best trading books won’t necessarily guarantee that, it will offer a great start and some considerable knowledge on what to do to improve your skills.

Like many of the traders before you, you’ll get to where you need to be with sufficient experience. You may stumble and fall, but, when properly guided, you should be able to learn from your mistakes and eventually achieve success.

What’s great about my compilation of books is that there’s always one that will cover the current level of your trading skills. We’ve all got to start somewhere, right?

If you’ve only dabbled in trading before and enjoyed it, now’s your chance to get serious. It may seem like a game of luck that you’re not willing to bet on, but words from our experts should convince you otherwise. For the authors of most books in this collection, luck doesn’t just happen for anyone; it happens to those who work hard for it.

Trading books help you think more clearly so that you can make better decisions. They’re also the type of books you should read again and again so you can ingrain in yourself the lessons they teach. Don’t move from one book to another without truly understanding the purpose of the book.

So, without further ado, let me introduce you to a compilation of essential reads on trading. May these books take your trading skills to the next level and help you win at life.

Best Trading Books

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road

It is unbelievably riveting. It does that thing where at the end of every chapter it leaves you just enough we're like "aah!" and you have to read the first paragraph of the next chapter and then before you know it is a downward spiral and you end up finishing this book. Took me four days to get through this.

Casey Neistat

Founder/368 Creative Space

Tai-Pan

This novel is the second book in a great saga detailing the intense competition between two shipping magnates and their battle over the gateway to China: the very lucrative island of Hong Kong. Set in the tumultuous period during which the British had seized Hong Kong before it was known as England’s crown jewel, it is an exciting and fun ride detailing Hong Kong as a melting pot of political and economic interests with no shortage of intrigue. It’s a must read for sure.

Alan Pierce

CEO/Ansuz Balder Magni Investments

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

Like Charlie Munger once said: “I’ve long believed that a certain system - which almost any intelligent person can learn - works way better than the systems most people use [to understand the world]. What you need is a latticework of mental models in your head. And, with that system, things gradually fit together in a way that enhances cognition. Just as multiple factors shape every system, multiple mental models from a variety of disciplines are necessary to understand that system". You can read this book to start building a "latticework of mental models in your head".

Ola Olusoga

Co-founder/Populum

The European Identity: Historical and Cultural Realities We Cannot Deny

Barton's interest in this book is clear, given the recent political turmoil in the European Union (EU), which threatens trade and global integration. Identifying the commonalities in culture and heritage among Europeans, Green argues that Europe's peoples should see each other as countrymen rather than rivals; yet citizens of the different countries still cling to their national identities, and across the continent, there are growing nationalist movements (as suggested by Brexit) which rejects involvement with the European Union and seeks to reestablish borders and protectionist trade policies.

Dominic Barton

CEO/McKinsey

The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook

Niall Ferguson's The Square and the Tower brilliantly illuminates the great power struggle between networks and hierarchies that is raging around the world today. As a software engineer steeped in the theory and practice of networks, I was deeply impressed by this book's insights. Silicon Valley needed a history lesson and Ferguson has provided it.

Eric Schmidt

CEO/Google

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

My professional path – copywriting – somehow intertwines with my unprofessional (hahaha) path – writing so I would recommend reading literature for both. Somehow reading and writing are two ways of doing the same thing: storytelling (even when you read you tell yourself a story in your own voice, bringing your personal emotion and empathy to the story you’re reading). The only difference is that when I’m reading, panic is far away from me, in a safe place. Nevertheless, the words below helped me rewrite and think twice before adding an exclamation point: Self-editing for Fiction Writers.

Alina Varlanuta

Creator/The Hole in Your Head

Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses That Market Themselves

I thought I might put my money where my mouth is. I keep whining that young people are not in touch with some essential books on advertising that have helped me shape the way I practise my trade today, but I never did anything about it. So I am starting here the ultimate books to read list. I will add to it as I get suggestions and as more good books get written.

Bogdana Butnar

Head of Strategy/Poke

Free: How Today’s Smartest Businesses Profit by Giving Something for Nothing

I thought I might put my money where my mouth is. I keep whining that young people are not in touch with some essential books on advertising that have helped me shape the way I practise my trade today, but I never did anything about it. So I am starting here the ultimate books to read list. I will add to it as I get suggestions and as more good books get written.

Bogdana Butnar

Head of Strategy/Poke

Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature

I thought I might put my money where my mouth is. I keep whining that young people are not in touch with some essential books on advertising that have helped me shape the way I practise my trade today, but I never did anything about it. So I am starting here the ultimate books to read list. I will add to it as I get suggestions and as more good books get written.

Bogdana Butnar

Head of Strategy/Poke

Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out

I've always believed that students should learn their trade from the masters--but there are times when you can't just follow what's come before. Marc Ecko designed his future while putting his own spin on history. He's fearless, and he built his brand out of his love of art and pop culture, without being seduced by nostalgia. Marc may have been inspired by Star Wars, but he made it his own – and no one has made Star Wars cooler than Ecko. His unique vision became a global force in fashion. For art and execution, this is the text book I wish I could have bought in college.

George Lucas

Founder/Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic

Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage

This insightful book blends academic rigor with practical, step-by-step tools that can help you design innovative business models for the Networked Age. Connected Strategy shows how to leverage continuous connectivity and emerging AI to make deep relationships that benefit customers and businesses alike. Read this book if you want to build a business model of the future.

Reid Hoffman

Co-Founder/LinkedIn

A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought)

This is an immense science fiction space opera which came out in 1992. It covers a lot of themes including AI, aliens, love, betrayal, genocide, and racism. I found the book spectacular in its scale and detail, and original in its ‘zones of thought’ concept, where the galaxy is split into four zones, each with their own laws of physics. There's also the unusual ‘Tines’ race, where each animal is comprised of a group mind of 3 – 5 members.

Benjamin Humphrey

CEO & Co-Founder/DoveTail

Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

I tend to jump from book to book and may switch if I am interested in some new topic. This is a pleasure for me (which I also do benefit work wise from too). It’s quite a random list because I have eclectic interests (or just scatterbrained most likely) on tech business, AI, general global economy, geopolitics, rising Biotech economy & history. I'm basically 15% to 50% into all these books.

Marvin Liao

Partner/500 Startups

All Marketers are Liars (Tell Stories): The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works – and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All

If Seth Godin didn't exist we'd need to invent him.

Alan Webber

Founder/Fast Company

When the Wolves Bite: Two Billionaires, One Company, and an Epic Wall Street Battle

Wall Street"-esque battle between Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn over unlikely target Herbalife. Sip a delicious Herbal Aloe Shake while reading.

Marc Andreessen

Co-Founder/Andreessen Horowitz

Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster

These are sources I found fascinating and useful. Not ALL of them, but a bunch. First up, obviously... Svetlana Alexievich's Voices From Chernobyl. Absolutely essential, and heartbreaking, reading. There's a reason Ms. Alexievich has a Nobel Prize.

Craig Mazin

Creator, Writer, Producer/Chernobyl TV Series

The Traveler’s Gift

Question: What books would you recommend to young people to be prepared for the future workplaces?

Answer: So many! So many by Seth Godin (Linchpin, The Icarus Deception, Purple Cow) Essentialism by Greg McKeown, Deep Work by Cal Newport, The Choice by Og Mandino, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, No More Dreaded Mondays and 48 Days To The Work You Love by Dan Miller, The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran, Will It Fly by Pat Flynn, The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews, QBQ by John Miller, The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. Wow, there are so many more, but that’s a start.

Vincent Pugliese

Author & Professional Photographer

Cutting Edge Advertising: How to Create the World’s Best for Brands in the 21st Century

I thought I might put my money where my mouth is. I keep whining that young people are not in touch with some essential books on advertising that have helped me shape the way I practise my trade today, but I never did anything about it. So I am starting here the ultimate books to read list. I will add to it as I get suggestions and as more good books get written.

Bogdana Butnar

Head of Strategy/Poke

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

I thought I might put my money where my mouth is. I keep whining that young people are not in touch with some essential books on advertising that have helped me shape the way I practise my trade today, but I never did anything about it. So I am starting here the ultimate books to read list. I will add to it as I get suggestions and as more good books get written.

Bogdana Butnar

Head of Strategy/Poke

Understanding Art Markets: Inside the world of art and business

Iain Robertson takes a deep dive into the international art market, in an account that is both impressive in its depth and breadth. He explains the processes by which art is created and valued within the socio-economic context of post-war consumerist society, with a painstakingly curated choice of art and artists from around the world and across the centuries. This is a must-read for anyone involved in the art trade, as well as the casual reader curious about how a single painting can be valued at more than $250 million

Sundaram Tagore

Owner/Sundaram Tagore Galleries

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