There are many benefits of reading. Just the very act of reading makes us smarter. The more knowledge you can gain in your industry, the better prepared you’ll be for the right job. Reading also reduces stress, improves our analytical thinking skills, increases our vocabulary, strengthens our memory, and makes us better writers and communicators.

We often think of finance professionals as “numbers people” but reading books can be the best way to stay on top of trends and learn about the history of the industry. Here are 5 books we believe should be at the top of every financial professional’s reading list.

1. The Theory of Investment Value by John Burr Williams: You may be surprised to find that this book was published in 1938 after being written as a part of a Harvard thesis paper. While the field of finance has changed over the years the concepts and theories can continue to be applied to modern financial decisions.
2. A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel: This book may be the best kept secret in the financial sector. It implies than anyone has the tools to make investment decisions which may be antithetical to the image the industry wants to portray. But the subject matter turns out to be far less random than the title would lead you to believe.
3. Against the Gods by Peter Bernstein: This book is about risk and how it appears as part of the human condition. Any financial professional with an interest in risk management should read this book to better understand the ways that risk actually works not only in our economy but also in our daily lives.
4. One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch: Not every finance professional will have a Wall Street job but everyone can learn the techniques that make it a success. Lynch suggests that investors take advantage of what they already know and ignore some of the more drastic fluctuations in the market in order to achieve their goals.
5. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: One of the most amazing books on social economics to ever be published; Freakonomics is an absolute must read for everyone in the financial industry. Through economic insights and amazing story telling, the authors provide a look inside economics that most people would never see.

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