25 Investment Classics

Although written over 10 years ago, much wisdom can still be extracted from '25 Investment Classics.' I assume for this to be true 10, even 20 years from now. Classics are classics for a reason-- they have valuable insights and are timeless. In a sea of investment literature, Gough boils it down to what he deems the 25 most valuable. Most business readers will have probably already read or heard of many of the books. Books such as A Random Walk Down Wall Street: Completely Revised and Updated Edition and The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition) are found here, as well as others that go back decades, even centuries. Each classic is summed up in about 5-10 pages. This is good and bad. It lets you get an idea and the main points, but there is something to reading the original text in its entirety. That said, this should be apart of your business library, not your ENTIRE business library. '25' is good, but could use less opinion from the other. Author Tom Butler-Bowden does a fine job writing clear and concise summaries, such as 50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It (50 Classics) which lays out a books main points and lets the reader decide their opinion.

This book is just that . . . an excellent summary of investment classics, and it is easy to read and absorb. It makes it easy to select a short list of what you intend to read based upon the synopsis presented.

"25 Investment Classics" distills the knowledge of some classic investment books into bite-sized pieces. Gough explains the books involved, why the book in question is significant, and also offers his own critique of the investment classic under review. I did not give this book five stars because I disagreed with some of Gough's choices (I never thought of "The Art of Short Selling" as a classic). I was also disappointed by Gough's apparent contempt for technical analysis. Although there are plenty of concepts in technical analysis that are bogus, I do not think that the whole field is bunk. This is light reading for the lover of investing and trading books.

I appreciate Mr. Gough's book for the valuable insight offered by the 25 "masters" of finance. Indeed it is his choice of experts and his obvious appreciation for their accumen, moxie and well yes, success that makes this book a good read. Mr. Gough has a fine, clear writing style and we leave the book a bit smarter and perhaps a bit more interested in some of his muses. I recommend it!!

I thought the book was pretty good, and great for a beginner, he doesn't seem to believe with chart readings much, me too. He gives you a wide spectrum of views. Great book for insight on other investment books.