100 Best Private Equity Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco

Bryan Burrough

5.0

“One of the finest, most compelling accounts of what happened to corporate America and Wall Street in the 1980’s.”
—New York Times Book Review

A #1 New York Times bestseller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes

Recommended by Bill Liao, Bogdan Iordache, David Rothschild, and 2 others.

Bill Liao

The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]

Bogdan Iordache

There are quite a few good business books on technology, and I'll list below some I find to be a good starting point. Personally, I like biographies a lot and I mostly read biographies of dead people, because those are the most honest ones. So because the computer age is still very young, there won't be a lot of biographies in my list. [source]

Scott Kupor

@JPHampstead @TimParksauthor Barbarians is a great book. Hope you enjoy mine! [source]

2

Think and Grow Rich

Napoleon Hill

4.8

Preview Summary

One of the most popular personal development and self-improvement books of all time, Think and Grow Rich has sold over 100 million copies worldwide since its first publication during the Great Depression. In this hardcover edition, Napoleon Hill presents a "Philosophy of Achievement" in 13 principles drawn from the success stories of such greats as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and o

Recommended by Tony Robbins, Daymond John, John C. Maxwell, and 23 others.

Daymond John

Founder/FUBU

The main takeaway from this book was goal-setting. It was the fact that if you don't set a specific goal, then how can you expect to hit it? [source]

Adam Haritan

For anyone interested in my career path, I’d recommend books in various genres. On a real practical level, I’d certainly recommend reading any and all plant/mushroom/tree/ecology/nature books you can acquire. It’s even more helpful to read the books that pertain specifically to your ecosystem and bioregion. Additionally, I’d also recommend reading a plethora of business and marketing books — both old and new alike. Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, and anything by Seth Godin would be my top recommendations. And of course, every book I mentioned in the previous answers are strongly recommended as well. [source]

Alan Pierce

This book dramatically changed the way I structured my day to day life. Based on over two decades of personal interviews and studies of some of history's’ greatest minds, the author distills the lessons he learned and details how you can train and condition your mind through daily habit to master your actions. The way it promotes a disciplined and holistic approach of continual self-improvement, goal setting and strategic decision making really resonated with me. [source]

3

King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone

David Carey, John E. Morris

4.7

Strippers and Flippers . . . or a New Positive Force Helping to Drive the Economy . . .

The untold story of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone, the financier and his financial powerhouse that avoided the self-destructive tendencies of Wall Street. David Carey and John Morris show how Blackstone (and other private equity firms) transformed themselves from gamblers, hostile-takeover artists, and ‘barb

Recommended by Bogdan Iordache.

Bogdan Iordache

There are quite a few good business books on technology, and I'll list below some I find to be a good starting point. Personally, I like biographies a lot and I mostly read biographies of dead people, because those are the most honest ones. So because the computer age is still very young, there won't be a lot of biographies in my list. [source]

4

What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence

Stephen A. Schwarzman

4.5

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From Blackstone chairman, CEO, and co-founder Stephen A. Schwarzman, a long-awaited book that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman's life to show readers how to build, transform, and lead thriving organizations. Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, philanthropist, executive, or simply someone looking for ways to maximize your potential, the same lessons apply.

People

Recommended by Eric Schmidt and Norman Ornstein.

Eric Schmidt

CEO/Google

Reveals how the author has achieved the rarest kind of leverage in multiple fields. [source]

Norman Ornstein

What it Takes remains the best book written about American politics and politicians. i reread every few years. Want to know about Biden? Read it! https://t.co/ZlLwbRqADa [source]

5

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory

David Graeber

4.5

Preview Summary

From bestselling writer David Graeber, a powerful argument against the rise of meaningless, unfulfilling jobs, and their consequences.

Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs.” It went viral. After a million online views in seventeen different langua

6

High Growth Handbook

Elad Gil

4.4

Well-known technology executive and angel investor Elad Gil has worked with high growth tech companies like Airbnb, Twitter, Google, Instacart, Coinbase, Stripe, and Square as they've grown from small companies into global brands. Across all of these break-out companies, a set of common patterns has evolved into a repeatable playbook that Gil has codified in High Growth Handbook.

Covering key topi

Recommended by Brian Armstrong, Alok Kejriwal, and Joe Martin.

Alok Kejriwal

Will I work with me? In the book High Growth Handbook, a paragraph was stunning : “Founders should write a guide to working with them. It would be to clarify the founder’s role: “What do I want to be involved in?” Check pic note WHY this is a great idea.. https://t.co/xzdv8cuR4D [source]

Joe Martin

@eladgil Love this book [source]

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7

Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions

Joshua Rosenbaum

4.3

In the constantly evolving world of finance, a solid technical foundation is an essential tool for success. Due to the fast-paced nature of this world, however, no one has been able to take the time to properly codify the lifeblood of the corporate financier's work--namely, valuation. Rosenbaum and Pearl have responded to this need by writing the book that they wish had existed when they were tryi

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8

The Money Game

Adam Smith

4.3

"This is a modern classic." —Paul A. Samuelson, First American Nobel Prize Winner in Economics

"The best book there is about the stock market and all that goes with it." —The New York Times Book Review

"Anyone whose orientation is toward where the action is, where the happenings happen, should buy a copy of The Money Game and read it with due diligence." —Book World

" 'Adam Smith' is a veteran obs

Recommended by Brendan Moynihan and John Lanchester.

Brendan Moynihan

The first book I read on the markets. [source]

John Lanchester

Adam Smith is a pseudonym – he was an extremely successful professional investor called George Goodman, who also wrote a newspaper column. This is a real insider’s account of the way that the money markets and trading works. [source]

9

Advanced Techniques in Day Trading: A Practical Guide to High Probability Strategies and Methods

Andrew Aziz

4.3

This well-thought-out training regimen begins with an in-depth look at the necessary tools of the trade including your scanner, software and platform; and then moves to practical advice on subjects such as how to find the right stocks to trade, how to define support and resistance levels, and how to best manage your trades in the stress of the moment. An extensive review of proven trading strategi

10

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need

Andrew Tobias

4.3

“The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need . . . actually lives up to its name.” — Los Angeles Times

“So full of tips and angles that only a booby or a billionaire could not benefit.” — New York Times

For nearly forty years, The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need has been a favorite finance guide, earning the allegiance of more than a million readers across America. This completely updated ed

Recommended by Mark Cuban and Jeffrey Snover.

Jeffrey Snover

@AndrewTobias wrote a fantastic book about how to think about money, spending, saving, and investing. If you don't have these things in focus, I can STRONGLY recommend this book. https://t.co/wa4eOhkxXb https://t.co/hOU23B43Kl [source]

11

The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History

Gregory Zuckerman

4.3

In 2006, hedge fund manager John Paulson realized something few others suspected--that the housing market and the value of subprime mortgages were grossly inflated and headed for a major fall. Paulson's background was in mergers and acquisitions, however, and he knew little about real estate or how to wager against housing. He had spent a career as an also-ran on Wall Street. But Paulson was convi

Recommended by Charles T. Munger, Charlie Munger, and Fabrice Grinda.

Fabrice Grinda

I have lots of books to recommend, but they are not related to my career path. The only one that is remotely related is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. That said here are books I would recommend. [source]

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12

Raising Private Capital: Building Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People's Money

Matt Faircloth

4.3

This book is intended to be a roadmap for real estate investors who are looking to raise their game by injecting more private capital into their business. In the word of real estate, there is more than one way to obtain the money you need: Traditional lending may work for some investors, but going to a bank is simply not an option. Matt will provide the step by step process to acquiring, securing

13

The 5x CEO: Learn the Strategies and Tactics of Top Private Equity CEOs to Accelerate Value and Maximize Returns

Samantha Allison, Taavo Godtfredsen

4.3

If you're a CEO in a private equity-backed company, the clock is ticking and expectations are sky-high. Your mission is clear: create extraordinary value, move fast, and deliver results that justify the investment. But how do the top-performing CEOs deliver outstanding returns while others fall short?The 5x CEO is your answer. Based on a two-year research study of over 50 private equity-backed CEO

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14

Private Equity Investing in Direct Selling: Identifying Risks & Rewards

Brett A Blake

4.3

15

Private Equity Defined: Venture, Growth, and Buyouts

Claudia Zeisberger

4.3

The definitive guide to private equity for investors, finance professionals managers and business owners.Private Equity Defined: Venture, Growth and Buyouts presents a unique handbook and valuable on-demand tool for investors, (finance) professionals, managers and business owners looking to engage with private equity or venture funds.

The book systematically distills the essence of private equity a

16

The Private Equity Advantage: Balancing Price, Terms, and Legacy When Selling Your Business

Scott Hanson

4.3

When is the right time to sell your business? And how do you ensure the deal protects both value and legacy?For business owners who have spent decades building their firms, the decision to sell represents both opportunity and complexity. The financial stakes are significant. The emotional dimensions run deeper. And the landscape of buyers—from strategic acquirers to private equity firms—can feel d

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17

Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies

McKinsey & Company Inc., Tim Koller, Marc Goedhart, David Wessels

4.3

Hailed by financial professionals worldwide as the single best guide of its kind, Valuation, Fourth Edition is thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect business conditions in today's volatile global economy. Valuation provides up-to-date insights and practical advice on how to create, manage, and measure an organization's value. Along with all-new case studies that illustrate how valuation techn

18

Options as a Strategic Investment

Lawrence G. McMillan

4.3

The market in listed options and non-equity option products provides investors and traders with a wealth of new, strategic opportunities for managing their investments. This updated and revised Fifth Edition of the bestselling Options as a Strategic Investment gives you the latest market-tested tools for improving the earnings potential of your portfolio while reducing downside risk—no matter how

19

The Disciplined Trader: Developing Winning Attitudes

Mark Douglas

4.3

The classic book that introduced the investment industry to the concept of trading psychology.

With rare insight based on his firsthand commodity trading experience, author Mark Douglas demonstrates how the mental matters that allow us function effectively in society are often psychological barriers in trading. After examining how we develop losing attitudes, this book prepares you for a thorough "

20

Investing in Real Estate Private Equity: An Insider’s Guide to Real Estate Partnerships, Funds, Joint Ventures & Crowdfunding

Sean Cook

4.3

21

Lessons from Private Equity Any Company Can Use (Memo to the CEO)

Orit Gadiesh

4.3

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22

La escuela de negocios: Para personas que gustan de ayudar a los demás / The Business School for People Who Like Helping People

Robert T. Kiyosaki

4.3

This book was my introduction to Robert Kiyosaki and one that I've read several times over. Here's why: Robert Kiyosaki doesn't say he's never been INVOLVED with networking, he has. What he says is he didn't make his fortune from network marketing. There's a big difference. Remember that when reading other reviews. Robert explains to the reader how his opinion of networking changed (pg. 24) when,

23

The Book on Negotiating Real Estate: Expert Strategies for Getting the Best Deals When Buying & Selling Investment Property

J Scott

4.3

Recommended by Chris Mobbs.

Chris Mobbs

The Book on Negotiating Real Estate: Expert Strategies for Getting the Best Deals When Buying & Selling Investment Property https://t.co/KVSKLy5aQU https://t.co/Dbn2sAYpcd [source]

24

Investment Banking: Valuation, LBOs, M&A, and IPOs (Book + Valuation Models) (Wiley Finance)

Joshua Rosenbaum

4.3

25

The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital: Management Lessons from the Pioneers of Private Investing

Robert Finkel

4.2

Ten Leading private investors share their secrets to maximum profitability

In The Masters of Private Equity and Venture Capital, the pioneers of the industry share the investing and management wisdom they have gained by investing in and transforming their portfolio companies.

Based on original interviews conducted by the authors, this book is filled with colorful stories on the subjects that most ma

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26

Investment Banking + Dg, 2nd Edition, University Edition

Joshua Pearl and Joshua Rosenbaum

4.2

World-class valuation and transaction models to complement the global best-selling guide to investment banking

Five valuation models templates along with completed versions are accessible for purchase and use--downloadable in electronic format on the book's website, www.wiley.com/go/investmentbanking2e. Each model comes complete with a user's guide.

The models includeComparable Companies AnalysisPre

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27

Day Trading: A Beginner's Guide on How to Trade, Living in the Market and Make Money with Day Trading Investing in Stocks, Forex, and Options with the Best Futures and Strategies for a Trader in 2019

Henry Hill

4.2

What is Day Trading? Are you a beginner and have no clue about day trading? Do you want to become rich? Read On..

The truth is.. Broadly defined as buying and selling the same security in a single day. Armed with a large amount of data, and an even larger bankroll, the best day traders take advantage of high amounts of leverage as well as strategies for success that come to fruition in the short t

28

Empire Builder: The Road to a Billion

Adam Coffey

4.2

29

The Master Key System: The Original Unabridged and Complete Edition (Charles F. Haanel Classics)

Charles F. Haanel

4.2

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30

Financial Modeling and Valuation: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity

Paul Pignataro

4.2

Written by the Founder and CEO of the prestigious New York School of Finance, this book schools you in the fundamental tools for accurately assessing the soundness of a stock investment. Built around a full-length case study of Wal-Mart, it shows you how to perform an in-depth analysis of that company's financial standing, walking you through all the steps of developing a sophisticated financial m

31

Big Money in Franchising: Scaling Your Enterprise in the Era of Private Equity

Alicia Miller

4.2

32

A Beginner's Guide to Business Valuation: Lessons Learned from 20 Years in the Trenches

Jacob Orosz

4.2

33

The Private Equity Playbook: Management’s Guide to Working with Private Equity 2nd Edition

Adam Coffey

4.2

34

The Exit-Strategy Playbook: The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Business

Adam Coffey

4.2

35

How to Invest in Commercial Real Estate if You Know Nothing about Commercial Real Estate: The Definitive Institutional Real Estate Investing Guide

David A. Dowell

4.2

36

Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America

Brendan Ballou

4.2

37

The Caesars Palace Coup: How A Billionaire Brawl Over the Famous Casino Exposed the Power and Greed of Wall Street

Max Frumes

4.2

38

Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream

Megan Greenwell

4.2

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39

Merchants of Debt: KKR and the Mortgaging of American Business

George Anders

4.2

40

Search Funds & Entrepreneurial Acquisitions: The Roadmap for Buying a Business and Leading it to the Next Level

Jan Simon

4.2

41

Mastering Private Equity

Claudia Zeisberger, Bowen White, and Michael Prahl

4.2

42

Fooling Some of the People All of the Time, a Long Short (and Now Complete) Story, Updated with New Epilogue

David Einhorn

4.2

A revealing look at Wall Street, the financial media, and financial regulators by David Einhorn, the President of Greenlight CapitalCould 2008's credit crisis have been minimized or even avoided? In 2002, David Einhorn-one of the country's top investors-was asked at a charity investment conference to share his best investment advice. Short sell Allied Capital. At the time, Allied was a leader in t

43

Divestitures: Creating Value Through Strategy, Structure, and Implementation

Emilie R. Feldman

4.2

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44

The 16 % Solution, Revised Edition: How to Get High Interest Rates in a Low-Interest World with Tax Lien Certificates

Joel S. Moskowitz

4.1

Low interest rates can mean high interest from readers.

Dealing with unpaid taxes? Looking for investment opportunities?

With home foreclosures at an all-time high and the erratic stock market damaging 401(k) accounts, people are looking for innovative ways to invest their money and improve their financial situation through different investment vehicles.

Moskowitz explains what tax lien certificates

45

The Art of M&A, Sixth Edition: A Merger, Acquisition, and Buyout Guide

Alexandra Reed Lajoux

4.1

Cover unavailable

46

Equity Markets and Portfolio Analysis

R. Stafford Johnson

4.1

Understand today's investment challenges and the role of the Bloomberg system In recent years, changes have swept through the investment industry like wildfire. Academia has followed along and provided new lenses for viewing this transformation, as well as new strategies for gaining a true understanding and knowledge of investment and financial markets. Now, Equity Markets and Portfolio Analysis h

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47

Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, and Private Equity

David P. Stowell

4.1

As our economy evolves, private equity groups, hedge funds, and investment banks compete and cooperate in different ways. Their recent innovations are reported and analyzed by the 3rd edition of David Stowell's landmark book, which adds three new cases, significantly revisions of most chapters, and updated figures, tables, and exhibits. It captures the actual work that associates and vice presiden

48

Engines That Move Markets: Technology Investing from Railroads to the Internet and Beyond

Alasdair G. M. Nairn

4.1

49

The Wyckoff Methodology in Depth: How to trade financial markets logically

Rubén Villahermosa

4.1

50

The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders

Connie Bruck

4.1

During the 1980s, Michael Milken at Drexel Burnham Lambert was the Billionaire Junk Bond King. He invented such things as "the highly confident letter" (I'm highly confident that I can raise the money you need to buy company X) and "the blind pool" (Here's a billion dollars: let us help you buy a company), and he financed the biggest corporate raiders--men like Carl Icahn and Ronald Perelman.

And t

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51

Leveraged Buyouts, + Website: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity

Paul Pignataro

4.1

A comprehensive look at the world of leveraged buyouts The private equity industry has grown dramatically over the past twenty years. Such investing requires a strong technical know-how in order to turn private investments into successful enterprises. That is why Paul Pignataro has created Leveraged Buyouts + Website: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity.

Engaging and informat

52

Private Debt: Yield, Safety and the Emergence of Alternative Lending (Wiley Finance)

Stephen L. Nesbitt

4.1

53

Capital Allocation: Principles, Strategies, and Processes for Creating Long-Term Shareholder Value

David R. Giroux

4.1

54

Wealth in Numbers: The Ultimate Dealmaker’s Guide to SPVs, Syndication, and Private Investment

Max Avery, Jake Claver, and Jordan Hutchinson

4.1

Cover unavailable

55

Venture Capital, Private Equity, and the Financing of Entrepreneurship

Josh Lerner, Ann Leamon, Felda Hardymon

4.1

Venture Capital, Private Equity, and the Financing of Entrepreneurship explores the exciting world of active investing and lays out in a clear and readily accessible way their key features, ways of doing business and likely evolution. The book follows the cycle of active investing. Raising funds, considering transactions, structuring and overseeing transactions, and exiting investments are conside

56

The Lifestyle Investor: The 10 Commandments of Cash Flow Investing for Passive Income and Financial Freedom

Justin Donald

4.1

57

Billion Dollar Lessons: What You Can Learn from the Most Inexcusable Business Failures of the Last 25 Years

Paul B. Carroll, Chunka Mui

4.1

How to avoid the mistakes that lead to the majority of business failures.

Most executives shudder at the word “failure” and try to avoid thinking about it. No wonder there are thousands of books about successful companies but virtually none about the lessons to be learned from those that crash and burn.

Paul Carroll and Chunka Mui think there’s enormous value in learning from companies that lost m

Recommended by Ryan Holiday.

Ryan Holiday

Author

I am putting this book on here as a cautionary tale for all the supposed business strategists out there. Because it turns out that most (if not all) genius business strategies are totally misguided and lead to catastrophic failure. Your planned merger, roll up, pivot–it’s probably got glaring strategic flaws in it. Why? Because you’re too caught up in your own vision to see what can go wrong, to see where you’ve been overly optimistic, to accept how little you control. Pairing this book with some of the books on war is a good idea. It will humble you and keep you conservative–which all good strategists are. “Boldness” should be used sparingly because it’s often actually just stupidity in disguise. [source]

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58

The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers

Brent Beshore

4.1

The marketplace for small and midsize businesses is messy. Having peeked behind the curtain at over 10,000 companies, this book aims to demystify the buyers, the process, and the inevitably emotional journey that is selling a company.

Read it. Reference it. Share it.

Think about what outcomes are important to you and why. Here's a cheat sheet:

I want between $ and $ of cash as a financial result. (Yo

59

The Private Equity Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Deals Done from Sourcing to Exit (Wiley Finance)

Tamara Sakovska

4.1

60

Middle Market M & A: Handbook for Advisors, Investors, and Business Owners (Wiley Finance)

Kenneth H. Marks

4.1

61

The Key Man: The True Story of How the Global Elite Was Duped by a Capitalist Fairy Tale

Simon Clark

4.1

62

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructurings (Wiley Corporate F&A)

Patrick A. Gaughan

4.1

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63

Inside Private Equity: The Professional Investor's Handbook

James M. Kocis

4.1

Inside Private Equity explores the complexities of this asset class and introduces new methodologies that connect investment returns with wealth creation. By providing straightforward examples, it demystifies traditional measures like the IRR and challenges many of the common assumptions about this asset class. Readers take away a set of practical measures that empower them to better manage their

64

The New Tycoons: Inside the Trillion Dollar Private Equity Industry That Owns Everything (Bloomberg)

Jason Kelly

4.1

Inside the Trillion Dollar Industry That Owns Everything

What do Dunkin' Donuts, J. Crew, Toys "R" Us, and Burger King have in common? They are all currently or just recently were owned, operated, and controlled by private equity firms. "The New Tycoons: Inside the Trillion Dollar Private Equity Industry That Owns Everything" takes the reader behind the scenes of these firms: their famous billionai

65

Study Guide for the Fourth Edition of Options as a Strategic Investment

Lawrence G. McMillan

4.1

The market in listed options and non-equity option products provides investors and traders with a wealth of new, strategic opportunities for managing their investments. This updated and revised Third Edition of the bestselling options book of all time gives you the latest market-tested tools for maximizing the earnings potential of your portfolio while reducing downside risk - no matter how the ma

Cover unavailable

66

Value Trap: Theory of Universal Valuation

Brian M Nelson

4.1

Award-winning book that recently earned acclaim from the prestigious Next Generation Indie Book Awards! Blue Ink Review Notable Book and Readers' Favorite 5 Stars! Wall Street doesn't know it has a problem. Index and quantitative investors have been free-riding on the backs of active managers for years, but growth in price-agnostic trading may finally have reached the tipping point. Brian Nelson, former Director of Methodology at Morningstar and President of Investment Research at Valuentum, explains how enterprise valuation forms the Theory of Universal Valuation and why a focus on it may not only help you avoid value traps, but also save you from the next financial crisis. This is a 356 page book, including Preface, Notes, Bibliography and Index. The text is a response to many worrisome trends and processes in the investment management business today. The book strives to answer the question: what is the appropriate empirical evidence in evidence-based finance? Surely, not just any empirical evidence will do. The book is not meant to be controversial, but a discussion of the great contradiction of "explaining" stock return behavior between factor-based investing (which is based mostly on ambiguous, realized data within in-sample sets) and the efficient markets hypothesis (which is based on expectations of future data, realized or not) may make it so. The text is heavy in behavioral thinking and puts forth enterprise valuation as a behavioral framework in which to view stock prices and their movements. This book also shows how enterprise valuation is much more than a simple stock valuation tool, but rather that enterprise valuation is truly universal valuation, resting at the intersection of behavioral economics, quantitative theory, equity valuation, and therefore finance, itself. A reading of "The Data Dilemma and Valuentum Investing" in the Preface is necessary to understand the various types of data Nelson refers to frequently in this text: ambiguous, causal and impractical. Also emphasized in this book is the difference between in-sample, out-of-sample and walk-forward studies, the latter the author believes to be the most robust and authentic of processes. In the first section of this book (chapters 1 through 3), Nelson welcomes you on a journey through the early lessons of his career and introduces some of the major shortcomings of traditional quant factor-based analysis, while building up the importance of a common theme in this text: the information contained in share prices. In the second section of this book (chapters 4 through 6), the causal nature of enterprise valuation to stock prices is explained, culminating in the Theory of Universal Valuation, which offers enterprise valuation as the central theme to quantitative value studies, efficient markets hypothesis testing and beyond. If at any time, it gets too theoretical, Nelson encourages the casual reader to skip ahead. In the final section of the book (chapters 7 through 10), Nelson talks about practical application of the principles explained in this text: how enterprise valuation can be used to identify bubbles and mispricings, how it's valuable to dividend-growth and income frameworks, how it's connected to economic moat and economic castle theory, and how it can be applied practically in an equity portfolio setting, as in Valuentum investing. This book is not a how-to manual on how to perform enterprise valuation, or a get-rich-quick investment program, but rather a text that Nelson feels lays the foundation for a genuine conversation about stock investing, a conversation about price versus estimated intrinsic value. The book is chock-full of footnotes, too, offering greater depth in areas that may require it. This book is content-rich for the number of pages, as the author wants every sentence, every paragraph to be worth your while. Mr. Nelson has over 15 years' experience in enterprise valuation and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

67

Private Markets: Building Better Portfolios with Private Equity, Private Credit, and Private Real Estate

Tony Davidow

4.1

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68

Private Equity: How the Business of Private Equity Funds Works

Daniel Burmester

4.1

Private equity funds are often called grasshoppers or corporate raiders. Are these accusations true? Are financial investors who generally acquire non-listed companies and sell them after a few years for as much profit as possible really value destroying? In order to answer these and other questions, it is important to understand the business model of private equity funds. The aim of this book is

69

Creating Trinity: Blueprints of a Real Estate Entrepreneur & Investor

Gary Chesson

4.1

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70

The Future for Investors: Why the Tried and the True Triumph Over the Bold and the New

Jeremy J. Siegel

4.1

The new paradigm for investing and building wealth in the twenty-first century. The Future for Investors reveals new strategies that take advantage of the dramatic changes and opportunities that will appear in world markets.

Jeremy Siegel, one of the world's top investing experts, has taken a long, hard, and in-depth look at the market and the stocks that investors should acquire to build long-term

71

These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs—and Wrecks—America

Gretchen Morgenson

4.1

72

Bull!: A History of the Boom, 1982-1999: What Drove the Breakneck Market--And What Every Investor Needs to Know about Financial Cycles

Maggie Mahar

4.1

In Bull!, Maggie Mahar tells the sweeping tale of the Great Bull Market of 1982-1999, a legendary run-up that pulled the entire nation into its gravitational field.

Mahar lays out the origins of the boom and takes the reader behind the scenes, on Wall Street, on Main Street, and in Washington, letting him see the story through the eyes of the fund managers, market gurus, analysts, politicians, busi

Recommended by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Author

Maggie Mahar had the courage to take a look at what was behind all of this religious belief in markets. Clearly I do not understand how she was able to work as a journalist when she has the attitude and mindset of a truth-seeker. I spent some time looking at the difference between her book and Lowenstein's: not even possible to start comparing. One needs to be a trader to value her work. Read this book now; wait a while then read it again. [source]

73

Investment Banking Workbook: 500+ Problem Solving Exercises & Multiple Choice Questions (Wiley Finance)

Joshua Rosenbaum

4.1

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74

Private Equity: Opportunities and Risks (Financial Markets and Investments)

H. Kent Baker, Greg Filbeck, et al

4.1

Cover unavailable

75

Venture Capital and Private Equity: A Casebook

Josh Lerner, Felda Hardymon, Ann Leamon

4.1

Over the past twenty years, the private equity industry has undergone tremendous growth and sweeping changes. With the growth of private equity investing, it is imperative that financial professionals fully understand this complex subject. The cases and notes in this updated edition are designed to provide you with a better understanding of the history of the private equity industry's development

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76

$950 Million in 40 Minutes

Meshulam Riklis

4.1

What makes a world-class financial genius tick?

Enter the mind of a financial mastermind who started from scratch to build a worldwide business empire. Meshulam Riklis invites you on this amazing roller coaster ride to meteoric heights, providing valuable tips for life, for success, and for survival.
A billionaire shares his secrets

In his story, Riklis shares with you the business techniques that he

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77

Structuring Venture Capital, Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Transactions: 2018 Edition

Jack S. Levin and Donald E. Rocap

4.1

The cornerstone resource from two of the industry's leading authorities is now available with analysis of e xtensive changes resulting from the Tax Act and Proposed Regulations including

Code Section 199A - Reduces the tax rate for certain qualified owners of flow through business entities Reduction of the corporate income tax rate to 21% Imposition of greater than 4 year holding period for carrie

78

Fiasco: The Inside Story of a Wall Street Trader

Frank Partnoy

4.1

"Fiasco" is the shocking story of one man's education in the jungles of Wall Street. As a young derivatives salesman at Morgan Stanley, Frank Partnoy learned to buy and sell billions of dollars worth of securities that were so complex many traders themselves didn't understand them. In his behind-the-scenes look at the trading floor and the offices of one of the world's top investment firms, Partno

Recommended by Charles T. Munger.

Charles T. Munger

Vice Chairman/Berkshire Hathaway

I remember reading this shocking book and thinking, holy shit. This book will make you sick. [source]

79

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Private Equity: Success and Failure in Buyout Land

Sebastien Canderle

4.1

Financial risk is a frequently observed and reported structural issue in leveraged buyouts. Other risks are equally prevalent but behavioural or institutional by nature. Factors like irrational decision-making, market manipulation and the lack of proper regulatory oversight are prominent indicators behind private equity’s most troubling side effects. Drawing on a wide range of case histories and r

80

Making Sense of Valuations - Vol 1: Step-by-Step Discounted Cash Flow, Cost Valuation, Ratios, COMPS, Precedent Transactions, EVA, WACC and CAPM Guide for Founders, Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

Paris Archer

4.1

81

Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy, and Timing

Scott L. Bok

4.0

82

Investment Banking for Dummies

Matthew Krantz and Robert Johnson

4.0

"Investment Banking For Dummies" tracks to typical university courses on the subject and helps business students understand the fundamentals of investment banking. Topics include: Strategies for risk management, such as market, credit, operating, reputation, legal, and funding riskKey investment banking operations including: venture capital and buyouts, Merger & Acquisitions services, equity under

83

Corporate Finance for Dummies

Michael Taillard

4.0

Score your highest in corporate finance The math, formulas, and problems associated with corporate finance can be daunting to the uninitiated. Corporate Finance For Dummies introduces you to the practices of determining an operating budget, calculating future cash flow, and scenario analysis in a friendly, un-intimidating way that makes comprehension easy.

Corporate Finance For Dummies covers every

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84

The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read: The Proven Way to Beat the "Pros" and Take Control of Your Financial Future

Daniel R. Solin

4.0

What Are You Waiting For?

This book will change the way you think about investing-and the results will prove it!

"This is the simple hands-on, how-to and why book many readers have been looking for."
-Scott Burns, syndicated columnist

Daniel Solin cuts through the financial hype to show you exactly how to invest-with an easy-to-follow four-step plan that lets you create and monitor your investme

85

Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth About Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street

William D. Cohan

4.0

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the bestselling author of House of Cards and Power Failure comes the sweeping tale of a powerful and controversial financial empire, set against the turbulent backdrop of a rapidly changing Wall Street.On March 22, 2021, Leon Black, the brilliant and fearsome billionaire founder of investment firm Apollo Global Management, resigned. For more than three decades

86

Corporate Financial Distress, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy: Analyze Leveraged Finance, Distressed Debt, and Bankruptcy

Edward I Altman

4.0

A comprehensive look at the enormous growth and evolution of distressed debt markets, corporate bankruptcy, and credit risk models

This Fourth Edition of the most authoritative finance book on the topic updates and expands its discussion of financial distress and bankruptcy, as well as the related topics dealing with leveraged finance, high-yield, and distressed debt markets. It offers state-of-the

87

Financial Modeling and Valuation: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity (Wiley Finance)

Paul Pignataro

4.0

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88

Gods at War: Shotgun Takeovers, Government by Deal, and the Private Equity Implosion

Steven M. Davidoff

4.0

An engaging exploration of modern-day deals and deal-makingGods at War details the recent deals and events that have forever changed the world of billion-dollar deal-making. This book is a whirlwind tour of the players determining the destiny of corporate America, including the government, private equity, strategic buyers, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds.

It not only examines many of the ga

89

Deep Value: Why Activist Investors and Other Contrarians Battle for Control of Losing Corporations (Wiley Finance)

Tobias E. Carlisl

4.0

The economic climate is ripe for another golden age of shareholder activism

Deep Value: How Shareholder Activist Hedge Funds Battle for Control of The World's Leading Corporations is a must-read exploration of deep value investment strategy, describing the evolution of the theories of valuation and shareholder activism from Graham to Icahn and beyond. The book combines engaging anecdotes with indus

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90

The Wall Street MBA: Your Personal Crash Course in Corporate Finance

Reuben Advani

4.0

Mastering corporate finance is a lot easier than you think.
Business school textbooks are notoriously dry, static, and filled with confusing acronyms. The Wall Street MBA takes a different approach by presenting a succinct "crash course," breaking down the main concepts of MBA finance and accounting programs to provide the information and insight you need to:
-Review financial statements-Analyze

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91

The Paper LBO: Proven Methods for Acing the Private Equity Interview

Adam L McGowan

4.0

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92

Private Equity as an Asset Class

Guy Fraser-Sampson

4.0

Guy Fraser-Sampson draws upon twenty years' private equity experience to provide a practical guide to mastering the intricacies of this highly specialist asset class. Aimed equally at investors, professionals and business school students, it starts with such fundamental questions as "what is private equity?" and progresses to detailed analysis of venture and buyout returns. It also unveils a total

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93

The Buyout of America: How Private Equity Is Destroying Jobs and Killing the American Economy

Josh Kosman

4.0

94

The Dealmaker: Lessons from a Life in Private Equity

Guy Hands

4.0

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95

Vault Private Equity Career Guide

Mike Martinez

4.0

Careers at private equity firms (which raise funds to invest in private companies) are considered plum jobs in the finance world because of the intellectual challenge and potentially huge financial payoffs. Although private equity is a relatively young business, now there are more than 2,700 such companies worldwide. In this new Guide, Vault guide brings the scoop on the industry.

96

Private Equity: A Memoir

Carrie Sun

4.0

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97

Inside Secrets to Angel Investing: Step-By-Step Strategies to Leverage Private Equity Investment for Passive Wealth Creation

Karen Rands

4.0

This book will give you the Inside Secrets of how the rich get richer by investing in entrepreneurs, funding innovation, and generating job growth.

Everything we know about investing in private companies, owning a part of multiple companies without operating them, has changed.

Never before has there been a better time to invest in private companies to help bring innovation to the market, create jobs

98

Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused

Mike Dash

4.0

In the 1630s, visitors to the prosperous trading cities of the Netherlands couldn't help but notice that thousands of normally sober, hardworking Dutch citizens from every walk of life were caught up in an extraordinary frenzy of buying and selling. The object of this unprecedented speculation was the tulip, a delicate and exotic Eastern import that had bewitched horticulturists, noblemen, and tav

99

The CRO's Guide to Winning in Private Equity: A Practical Roadmap for Sales Leaders

JD Miller

4.0

Cover unavailable

100

One Step Ahead: Private Equity and Hedge Funds After the Global Financial Crisis

Timothy Spangler

4.0

A jargon-free guide to how investment funds operate and have broken free of the financial crises to grow and prosper

In One Step Ahead, Timothy Spangler – author of the award-winning Forbes.com blog “Law of the Market” – provides a compelling account of how flexible and entrepreneurial investment firms can prosper in a volatile and rapidly changing financial world.

From the Occupy Movement to the pu