The Intelligent Investor
Foundational value-investing text on margin of safety and Mr. Market
Ranked 4 of 12 in best personal finance and investing books
The foundational text on value investing, covering margin of safety and Mr. Market. It is dense and its examples are dated, and it focuses on choosing securities rather than on index funds.
Best for Studying the origins of value investing
About The Intelligent Investor
The book sets out Graham's approach to value investing, which compares the price of a security with its underlying value and seeks a margin of safety. Graham uses the figure of Mr. Market, an imagined partner whose offers change from day to day, to explain how investors should treat market swings. It also distinguishes investing from speculation.
The book suits readers who want the original foundation of value investing and are willing to work through dense text and older examples. Later editions include commentary by Jason Zweig that places the ideas in a later context. Compared with the index-fund books on this list, it is about selecting securities and judging their value, not about holding the whole market.
Key features
- Margin of safety
- Mr. Market
- Commentary by Jason Zweig in later editions
Strengths
- Original foundation of value investing
- Introduces margin of safety and Mr. Market
Limits
- Dense text with dated examples
- Focused on selecting securities, not index funds
Where The Intelligent Investor ranks
How The Intelligent Investor compares
| Product | Score | Price | Formats | Main approach | Level | Market focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#2 The Little Book of Common Sense Investing | 91.0 | Paid | Low-cost index funds | Beginner | Not stated | |
#3 A Random Walk Down Wall Street | 90.0 | Paid | Market efficiency and history | Intermediate | Not stated | |
#4 The Intelligent Investor | 89.5 | Paid | Value investing | Intermediate | Not stated | |
#5 The Simple Path to Wealth | 88.0 | Paid | Saving and index funds | Beginner | US-centric | |
#6 The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing | 86.5 | Paid | Index investing | Beginner | US-centric |
The full comparison table for best personal finance and investing books has all 12 products.
Alternatives to The Intelligent Investor
All 11 alternatives
The Psychology of MoneyShort essays on how behavior and luck shape financial outcomes- The Little Book of Common Sense InvestingThe case for low-cost, broadly diversified index funds
- A Random Walk Down Wall StreetInvestment history and theory on why markets are hard to beat
- The Simple Path to WealthA plain-language path to financial independence with index funds
- The Bogleheads' Guide to InvestingAn index-investing guide based on the Bogleheads community philosophy
Your Money or Your LifeA nine-step program that treats money as life energy
Compare The Intelligent Investor
- The Intelligent InvestorversusThe Psychology of Money
- The Intelligent InvestorversusThe Little Book of Common Sense Investing
- The Intelligent InvestorversusA Random Walk Down Wall Street
- The Intelligent InvestorversusThe Simple Path to Wealth
- The Intelligent InvestorversusThe Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Related rankings
Questions about The Intelligent Investor
- Is The Intelligent Investor free?
- The Intelligent Investor is a paid product (paid). Sold as a print book; price varies by seller.
- Which formats is The Intelligent Investor available in?
- The Intelligent Investor is offered as Print.
- What is The Intelligent Investor best for?
- Studying the origins of value investing. In our ranking of personal finance and investing books it is number 4 of 12 with a score of 89.5.
- What are the best alternatives to The Intelligent Investor?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are The Psychology of Money, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, The Simple Path to Wealth.
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