What books does Bill Ackman recommend?
The Bill Ackman book recommendations here come from the founder and CEO of Pershing Square, an activist investor known for high-profile campaigns and an outspoken presence on financial markets. Seventeen titles are drawn largely from the Pershing Square analyst reading list, his Twitter posts, and his appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast. Economics and finance dominate, alongside business strategy, psychology and history. His foundational pick is Benjamin Graham and David Dodd's Security Analysis, which he calls the Bible of Investing and requires every analyst at his firm to read. Graham's The Intelligent Investor was the first investment book he read, and he calls it the inspiration for his career and a lot of his life. Beyond finance, he urges readers toward Peter Attia's Outlive, saying there are a few times in life when you read a book and realize your life will be transformed if you follow its teachings. Ackman has not written any books.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Security Analysis
The Classic 1940 Edition
byBenjamin Graham, David L. Dodd
1940880 Pages“The Bible of Investing. Pershing Square requires all analysts to read this as the foundation of our investment process.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Bill Ackman and 3 others
The Intelligent Investor
The Definitive Book on Value Investing
byBenjamin Graham
2006640 Pages“Actually, it was the first investment book I read, and as such, it was kind of the inspiration for my career and a lot of my life. So important book.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Lex Fridman Podcast #413
Read by Bill Ackman
America's Cultural Revolution
How the Radical Left Conquered Everything
byChristopher F. Rufo
2023352 Pages“It is an excellent and carefully researched book. I found it incredibly elucidating. The first book I have read in years with a pen in hand to enable me to mark the most important passages. A definite must read.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Bill Ackman's Twitter
Read by Bill Ackman, Bryan Johnson, Rich Roll and 4 others
Outlive
The Science and Art of Longevity
byPeter Attia, Bill Gifford
2023496 Pages“There are a few times in life when you read a new book and realize that your life will be transformed if you follow its teachings. Peter Attia's Outlive is such a book. It can save, or at a minimum massively improve, your life. I can't imagine a better investment for 28 bucks.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Bill Ackman's Twitter
Read by Bill Ackman
Confidence Game
How a Hedge Fund Manager Called Wall Street's Bluff
byChristine S. Richard
2010352 Pages“One of the most entertaining business books out there. Really captures the era of 'The Big Short' before 'The Big Short.'”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
Quality of Earnings
The Investor's Guide to How Much Money a Company Is Really Making
byThornton L. O'Glove, Robert Sobel
1998224 Pages“An essential read for understanding the art of reading financial statements and gauging genuine profit levels.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
Beating the Street
How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market
byPeter Lynch, John Rothchild
1993336 PagesSource: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
One Up On Wall Street
How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market
byPeter Lynch, John Rothchild
2000304 Pages“This is one of my favorite investment books ever. 'One Up on Wall Street' focuses on helping regular investors defeat Wall Street professionals.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
Margin of Safety
Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor
bySeth A. Klarman
1991249 Pages“Explains the philosophy of value investing and the logic of why it works.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits
byJoel Greenblatt
1997304 Pages“Joel Greenblatt is a great teacher and investor. This book offers a practical guide to investing in the stock market.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America
Lessons for Corporate America
byWarren Buffett, Lawrence A. Cunningham
2013306 Pages“Are you a fan of Warren Buffett? Then you should read this book. This book tells you exactly how Buffett has built his empire.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
The Warren Buffett Way
Investment Strategies of the World's Greatest Investor
byRobert G. Hagstrom
2014320 Pages“This book breaks down Warren Buffett's investment philosophy. It's a helpful book for those who want to invest in a sound and rational way.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Read by Bill Ackman
Fooling Some of the People All of the Time
A Long Short (and Now Complete) Story
byDavid Einhorn
2010448 PagesSource: Pershing Square Analyst Reading List
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
byAshlee Vance
2015400 Pages“I loved [Ashlee's] book on Elon.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Bill Ackman's Twitter
Read by Bill Ackman
Trillion Dollar Triage
How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic—and Prevented Economic Disaster
byNick Timiraos
2022352 Pages“It is a great book with an inside look at how central bank sausage is made.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Bill Ackman's Twitter
Read by Bill Ackman
byJean-Paul Sartre
2000448 Pages“You read it and it's either an epiphany and it affects the way you live your life, or it's of no interest to you.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Lex Fridman Podcast #413
Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up
Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up
byAbigail Shrier
2024320 Pages“This is a must read for every parent and teacher.”
— Bill Ackman
Source: Bill Ackman's Twitter
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Bill Ackman recommend?
His 17 recommendations include Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd, Benjamin Graham's The Intelligent Investor, Peter Attia's Outlive, Christine Richard's Confidence Game, and Peter Lynch's One Up On Wall Street.
What is Bill Ackman's most recommended book?
Ackman calls Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd the Bible of Investing, noting that Pershing Square requires all its analysts to read it as the foundation of the firm's investment process.
Where do Bill Ackman's book recommendations come from?
They are drawn from the Pershing Square analyst reading list, his posts on Twitter, and his conversation on the Lex Fridman Podcast, spanning value-investing classics and books on health and society.
Does Bill Ackman recommend books outside of investing?
Yes. He praises Peter Attia's Outlive as a book that can transform or save your life, recommends Abigail Shrier's Bad Therapy for parents and teachers, and cites Jean-Paul Sartre's Essays in Existentialism as potentially life-altering.
What genres does Bill Ackman read most?
His list is dominated by economics and finance and business and strategy, with additional threads of psychology and human behavior, history, and books on society and politics.
All 17 Books Bill Ackman Has Recommended
- Security Analysis · Benjamin Graham
- The Intelligent Investor · Benjamin Graham
- America's Cultural Revolution · Christopher F. Rufo
- Outlive · Peter Attia
- Confidence Game · Christine S. Richard
- Quality of Earnings · Thornton L. O'Glove
- Beating the Street · Peter Lynch
- One Up On Wall Street · Peter Lynch
- Margin of Safety · Seth A. Klarman
- You Can Be a Stock Market Genius · Joel Greenblatt
- The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America · Warren Buffett
- The Warren Buffett Way · Robert G. Hagstrom
- Fooling Some of the People All of the Time · David Einhorn
- Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future · Ashlee Vance
- Trillion Dollar Triage · Nick Timiraos
- Essays in Existentialism · Jean-Paul Sartre
- Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up · Abigail Shrier