Read by Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, Bill Ackman and 3 others
What books does Warren Buffett recommend?
Warren Buffett, the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway often called the Oracle of Omaha, has spent decades pointing readers toward the books behind his thinking, and this page gathers 27 of his book recommendations in one place. Most were drawn straight from his annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters, supplemented by CNBC and CBS interviews and remarks at the company's annual meeting. The reading skews heavily toward economics and finance, business and strategy, and the biographies of the managers he admires. At its center sits The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, a book Buffett bought in 1949 and later called the source of "most of the thoughts in this investment discussion" and one of "the luckiest moments in my life." Alongside it are value-investing touchstones like Philip Fisher's Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and John Brooks's Business Adventures, which Buffett named "the best business book I've ever read."
Last updated January 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Intelligent Investor
The Definitive Book on Value Investing
byBenjamin Graham
2006640 Pages“I learned most of the thoughts in this investment discussion from Ben's book The Intelligent Investor, which I bought in 1949. My financial life changed with that purchase... Picking up that book was one of the luckiest moments in my life.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2013)
Read by Warren Buffett
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits
and Other Writings
byPhilip Fisher
2003320 Pages“I am an eager reader of whatever Phil has to say, and I recommend him to you.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting / Interviews
Business Adventures
Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street
byJohn Brooks
2014464 Pages“Business Adventures remains the best business book I've ever read.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Sent to Bill Gates (1991)
The Outsiders
Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
byWilliam N. Thorndike
2012272 Pages“The Outsiders... is an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation. It has an insightful chapter on our director, Tom Murphy, overall the best business manager I've ever met.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2012)
Read by Warren Buffett
Stress Test
Reflections on Financial Crises
byTimothy F. Geithner
2014592 Pages“This is a book that every manager should read... It's a must-read for any manager.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: CNBC Interview (2014)
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing
The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns
byJohn C. Bogle
2017304 Pages“Rather than listen to their siren songs, investors – large and small – should instead read Jack Bogle's The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2014)
Where Are the Customers' Yachts?
or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street
byFred Schwed Jr.
2006208 Pages“The funniest book ever written about investing, it lightly delivers many truly important messages on the subject.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2006)
Read by Warren Buffett
Essays in Persuasion
A collection of seminal writings on economic policy and theory
byJohn Maynard Keynes
1991384 Pages“Reading Keynes will make you smarter about securities and markets. I'm not sure reading most economists would do the same.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Outstanding Investor Digest (1989)
Read by Warren Buffett, Brian Armstrong, Chip Wilson and 3 others
Shoe Dog
A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
byPhil Knight
2016400 Pages“The best book I read last year. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2016)
byJack Welch, John A. Byrne
2001496 Pages“Get a copy!”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2001)
Read by Warren Buffett
Dream Big
How the Brazilian Trio behind 3G Capital Acquired Anheuser-Busch, Burger King and Heinz
byCristiane Correa
2014272 Pages“My friend – and now partner – Jorge Paulo and his team are among the best businessmen in the world. He is a fantastic person and his story should be an inspiration to everybody, as it is for me.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting (2014)
Read by Warren Buffett
First a Dream
The Story of Jim Clayton
byJim Clayton, Bill Retherford
2002400 Pages“I enjoyed the book so much that I gave copies to Pierce, Wolf, my family and the directors of Berkshire.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2003)
Read by Warren Buffett
Take on the Street
What Wall Street and Corporate America Don't Want You to Know / What You Can Do to Fight Back
byArthur Levitt
2002384 Pages“Levitt's excellent book, Take on the Street.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2002)
Read by Warren Buffett
Nuclear Terrorism
The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe
byGraham Allison
2004263 Pages“A must-read for those concerned with the safety of our country.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2004)
Read by Warren Buffett
Bull!: A History of the Boom and Bust, 1982-2004
A History of the Boom and Bust, 1982-2004
byMaggie Mahar
2004528 Pages“A 2003 book that investors can learn much from is Bull! by Maggie Mahar.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2003)
Read by Warren Buffett
The Smartest Guys in the Room
The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
byBethany McLean, Peter Elkind
2003480 Pages“Two other books I'd recommend are The Smartest Guys in the Room... and In an Uncertain World.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2003)
Read by Warren Buffett
In an Uncertain World
Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington
byRobert E. Rubin, Jacob Weisberg
2003448 Pages“Well-reported and well-written.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2003)
Read by Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett's Ground Rules
Words of Wisdom from the Partnership Letters of the World's Greatest Investor
byJeremy C. Miller
2016352 Pages“Mr. Miller has done a superb job of researching and dissecting the operation of Buffett Partnership Ltd.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2015)
Read by Warren Buffett
Limping on Water
My 40-Year Adventure with One of America's Outstanding Communications Companies
byPhil Beuth
2016360 Pages“An autobiography that chronicles his life at Capital Cities Communications... tells you a lot about its leaders, Tom Murphy and Dan Burke.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2015)
Read by Warren Buffett
A Few Lessons for Investors and Managers
From Warren Buffett
byPeter Bevelin
201281 Pages“I think you'll also like a short book that Peter Bevelin has put together explaining Berkshire's investment and operating principles.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2011)
Read by Warren Buffett
Tap Dancing to Work
Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012
byCarol J. Loomis
2012368 Pages“She has been invaluable to me in editing this letter since 1977.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter (2012)
Read by Warren Buffett, Alex Hormozi, Chip Wilson and 11 others
byDale Carnegie
1936291 Pages“It changed my life.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: CBS News Interview
The Moment of Lift
How Empowering Women Changes the World
byMelinda French Gates
2019304 Pages“I think this is one of the best books I've ever read.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Interview
Read by Warren Buffett
byTheodore H. White
2009400 Pages“The Making of the President 1960 is as timely today as it was when first published.”
— Warren Buffett
Source: Politico Interview
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Warren Buffett recommend?
Across 27 recommendations, his best-known picks are The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip Fisher, Business Adventures by John Brooks, The Outsiders by William N. Thorndike, and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle.
What is Warren Buffett's favorite book?
His defining pick is The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. Buffett has said he "learned most of the thoughts in this investment discussion" from it, calling the 1949 purchase one of "the luckiest moments in my life."
Where do Warren Buffett's book recommendations come from?
The bulk are drawn from his Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters, spanning the 2001 through 2023 editions, along with comments at Berkshire annual meetings and interviews with CNBC, CBS News, and Politico.
Has Warren Buffett written a book?
Yes. He is credited as co-author, with Lawrence A. Cunningham, of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, a curated arrangement of his shareholder-letter writing first published in this form in 2013.
What genres does Warren Buffett read most?
His recommendations concentrate on economics and finance and business and strategy, with a strong secondary interest in biographies and memoirs of business leaders, plus books on leadership and management and society and politics.
All 27 Books Warren Buffett Has Recommended
- The Intelligent Investor · Benjamin Graham
- Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits · Philip Fisher
- Business Adventures · John Brooks
- The Outsiders · William N. Thorndike
- Stress Test · Timothy F. Geithner
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing · John C. Bogle
- Where Are the Customers' Yachts? · Fred Schwed Jr.
- Essays in Persuasion · John Maynard Keynes
- Shoe Dog · Phil Knight
- Jack: Straight from the Gut · Jack Welch
- Dream Big · Cristiane Correa
- First a Dream · Jim Clayton
- Take on the Street · Arthur Levitt
- Nuclear Terrorism · Graham Allison
- Bull!: A History of the Boom and Bust, 1982-2004 · Maggie Mahar
- The Smartest Guys in the Room · Bethany McLean
- In an Uncertain World · Robert E. Rubin
- Warren Buffett's Ground Rules · Jeremy C. Miller
- Limping on Water · Phil Beuth
- A Few Lessons for Investors and Managers · Peter Bevelin
- Tap Dancing to Work · Carol J. Loomis
- How to Win Friends and Influence People · Dale Carnegie
- The Moment of Lift · Melinda French Gates
- The Making of the President 1960 · Theodore H. White
- Personal History · Katharine Graham
- The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America · Warren Buffett
- The Great Crash 1929 · John Kenneth Galbraith