1. The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money – John Maynard Keynes

Year: 1936

Genre: Economics / Macroeconomics

A groundbreaking work that introduced Keynesian economics, emphasizing the role of government spending in stabilizing markets.

2. The Theory of Moral Sentiments – Adam Smith

Year: 1759

Genre: Ethics / Economics / Philosophy

Adam Smith’s lesser-known masterpiece on morality, emotions, and human behavior, laying the groundwork for The Wealth of Nations.

3. Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises – Charles P. Kindleberger

Year: 1978

Genre: Economic History / Financial Markets

Chronicles centuries of financial bubbles and crashes, identifying patterns that recur across different eras.

4. Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds – Charles Mackay

Year: 1841

Genre: Financial History / Behavioral Economics

One of the first books to analyze crowd psychology and speculative bubbles, including Tulip Mania and the South Sea Bubble.

5. The End of Accounting – Baruch Lev and Feng Gu

Year: 2016

Genre: Financial Analysis / Corporate Reporting

Argues that traditional financial statements no longer reflect business value and proposes new ways of measuring performance.

6. Bionomics: Economy as Business Ecosystem – Michael Rothschild

Year: 1990

Genre: Economic Systems / Complexity Science

Introduces an evolutionary model of economics where businesses behave like organisms in an ecosystem—adapt, compete, evolve.

7. Economics, Peace and Laughter – John Kenneth Galbraith

Year: 1971

Genre: Economics / Satire

A witty and insightful commentary on the absurdities and contradictions in modern economic policy and thought.

8. The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind – Gustave Le Bon

Year: 1895

Genre: Social Psychology / Economic Behavior

A foundational study of group psychology, showing how individuals behave differently when swept into crowds—a key concept in market dynamics.

9. The Battle for Investment Survival – Gerald Loeb

Year: 1935

Genre: Investing / Economic History

A Depression-era classic offering timeless advice on capital preservation and investor psychology during turbulent times.

10. Classics: An Investor’s Anthology – Various Authors

Year: 1989 (Edited version)

Genre: Anthology / Financial Thought

A curated collection of influential essays and excerpts from the giants of financial literature, investment, and economics.

11. Letters from a Stoic – Seneca

Year: ~65 AD

Genre: Philosophy / Wisdom Literature

A collection of timeless letters from the Roman Stoic philosopher on resilience, self-control, and how to live well—frequently cited by modern investors.

12. The Lessons of History – Will Durant and Ariel Durant

Year: 1968

Genre: History / Philosophy / Civilization

A compact, sweeping view of civilization’s patterns, offering distilled wisdom from decades of historical scholarship.