Five money books to read in 2025

Book: Psychology of Money

<p><strong>Author: Morgan Housel<p><strong>Recommended by: Kalpana Fitzpatrick, digital editor<p><em>Appeared on <a href="https://moneyweek.com/investments/steven-bartlett-net-worth"><em>Steven Bartlett's<em> Diary of a CEO podcast - this Sunday Times Bestseller delves into the importance of your behaviour with money. <p>Kalpana says: "How we manage our money has a lot to do with how we behave, and the stories in here are eye-openers and full of life lessons. <p>I found it inspirational, thought-provoking and a great read - it doesn't feel like you're reading about finance at all. It’s not your everyday money book telling you how to manage your money, but it is one you'll want to dip into everyday."

Book: Devil Take the Hindmost

<p><strong>Author: Edward Chancellor<p><strong>Recommended by: Andrew VanSickle, editor<p>Andrew says: “A comprehensive, lively and eye-opening overview of stockmarket speculation through the ages – ranging from the <a href="https://moneyweek.com/471894/what-the-south-sea-bubble-can-tell-us-about-blockchain">South Sea bubble and the tulip mania to the Roaring 20s and the information age – this book, published in 2000, is a reminder that human nature, and hence people's tendency to fall for the latest fad, never changes.”

Book: Four Ways to Beat the Market: A practical guide to stock-screening strategies to help you pick winning shares

<p><strong>Author: Algy Hall<p><strong>Recommended by: Matthew Partridge, shares editor<p>Matthew says: “Picking your own shares, as opposed to an <a href="https://moneyweek.com/investments/funds/604317/best-low-cost-index-funds-to-buy">index fund or a handful of <a href="https://moneyweek.com/investments/funds/investment-trusts/investment-trust-model-portfolio">investment trusts, is not for the faint of heart. Even for those who have lots of time on their hands, there is a limit to the number of companies you can research in detail, which means that you need to find a way of narrowing the list of potential buys down.<p>“<em>Four Ways to Beat the Market looks at four strategies based on quality (fast-growing firms with a high <a href="https://moneyweek.com/glossary/return-on-capital">return on capital), value (firms trading on a low-earnings multiple), momentum (those whose <a href="https://moneyweek.com/investments/share-prices">share price and earnings are soaring) and income. The great thing about this book is that Hall not only explains the rationale behind these strategies but also gives detailed practical advice about what to look for. <p>“Of course, just because a strategy has been successful in the recent past, doesn’t mean that it will work in today’s environment, especially given the rise in interest rates. You will also need to do your own research. Still, this book will drastically cut down the amount of time needed to implement a stock-selection strategy, bringing the process within reach of many investors who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to pursue it.”

Book: Nexus

<p><strong>Author: Yuval Noah Harari<p><strong>Recommended by: Chris Carter, wealth editor<p>Chris says: “<em>Nexus is the latest book from Yuval Noah Harari, in which the acclaimed historian and philosopher charts the evolution of information networks and predicts how <a href="https://moneyweek.com/investing/ai-boom-on-borrowed-time">AI will transform economies and society as a whole – for better and for worse.”

Book: The Price of Inequality

<p><strong>Author: Joseph Stiglitz<p><strong>Recommended by: Dan McEvoy, senior writer<p>Dan says: “<em>The Price of Inequality was written at, and for, a very specific political moment, but the changes the world has seen in the decade since making it arguably as relevant as ever. The influence of money in politics has only increased since 2012: just ask the <a href="https://moneyweek.com/economy/people/elon-musk-enters-the-white-house">future co-heads of America’s forthcoming Department of Government Efficiency. <p>“As investors, and as market commentators, we often become accustomed to championing low taxes and regulations, but Stiglitz – a Nobel prize-winning economist – reminds us that, when taken to extremes, policies like these have economic costs that are paid by everyone except the mega-rich.”