This list contains the best contrarian investing books of all time. It pulls from the most famous contrarian investors. Contrarian thinking is not easy to do. And on average, going against the crowd is a bad idea. However, it’s the only way to beat market averages.
With the best books below, you’ll uncover timeless insights. Reading these books can help you become a better investor. Then below the contrarian investing books, you’ll find even more resources to consider…
Contrarian Investing Books
1. The Intelligent Investor
by Benjamin Graham
“The Intelligent Investor” is a classic investing book. It’s helped investors learn for over 70 years. Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, has packed every page with wisdom. This makes it a great read for anyone who wants to build wealth. Graham’s strategies for investing are simple: be patient, disciplined, and focused on investing for the long haul.
This contrarian investing book shows readers how to manage the ups and downs of the stock market. It can help you avoid bad investment decisions, and stay invested for the long-term. Warren Buffett calls it “the best book on investing ever written.” The strategies in “The Intelligent Investor” are still relevant today, even though the book was first published in 1949. This contrarian investing book can help you learn the basics of value investing.
2. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
by Michael Lewis
This investing book is a great story of the 2008 financial crisis. Michael Lewis shows a handful of investors who profited from the crisis. This book explores the contrarian investing that led to big returns. This is an example of how contrarian investing books can be both fun and useful.
Michael Lewis’ simple writing makes this book a good read for anyone. He shows how contrarian investing can lead to both success and failure. This book shows the value of knowing when to go against the crowd. By buying and reading The Big Short, you can unlock a deeper understanding of investing. There are many market trends that you can find opportunities within.
3. The Little Book of Behavioral Investing
by James Montier
This contrarian investing book is a guide to behavioral biases and how to overcome them. You’ll learn how our brains can trick us into making bad decisions. You’ll also find strategies for avoiding psychological pitfalls. This is a great read for learning to become a better contrarian investor. It’s also packed with actionable advice.
James Montier’s writing is easy to follow. This makes this book great for investors of all levels. You’ll learn about confirmation bias, anchoring, and herd behavior, just to name a few concepts. He also gives tips on how to be aware of and avoid these biases. By buying and reading this book, you can become a better investor. These concepts can help you to better navigate the markets and find contrarian plays.
4. The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America
edited by Lawrence Cunningham
This collection of writings by Warren Buffett is a source of great wisdom. It gives lessons from one of the world’s best investors. Warren Buffett shares his thoughts on business, investing, and the markets. He delivers a perspective on what it takes to do well in the markets. This is easily one of the best contrarian investing books.
Buffett’s essays are easy to read and packed with wisdom. He includes topics such as a long-term approach and value investing. Value investing goes hand-in-hand with contrarian investing. By reading this collection of essays, you’ll learn about what drives investment success. It pays great dividends to learn about investing from one of the world’s greatest investors.
5. The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
by John Coates
This investing book takes a unique approach to learning market behavior. John Coates, a former Wall Street trader, explores the biology of taking risks. He shows how it affects our investment decisions. You’ll learn how our bodies respond to stress and uncertainty. On top of that, you’ll find how this can lead to lower investment returns. By understanding these biological responses, you can become a better contrarian investor. This can help you make better investing decisions.
Coates’ writing is easy to read. This makes this book a great read for investors of all levels. He draws on his own experiences as a trader. It’s also packed with insights from psychology and neuroscience, to give a better understanding of the biology of risk-taking. You’ll learn how to recognize and manage your own responses to market stress. You can then use this knowledge to make better investment decisions. By applying the principles outlined in this book, you can improve your performance. This helps achieve greater success as a contrarian investor.
6. You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
by Joel Greenblatt
This book is a guide to finding undervalued stocks. This approach can help you achieve market-beating returns. Joel Greenblatt, a renowned value investor, shares his strategies for picking “special situation” stocks. These are stocks overlooked by the market. You’ll learn how to analyze financial statements, find catalysts for change, and estimate a company’s true value. By applying Greenblatt’s techniques, you can uncover hidden gems.
Greenblatt’s writing is clear and easy to read. This makes this investing book good for investors of all levels. He uses real examples and case studies to show the concepts. This helps make it easy to understand and apply. You’ll learn how to think like a contrarian investor. This means avoiding the crowd and finding opportunities that others miss. With Greenblatt’s approach, you can build a disciplined investment strategy. This is what leads to long-term success.
Value vs. Contrarian Investing
Value investing and contrarian investing are similar but not the same. Both look for good deals in the stock market. Value investors try to find companies that are worth more than their current price. They’re bargain hunters, searching for cheap but valuable things. Contrarian investors also look for good deals, but they like to go against the crowd. They buy what others don’t want, hoping to sell it later for a profit.
The big difference between value and contrarian investing is how they think about the market. Value investors focus more on numbers and facts, like a company’s profits and debts. Contrarian investors think about what others are doing and try to do the opposite. They go against the crowd to find hidden gems. Both ways can work, but they require different mindsets. Value investors need to be good at math and research, while contrarian investors need to be brave and willing to take risks. Although, there’s lots of overlap with these investing strategies.
Contrarian Investing Books and Beyond
The best investing advice doesn’t change much. And going against the crowd is one of the only ways to beat the market. However, being a contrarian investor isn’t easy. It takes incredible self control and understanding of markets. That’s why you’ll find overlapping books on our list of the best Psychology Investing Books.
Check those out and click on the books above as well. You’ll see more details on Amazon and others’ reviews. These contrarian investing books are low cost. However, they’re packed with insight that can boost your investment portfolio.