Been trading for a while but feel like I’m missing some fundamentals. Looking to fill gaps in my knowledge through reading.
What books actually helped you improve your trading? Not looking for get-rich-quick stuff, just solid educational content.
Douglas’ “Trading in the Zone” completely changed how I deal with losses. I used to revenge trade after blown setups, but his psychology chapters taught me real discipline.
Babypips School of Pipsology isn’t a book - it’s free online and covers all the forex basics you need. Better than most paid courses I’ve seen.
Murphy’s “Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets” is huge but solid for chart patterns. I still check it when I’m testing new setups.
Here’s the thing though - demo trading while you read beats just reading. Take one concept from a book, practice it for weeks, then move on.
Books are overrated just trade small and learn
Van Tharp’s Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom is all about position sizing and risk management. Most traders completely ignore this stuff, but it’s what separates the survivors from the blown accounts.
The book gives you actual worksheets to figure out position sizes for your account size. I keep re-reading his chapters on expectancy, which helps you tell if your strategy actually makes money.
Schwager’s Market Wizards shows how winning traders think and manage risk. Elder’s Trading for a Living covers psychology and money management which many ignore. Currency Trading for Dummies may sound basic but it explains forex mechanics well.
Avoid anything that promises easy money or secret systems. Choose one book, apply what you learn, then move to the next. You’ll gain more from actual trading than from reading many books.
Nison’s Japanese Candlestick Charting is great for learning chart reading. Most other books just rehash the same basic stuff.