Today, we’re going to go a little well, rogue, as we enter the last few days of the year.
Yes, we follow the money and markets and provide you with insights that are often overlooked by the mainstream media.
But behind it all is one core ethos that every savvy investor should always keep in mind…
Knowledge is power.
That’s something I learned firsthand during the 15 years I worked in various institutions on Wall Street and in London.
So, how can you equip yourself with knowledge?
Reading. Lots of reading.
If you’re an Inside Wall Street regular, you’ll know I’m an author myself. In fact, I just released my seventh book, Permanent Distortion.
Now, I’ll admit, after such a busy year of traveling, writing a book, and doing boots-on-the-ground research – I’ve got some books to catch up on.
And every year, the pile on my nightstand grows with books beckoning to me.
So below, I’d like to share the books that I’ve got my eye on.
You’ll notice, not all the books are about finance. That’s intentional.
Just like investing and watching the markets, having a range of interests and insights can be powerful.
It helps us become more well-rounded individuals and investors.
Knowledge, as Benjamin Franklin once said, is one investment that pays the best interest.
So I hope you find the chance to dive into a book (or two) as we close the chapter on 2022 – whether it is from my list or your own.
Perhaps this will be just the inspiration you need, or you’ll find some investment wisdom that you’re looking for.
At the very least, I hope it’s a good way to spend the time between holiday travel and dinners.
1) The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization, by Peter Zeihan
Peter is someone with an immense understanding of the geopolitical and economic sphere that few others even come close to.
In his latest best-selling book, he details how the world as we knew it has irreparably changed, and the globalization that brought countries together has only torn them apart when economic strains come to bear.
2) Sold Out: How Broken Supply Chains, Surging Inflation, and Political Instability Will Sink the Global Economy, by Jim Rickards
Jim is an iconoclast. A legend. And a friend. His latest book comes out the first week of December, and somehow, he has done it again. He’s scooped the macroeconomic world.
In this book, he digs into the underlying issues behind the global supply chain problems, challenges, and what the future of trade relations might look like.
3) The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, by G. Edward Griffin
This book was one of the inspirations and references for my own book, All The Presidents’ Bankers: The Hidden Alliances that Drive American Power.
The Creature from Jekyll Island is as legendary as it is compelling. It’s something of a libertarian cult classic – and even a decade after being published, it’s still a best-seller.
It reads as a thriller of financial sorts and works to detail the history, secrets, and untold stories of the Federal Reserve.
Want to understand where the Fed might be headed next? A good place to start is understanding where it all started – Jekyll Island.
4) Adrift: America in 100 Charts, by Scott Galloway
Sometimes, you’ve got to visualize the world in order to best understand it.
This book does an awesome job of breaking down the economic, political, and cultural fragments in the U.S with charts in a way that’s both fascinating and easy to understand.
5) The Great Gatsby, by Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Was this on your required high school reading list? Or on your kids’ required reading list? Probably.
Is this one of my favorite books ever, and a novel I frequently think back to? Absolutely.
Can you use the timely, insightful, and critical messages within Fitzgerald’s work to shape your own thinking? Undoubtedly.
Sometimes, reading fiction helps us understand the world with clearer eyes.
This is a great one to turn to… and fitting for a year with so many economic and social undertones that are as present as they are part of our past.
Bonus Pick – Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear
This book is a great read to launch into 2023. So often, we talk about resolutions and ways to improve in the year ahead. So often, we also come up short.
What this book does is talk about creating small habits to make very big impacts.
Whether you are thinking about your approach to investing or simply day-to-day life, this book offers strategies and real techniques to reconfigure the way you approach things.
So there you have it. My top books to read – or gift – this holiday season. If these books make it on your list, I hope you enjoy them.
Do you have any other must-read books on your list? I’d love to hear them! As always, write me at [email protected].
Happy Holidays!
Regards,
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Nomi Prins
Editor, Inside Wall Street with Nomi Prins