Listmania!
My favourite business books, in no particular order
The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of EnronThe Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron by Bethany McLean
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £4.90
How Enron fell and why. Makes you wonder how many other structured finance deals are just a big con.
My Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and FinanceMy Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and Finance by Emanuel Derman
Buy new: £13.99 / Used from: £7.00
Surprisingly readable. It's not just the lawyers who feel like outsiders in an investment bank: apparently these guys have the same problem.
Barbarians at the GateBarbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough
Buy new: £6.74 / Used from: £4.50
Any story that includes a guy named Joe Flom must be a good one. But don't let it seduce you into working in M&A.
The Predator's Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond RaidersThe Predator's Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders by Connie Bruck
Buy new: £4.09 / Used from: £4.11
Michael Milken had a fantastic business, and would never have lost it if he had had a good lawyer sitting next to him (and had followed his advice).
When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital ManagementWhen Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital Management by Roger Lowenstein
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £2.20
To a lawyer, this story shows the importance of having all your swap confirmations in good order in case you go bust. Sad really.
Liar's Poker (Hodder Great Reads)Liar's Poker (Hodder Great Reads) by Michael Lewis
Buy new: £3.46 / Used from: £3.80
This is a really good book. If you only read one on this list, make it this one.
Rogue TraderRogue Trader by Nick Leeson
Buy new: £2.83 / Used from: £0.01
Not great literature, but still essential reading. How an ordinary, likeable guy inadvertently trashed his bank.
Principles of Corporate FinancePrinciples of Corporate Finance by Myers
Buy used from: £18.50
By no means a good read, so don't bother. But it should be on display in your office.
Inside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in the Global MarketsInside the House of Money: Top Hedge Fund Traders on Profiting in the Global Markets
Buy new: £10.01 / Used from: £9.53
Useful if you would like to know what a hedge fund actually is. Less nauseating than "Hedgehogging".
Where Are the Customers' Yachts?: Or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street (Wiley Investment Classics)Where Are the Customers' Yachts?: Or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street (Wiley Investment Classics) by Schwed, Fred Jr.
Buy new: £5.30 / Used from: £6.89
Funny and true