Reminiscence of a Stock Operator and Market Wizard ties for first. Not high in rank but Van Tharp's Financial Freedom and Zone is great too. I've got other books that are not trade related that helped me with trading. So the 2 books just goes down in rank. If I was the real Gann, I'd say the Bible... LOL
no, I read in the zone and it wasn't that great for me. But he wrote a book a long time ago called The Discplined Trader. That book changed my life more than anything. And once I got my life changed, my trading started to change. If you knew how much I spend on trading books at amazon....I am already well into next years budget. That's why I asked about the intuition book. I gotta start asking before I buy. oh by the way, my all time favorite? How Charts Can Help You in the Stock Market by William Jiler. 1962 still in print with a chart of Studebaker and Korvette.
See, when my intuition failed me, I stopped trading and started reading books. I had never used a chart before. This was the first book I bought. That's why it is my favorite. I was just thinking today how much better off I am because my intuition failed and I had to learn TA to survive. I'm still just an infant in TA, but I haven't given up on intuition, and I want to keep working on rebuilding it with a more solid foundation.
Oh... Studebaker's book was great. Reprinted now. Also, I don't like to use intuition. I'd rather use that psychic energy to read and learn more. I just think that intuitive trading is too inconsistant. OK, j/k about psychic energy. I just think it's a intuitive recognition of a past experiences. It's better to know what you're doing than not knowing. Also, it's hard to identify the differences between intuitive and compulsive thoughts. For me... intuition is so much against the odds. Still, I have met great traders who has no idea what they are doing technically but just have the feel of it. I'm a highly analytical guy and the other guy is highly intuitive(he hates to be called spiritual), still we have the same attitude or confidence toward trading.
And That's the honest to gospel truth. My instinct was only right 50% of the time, but when ever I went against it I was wrong 100% of the time. So I guess if you do the math, I had to rely on it 100% of the time just to be right 50% of the time. No wonder it broke down. I guess there's really 2 kinds of books out there. Those that deal with the mind, and those that are about all the other things.
well, I take that back, I did try a point and figure system once, and I had a friend who was a real chart freak, and he gave me his old charts (they sent them in the mail each week) to study. And after you studied them your hands and everything you touched were black from the ink rubbing off. That is why I am so big on getting your mind right. I stared at those charts and never saw anything because my mind wasn't working right. But I can't really think of any other book on TA that has been very good for me. Maybe my mind just isn't ready for them yet.