If you’ve ever listened to a recording of one of David Bowden’s old seminars (or been lucky enough to have attended one live), you’ll know that David was an avid reader of books on trading. Of course, David read all of WD Gann’s books, but there were plenty of other classics he recommended as well. In each edition of the new Safety in the Market Newsletter, I’ll be writing a book review for those who are interested in expanding their trading knowledge base by reading a variety of authors. In this edition, however, I’ll be starting with the works of WD Gann.

First, let’s look at a list of WD Gann’s main books:

  • Truth of the Stock Tape
  • Wall Street Stock Selector
  • New Stock Trend Detector
  • How to Make Profits in Commodities
  • 45 Years in Wall Street
  • Tunnel Thru the Air
  • The Magic Word

In my opinion, all seven of these books are worth reading, although if you are looking for books that directly relate to trading, the first five on the list are your best starting point. A lot is written about the esoteric knowledge contained in Tunnel Thru the Air and The Magic Word, but David recommended that traders tackle these books when their trading plan is set up and they are making money from the markets. In other words, these books do not contain a quick fix that will solve all of your trading problems. They are to be studied when you are ready for them.

David suggested two different approaches to consider when reading the work of WD Gann. The first approach is to read the books in order of their publication: Truth of the Stock Tape, Wall Street Stock Selector, New Stock Trend Detector, How to Make Profits in Commodities and 45 Years in Wall Street. By reading them in order of publication, David says that we ‘grow with Gann’; in other words, we see how Gann’s knowledge grew and consolidated over his long and successful career. However, there is a second option. Due to the repetitive nature of some of the content in the books, David suggests that students can also consider going straight to Gann’s later books – How to Make Profits in Commodities and 45 Years in Wall Street, to get Gann’s latest thoughts on all of the material.

I believe all of Gann’s writing is incredibly powerful: it contains knowledge on trading, but also on money management, psychology and human nature. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your own nature, and why you make the mistakes that you make. You’ll also be encouraged and inspired as you read, which is priceless in my opinion. Personally, I love Truth of the Stock Tape and recommend it to anyone interested in learning about trading, whether they are studying WD Gann or not. The lessons contained in Gann’s first book are just as important in today’s markets as they were 100 years ago.

Now, back when I was a student, Safety in the Market used to sell trading books, however by the time they were ordered in and then shipped out from the warehouse, they became quite expensive. They were provided as a service by Safety in the Market. The good news is that nowadays, most books (on trading, or most other topics you can imagine!) can be found quickly, easily, and cheaply online.

These days, I buy my books from a website called Book Depository. Nearly every book I have tried to purchase has been available, usually at a much cheaper price than I can buy it from a bookstore. And to top it off, delivery is FREE worldwide, and the shipping times that are indicated are usually fairly accurate. Since we would not be able to beat these prices or service levels, Safety in the Market are happy to provide you with links to Book Depository, as our recommended book supplier. We believe this is the best way to get the books in your hands as quickly and cheaply as possible. After all, how could we beat FREE worldwide delivery?

Now, you are of course free to source these books from other providers, however, not only do we believe Book Depository is cheaper, Safety in the Market is also an affiliate of Book Depository. This means that out of every book purchased by using the links provided in our newsletters, Safety in the Market receives a small percentage of the book price as a referral fee, at NO extra cost to you. In other words, if you are paying $20 for a book, it will be $20 whether you buy it through our link or through the Book Depository website directly. However, if you use our links, Safety in the Market receives a small commission as a referral fee, which helps to offset the costs of our website and infrastructure and ensure that FREE services like newsletters and Trading Tutors support remain online and remain free. Again, you pay the same price regardless of whether you use our links or not.

To check out any of WD Gann’s books, you can click on the links below which will take you through to the Book Depository website:

Truth of the Stock Tape

Wall Street Stock Selector

New Stock Trend Detector

How to Make Profits in Commodities

45 Years in Wall Street

Tunnel thru the Air

The Magic Word

Happy reading!

Mat Barnes

error: Alert: Content is protected !!