Top 10 Books Every Forex Trader Should Read.

A very easy and straightforward way forex traders can improve their skills is by studying the successes and failures of others. You must conduct extensive study before making your first trade while beginning a forex trading journey, or any other enterprise. 

You can never be too prepared if you are wise about what you study and how you learn it. That being said, there is merit to the saying that you should not be very "book smart" and instead experience applying the theory you have studied. 

For both novice and experienced traders, the forex trading books on this list offer a variety of viewpoints and tactics to aid in your endeavour to make money on the foreign exchange market, while also helping in building your psychology. 

A selection of the top books for Forex traders is provided in the list below. There is no set order for these books, so read the ones that grab your attention and those you think will teach you something. Here are the top 10 books every forex trader should read.

1) How to Make a Living Trading Foreign Exchange – Courtney Smith

Six forex trading strategies are introduced in this book. Some of the tactics are suitable for day trading, while others are better suited for longer-term trades. Both shorter-term price reversals and longer-term "major" turning moments can be identified using the methods described in the book. Also covered in the book are trading psychology and risk management.

2) The Man Who Solved the Market – Gregory Zuckerman

Traders who enjoy automating their trading strategies, or who wish to, might find this book interesting. This is the account of Jim Simons' founding of Renaissance Technologies. In the world of hedge funds, his quantitative fund boasts a virtually unheard-of track record of greater than 50% yearly returns. A quantitative fund, sometimes known as a "quant," examines pricing data. If the data indicates a potential profit, an automated program will try to take advantage of it.

3) The Art of Currency Trading – Brent Donnelly

The inside scoop on trade placement and risk management from a bank trader is revealed in this book. Rather than focusing on technical analysis, which examines news and economic situations to predict future prices, the book largely concentrates on fundamental analysis. The author offers advice on risk management and position sizing in addition to several Forex Trading methods. Since the author writes in a conversational tone, one of the book's main advantages would be learning how a professional analyses and thinks through a trade.

4) The Complete TurtleTrader – Michael Covel

This book tells the tale of a trader who, against his business partner, made a bet that, given a tried-and-true trading approach, he could turn anybody into a profitable trader. The dealer provided training and funding for a group of newcomers he dubbed "turtles." A large number of the turtles/students from the experiment went on to become extremely successful traders, and this trading book reveals the trend-following approach they were taught.

5) The New Market Wizards – Jack Schwager

To learn more about lucrative trading strategies and tactics, the author conducts interviews with many accomplished traders. This trading book opens your eyes to the various trading strategies available and demonstrates how they may all be successful. In other words, there is more than one correct way. Every trader figured out what worked for them and then refined the approach. You should also read another book written by the same author titled 'Unknown Market Wizards'.

6) Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom – Van K. Tharp

This book is excellent; it provides the reader with a useful grasp of the market and trading techniques. He highlights for you the crucial elements that combine to make up your total achievement. 

Even more important, though, is the fact that he points out the errors that most people make and explains why. This book is divided into four sections: 

  1. Keep an open mind
  2. Keep your attention on possible exits
  3. An optimistic perspective
  4. Develop your method by learning from the methods used by other individuals. 

This book concentrates on teaching you how to develop a proper trading mindset, which the author believes is a crucial trait shared by the great majority of successful traders, rather than on generating quick money. It forces you to exercise critical thought instead of handing you solutions.

7) The Disciplined Trader: Developing Winning Attitudes – Mark Douglas

The main reason why 'The Disciplined Trader' is so awesome is because Mark Douglas is not even a trained psychologist. Although many trading-psychology books have been published since the publication of Douglas' book in 1990, the substance of his book remains unique. He simply applies his talent for identifying the failing trader's mental weaknesses and offers his own distinct opinions on what we should do to achieve real trading success.

Douglas starts the book with an angle that a lot of traders would be familiar with. Douglas gives an example of how he was able to reverse-engineer the formula for failure and discover the recipe for success by bowing down to the market's superior might. Douglas' main stance is that you have to put in a lot of effort to develop the skills necessary to rule your environment if you want to succeed in business or a professional career.

8) The Black Swan – Nicholas Taleb

Nicholas Taleb examines the effects of unforeseen events and how people often rationalise them after they happen in "The Black Swan." His main thesis is that most financial models have serious flaws since they don't take these kinds of things into account, which exposes traders to needless danger. The book acts as a helpful reminder to minimise the possible negative effects of each trade and to be ready for the unexpected.

9) The Alchemy of Finance – George Soros

The idea that prices can affect fundamentals is known as "reflexivity," was introduced by George Soros in his book titled "The Alchemy of Finance" along with his trading strategy. Soros says this has provided him an advantage over other traders throughout his career, even if it goes against conventional economic wisdom. Written by one of the greatest traders of all time, years before he set off Black Wednesday, the book, first released in 1986, offers traders an intriguing look inside his thoughts.

10) The Black Book of Forex Trading – Paul Langer

For those new or intermediate traders who are having trouble making a profit from their trading, The Black Book of Forex Trading is a helpful resource. It offers readers a straightforward yet effective technique for taking charge of their financial future and becoming successful traders, which can be achieved in less than four months. Along with a plan to assist readers in organising their upcoming months and achieving trading success, it covers money management, techniques, and emotional control. As a bonus, it provides readers with a link to almost 80 minutes of video information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to make money trading forex full-time? 

Although it requires a significant effort to get there, some traders make money using forex as their full-time career. 

For forex trading to replace an income, one must either achieve a huge monthly return on a modest capital investment or a lesser but steady monthly return on a large account balance. 

If you are interested in making more money through forex trading, start by learning to trade. Also examine whether forex trading offers the stability and revenue required to substitute a job in your situation, if returns and income increase along with consistency. 

Start small and quit only when you are making a substantial amount monthly. 

How can I become a better Forex trader? 

1) Read the books mentioned above if you want to get better in forex trading. 2) Create a demo FX account. It offers a risk-free way for users to test out the site and practise strategies with about £10,000 worth of virtual cash. You can deposit and trade with real money on a live account if you feel comfortable using one. 3) Apply the knowledge you have gained, selecting the trading techniques that suit you the most and refining them until they become second nature. Practice makes perfect.

Can someone learn forex on their own? 

The internet provides a wealth of knowledge, and demo accounts allow you to learn the fundamentals of forex trading on your own. It's crucial to remember that self-directed learning might not be the best or most practical path to becoming a profitable FX trader.

Can you learn forex by reading books?

Yes, you can learn forex trading by reading the numerous books available online, however, you can only get good by implementing, making trades, making mistakes and getting hands-on experience. 

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, these books are in no set order so you can start from the top, middle or bottom and read your way through. No matter the route you take, the result will still be the same, you will gain a whole lot more knowledge than before you started.