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Finance must-reads
By an Amazon.com customer
A History of the Theory of Investments: My Annotated Bibliography (Wiley Finance)A History of the Theory of Investments: My Annotated Bibliography (Wiley Finance) by Mark Rubinstein
Buy new: $64.90 / Used from: $47.99
The most comprehensive overview available. Ideal as a reference.
Devil Take the Hindmost:  A History of Financial SpeculationDevil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation by Edward Chancellor
Buy new: $11.05 / Used from: $3.99
For anyone that still believes that markets are efficient...
Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance (Wiley Series in Financial Engineering)Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative Finance (Wiley Series in Financial Engineering) by Paul Wilmott
Buy new: $56.40 / Used from: $19.99
No student or pro should be without it!
Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments (Cowles Foundation Monograph: No. 16)Portfolio Selection: Efficient Diversification of Investments (Cowles Foundation Monograph: No. 16) by Harry M. Markowitz
Buy new: $37.00 / Used from: $17.66
A true classic ! Still worth reading.
Structured Equity Derivatives: The Definitive Guide to Exotic Options and Structured NotesStructured Equity Derivatives: The Definitive Guide to Exotic Options and Structured Notes by Harry M. Kat
Buy new: $92.96 / Used from: $60.11
Great introduction to the topic
Active Portfolio Management: A Quantitative Approach for Producing Superior Returns and Controlling RiskActive Portfolio Management: A Quantitative Approach for Producing Superior Returns and Controlling Risk by Richard Grinold
Buy new: $52.30 / Used from: $35.00
A must-have...
Portfolio Construction and Risk Budgeting, Second EditionPortfolio Construction and Risk Budgeting, Second Edition by Bernd Sherer
Buy used from: $99.00
A must-have for any quantitative asset manager
Market VolatilityMarket Volatility by Robert J. Shiller
Buy new: $27.10 / Used from: $14.14
A great collection of Shillers work on market inefficiency
Strategic Asset AllocationStrategic Asset Allocation by John Y. Campbell
Buy new: $55.92 / Used from: $39.65
Fantastic overview
Inefficient Markets: An Introduction to Behavioral Finance (Clarendon Lectures in Economics)Inefficient Markets: An Introduction to Behavioral Finance (Clarendon Lectures in Economics) by Andrei Shleifer
Buy new: $34.33 / Used from: $25.00
Another great overview
Principles of Financial Engineering (Academic Press Advanced Finance)Principles of Financial Engineering (Academic Press Advanced Finance) by Salih N. Neftci
Buy used from: $34.42
A great introduction
Introduction to Modern Portfolio Optimization with NuOPT, S-PLUS and S+BayesIntroduction to Modern Portfolio Optimization with NuOPT, S-PLUS and S+Bayes by Bernd Scherer
Buy new: $75.96 / Used from: $31.69
Another great reference
Dynamic Hedging: Managing Vanilla and Exotic Options (Wiley Finance)Dynamic Hedging: Managing Vanilla and Exotic Options (Wiley Finance) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Buy new: $69.30 / Used from: $58.94
A classic. Many typos but still worth buying...
Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance 3 Volume Set (2nd Edition)Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance 3 Volume Set (2nd Edition) by Paul Wilmott
Buy new: $185.85 / Used from: $160.00
Forget Hull...
Options, Futures and Other Derivatives (6th Edition)Options, Futures and Other Derivatives (6th Edition) by John C. Hull
Buy new: $206.67 / Used from: $29.95
Although I like Wilmott better, this is still worthwhile.
The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect StormThe Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect Storm by Robert F. Bruner
Buy new: $18.87 / Used from: $4.00
Startling parallels...
Can "It" Happen Again? Essays on Instability and FinanceCan "It" Happen Again? Essays on Instability and Finance by Hyman P. Minsky
Buy new: $26.60 / Used from: $21.99
Great analysis of the credit cycle and the inherent tendency of capitalist economies to overshoot.
The Alchemy of Finance (Wiley Investment Classics)The Alchemy of Finance (Wiley Investment Classics) by George Soros
Buy new: $12.97 / Used from: $8.64
Lengthy but worthwhile
Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises (Wiley Investment Classics)Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises (Wiley Investment Classics) by Charles P. Kindleberger
Buy new: $12.97 / Used from: $8.38
Where Are the Customers' Yachts? or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street (A Marketplace Book)Where Are the Customers' Yachts? or A Good Hard Look at Wall Street (A Marketplace Book) by Fred Schwed
Buy used from: $14.03
Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920sOnly Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s by Frederick Lewis Allen
Buy new: $9.36 / Used from: $2.79
Lets pray history does not repeat itself...
It Was a Very Good Year: Extraordinary Moments in Stock Market History (Wiley Investment)It Was a Very Good Year: Extraordinary Moments in Stock Market History (Wiley Investment) by Martin S. Fridson
Buy new: $37.95 / Used from: $0.01
A great book for kindling hope in dark days...
Mathematical Techniques in Finance: Tools for Incomplete MarketsMathematical Techniques in Finance: Tools for Incomplete Markets by Ales Cerny
Buy used from: $18.00
A great reference
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials) by Robert B. Cialdini
Buy new: $12.23 / Used from: $10.40
Maybe not strictly finance but a fantastic book nontheless
Derivatives Models on ModelsDerivatives Models on Models by Espen Gaarder Haug
Buy new: $51.43 / Used from: $32.99
For the real derivative freak ...
Irrational Exuberance: Second EditionIrrational Exuberance: Second Edition by Robert J. Shiller
Buy new: $23.10 / Used from: $6.16
Shiller "light"
The Econometrics of Financial MarketsThe Econometrics of Financial Markets by John Y. Campbell
Buy new: $78.75 / Used from: $35.00
Volatility and Correlation: The Perfect Hedger and the Fox (Wiley Finance)Volatility and Correlation: The Perfect Hedger and the Fox (Wiley Finance) by Riccardo Rebonato
Buy new: $100.03 / Used from: $79.99
If you are really into exotics, this is a must-have. Quite lengthy though...