Forbes Greatest Investing Stories

Going on the idea that experience is the best teacher, Phalon (a Forbes magazine contributing editor) has rounded up 10 mini-essays profiling the business ideals of some of Wall Street's most successful investors. Each chapter opens with a photo, along with a caption explaining the mogul's claim to fame. The author pays homage to eccentrics (like Hetty Green, a feared stock picker in the late 19th century) and simple geniuses (including George Doriot, whose formula "bet the jockey, not the horse" was his lasting contribution) alike, making this an interesting if not pragmatic guide to investing.