Investing books, in particular the best investing books, have the ability to convey difficult concepts in an understandable way.

As books about investments are tailored towards the mainstream public, investing concepts need to be carefully explained, with minimal reliance upon assumed knowledge.

For some readers, this might be the first investing title they’ve ever read, therefore assumed knowledge will only alienate these beginners.

1. They’re the right tool for the job

So we probably agree that investment books can be an excellent way to find out how to buy shares or how to invest in property. As a learning medium, investing books have stood the test of time.

Books about the stock market and how to build an investment portfolio are selling just as well now as they ever have. You only need to look at the size of the range of personal finance shelves in book stores to confirm this.

Although volumes of books sold via traditional high street book retailers is falling year on year, when these volumes are augmented with online sales and sales of e-books, the figures paint a more reassuring picture.

2. Investing wisdom doesn’t go out of date

You’d be surprised to learn that the investing tips given in a well-research investment book from the 1980s would still stand up well today.

I used to read ‘How to read the financial pages’ by Michael Brett to help me navigate the Financial Times and learn more about financial markets. While the publisher and author felt the urge to update the book following the financial crisis of 2008 – 2011, this was entirely unnecessary in my opinion.

The laws of supply and demand are universal. Therefore the way in which share prices and investors behave in response to news and events doesn’t change over time.

The incentives remain the same, the risks remain the same. All that changes are the details.

For example, in 1970 a layperson wouldn’t have heard of a hedge fund, nor an absolute return fund. That being said, the underlyigng trading strategies that these funds pursuit are not as novel as they might appear.

The concept of value investing and taking advantage of pricing arbitrage are almost as old as the corporate bond itself!

3. Investing books are thriving and full of new perspectives

Whilst it may be fashionable to say this, I do believe that investing books are back in vogue. Where it’s an autobiographical piece by a financial guru, or a factual book about the future of financial advisers, every year brings a fresh perspective that can either introduce a new concept to the marketplace or bring new investors into the fore.

Of course, becoming a good saver isn’t the same thing as knowing the most about saving. Knowledge on its own is not a complete answer.

You will need the courage to invest, an appropriate risk appetite and a small sum of money to begin.

An investing book is only one piece of the puzzle, however it remains a compelling one that I think will remain for another few decades yet!