In today’s Internet age, the concept of reading a book may seem positively quaint. It’s still the case however that to get the kind of broad foundational knowledge you need as a beginner, a book can still be the perfect starting point. So what are the best books for investing beginners?

We love this list of best investing books for beginners. The first book on the list in particular is very useful for those trying to get their head around investing.

Peter Lynch’s One Up on Wall Street

If I could only recommend one book for anyone to read about Investing, Peter Lynch’s One Up On Wall Street would be my recommendation. It’s not so much of a how to do as a how to think book.

The advice he gives isn’t as immediately actionable as many other books, but he helps get you in the mindset of how to think about investing and stocks. Many people are out there picking and choosing stocks without really having any rhyme or reason. This book will help set the foundation for how you look at the rest of your investing choices.

The presentation of the concepts is particularly important. The book helps you translate common sense (things you already know) into the world of finance. The sub-prime housing crisis may make the whole financial world sound like a scam. This book can help restore some of your confidence and make you feel like there is some sanity in the stock market.

The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman

The other book I’d recommend any financial beginner read is Suze Orman’s The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom’ . While Lynch gives you the strong philosophical underpinning you’ll need to operate in the markets, Orman gives you more practical advice. While the theoretical is probably more important in the long term, it’s also nice to have some specific tips that you can act on now. This book gives you just those kinds of tips.

It is particularly pertinent to some of us because it addresses an important component of financial freedom: The Fear of Money. It can be a very intimidating subject for some of us, and you’re never going to get your money working for you as long as you’re scared of it.

If you’re trying to give yourself a crash course in investing, these are the two resources you should start with. You won’t be able to top the foundation you can give yourself with these books.