Books for Quality-Driven Value Investors
Book Preview: Build Wealth with Common Stocks
Plus, more book recommendations written by esteemed authors for quality-driven value investors
Summary:
After discovering the high-quality business model and value-priced shares investing strategy to alpha-achieving stock-picking, I wrote and published the international-selling book Build Wealth with Common Stocks.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share a preview of the book with QVI subscribers and new readers. Build Wealth with Common Stocks is an additional resource for building and maintaining a potentially winning common stock portfolio.
The book description includes praise from everyday investors worldwide, editorial reviews, inspiring wisdom from the hardcover edition’s inside flaps, and links to the book’s online sellers worldwide.
I have included more book recommendations for quality-driven value investors written by esteemed authors I hold in high regard at the end of the post.
Premium (paying) subscribers can receive a complimentary download of Build Wealth with Common Stocks for a limited time. Subscribe or upgrade today to get your free book.
I was fortunate to discover quality value investing 15 years ago. The 46 companies encompassing the equal-weighted QVI Real-Time Stock Picks have outperformed the S&P 500 in total return by 6,294 basis points (bps) or +62.94 percentage points, average per holding since inception, as of the market close on November 13, 2024 (updated).
Prior to sharing the principles, strategies, and practices of successful quality value investing for subscribers via QVI’s twice-weekly newsletter posts, I wrote and published the international-selling book Build Wealth with Common Stocks: Market-Beating Strategies for the Individual Investor. The book serves as a case study of my transformation from a capital-depleting top-down growth stock trader to an alpha-achieving bottom-up high-quality business model value investor.
Thus, I wanted to take this opportunity to share this book preview with subscribers and new readers as an additional resource for building and maintaining a potential winning stock portfolio.
Book Description
An everyday investor’s family portfolio has outperformed the broader market for 15 years. Discover his easy-to-read and understand principles, strategies, and practices for uncovering the winning stocks of enduring enterprises.
Written for individual investors by an individual investor, in Build Wealth with Common Stocks, investor and author David J. Waldron shares actionable ideas to construct a potentially market-beating portfolio of the common shares of quality companies purchased at value prices to fund life’s significant milestones such as buying a home, paying for a college education, sponsoring a wedding, pursuing a passion, starting a business, or enjoying a comfortable retirement.
Praise from Everyday Investors
“BEST BOOK...Build Wealth with Common Stocks is the best book I’ve read on stock selection in my 55 years of investing.” —Bud Joyner, Memphis, TN, USA
“INSPIRED ME...David J. Waldron’s book inspired me to begin investing! Learning the benefits of planning and research toward owning slices of great companies helped me to develop a winning game plan for my inaugural portfolio.” —Shonna Dent, Pueblo, CO, USA
“CHOCK FULL OF WISDOM...I have read a ton of books on investing, and Build Wealth with Common Stocks is the most outstanding. Chock-full of wisdom that every individual investor needs to know. You will feel as if this book was written just for you.” —Ram Persaud, Toronto, ON, Canada
“A COMPLETE FRAMEWORK…David J. Waldron provides a complete framework for any individual investor looking for a thorough and common-sense understanding of value investing.” —Mariska Mosterd-van Wijnen, Ermelo, The Netherlands
“GUIDES YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS...From developing the right frame of mind to evaluating key metrics to determine if a stock is a good investment, Build Wealth with Common Stocks guides you through the process with terms and language that any do-it-yourself investor can understand and put into practice.” —Justin Loidolt, Boise, ID, USA
“COMMON SENSE APPROACH…David J. Waldron’s latest book is a great road map for individual investors with a long-term horizon. His common sense approach teaches you to assess each company on its merits and to understand the value of the business. A smart alternative to passively owning every company in an index. Highly recommended!” —Robert Weiss, CFA, Sarasota, FL, USA
“AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE…Build Wealth with Common Stocks is an excellent resource for a teacher to assign students in a class on financial literacy. David J. Waldron’s contrarian approach could be contrasted with the traditional Wall Street view and provide students an excellent background for increasing knowledge in the principles of investing.” —James Devine, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
“SOUND INVESTING PRACTICES…David J. Waldron focuses on sound investing practices with a relentless commitment to both the price of the stock and the quality of the company.” —Rick Urquhart, Cape Coral, FL, USA
“EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND…The first finance book that I have found easy to read and understand and not intimidating. I highly recommend Build Wealth with Common Stocks for a stock market neophyte like myself or anyone who enjoys learning about different investing strategies.” —Chrissy G., Providence, RI, USA
Premium (paying) subscribers can download a complimentary copy of Build Wealth with Common Stocks for a limited time.
Editorial Reviews
"Investing advice is fairly commonplace, but here the author shares his own unique investment wisdom that readers will not find elsewhere." —Critic's Report, The BookLife Prize
"An informed investor has a far greater chance of getting rich slow than getting rich fast and getting rich slowly is better than not at all." —Best First Lines, Publishers Weekly
"A great, new introduction to value investing." —Tony Kynaston and Cameron Reilly, QAV (Australia’s #1 Value Investing Podcast)
"I recommend the book to beginner or amateur investors who are looking to get good long-term returns on their savings." —Saj Karsan, Barel Karsan Value Investing
"Provides information on stock selection for the everyday investor looking to join an investment community. Must read. 5-Stars." —Mardene Carr, Reedsy Discovery
"Informative, useful, and essential for those looking to start investing or have already started and need more advice. An engaging wealth of knowledge. Five stars!" —Aimee Ann, The Red Headed Book Lover
From the Hardcover Edition’s Inside Flaps
David J. Waldron offers inspiring wisdom and memorable anecdotes for navigating the endless roller coaster of market cycles.
On Outperforming Wall Street
Learn how the individual investor on Main Street, despite limited capital, has the potential to achieve superior returns with lower costs and less risk than the power brokers working on Wall Street.
On Being a Thoughtful Investor
To paraphrase American baseball legend Yogi Berra, discover why investing is ’90 percent half’ common sense.
On Patience
Why patience is the scarcest and, thereby, the most valuable commodity available to retail-level investors.
On Discipline
One rule virtually guarantees you will never lose money on an investment.
On Productive Fear
How a portfolio constructed on this beneficial fear can outperform a basket thrown together from the unproductive fear of missing out.
On Taking Ownership
Stop placing bets on stocks and do this instead.
On Active vs. Passive Investing
Find how to screen for the best companies in a sector, reserving the benchmark index for hedging your portfolio.
On the Perils of High Yield Dividends
Chasing current yield is a recipe for junk equity. Instead, practice this more profitable concept of dividend investing.
On the Death of Value Investing
Value investing is never dead. It’s just less popular than short-term growth stories. As long as there are financial markets or farmers’ markets, value shall prevail.
On the Benefits of Self-Managed Investing
Build your beach or lake house instead of your financial advisor’s.
On Assessing Risk
Discover which investing risks are worth taking and which are best to avoid.
On Being a Defensive Investor
Outperform the market by managing the downside while allowing the upside to take care of itself.
Bonus: Founding Subscribers (Premium+) of Quality Value Investing on Substack can receive a personalized, complimentary copy of the book’s jacketed case laminate hardcover edition from the author. For their generosity, Founding subscribers earn a permanent complimentary subscription to QVI after their first year (no need to renew).
Become an Informed Investor
Read Build Wealth with Common Stocks and become the informed investor who builds and maintains an investment portfolio with the potential to outperform the market or, more importantly, fund your and your family’s life goals and milestones.
Invest in yourself and learn to achieve superior stock market returns with lower costs and less risk.
Available worldwide in jacketed case laminate hardcover, perfect bound paperback, and ebook at your favorite online bookstore.
More Books for Quality Value Investors
If you have already read Build Wealth With Common Stocks, I recommend the following titles to explore the virtues of quality value investing further.
Links are not provided so readers can choose their preferred book-shopping sources.
On Macroeconomics
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (Simon & Brown, 2016.)
18th-century Scottish philosopher and classical economist. Smith is widely considered the father of modern economics.
On Value Investing
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham (HarperCollins 2005.)
Twentieth-Century Columbia Business School professor and the father of value investing.
On Benjamin Graham
The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher H. Browne (Wiley, 2006)
Easy read on putting the investment principles of Benjamin Graham into play.
On Warren Buffett
The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G. Hagstrom (Wiley, 2013.)
Omaha, NE-based business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Buffett is our time’s preeminent quality-driven value investor.
On Stock Picking
Beating the Street by Peter Lynch (Simon & Schuster, 1993.)
American stock-picker extraordinaire. Former Boston-based Fidelity Magellan Fund manager averaged a 29.2% annual return.
On Managing Risk
The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks (Columbia University Press, 2011.)
Marks is a master at recognizing, understanding, and controlling risk by investing defensively.
On Wisdom
Richer, Wiser, Happier by William Green (Scribner, 2021)
Green interviews several of the world’s greatest investors and uncovers their talents that extend well beyond the financial realm.
On Behavioral Investing
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel (Harriman House, 2020)
Housel explores the strange ways people think about money and how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.
On Main Street Investors
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko (Gallery Books, 1996)
Surprisingly, the authors found that investment millionaires disproportionately cluster in middle-class and blue-collar neighborhoods.
Copyright 2021-24 by David J. Waldron. All rights reserved worldwide.
Resources
Preview the real-time writing of the manuscript for David’s next book, Quality Value Investing: How to Uncover the Winning Stocks of Enduring Enterprises.
Disclosure: I wrote this post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it except Substack paid subscriptions to Quality Value Investing and royalties from Build Wealth With Common Stocks. I have no business relationship with the other authors or their publishers whose books are recommended in this article. They have not recommended nor endorsed my book or newsletter.
Additional disclosure: Quality Value Investing by David J. Waldron’s newsletter, books, research reports, real-time stock picks, and course modules are for informational purposes only. The accuracy of the data cannot be guaranteed. Narrative and analytics are impersonal, i.e., not tailored to individual needs nor intended for portfolio construction beyond his family portfolio, which is presented solely for educational purposes. David is an individual investor and author, not an investment adviser. Readers should always engage in independent research or due diligence and consider, as appropriate, consulting a fee-only certified financial planner, licensed discount broker/dealer, flat fee registered investment adviser, certified public accountant, or specialized attorney before making any investment, income tax, or estate planning decisions.