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Ken Fisher's Books

Ken Fisher has written five books, including three bestsellers: The Ten Roads to Riches (2008), The Only Three Questions that Count (2006), and Super Stocks (1984). In his books, Ken Fisher seeks to bring content that is educational, entertaining, and profitable to investors of all levels. Ken Fisher is working on future books under the Fisher Investments Press publishing imprint in partnership with John Wiley & Sons.

	The Ten Roads to Riches: The Ways the Wealthy Got There and How You Can Too! by Ken Fisher John Wiley & Sons (2008)
Published October 20, 2008, available at bookstores everywhere. Please visit the official book website for more information on The Ten Roads to Riches

The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't by Ken Fisher John Wiley & Sons (2006)

Description: Readers of New York Times Best Seller The Only Three Questions That Count will be shocked to find much of the basis for their investing decisions are based on provably false mythology. Ken Fisher, long time Forbes columnist and Chairman and CEO of Fisher Investments, for the first time shares the methodology he has used to great success managing money for his own clients. By treating investing a science, instead of a craft, Fisher debunks many of the investing world’s most pervasive and egregious myths. Moreover, he demonstrates an actionable scientific method investors can adopt immediately to increase their success rate, beginning today. Please visit the official book website for more information on The Only Three Questions that Count

	Super Stocks The Book That's Changing the Way Investors Think by Ken Fisher Republished by McGraw-Hill in September 2007 (First published by Dow Jones-Irwin in 1984)
Description: Super Stocks introduces unique and powerful, yet easily understood new methods for valuing stocks and analyzing and predicting future profit margins. Fisher shows investors how to use innovative techniques and fundamental business analysis to spot Wall Street bargains and how to successfully research a company before parting with your money.

The Wall Street Waltz 90 Visual Perspectives: Illustrated Lessons from Financial Cycles and Trends by Ken Fisher Re-released from John Wiley & Sons under the Fisher Investment Series in November 2007 (First published by Contemporary Books in 1987)

Description: Much of what happens in the financial world today has been played over in history many times before and has been captured in the cycles and trends of financial charts created over time. Understanding the movements within these charts provides a clear perspective of today's markets and can aid you in your investment decisions tomorrow. Fisher has assembled 90 of the most revealing and provocative financial charts ever assembled in one volume. Fisher provides what he calls a visualisation in which he analyzes each chart according to its origin, historical significance, and most importantly, its relevance to today's market.

100 Minds That Made the Market by Ken Fisher Re-released from John Wiley & Sons under the Fisher Investment Series in August 2007 (First published by Pacific Publishing Group in 1991)

Description: In this book Ken Fisher delivers cameo biographies of his favorite 100 pioneers of American financial history. Whether little known names, or famous figures like Jo Kennedy (who many folks forget was the first head of the Securities and Exchange Commission), Fisher digs through the detail. He describes their business careers, their personal lives, their contributions to our money markets - plus the key financial lessons to be learned from their lives.  Click here to learn more about Ken Fisher or Fisher Investments or to access Investments Press.

Comments
The following represents commentary by Fisher Investments’ staff members on the content of the foregoing books by Ken Fisher. All comments are subject to the commentary disclaimers located here.

32 Comments

Great advice on how to become a CEO
Added by evec on 4/30/2009
Using Jack Welch, GE's former CEO, Ken illustrates what makes a good CEO and helps a reader determine whether he/she has what it takes. Good to read before trying to go the CEO route and finding out too late you're not CEO material.

Financial Fundamentals
Added by CRF on 4/29/2009
I consder myself a finance industry novice and reading the financial news is sometimes confusing and seemingly biased. I think Ken Fisher’s books offer fundamental financial reasoning, and helps me understand the financial topics in the news. Fisher’s books also help me see through some of the biases and hype in the news.

Super Stocks
Added by evec on 4/28/2009
I'm new to the finance world, and Super Stocks was an informative read. Being a non-business major, I hadn't realized there were that many finance terms or different ways of analyzing information. Informative, educational book, good read.

Roads to Riches
Added by JMarquand on 4/24/2009
In times like this, people seem to think that the concept of wealth may be lost for good. It's important to remember that for some, low points in the market and economy are perfect for discovering the next big idea or starting the next super successful business! Ken Fisher's Ten Roads to Riches details some of these paths to wealth, and reminds readers to stay positive - wealth is attainable!

Wall Street Waltz
Added by evec on 4/23/2009
It's like a finance picture book--and who doesn't like picture books? The number of graphs and explanations accompanying them are a great way for aspiring investors or finance students to learn the history of Wall Street. Great, easy-to-read layout and well written.

Refreshing Look
Added by CRF on 4/22/2009
Ken Fisher’s book, 100 Minds That Made the Market, is a historical look at the titans who crafted the modern US financial industry. Many of the financial figures got where they were through extremely hard work and with a lot of smarts. Many helped the US economy rapidly progress. With much of today’s news painting financial CEOs in such a negative light, this book is a refreshing look at the contributions by financial leaders throughout history.

100 Minds, historical facts made entertaining
Added by evec on 4/21/2009
100 Minds reads like many biography books in one, but much more entertaining and interestingly written. Along with dry facts, I found that Ken Fisher managed to bring these characters to life, making them human and, therefore, much more interesting.

Wall Street Waltz
Added by JMarquand on 4/17/2009
I agree with CRF about The Wall Street Waltz. I pick up the book and read a chapter at a time. Each story provides a quick, engrossing, and even comical read. I think this book is a great way to learn about some of the major players in the history of the stock market, especially with each individual detailed in his or her own chapter!

About to re-read Only Three Questions
Added by evec on 4/16/2009
In light of the recent market environment, I'm tempted to pick up and re-read the Only Three Questions to remind myself not to give in to what my brain is trying to get me to do. I need to remember why running from stocks when things look bad is likely a bad idea.

Visual Perspective
Added by CRF on 4/15/2009
I find Ken Fisher's "Wall Street Waltz" incredibly engrossing. Many financial books juxtapose text with graphs and charts, usually with those graphics being secondary. This book puts graphics at the forefront and makes interesting visual comparisons between different sets of data. Sometimes, a line on a graph can show you a lot more about what’s going on than a page of text. Very neat.

Ten Roads to Riches
Added by evec on 4/14/2009
Dezzat makes a good point: the career choices/paths offered by Ken Fisher in this book are viable, assuming you're stubborn/creative enough to stay on a particular path. It's a good read, not only for the entertainment value, but also to learn what other options other than saving are possible on the path to becoming wealthy.

Wall Street Waltz
Added by DEzzat on 4/13/2009
For visual learners like myself, I found Ken Fisher's Wall Street Waltz to be extremely helpful in understanding key financial concepts. The layout of the book was very well put together and the graphic representations were a great resource when trying to conceptualize each topic.

What’s Next?
Added by EBA on 4/9/2009
JD brings up and interesting point: what will the next game changing idea be? Surely with the upheaval we’re experiencing with this bear market, new ways of analyzing the markets (like the PSR) will emerge.

A game changer
Added by jd on 4/8/2009
Ken Fisher’s Super Stocks was a game-changing book for many in finance. It popularized a new ratio, the Price Sales Ratio (PSR), for valuing stocks and predicting profits. But above all it was a great example of how “investing by knowing what others don’t” (from The Only Three Questions That Count) can give investors a leg up on the competition—many successful investors are constantly on the lookout for new capital markets technology like the PSR.

100 Minds
Added by DEzzat on 4/6/2009
Ken Fisher’s 100 Minds That Made The Market uses anecdotes, fun facts, and concise language to describe the lives of 100 remarkable people. Some of these people you may know, others you might not have, but I found myself learning something new and interesting while reading through them all.

Second that—Ten Roads to Riches
Added by LRD on 4/3/2009
Building off JD’s comment, I can vouch for the entertainment value of Ken Fisher’s book. I’ve laughed out-loud at certain parts. As CEO of Fisher Investments, Ken Fisher has accumulated a great deal of wisdom and hands-on experience in achieving success. Fortunately, for us readers, Ken Fisher has documented and shared this wisdom on obtaining wealth in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact writing style. A refreshing read with solid nuggets of genuine thought. How often do you read a book that’s hilarious and informative? Ken Fisher makes it happen.

The human brain is not conditioned for investing
Added by EBA on 4/2/2009
I agree DEzzat- Ken Fisher’s points in The Only Three Questions about how the human brain trips us up as investors struck me as surprising too. While we think that humans have been investing and presumably learning from experience for hundreds of years now, our brains evolved for thousands of years before that. It’s main purpose? Staying alive in often harsh environmental conditions!

Lead from the front
Added by jd on 4/1/2009
Great thing about Ken Fisher’s Ten Roads to Riches—you can open it anywhere and find something entertaining and informative. For instance, I first opened the book to the section “A CEO-Volution (Through My Father’s Eyes).” Before I knew it, I was ten pages on, having learned even Ken Fisher spent some time figuring it all out. And his greatest leadership mentor? Julius Ceasar—always lead from the front. Good stuff.

Behavioral Finance
Added by DEzzat on 3/30/2009
In reading Ken Fisher’s Only Three Questions, I noticed a particular section on behavioral finance that I found quite informative and a bit surprising as well (Chapter 3, Pages 84-86). I think it’s applicable to current times and it provides some good thoughts on how our brains function, especially during times of increased volatility. I think this is a great section for any investor to read to better understand how to think about the markets before mindlessly reacting.

Good vs. bad debt + 10 Roads to Riches
Added by LRD on 3/27/2009
I second DEzzat—the section of the book on federal deficits is eye-opening. American’s have a general fear that “Debt is bad”, but it makes sense the government should actually leverage itself like a successful company using debt efficiently to fund growth. I think I’m going to read Ken Fisher’s The Ten Roads to Riches next. The description on the Fisher Investments' website says it’s less on investing, and more on the most predominant ways to become wealthy. It should be a quicker read – Ken Fisher’s writing style tends to be fairly succinct, similar to his columns in Forbes.

Deficits in perspective
Added by EBA on 3/26/2009
I agree with DEzzat about deficits. In an absolute sense, folks fear the huge number. However, when viewed in relation to GDP, the deficit seems much more reasonable. In fact, it’s comparable from a percentage standpoint to how most major corporations structure their debt ratio!

A One Man Central Bank
Added by jd on 3/25/2009
Financial panics were a pretty regular occurrence in the 19th and early 20th centuries—but we didn’t have the Federal Reserve until 1913. Did you know that just before the Fed was created, one man acted as central banker and lender of last resort for the US? Ken Fisher’s 100 Minds That Made the Market tells how JP Morgan singlehandedly saved the financial system during the Panic of 1907. He gathered millions in funds, injected liquidity, saved banks, steadied the New York Stock Exchange…no simple feat!

The Ten Roads to Riches
Added by cmcgeough on 3/24/2009
I agree with EveC that The Ten Roads to Riches by Ken Fisher is an entertaining read. The advice laid out in this book would appeal to anybody looking for their own path to wealth. It was an unexpectedly inspiring for this non-sophisticated investor.

Deficits
Added by DEzzat on 3/23/2009
In today’s current environment, deficits are a major point of discussion. As deficits are climbing higher and higher throughout the year, many investors are worried about how this will affect both the economy and the stock market. But it’s important to remember, based on Ken Fisher's analysis, large deficits aren’t detrimental. Many folks see surpluses as a positive sign of growth and deficits as a negative when in fact, historically, it’s quite the opposite. For more in depth analysis on this topic, see Chapter 6 of The Only Three Questions (pages 213-220).

A weak dollar is bad for stocks?
Added by LRD on 3/20/2009
I agree with cmcgeough—The Only Three Questions That Count does a good job at challenging conventional investing “wisdom”. Ken Fisher effectively dismantles long-standing “truths” with hard data. One such myth is “A Weak Dollar Is Bad For Stocks” (pp. 262-265 if you’re interested). Ken Fisher uses research-backed arguments to reveal currency fluctuations are not meaningful within a global strategy. Ken Fisher writes that over the long run currencies are so cyclical that the net currency effect is close to zero anyways (and hardly worth hedging).

The Only Three Questions That Count
Added by cmcgeough on 3/17/2009
Reading Ken Fisher’s book has helped me think differently. It is an interesting approach with great insight that investors of any level can benefit from. One of the more interesting investment books I have come across in a good while.

Ten Roads to Riches... useful and timeless
Added by Dezzat on 3/16/2009
The Ten Roads to Riches is the kind of book everyone will enjoy no matter your background. It’s a fast read that is applicable in both good and bad economic times. Ken Fisher gives the reader several options of career choices or paths to embark on and he does so in a very amusing, creative manner. You’ll find yourself learning more about new industries or ideas then you ever thought possible all while getting a good laugh every now and then.

More on hemlines
Added by EBA on 3/13/2009
You’re right jd- the ‘hemline’ indicator is one that gets trotted around every so often in the Wall Street Journal. One interesting thing to note is that fashion changes so quickly these days (did you know there are now more than 8 “seasons” as opposed to just 4?) that a hemline trend is almost impossible to discern these days. No more hemline consistency to track!

Low hemlines? Be bullish says The Wall Street Waltz...
Added by jd on 3/11/2009
We’ve all heard of inflation—it’s those rising prices leading our grandparents to utter, “In my day, boy you wouldn’t believe what a nickel would get you…” Well, the Wall Street Waltz has plenty of historical graphs and charts illustrating many well-known economic and financial concepts over the years. But even better are the relative financial obscurities it highlights too. Like who would’ve guessed Wall Streeters watched hemlines closely enough to have created a chart illustrating their correlation to stocks? Someone apparently, because the Wall Street Waltz unearths an old chart showing bull markets love low hemlines and vice-versa for the bears.

100 Minds
Added by JMarquand on 3/10/2009
Ken’s book, 100 Minds that Made the Market, profiles historical financial figures and their impact on the market. I found this book to be a great read not only because the individual stories are captivating (real page-turners!) but also because it shows that the financial scandals we see in the news today are nothing new in historical terms—it really provided a sense of perspective.

The three questions can be applied to more than just investing...
Added by EBA on 3/9/2009
After reading The Only Three Questions, it struck me that these questions can be applied to more than just investing. Take ‘What is my brain doing to trick me now’ for example: The world has changed much faster than our instincts and ‘gut’ reactions. We are overloaded with news and information. Just because we have more information doesn’t mean we will use it any more wisely!

Ten Roads to Riches, an amusing read.
Added by EveC on 3/6/2009