Ray Dalio's Reading List

Founder of Bridgewater Associates and author of Principles. Has shared frequently-cited reading recommendations.

Ray Dalio's Recommendations for Students and Investors

Books Dalio names in interviews as the ones every graduating student or investor should read.

Will Durant · 1968 · Buy on Amazon

"The Durants — maybe the greatest historians of all time — distill themes from their 15-volume history series into just 104 pages."

River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life

Richard Dawkins · 1995 · Buy on Amazon

"This exploration of evolution and natural selection aligns with Ray Dalio's focus on understanding how systems operate and adapt, a core theme in his principles for life and work."

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell · 1949 · Buy on Amazon

"Campbell's exploration of universal patterns in human experience aligns with Ray Dalio's focus on timeless principles for navigating life and markets. It's an expected read for someone exploring foundational truths."

The Power of Habit

Charles Duhigg · 2012 · Buy on Amazon

"[It] really opened my eyes."

Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

Tim Ferriss · 2017 · Buy on Amazon

"I love Tim's book because it's essentially a collection of great principles from people who have accomplished great things."

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari · 2011 · Buy on Amazon

"Its exploration of humanity's big-picture patterns and systems aligns with Ray Dalio's focus on understanding historical cycles and universal principles. This book offers a framework for understanding human behavior over millennia, a perspective valuable for investors and strategists."

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman · 2011 · Buy on Amazon

"Kahneman's exploration of cognitive biases and decision-making aligns with Ray Dalio's focus on systematic thinking and understanding human behavior in markets, as detailed in his own work on principles."