Best Swing Trading Books For Beginners

Updated June 15, 2024

Swing trading is one of the best strategies you can adopt to make money from the financial markets. This technique involves holding a tradable asset for 1 to 5 days or more before finally selling it.  

As a potential swing trader, reading the best swing trading books will boost your skill set and help you become a successful swing trader. Over time, you’ll gain valuable insights and knowledge about how you can easily navigate through swing trading. You’ll also learn how to build a successful swing trading strategy, the best tradable asset to pick, and how long to keep your holding position and so forth.

What is Swing Trading?

Swing trading is a trading strategy that capitalizes on short-term changes in the price of financial assets to realize profits. Typically, traders hold specific indices or stocks for some time (from 1 day to a couple of weeks) and monitor their lowest or highest peaks. They then leverage these predictions in prices to make profits.

#1

How to Trade Big Trends for Big Profits

"How to Trade Big Trends for Big Profits" is a guide that teaches traders to identify and capitalize on significant market trends using a combination of technical analysis, strategic planning, and disciplined execution.

#2

The New Trading for a Living

"The New Trading for a Living" is a comprehensive guide by Dr. Alexander Elder, offering updated methods and techniques for trading stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.

#3

In Depth Guide to Price Action Trading

"In Depth Guide to Price Action Trading" is a comprehensive resource that teaches traders how to interpret and utilize price movements and patterns in the financial markets.

#4

Mastering the Trade

"Mastering the Trade" by John F. Carter is a comprehensive guide that combines detailed technical analysis with practical trading strategies, helping traders refine their skills.

#5

How to Swing Trade

"How to Swing Trade" by Andrew Aziz provides a practical guide for traders looking to capitalize on short- to medium-term opportunities in the stock market through effective swing trading strategies.

#6

New Trader Rich Trader

"New Trader, Rich Trader" by Steve Burns explores the journey and contrasting philosophies of novice and experienced traders, offering valuable lessons and insights on achieving success in the trading world.

#7

Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom

"Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom" by Van K. Tharp offers a guide to developing personalized trading systems and strategies, emphasizing the importance of psychology, risk management, and self-awareness.

#8

Think & Trade Like a Champion

"Think & Trade Like a Champion" by Mark Minervini provides an in-depth look at the mindset, strategies, and techniques used by successful stock traders, emphasizing the importance of discipline and risk management.

#9

Market Wizard

"Market Wizards" by Jack D. Schwager is a compelling collection of interviews with some of the world's most successful traders, offering deep insights into their strategies and experiences.

#10

How To Make Money in Stocks  

"How to Make Money in Stocks" by William J. O'Neil provides a comprehensive guide to successful stock market investing, using the CAN SLIM strategy to identify winning stocks and maximize returns.

Top 10 Best Books On Swing Trading in 2024

In brief, the following are the books that made it to our list:

1. How to Trade Big Trends for Big Profits


To be successful in any kind of trading you need to first of all master the basics. And while this may sound like a tough call, the popular “How to Trade Big Trends for Big Profits” publication promises to make everything a tad easier.

This masterpiece by Ivaylo Ivanov helps you get a better understanding of matters regarding filters, watchlists, and so on. The book spans 157 pages and was published in 2018.

There is plenty for one to learn from this book, from how to time your market exposure, proper trade positioning, to picking stocks. The publication also discusses how you can use options as a risk management tool and when it’s ideal to use options for swing trading. 

The book also tackles how you can leverage the mental side of trading to be consistently successful. You will love how each one of its chapters is filled with practical examples and charts to help you understand what would otherwise be complex concepts with ease.

2. The New Trading for a Living


With the current busy lifestyles, you won’t find time to monitor every tick and trend of your tradable assets. This Alexander Elder book gives insights into different ways to trade and still maintain your working schedule. It’s like a study guide that introduces new concepts like risk control, trade management, psychology, and discipline. 

Spanning over 300 pages, the book is ideal for traders of all levels as it has up to 170 questions, 17 charts, and 11 rating scales to help test your trading skills or knowledge. The chapters are linked with topic-related questions, and you can easily find the answers in a section that looks like a mini-text book. Interestingly, the book (published in 2014) gives detailed comments on the incorrect and correct answers, thus making it an excellent learning guide.

3. In Depth Guide to Price Action Trading


The author of this book, Laurentiu Damir, suggests that maintaining an excellent risk-reward ratio is vital in swing trading. This is unlike many trading books that use complex techniques and technical analysis. He also emphasizes the use of Fibonacci support/resistance levels and chart patterns for easy identification of entry/exit points. 

Apart from price action analysis, this book also gives you insights into the best swing strategies that work in the current markets. Overall, whether you are a beginner or experienced trader, this book opens a whole range of trading possibilities and concepts you can use to change your trading strategy. 

The author handles the issues outlined in the book comprehensively, and you might need to read it repeatedly to grasp the finer details. Lastly, the book has 102 pages and was published in 2016.

4. Mastering the Trade


This book was written by John F. Carter, a self-made master of swing trading and intraday setups. Published in 2012 and spanning 448 pages it highlights the importance of the current drastic changes in technology. It also guides you on the best strategies to employ in the ever-dynamic financial markets. That’s not all; the book also profiles the author’s trading methodology and journey. 

The highlighted real-world case studies are great examples for you to get viable trading opportunities. Moreover, the author uses multiple charts, video links, and gives active swing trading tips to further reinforce the message. Although the book may read like a textbook, it comprises high-quality information from the first page to the last. You will enjoy reading the book as it incorporates a bit of humor so you don’t get bored when taking the lessons.

5. How to Swing Trade


This book by Andrew Aziz and Brian Pezim has 320 pages, was published in 2018 and is an excellent guide for beginners looking for detailed trading information. It gives significant insights into money management rules, trading rules, routines, and strategies for becoming successful at swing trading. 

The authors also emphasize why you should have an inner understanding of market patterns and trends. They also explain the fundamental and technical concepts of swing trading, plus how to identify trade opportunities with great returns. A significant section of the book comprehensively covers chart patterns and how you can use them to predict future changes in prices.

6. New Trader Rich Trader


This Steve Burns and Holly Burns authored book gives valuable insights to established and beginner traders who would like to achieve financial prosperity through financial markets. They provide expert tips, strategies, and practical advice on navigating the dynamic world of trading. This New Trader Rich Trader book was published in 2017 and includes 132 pages.

Also highlighted are common mistakes and challenges usually made by new traders. The authors don’t leave it at that; they provide actionable advice to help you improve your decision-making and trading skills. In summary, this masterpiece covers various topics like technical analysis, risk management, psychology of trading, and how to develop a trading plan among others.

7. Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom


The author of this book, Van K. Tharp, explains in detail what a good trading system is and what isn’t. He briefly describes all major trading-related topics and gives all-rounded tips. Furthermore, he divides trading strategy into these parts: cost of trading, reliability, account size, risk: reward ratio, money management, and trading opportunities. These are like ingredients for you to develop a good trading strategy.

The book is not all about financial strategies; it also guides you on the principles of risk management, discipline, and psychology by giving practical trading techniques. No matter your level of expertise in trading, the book can be a great avenue for achieving constant success and financial freedom. Lastly, the “Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom” book was published in 2006 and is quite a long read at 482 pages.

8. Think & Trade Like a Champion


Mark Minervini, the author of this book, has contributed immeasurably to the trading world by giving more actionable details than most trading books. “Think & Trade Like a Champion” is one of his books and was initially published in 2016, covering 260 pages. He takes you through valuable aspects like stock selection, risk management, trading psychology, etc. On stock selection, he covers the stages a stock goes through from accumulation to distribution.

Mark explains his methods of uncovering the biggest market winners and shares proven pointers on how to avoid big drawdowns. Additionally, he explains in detail how you can have a “Champion Trader Mindset” by not fearing to take action.  The last section of the book gives insights into how you can avoid emotional traps, as they are the major stumbling blocks to achieving super performance.

9. Market Wizard


The “Market Wizard” by Jack Schwager first edition was published in 2012 with 512 pages and comprises a collection of interviews with professional traders. It digs deeper into their trading mindset and strategies to give proven advice to traders of different levels. The book also explains the Market Wizard’s professional traders’ personal journey and their ability to adapt to different market conditions.

The introduction comprises a discussion explaining the mental attitude and discipline in trading. Through the discussion, you’ll learn that being successful in trading is not only about having a great strategy. Success is based on your capability to maintain emotional stability and risk management. Another key point from the book is learning from mistakes and turning losses into learning opportunities.

10. How to make money in Stocks


This William O’ Neil’s book on “How to Make Money in Stocks” is one of the most bought trading books worldwide. Its 4th edition was published in 2009 with 464 pages. William was a professional trading expert with over 50 years of experience as an entrepreneur, writer, and stockbroker. He used his expertise to share tips on how you can choose the best ETFs and mutual funds.

The book guides you on steps for making intelligent investments, even if you are new to stocks. It gives you a guide on how to read charts and track the daily changes in stock prices based on market demand or supply. Using technical indicators and price patterns greatly boosts your efforts in determining the strongest entry and exit points.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned swing trading books are authored by expert traders and investment analysts to help you understand the marketplace better. They also teach appropriate money, stop loss, and risk management strategies to help you become a professional swing trader.

Eventually, it’s important to note that success in swing trading depends on your ability to acquire knowledge from swing trading-related sources and putting it into practice. 

Jerry Garnes

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About the Author

Jerry Garnes is a seasoned writer in personal finance. His informative and insightful pieces have been featured by esteemed platforms like Bankrate, The Street, and Business Insider. In addition to his financial expertise, Jerry is a passionate poet and musician with a deep love for nature.

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