The Intelligent Investor, Revised Edition (Benjamin Graham, Jason Zweig commentary)
A lasting guide to value investing, but dense, dated in places and superseded by a newer edition.
The short version
- Long term investors who want a framework for handling market swings
- Readers who pick individual stocks and want better valuation habits
- Anyone curious about the book Warren Buffett credits for his approach
- You want a quick, modern introduction to investing
- You would rather have the newest commentary, which is in the third edition
What owners like
- Core ideas on temperament, risk and price have aged well
- Mr. Market and margin of safety change how readers think about volatility
- Zweig's commentary makes the older material easier to apply
Common complaints
- Dense, old fashioned writing that takes patience
- Specific stocks, prices and bond discussions are dated
- Assumes some prior investing knowledge, so it is hard going for complete beginners
- Long enough that many readers skim or read selectively
Based on Goodreads reader review themes, book notes from grahammann.net, reviews from Sago Investimentos and Kingswell, and the Amazon and Google Books listings..
Research scores
Scored from the maker's specs and what owners report. Drew's own notes and photos will refine these.
Ownership
Drew's hands-on notes for this product are on the way. Long-term updates will be added to this timeline.
What it does
Benjamin Graham's classic guide to value investing, with chapter by chapter commentary from Wall Street Journal writer Jason Zweig and a preface by Warren Buffett.
- Graham's original text kept intact, with a Zweig commentary after each chapter
- Chapter 8 introduces Mr. Market, a way to treat price swings as an option rather than an order
- Chapter 20 sets out the margin of safety, buying well below a conservative estimate of value
- Separates investing from speculation and splits readers into defensive and enterprising investors
- Zweig's notes tie Graham's examples to more recent market events
A strong pick for anyone who wants the thinking behind long term, price conscious investing, especially the Mr. Market and margin of safety ideas. The trade-off is a long, dense read with decades old examples, and a newer 75th anniversary third edition now carries fully rewritten commentary.
How it compares
Specs
- Author
- Benjamin Graham
- Commentary
- Jason Zweig
- Preface
- Warren E. Buffett
- Publisher
- Harper Business
- ISBN
- 9780060555665
- Format
- Paperback, over 600 pages
- Graham's text
- Fourth revised edition, written 1971 to 1972
Questions
Is The Intelligent Investor still worth reading?
Reviewers say the principles hold up, especially margin of safety and investor psychology, while the specific examples and numerical screens need modern reinterpretation.
Which chapters of The Intelligent Investor are most important?
Chapters 8 and 20. Buffett has singled them out, and several reviewers suggest starting there if time is short.
What is the difference between the revised edition and the third edition?
The third edition from 2024 keeps Graham's text almost untouched but has Zweig commentary rewritten from scratch, and drops three appendices on obsolete tax rules and historical cases that remain in the revised edition.
Is The Intelligent Investor good for beginners?
Serious beginners can manage it with Zweig's commentary, but readers often say it assumes some background and reads slowly.
Sources
- Amazon listing 0060555661
- Google Books: The Intelligent Investor Rev Ed.
- Goodreads: The Intelligent Investor
- Graham Mann: The Intelligent Investor book notes
- Sago Investimentos: The Intelligent Investor review
- Kingswell: The Intelligent Investor at 75
Researched 2026-10-02. We bought this product; our page is built from the maker's details and what owners report across reviews and forums. We never copy Amazon customer reviews.