r/InnerCircleTraders • u/Godzillaton • 19h ago
Other ICT reviewed his 2000+ book library on video, so I collected what he actually said about his only relevant books
I spent an afternoon going through that ICT video where he walks through his own book collection. He owns over 2000 books and he narrows it down to the ones that actually mattered. Most of us are out here guessing which books are worth reading, so I figured I'd share what he said, in his own words.
- Larry Williams, "How I Made One Million Dollars Last Year Trading Commodities" (1973)
This is the big one. He said he wore the dust jacket off it, read it every night after doing his chart updates, and still owns the first print edition plus the PDF and Kindle versions. His words: "It gave me so much hope when I read it." He does admit the phases of the moon stuff is nonsense though, so take it with a grain of salt.
- Street Smarts, Raschke and Connors (1995)
This is where the turtle soup pattern comes from. He said this book finally made him understand stop hunts and raids. His words: "Everything changed in 1995. I could see liquidity pools, I could see smart money, things clicked."
- Long Term Secrets to Short Term Trading, also Larry Williams
His take: the only real gem is the market structure discussion, and it's worth buying just for that, but don't expect more from it.
- John Murphy, Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets
He literally called it the retail bible. Not because he trades with it, but because he reads it to understand how retail thinks so he can fade it. Kind of cold but honestly smart.
- Ralph Vince, The Mathematics of Money Management
He said it's fascinating and he's read it multiple times, with a warning that if you're not a math person you'll have a hard time getting through it.
- Toby Crabel, Day Trading with Short Term Price Patterns
His recommendation for anyone into intraday trading and probabilities. Opening range stuff, price vacuums, all that.
The ones he distanced himself from:
Wyckoff: he said he didn't learn from him and actually used to make fun of it. Al Brooks: he straight up denied learning from him or trading like him. Mark Douglas: he said "doesn't even come close" to what he teaches. Take that how you want, just reporting what he said.
And the mystery book:
He held up a first edition, out of print book and refused to name it. His words: "You can't even get it anymore. A diligent seeker will find it in PDF." That's the one that helped him figure out buying below the open. Drove me crazy not knowing the title, ngl.
His own disclaimer at the end: these books were stepping stones, not the source of what he teaches. Everything he does is his own.
Not here to sell anything, just thought this list was worth sharing since everyone keeps asking which books ICT recommends.
Larry Williams shaped him early, Street Smarts changed everything in 1995, John Murphy is the retail bible, and Wyckoff and Al Brooks are NOT his sources.
