While it's not a book, Investopedia is a great source of information. At the very least, they have a comprehensive glossary that will help you understand some of the jargon you'll read in this forum. (Do you know what it means to "Eat Your Own Dog Food"?)

 

Good one.

 

Start a book discussion thread. If we blend it all together you'll never find anything.

 

General:
The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing .. Jason Kelly.. ISBN 0-452-27870-8

Tech Analysis [If you're into it]:
Technical Analysis from A to Z .. Steven B. Achelis .. ISBN 1-55738-816-4

 

Also "Beating the Street" by the same author.

 

I just got an e-mail from Border's recommending Ken Fisher's The Only Three Questions That Count: Investing by Knowing What Others Don't; Jim Cramer wrote the foreword.

 

Kiplinger's Practical Guide to Investing by Ted Miller
It's a good general investing book. Nothing very exciting, but it covers the basics. It's more geared towards people who aren't interesting in picking their own stocks. If you know the basics skip it.

Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle by John Rolfe and Peter Troob
Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage by Michael Lewis
Both very good reads that may get you more interested in investing. They also provide some insights into what it's really like on the Street, which is good to know. For example, you get a very brutal picture of the conflict of interest that can exist between you and your broker.

The New Science of Technical Analysis by Thomas DeMark

 

The most important publication for a new investor is ANYTHING that shows up at your door every day or month and reminds you to save regularly. Kiplinger's, Money, the WSJ, whatever.

Not a book either but...
Anything that Warren Buffet ever wrote, even on the back of a napkin. Annual reports, letters to shareholders, interview transcripts, ANYTHING.
Why? Because he's the most successful investor in the history of the world, and he GIVES AWAY HIS BRAINS FOR FREE!!!

 

A couple of old ones that I liked:

Trader Vic - Methods of a Wall Street master by Victor Sperandeo (I think especially good for a beginning trader)

How Charts Can Make You Money by Stewart (used this one more in my job trading petroleum products but would apply to stocks if you took the time to watch the charts)

 

The Investor's Guide to Technical Analysis by Curt Renz.

This is a great intro into T/A if you literally know nothing about it but you'll need something else to supplement it afterwards. I also like stockcharts.com's "chart school".