Start with The Richest Man in Babylon at around NPR 288 for the basics, then The Psychology of Money for why sensible people still make bad decisions. If you plan to trade on NEPSE, a Nepali-language share bazar guide will serve you better than any imported title.
Money books split into three kinds: habits, mindset and mechanics. Most people buy the third kind first, get lost in candlestick charts, and give up. The order below is the one that tends to stick, and it starts cheap.
One thing to be clear about: these are books, not financial advice, and nobody here is a licensed advisor. A book can teach you how compounding works or what a candlestick chart shows. It cannot tell you what to do with your money.
Prices are what we charge as of August 2026 and move with our supplier, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote.
Which money book should you read first?
The Richest Man in Babylon, around NPR 288. It is a century old, written as parables set in ancient Babylon, and it contains most of what personal finance has to say: pay yourself first, live below your means, do not lend what you cannot lose. It takes an evening and costs less than a cinema ticket, which makes it the highest return per rupee on this list.
What explains why we make bad money decisions?
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, around NPR 640. Its argument is that doing well with money has little to do with intelligence and a great deal to do with behaviour — patience, ego, and how you react when things fall. It is the book most likely to change what you actually do, rather than what you know.
There is also a Nepali-language edition, Dhan Sampatti Ko Manobigyan, at around NPR 432, which is the better buy if Nepali is the language you think in. If you want it bundled, The Alchemist and The Psychology of Money comes in at around NPR 1,080.
What should you read before trading on NEPSE?
Something written for this market. Imported trading books use examples from markets with different hours, different circuit rules and different liquidity, and beginners spend the first month translating.
- Share Bazar Ma Candlestick Patterns Ra Chart Patterns for Beginners by Bibek Sharma, around NPR 428. Nepali-language, aimed at exactly this reader.
- Chart Patterns and Candlestick Patterns in Stock Market Trading by Indrazith Shantharaj, around NPR 504, if you would rather read it in English.
Read them as a vocabulary lesson rather than a system. Patterns describe what a chart did; they do not promise what it will do next, and books in this category are frequently sold as though they do.
Is Rich Dad Poor Dad worth reading?
It is worth reading and worth arguing with. Rich Dad and Poor Dad at around NPR 864 is the most influential money book of the last thirty years and the most criticised, largely because its specific advice about property and leverage does not transfer well and its stories are hard to verify. What it does well is reframe the difference between an asset and a liability, which is a genuinely useful lens. Read it early, treat the anecdotes with suspicion, and do not take it as a plan.
Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant, around NPR 720, is the sequel most readers find more practical.
What about serious investing?
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, around NPR 1,037. This is the foundational value-investing text and it is genuinely difficult — dense, dated in its examples, and worth it only once you already know what a balance sheet is. Buy it second or third, not first.
Which books help you earn rather than save?
- Build, Don't Talk by Raj Shamani, around NPR 640. Written for a young South Asian audience and unusually direct about the gap between school and work.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, around NPR 269. Nearly a hundred years old and still the best value on the business shelf.
- The Millionaire Fastlane by M.J. DeMarco, around NPR 864, for the argument against slow saving. Loud, and useful as a counterweight.
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu, around NPR 208, which every business list includes and few people finish. It is short enough to be worth the gamble.
In what order should a beginner read these?
The Richest Man in Babylon, then The Psychology of Money, then Rich Dad Poor Dad if you want the mindset argument or a NEPSE guide if you want the mechanics. The Intelligent Investor comes after all of them, if at all.
Frequently asked questions
Are there Nepali-language money books? Yes, including the Nepali edition of The Psychology of Money and Nepali share bazar guides. Each book's page lists its language.
Will these books teach me to pick stocks? No. They teach vocabulary, history and behaviour. Anything promising reliable stock picks is selling something.
Can I pay cash on delivery? Yes, across all seven provinces — typically 1 to 2 days inside the Kathmandu Valley and 3 to 5 days elsewhere.
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