The Little Book of Common Sense Investing

John Bogle founded Vanguard Group and created the first index fund available to individual investors. This book is his manifesto — a clear, data-driven argument for why low-cost index funds are the best investment vehicle for the vast majority of investors.

Bogle presents decades of data showing that after fees, taxes, and trading costs, the average actively managed mutual fund significantly underperforms a broad market index. The math is simple: if the stock market returns 10% per year and you pay 2% in fees, you earn 8%. An index fund charging 0.05% earns 9.95%. Over 30 years, that difference compounds into a massive gap in terminal wealth.

The book is Bogle at his most persuasive — plain-spoken, data-driven, and genuinely passionate about helping ordinary investors keep more of the market's returns. His legacy is extraordinary: Vanguard manages over $7 trillion, and the index fund revolution he started has saved investors hundreds of billions of dollars in fees.