Amazon.com recently listed more than 200,000 titles under the keyword "investing." Some of those books are useful. Others are a waste of time. And many, designed to exploit our ignorance and greed, are downright dangerous.

How do you approach this slew of investment information without getting overwhelmed? Every month, financial writers and journalists churn out hundreds of articles that aim to explain the financial world to ordinary investors. The financial media is full of investment picks, ideas, strategies and other advice.

Books still play an important role, however, in mastering the art of intelligent investing. Selecting the right tome can be a daunting proposition. The first place to start is with the basics. The best investment books avoid the sleazy manipulation of the get-rich-quick schemes you'll find in many books, magazines and, newsletters. Instead, they seek to impart the hard-won wisdom of the great investors to readers like us.

Which books should you read?

Books can serve to strengthen your fundamental investing knowledge while providing you with an important historical prospective.

In addition to several guides and anthologies that offer timeless advice, a number of books about Warren Buffett's philosophy provide a valuable foundation for any long-term investor.

While Warren Buffett has never penned his own book of investing advice, several stand-out books have