The Wall Street Journal Popular Books

The Wall Street Journal Biography & Facts

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), also referred to simply as the Journal, is an American business and economic-focused international daily newspaper based in New York City. The Journal is published six days a week by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp. The newspaper is published in broadsheet format and online. The Journal has been printed continuously since its inception on July 8, 1889, and is regarded as a newspaper of record, particularly in terms of business and financial news. The newspaper has won 39 Pulitzer Prizes, the most recent in 2023.The Wall Street Journal is the second-largest newspaper in the United States by circulation, with a print circulation of around 654,000 and 3 million digital subscribers as of 2022. The Journal publishes the luxury news and lifestyle magazine WSJ, which was originally launched as a quarterly but expanded to 12 issues in 2014. An online version was launched in 1995, which has been accessible only to subscribers since it began. The editorial pages of the Journal are typically center-right in their positions, while the newspaper itself maintains commitment to journalistic standards in its reporting. History Founding and 19th century The first products of Dow Jones & Company, the publisher of the Journal, were brief news bulletins, nicknamed flimsies, hand-delivered throughout the day to traders at the stock exchange in the early 1880s. They were later aggregated in a printed daily summary called the Customers' Afternoon Letter. Reporters Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser converted this into The Wall Street Journal, which was published for the first time on July 8, 1889, and began delivery of the Dow Jones & Company News Service via telegraph.In 1896, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was launched. It was the first of several indices of stock and bond prices on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1899, the Journal's Review & Outlook column, which still runs today, appeared for the first time, initially written by Charles Dow. 20th century Journalist Clarence Barron purchased control of the company for US$130,000 in 1902 (equivalent to $4,397,000 in 2022); circulation was then around 7,000 but climbed to 50,000 by the end of the 1920s. Barron and his predecessors were credited with creating an atmosphere of fearless, independent financial reporting—a novelty in the early days of business journalism. In 1921, Barron's, the United States's premier financial weekly, was founded. Barron died in 1928, a year before Black Tuesday, the stock market crash that greatly affected the Great Depression in the United States. Barron's descendants, the Bancroft family, would continue to control the company until 2007.The Journal took its modern shape and prominence in the 1940s, a time of industrial expansion for the United States and its financial institutions in New York. Bernard Kilgore was named managing editor of the paper in 1941, and company CEO in 1945, eventually compiling a 25-year career as the head of the Journal. Kilgore was the architect of the paper's iconic front-page design, with its "What's News" digest, and its national distribution strategy, which brought the paper's circulation from 33,000 in 1941 to 1.1 million when Kilgore died in 1967. Under Kilgore, in 1947, the paper won its first Pulitzer Prize for William Henry Grimes's editorials.In 1967, Dow Jones Newswires began a major expansion outside of the United States ultimately placing its journalists in every major financial center in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and Africa. In 1970, Dow Jones bought the Ottaway newspaper chain, which at the time comprised nine dailies and three Sunday newspapers. Later, the name was changed to Dow Jones Local Media Group.The period from 1971 to 1997 brought about a series of launches, acquisitions, and joint ventures, including "Factiva", The Wall Street Journal Asia, The Wall Street Journal Europe, the WSJ.com website, Dow Jones Indexes, MarketWatch, and "WSJ Weekend Edition". In 2007, News Corp. acquired Dow Jones. WSJ., a luxury lifestyle magazine, was launched in 2008.A complement to the print newspaper, The Wall Street Journal Online, was launched in 1996 and has allowed access only by subscription from the beginning. A weekly (later daily) crossword edited by Mike Shenk was introduced in 1998. 21st century In 2003, Dow Jones began to integrate reporting of the Journal's print and online subscribers together in Audit Bureau of Circulations statements. In 2007, it was commonly believed to be the largest paid-subscription news site on the Web, with 980,000 paid subscribers. Since then, digital subscription has risen to 1.3 million as of September 2018, falling to number two behind The New York Times with 3 million digital subscriptions. In May 2008, an annual subscription to the digital edition of The Wall Street Journal cost $119 for those who do not have subscriptions to the print edition. By June 2013, the monthly cost for a subscription to the online edition was $22.99, or $275.88 annually, excluding introductory offers. Digital subscription rates increased dramatically to $443.88 per year as its popularity increased over print, with first-time subscribers paying $187.20 per year.On November 30, 2004, Oasys Mobile and The Wall Street Journal released an app that would allow users to access content from The Wall Street Journal Online via their mobile phones.In September 2005, the Journal launched a weekend edition, delivered to all subscribers, which marked a return to Saturday publication after a lapse of some 50 years. The move was designed in part to attract more consumer advertising.In 2005, the Journal reported a readership profile of about 60 percent top management, an average income of $191,000, an average household net worth of $2.1 million, and an average age of 55.In 2007, the Journal launched a worldwide expansion of its website to include major foreign-language editions. The paper had also shown an interest in buying the rival Financial Times. Design changes The nameplate is unique in having a period at the end.Front-page advertising in the Journal was re-introduced on September 5, 2006. This followed similar introductions in the European and Asian editions in late 2005.After presenting nearly identical front-page layouts for half a century – always six columns, with the day's top stories in the first and sixth columns, "What's News" digest in the second and third, the "A-hed" feature story in the fourth (with 'hed' being jargon for headline) and themed weekly reports in the fifth column – the paper in 2007 decreased its broadsheet width from 15 to 12 inches while keeping the length at 223⁄4 inches, to save newsprint costs. News design consultant Mario Garcia collaborated on the changes. Dow Jones said it would save US$18 million a year in newsprint costs across all The Wall Street Journal papers. This move eliminated one column of print, pushing the "A-hed" out of it.... Discover the The Wall Street Journal popular books. Find the top 100 most popular The Wall Street Journal books.

Best Seller The Wall Street Journal Books of 2024

  • The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management

    Alan Murray

    The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management offers “Lasting Lessons from the Best Leadership Minds of Our Time.” Compiled by Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor of the Wa...

  • Man Up synopsis, comments

    Man Up

    Bedros Keuilian

    "But I can't . . ." "There's no way . . ." "It's impossible . . ." Enough. Get off your ass and make your "someday" goals a prioritytoday. After years of coaching and consulting hu...

  • The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Business St synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Business St

    Paul Martin

    The indispensable resource that has helped the writers and editors of The Wall Street Journal earn a reputation for the most authoritative business writing anywhere now fully expa...

  • Chaos Kings synopsis, comments

    Chaos Kings

    Scott Patterson

    Written by a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter, this is a fascinating and “closely observed chronicle of the stormchasing edgelords of finance and the critics with whom they cla...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Complete Retirement Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Complete Retirement Guidebook

    Glenn Ruffenach & Kelly Greene

    As you think about retirement, you’ve got facts to face, planning to do, decisions to make and numbers to crunch. With the experts at The Wall Street Journal to guide you, you’ll l...

  • The Science and Technology of Growing Young synopsis, comments

    The Science and Technology of Growing Young

    Sergey Young

    Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller The prospect of living to 200 years old isn’t science fiction anymore. A leader in the emerging field of longe...

  • A Man and His Ship synopsis, comments

    A Man and His Ship

    Steven Ujifusa

    “A fascinating historical account…A snapshot of the American Dream culminating with this country’s midcentury greatness” (The Wall Street Journal) as a man endeavors to build the f...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Complete Small Business Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Complete Small Business Guidebook

    Colleen DeBaise

    Because starting a small business is not only a huge financial risk but also a complete lifestyle change, anyone who wants to be his or her own boss needs to approach entrepreneurs...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Personal Finance Workbook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Personal Finance Workbook

    Jeff D. Opdyke

    A handson, interactive guide to managing your monday and building your financial futureMany of the worksheets in this book are available online and can be saved, printed, and recal...

  • The Catalyst synopsis, comments

    The Catalyst

    Jonah Berger

    “Jonah Berger is one of those rare thinkers who blends researchbased insights with immensely practical guidance. I am grateful to be one of the many who have learned from this mast...

  • Golden Hill synopsis, comments

    Golden Hill

    Francis Spufford

    A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Fiction Book of 2017 A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of the Year A Seattle Times Favorite Book of 2017 An NPR Best Book of 2017 A Kirkus Re...

  • The Skeleton Box synopsis, comments

    The Skeleton Box

    Bryan Gruley

    Does Gus Carpenter really want to know what’s inside the skeleton box? In Anthony– and Barry Award–winning author Bryan Gruley’s gripping new novel, Gus must decide if the truth is...

  • The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter synopsis, comments

    The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter

    Simon Constable & Robert E. Wright

    A wonderfully irreverent and endlessly entertaining guidewith more than 80,000 copies sold worldwide in multiple languagesabout the indicators most investors aren't following,...

  • Keep Moving synopsis, comments

    Keep Moving

    Maggie Smith

    The NATIONAL BESTSELLER from the author of YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL“A meditation on kindness and hope, and how to move forward through grief.” NPR “A shining reminder to...

  • Come Matter Here synopsis, comments

    Come Matter Here

    Hannah Brencher

    Come Matter Here is a call to stop putting your life on hold until "someday" and start digging your heels into the here and now to build the life God has designed for you.Life...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook

    David Crook

    The conservative, thoughtful, thrifty investor’s guide to building a realestate empire.Profitable realestate investing opportunities exist everywhere as long as you know what to lo...

  • The House at Sugar Beach synopsis, comments

    The House at Sugar Beach

    Helene Cooper

    Journalist Helene Cooper examines the violent past of her home country Liberia and the effects of its 1980 military coup in this deeply personal memoir and finalist for the 2008 Na...

  • The New York Times Presents Smarter by Sunday synopsis, comments

    The New York Times Presents Smarter by Sunday

    The New York Times

    A handy, smaller, and more focused version of our popular New York Times knowledge booksorganized by weekends and topic Fell asleep during history class in high school when World W...

  • The Wall Street Journal Guide to Investing in the Apocalypse synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Guide to Investing in the Apocalypse

    James Altucher & Douglas R. Sease

    Disasters happen every day. Are your investments prepared?The investor who knows how to anticipate historically significant or earthshattering eventswho is prepared to act when oth...

  • The Hard Truth About Soft Skills synopsis, comments

    The Hard Truth About Soft Skills

    Peggy Klaus

    What's the hard truth? Soft skills get little respect but will make or break your career. Master your soft skills and really get ahead at work!Fortune 500 coach Peggy Klaus encount...

  • Ants Among Elephants synopsis, comments

    Ants Among Elephants

    Sujatha Gidla

    A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Nonfiction Book of 2017A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2017"Ants Among Elephants is an arresting, affecting and ult...

  • The Wall Street Journal Guide to Starting Fresh synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Guide to Starting Fresh

    Karen Blumenthal

    Three years after the economic meltdown began, many of us are still reeling from its devastating effects. Maybe you're among the millions of homeowners who fell behind on their mor...

  • Your Next Five Moves synopsis, comments

    Your Next Five Moves

    Patrick Bet-David

    From the creator of Valuetainment, the #1 YouTube channel for entrepreneurs, and “one of the most exciting thinkers” (Ray Dalio, author of Principles) in business today, comes a pr...

  • The Big House synopsis, comments

    The Big House

    George Howe Colt

    Faced with the sale of the centuryold family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent fortytwo summers, George Howe Colt recounts returning for one last stay with his wife and c...

  • The Answers synopsis, comments

    The Answers

    Catherine Lacey

    NAMED A TOP 10 NOVEL OF 2017 BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND VOGUE, A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY ESQUIRE, HUFFINGTON POST, POP SUGAR, ELECTRIC LITERATURE AND KIRKUS, AND A 2017 NPR GREAT ...

  • The Science of Monsters synopsis, comments

    The Science of Monsters

    Matt Kaplan

    We all know “there’s no such thing as monsters,” but our imaginations tell us otherwise. From the mythical beasts of ancient Greece to the hormonal vampires of the Twilight saga, m...

  • Forever Strong synopsis, comments

    Forever Strong

    Gabrielle Lyon

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERLearn how to reboot your metabolism, build strength, and extend your life with this accessibl...

  • Making the Corps synopsis, comments

    Making the Corps

    Thomas E. Ricks

    The bestselling, compelling insider’s account of the Marine Corps from the lives of the men of Platoon 3086their training at Parris Island, their fierce camaraderie, and the unique...

  • The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Business of Life synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Guide to the Business of Life

    Nancy Keates

    Almost Everything You Need to Know About Leading the Good LifeToo many decisions. Too many choices. What today’s smart consumer must have is a moneyandtimesaving guide for conducti...

  • High Conflict synopsis, comments

    High Conflict

    Amanda Ripley

    When we are baffled by the insanity of the “other side”in our politics, at work, or at homeit’s because we aren’t seeing how the conflict itself has taken over.That’s what “high co...

  • The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guidebook

    Dave Kansas

    Unravel the Mysteries of the Financial Marketsthe Language, the Players, and the Strategies for SuccessUnderstanding money and investing has never been more important than it is to...

  • The Last Equation of Isaac Severy synopsis, comments

    The Last Equation of Isaac Severy

    Nova Jacobs

    Wall Street Journal’s “Mysteries: Best of 2018” Book of the Month Club Selection Edgar Award Nominee: Best First Novel by an American Author A “hugely entertaining” (Wall Street Jo...

  • The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finance synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Guide to the New Rules of Personal Finance

    Dave Kansas

    Everything you thought you knew about saving, managing risk, and securing your financial future has changed.The world is very different in the wake of the biggest financial crisis ...

  • After the Music Stopped synopsis, comments

    After the Music Stopped

    Alan S. Blinder

    One of our wisest and most cleareyed economic thinkers offers a masterful narrative of the crisis and its lessons Many fine books on the financial crisis were first drafts of ...

  • The Wall Street Journal Complete Estate-Planning Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal Complete Estate-Planning Guidebook

    Rachel Emma Silverman

    Let’s face it: you can't avoid death or taxes. But you can create an estate plan that will make both a whole lot easier for your loved ones and put you in control of how your asset...

  • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition synopsis, comments

    On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition

    William Zinsser

    On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some w...

  • Writing That Works, 3rd Edition synopsis, comments

    Writing That Works, 3rd Edition

    Kenneth Roman & Joel Raphaelson

    The classic guide that helps you communicate your thoughts clearly, concisely, and effectively. Essential for every professional, from entry level to the executive suite, Writing t...

  • The Ninth Hour synopsis, comments

    The Ninth Hour

    Alice McDermott

    A magnificent new novel from one of America’s finest writersa powerfully affecting story spanning the twentieth century of a widow and her daughter and the nuns who serve their Iri...

  • The Price You Pay for College synopsis, comments

    The Price You Pay for College

    Ron Lieber

    Named one of the best books of 2021 by NPRNew York Times Bestseller and a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice pick“Masterly . . .represents an extraordinary achievement: It ...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Guide to Starting Your Financial Life synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Guide to Starting Your Financial Life

    Karen Blumenthal

    Your Road to Lifelong Financial IndependenceIt’s about time you felt empowered to better manage your money because–in tough economic times more than ever–your financial freedom dep...

  • The Wall Street Journal. Complete Personal Finance Guidebook synopsis, comments

    The Wall Street Journal. Complete Personal Finance Guidebook

    Jeff D. Opdyke

    From America’s most authoritative source: the quintessential primer on understanding and managing your moneyMoney courses through just about every corner of our lives and has an im...

  • The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook synopsis, comments

    The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook

    Ashley Craft

    The Wall Street Journal Bestseller​ USA TODAY BestsellerExperience the magic of the Disney Parks right in your kitchen with these 100, easy and delicious recipes inspired by Walt D...

  • Unsettled synopsis, comments

    Unsettled

    Steven E. Koonin

    "Unsettled is a remarkable bookprobably the best book on climate change for the intelligent laypersonthat achieves the feat of conveying complex information clearly and in depth."&...