I quote so many times the wisdom of this book in my posts that I must recommend it here:
The holy "reminiscences" deeply changed my trading and is the reference and an endless source of inspiration for generations of traders, including "legendary" traders and investors.

If I was to go to a desert island, it would be probaly the second thing I would take with me (the first being my bloomberg anywhere of course ), seriously if one needs one book before considering trading, it's this one!

Looks like the text can be found for free on the web: http://reminiscencesofstockoperator.blogspot.com/
or alternatively you can buy the book at the Library of the Canary Dwarf

Quote:

It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It always was my sitting. Got that? My sitting tight! It is no trick at all to be right on the market. You always find lots of early bulls in bull markets and early bears in bear markets. I've known many men who were right at exactly the right time, and began buying or selling stocks when prices were at the very level which should show the greatest profit. And their experience invariably matched mine--that is, they made no real money out of it. Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon.