Nolan Dalla recently gave his list of the most important poker books ever written. There are 2 articles on pokernews, one for strategy books, one for non strategy books. (not sure I can link as there are affiliate links on pokernews but they're easy to find through google) I thought the lists are very open to debat so here they are:

Strategy

"What I have highlighted here are the books that had a profound impact on the game and altered the thinking of a significant number of players. I refer to books that fundamentally changed the way poker is now played.(..)"

Honorable mention
The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide
Kill Phil
Any Title by Lou Krieger
Elements of Poker
Little Green Book
The Psychology of Poker
The Mathematics of Poker
Weighing the Odds in Hold’em Poker
The Mental Game of Poker
The Making of a Poker Player
Zen and the Art of Poker
Any Title by the Two Plus Two Catalog of Writers

Top 10
10. Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen (2008)
9. The Body Language of Poker (a.k.a. The Book of Tells) by Mike Caro (1994 Edition)
8. Poker Essays by Mason Malmuth (1996)
7. Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players by Mason Malmuth (1993 Edition)
6. Winning Poker Systems by Norman Zadah (1973)
5. Winning Low Limit Hold’em by Lee Jones (1994)
4. Hold’em Poker by David Sklansky (1976)
3. Harrington on Hold’em, by Dan Harrington (2006)
2. Super/System: A Course in Power Poker by Doyle Brunson (1978)
1. The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky (1994 Edition)

Non strategy

"To make my list, a book needs to represent a historical breakthrough. (...)"

Honorable mention
All In: The (Almost) Entirely True Story of the World Series of Poker
Famous Gamblers, Poker History, and Texas Stories
Poker Face
Ace on the River

Top 10
(10) Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker by James McManus (2010)
(9) Lost Vegas: The Redneck Riviera, Existentialist Conversations with Strippers, and the World Series of Poker, by Paul MacGuire (2010)
(8) Shut Up and Deal by Jesse May (1998)
(7) According to Doyle by Doyle Brunson (Original 1987 — Reprinted 2008)
(6) The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time, by Michael Craig (2006)
(5) Positively Fifth Street, by James McManus (2004)
(4) The Biggest Game in Town, by Al Alvarez (1982)
(3) Ghosts at the Table, by Des Wilson (2009)
(2) Poker Faces by David Hayano (1983)
(1) Big Deal: One Year as a Professional Poker Player, by Anthony Holden (1992)

What surprised me:
- No Small stakes LHE. I am not a fan of the book but I believe it is considered an important book if you play live LHE in the US.
- Mathematics of Poker is "only" under honorable mention

- Amarillo Slim's autobiography didn't make it.
- Big Deal is No1. I was like, what the heck the book was so boring that I couldn't get past page 100 and Holden didn't give me the impression to understand poker well from the little I read. I do understand that the book made a few people turn pros so it could very well be in the top 10 but No1??

It's like reading a list of HoF football players when you're trying to figure out who to draft next year.

How is MoP not 1st? Honorable mention, LOL!

Hi Everyone:

I noticed that Nolan included Winning Poker Systems by Norman Zadah (1973). It's an unusual choice since I doubt that very few people have read it today, but it's also a book that David and I have studied at length, and in my opinion belongs on the list.

Best wishes,
Mason

For the purpose of being a standalone post, it would have been nice had the OP included the names of all the authors. The original source did.

Supposedly you can get this book through Amazon for a penny.

too lazy to amazon/google. but is that hayano book available cheaply these days?

two that jumped out at me on honourable mention list:

little green book... i think this book is very underated. pretty basic solid advice for no-limit. his later books (blue, gold) got a little too fancy at times (blue especially..... maybe i have the colors wrong.... green i know for sure).

lou krieger. i concur that his books are good to read. a very good writer.

mason, is there a little bit of money to be made in reprinting books like hayano's that are generally very expensive used? runyan's short game book in golf would be another example. surely, hayano/runyan (or their families?) would love to make some $$$$ each year on these books.

read parts of alvarez book (and other books by him)... he is a very good writer... think his book should be #1.....

is doyle's autobio from a few years ago largely a rerun of an earlier book?

concur with one poster. i really like amarillo slim's books.

If memory serves Godfather of Poker could be said to be a more indepth version of According To Doyle. Even if you have read the former, I'd read the latter.

I knew that Dalla liked Johnny Hughes' writing but I was surprised he gave one of Hughes' books honorable mention.

All I learned from According to Doyle is never flash your roll in a diner. Nolan Dalla's One Of A Kind is definitely a top ten non-strategy book. He's just being modest.

Just ordered winning poker systems. $4 total (.01 + 3.99 shipping) used through amazon marketplace.

I agree that Slim's "autobiography" should have been on the list as it was definitely groundbreaking. It was the first poker book that had wider appeal beyond the poker realm.

Hayano's book is excellent. Unfortunately used copies go for $50+. The Intelligent Poker Player definitely should be on this list.

Are you talking about Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People or an earlier book?

Mason - would John Fox's book: Play Poker, Quit Work, Sleep Til Noon book be in the same class as Winning Poker Systems? Both came out in the early 70's.

Regarding Mathematics of Poker, what percentage of people purchased this book actually read and understand it? That book is way beyond 97% or more general players

Matt Matros' book is good - not sure why that book is listed on the strategy side as it reads a bit more as a non-strategy book. It is really about Matt's journey through poker.

Congrats to 2+2 on pwning Dala's strategy book rankings with five out of ten titles. That's pretty impressive.

Would you be interested in releasing your own "top 10" (or 25) list (with reasoning) and publishing it in the 2+2 magazine? I think there would be a lot of us interested in reading such an article and it would generate some good discussion.

Talking about that book. I put autobiography in quotes because I am not sure how much Slim really did of the writing. I remember reading somewhere that he didn't do much, if any.

These never seem to get much love, but are definitely amongst the best poker books I've ever read. I was pleasantly surprised to see them make the list. Part strategy, part historical reference, and part entertainment, Mason's writing is creative, witty, and he will challenge the way you view the game.

I found Hayano's book entertaining and somewhat instructive. I do wonder how it made it to No 2 though. It doesn't seem the type of book that would sell well outside Nevada or California. The book has historic value and it appears, some things never change, even after more than 30 years:
Let's put it this way: without MoP, the Intelligent Poker Player, Applications of no limit hold'em and Expert HUNL would have propbably never been written if MoP had never been published. From my point of view, it should be in the top 2.

I never thought it was that popular, but I might be wrong.

I'm sure Dalla was just doing his best to remain objective, but I was surprised that either "One of a Kind" (which he co-wrote with Peter Alson) or "Take me to the River" (written by Alson, but Dalla appears in the story) didn't crack the non-strategy list.

Also, what about the Holla Ballas book?