I recommend "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" by Burton Malkiel. What gives him a unique voice as an author (as he points out) is he has both an academic perspective and a practical one (he has a PhD in economics from Princeton, but also worked with Vanguard for almost thirty years). The book is around 450 pages and covers an immense amount of material, but it's written in an engaging, easy to read style. Lots of graphs, but very little math. It's probably a bit "heavy" for complete beginner, but I think it's essential for any investor.