I highly recommend William O'Neil's "How to Make Money in Stocks" [0]. There's a lot of chart study involved and high-level advice that's necessary for gaining a higher understanding of what drives the market.

While I agree that you won't ever beat the market by making smart trades, this book will teach you the discipline needed to keep from losing money or being lured into stocks and index funds by Wall Street bullshit.

[0]: http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Money-Stocks-Winning-ebook/dp...