Real estate insiders say these 27 books will help you understand the powerful forces and colorful personalities shaping the industry

We asked a range of real estate insiders, including agents, executives, VCs, and analysts, to give us recommendations for books to understand the industry.

They came back with a range of titles, from sweeping histories of cities and biographies and autobiographies of powerful people to "how to" guides for investors and real estate agents.

We compiled the list into 27 selections, presented below with summaries of their content and, with some selections, commentary about them from their nominators.