as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
is investments by bodie just an expanded version of essentials of investments?
user
they are actually both undergraduate texts; however, investments is far more complex.   essentials of investments really waters down the statistical and mathematical notation while investments does not.  investments also has an entire section (4-5 chapters) called options, futures, and other derivatives while essentials of investments does not.   [of course, if you want to learn about options, futures, and other derivatives, there is a seminal book by john hull with that exact title.] that notwithstanding, neither book is sophisticated enough to be considered a true graduate school textbook in quantitative investment theory.  no grad schools worth their salt are going to rely too heavily on investments in a specialized finance curriculum.   it's a great book to start out, though.
assistant