I read a few of the books mentioned in the article (Random Walk, Common Sense, Global Value and Asset Allocation) and they certainly dedicate a lot of space to

I read a few of the books mentioned in the article (Random Walk, Common Sense, Global Value and Asset Allocation) and they certainly dedicate a lot of space to study the history: bubbles, how returns fluctuated over the decades, etc. Most importantly, the key takeaway of those introductory books is to diversify your portfolio, which, if you do, should limit your losses in events such as those you mention.