Making Dollars With Pennies: How the Small Investor Can Beat the Wizards on Wall Street

R. Max Bowser's 1st book, Making Dollars with Pennies, is a great book for those individuals looking for a manual to introduce them to the stock market, its inner workings, and those vital parties involved in it. The terms of the stock market are clearly defined and the down-to-earth writing makes the reader feel like the author is speaking directly to the reader. The author very quickly develops a rapport with the reader. There is a certain humor written into every sentence as Mr. Bowser pokes a little fun at himself and occasionally at fellow investors that have in some way fouled themselves in the stock market game. The main purpose of Making Dollars with Pennies is to introduce the reader to the program he uses to determine which stocks to purchase and when to sell. Some points that are very precisely followed are: Why an investor would be interested in "ministocks"; What the Bowser Game Plan is; Its evolution; and even how the Bowser Ratings are determined. Mr. Bowser does a very good job in showing the reader exactly why he/she should consider "ministocks", even taking into account the relative volatile nature of the minipriced stocks. The author succeeds in convincing the reader that if he is patient, has a versatile portfolio, and follows Mr. Bowser's suggestions as to which stocks to buy, that the reader will do fairly well. Mr. Bowser backs up his statements by showing the reader a piece of his past in which he was not so successful in the stock market and how he learned how the stock market works. He explains how these findings of how the stock market works were developed into The Bowser Game Plan. He also explains in depth the mysterious Rating System and what it entails, raising the veil on how Mr. Bowser finds these little moneymakers. As for the book, its layout and other mechanical factors of the book, I found the large print very easy on the eyes, making it a pleasant to read. The catchy titles of the chapters and subchapters encourage the reader to continue on with the next chapter. Plenty of charts help explain anything the reader may not understand. Perhaps the only thing that might be considered slightly off is that there doesn't seem to be any real order in which the chapters are presented. The first half of the book is devoted to explaining the stock market basics and the value of "ministocks" and the second half of the book is devoted to the explaining the Bowser Game Plan and how it is used. Otherwise, there really isn't any method to the chapters. However, it doesn't affect the readability and enjoyment of the book. It's kind of a go-with-the-flow type of reading. All in all, R. Max Bowser's Making Dollars with Pennies is a greatly useful and enjoyable book that should be read by anyone considering entering the stock market. Mr. Bowser is very knowledgeable in the ways of the stock market and is obviously very willing to help those who are willing to learn and succeed in it. He very clearly demon

This is possibly the worst written book that I could conceive of giving four stars. The reason I am rating "Making Dollars with Pennies" so highly is due to its content and because Max Bowser, who has been publishing his "Bowser Report" for over 25 years, is the real deal. Actually, the book is a quick and easy read, with a folksy demeanor. No high finance here. The book may be most helpful for people who have already been in the market for a little while (and perhaps been burned). The book is weak as a work of literature due to its poor organization and repetitiveness (stressing diversification among 12 to 18 stocks several times).I believe that to succeed as an active investor in today's market, you need some kind of an "edge" or a niche. One way to obtain that is to focus on stocks trading under $3 per share, as Max does. Let the book serve as your trail guide into the jungle of smaller stocks. While Max rails against the studious ignorance among institutions of these supposedly risky shares, in practice he is quite careful about what he does. Although the selection of new issues is somewhat shrouded in mystery (with Bowser encouraging readers to subscribe to his monthly report in order to get new picks) he gives sufficient detail of his "Bowser Rating" system to uncover his thought process. Two significant ways Bowser reduces risk of investing among smaller stocks is by having a bias towards companies with strong balance sheets and a consistent record of past earnings - no development-stage, long shot concept stocks here.One important caveat to keep in mind about Bowser's system is that it was honed during the mid-to-late 70s, when treading water was often difficult. To the extent that his methodology or conclusions have become stale or outdated, it may trace to ideas he tested at that time. Personally, I find the vintage comforting as our 2000-2010 market may possibly have more in common with the 70s than the 80s or 90s bull runs. Also please note that some of his suggestions, particularly for the mechanics of setting up and monitoring a portfolio, appear to have been made obsolete by the internet.Aside from diversification, Bowser's possibly most important other safeguard is a formula for selling. First of all, whenever a stock's "Bowser Rating" falls below 8, the stock is sold, forcing an investor to sell companies with deteriorating fundamentals. Secondly, whenever a stock doubles, an investor is encouraged to sell half of his or her position, recouping cost. The remainder of a rising position is then held until it declines 25% from its most recent high.How have Bowser's picks (from over 25 years of newsletters) done over time? As he says towards the end of the book [p. 157], 47% of the companies are still in business, 26% have been bought out and 27% are bankrupt. Over their holding periods, more recommended stocks have declined than have advanced. However, absent audited statistics, it appears that tiny minorities of w

If you can consistenty beat Wall Street you will be headed for the record books. I do agree with the author that you can beat Wall Street but you need to put in allot of time and research. There are books like The guide for penny stock investing that can help. The key is to do your research and then to hold on to your stock as it moves up. Donny Lowy in his guide and Max in his book do supply the extra leverage to make it happen.

I read this "great book" and it showed me the steps to buying and selling penny stocks... The author gives you a wide range of stocks to chose from in his newsletter. You can get a sample copy of the newsletter with the coupon in the back of the book. Get your money's worth here.

Mr. Bowser has provided the public with a tremendous set of strategies to incorporate into our own investing approaches. He has done so by staying away from a lot of the "Wall Street Jargon" which can intimidate many of us who are still learning. He provides information which is below the radar screen for most of the larger brokerage houses. If you are interested in pursuing investing on a do-it-yourself basis, his book will provide you with a solid basis from which to start your search for appropriate stocks. Most of us can afford to buy some shares at less than $3.00/share. Mr. Bowser provides the education necessary to select those stocks. He has done a very good service for the "little guy" in the investing field.