Securities Analysis: A Personal Seminar

The synopsis is incorrect. This book has little to do with futures. It covers securities analysis, like the title says. Chapter titles are: The Individual Investor, Assessing Risk, Market Views, Reading Financial Statements, Types of Stocks and Their Valuation I & II, Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis. This book is a good overview and has enough meat to make it much more valuable than the nickel tour. The presentation is straightforward, if a bit dry; which only means it doesn't spend time on anecdotes, historical perspectives, humor, or persuading you to invest a particular way. This is expected, since it is "based on the popular classroom seminar conducted by the New York Institue of Finance".

This book is an intensive short course that summarizes most of the important aspects of personal investment. I learned a lot in a very short time. This is a must-read for the first-time investor.

Both novice and seasoned investor will benefit from this well-organized collection of information about personal investment.