The Small Investor: A Beginner's Guide to Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds

The down-to-earth approach of this book ensures that it is more dense than other guides for beginners. Gets you from knowing absolutely nothing to a level at which you can start reading about technical analysis, read financial papers, annual and quarterly reports. Good 'further reading' tips. Good coverage of bonds. Options and futures are discarded as being equivalent to gambling. Parts about the risks of investing, how to spread the investment, and the role of brokers is a little boring, but this really is a good starter.

The Small Investor is an excellent book to read if you are looking for a complete and basic introduction to the subject of investing. I found the chapters on Professional Help and Selecting Mutual Funds to be particularly helpful. A feature that Jim Gard included that I really appreciate is the "Recommended Further Reading" that is at the end of each chapter. It gives you a place to go to examine the subject in more detail than would be appropriate in a "Primer." This book is ideal for anyone just entering the world of investments. Financial Planners and Money Managers should consider giving a copy of this book to each of their new clients. Jim Hagen