In this refreshingly readable and straightforward guide, small investors will find encouraging reasons to stick with the stock market even if they have been burned before, while first-time investors will find the faith to enter it even during volatile times. For any investor, this book will offer the tools and strategies necessary to create a sound investment portfolio in today's market.
Author James K. Glassman offers a "secret code": Sensible advice allied with excellent market knowledge, which he has turned into chapter-by-chapter mantras, such as:
- Buy companies rather than stocks
- Hold on to companies that have inherent value
- Diversify in all ways
- Don’t try to outsmart the market
- Be disciplined

He reminds you why you go to the stock market in the first place and encourages you to have courage for the long run when the daily buzz is sounding bleak. By ignoring the media distractions, breaking the bad habits of the 1990s, and developing a strategy, you will find success in the long term -- investing with time in mind is the concept Glassman really hammers home. And backed by the fact that the stock market has returned an annual average of 11 percent a year since 1926, Glassman argues that the market is the best place for your investments. No other option will give you that kind of return in the long run.

While Glassman tends to repeat some information (you might get tired of hearing about, say, Tootsie Roll Industries, the candy company with the gorgeous balance sheet), it’s a minor quibble about a book that should inspire even the most skittish investor to look afresh at the stock market. (barnesandnoble.com)