I didn't think reading about money/investing could ever be this fun or interesting. Straight talk and clear definitions for all the finance jargon.

Great book, lays it all out in terms I can understand. I started investing based on this book, and I refer to it often.

I've read several "for Dummies" books, and in general the entire series is well written, concise, and gives you what you really need. However, I was very disappointed in this one. The book is really dedicated to the three methods of building wealth: equity (stocks, mutual funds, etc.), real estate, and small business. But there isn't enough info on any of the three subjects to do much with. You're better off getting a separate book on real estate if you plan on pursuing that. And nothing he says regarding small business is of much use to accomplish anything. That leaves stocks, bonds and mutual funds, which is what most users would purchase this book for. Regarding that, if you are completely new to mutual funds then this is the book for you as it will explain the basics. However, if you are beyond the very basics (i.e.; "What is a mutual fund?"), and are looking to seriously invest, then I think you'll be disappointed. And if you are looking to get into buying stocks directly, then this book seriously falls short. The entire section on stocks really just explains a canned stock report from a given company. Utterly useless unless you plan on subscribing to that service. No talk of forward PE's, valuation, etc.. Also, the author's continual insistence that you should stay in mutual funds because you "can't beat the market" since there are so many pros out there is utterly ridiculous. There are many gurus out there that have proven track records of generating higher than average returns. Just emulating Warren Buffet's portfolio will do that.

I was looking for a book to dig more into stock valuation, company analysis, etc. and this book barely even touched on any of that beyond definitions. I wouldn't even call it Finance 101, since there is very little about monetary policy, bonds, interest rates, etc.. If you've picked out at least one mutual fund in your life (or purchased a stock directly), then this book is way too simple. If you tremble at the thought of picking a mutual fund and have no financial sense whatsoever, then this is your book.

I wanted to start investing and read somewhere you should first do some studies. That's when I came across this book. Very well written, and in simple to understand language. I used to dread 401K, IRA, Mutual Funds, Bonds. Now I am confident I know about them and what I am investing into.
Showed new ways to look at debts, as to if I clear my debt sooner, I am investing in something which gives be interest equal to the interest I pay the bank.

I would recommend this book to all who want to get into investing but are hesitant or don't know where to get information from.

I bought this for my daughter, who is taking this a college course.
She seems to be happy with it. She asked for this book it as the instructor told her she needed it for the class. Sorry I can't give you more info but I am sure it's a good book.

Kathy in Las Vegas

This is a clear and concise book for people like myself who are starting to look closely at investing and it gives very good advice and assumes that the reader has no knowledge of investing (true in my case). It warns of the pitfalls as well and can be read straight thru, or by any chapter that you wish to know more about. I would recommend this book to the beginner.

Great service. Condition of book was stellar and it was delivered in a very timely manner.

This is a great book and I use some of the methods for my subscribers.

I've read a gang in the "For Dummies" series because even of the subjects that I've had experience with, the series by and large still manages to do a few things, regardless of the subject matter it focuses on, surprisingly well.

A) Summarizes the given subject clearly.

B) Teaches a few things I didn't know.

C) Demystifies the complexity of the subject, often with humor.

D) Makes me more proficient at doing something.

This book on investing does none of the above and, in my opinion, my experienced opinion, is outdated and therefore often WRONG, siting concepts and conventions from the Gomez Addams era of investing. Additionally, it tries to cover so many bases that an understanding of any of them is impossible. The point of the For Dummies series is to get you to have an overall grasp of a subject. I fear that this attempt gives enough information to make some bad investments based on insufficient information. Perhaps the ones more specific, for Stocks, Real Estate, Mutual Funds, etc., may be more concise and therefore, perhaps, more helpful, I can't see this book helping anyone to invest in any class of assets correctly. Perhaps the scope of this book was too ambitious, but then again the author should have known that.

People who work in the investment field rarely share valid or useful information. It's kind of a black box industry that would prefer you to pay them to handle your financial interests. The author here (I won't even bother to walk ten feet to my bookshelf to get his name) is no different. The information given in this book is likely a bunch of advice you've already heard, like holding long is good and trading is bad, for one. The fact is that it all depends on many factors whether it is better to hold an investment long or trade it. His advice is miserably oversimplified for todays environment and the information presented is often JUST PLAIN WRONG because of the oversimplification. I won't get into it more. The only time I'll spend here is to steer you toward authors who may give you some valid investing insight geared for today. They definitely did for me, even after I had a foundation with investing. William O'Neil, Ken Fisher and James Cramer to name a few. Just not this Bozo.

This is about making or losing YOU a whole bunch of YOUR money, not something fiscally innocuous like trying to understand an operating system. This man should be ashamed of himself for knowing better and you should steer clear.

I thought this book was extremely informative and well written, I especially like how they worded it so the average layman could understand it in plain English. In my humble opinion we need more books like this thats why I gave it five stars. I've read all of the authors other books and I've always received them well, can't wait for the next one.

This book is clearly written and the presentation of ideas, the analysis and the conclusions are intelligent and spot-on. You really learn a lot about investing from Mr. Tyson that will help guide you in your investing. I have also read his Personal Finance, Real Estate and Mutual Fund books in the Dummies series. I recommend them all. Personally, this book and the one on Mutual Funds have served me the best.

All spectrum of investors--newcomers to experienced-- can benefit from his books. Interestingly, one of the truly great ironies of my entire life is that Mr. Tyson's books are published in a series that is putatively aimed at "Dummies"--when his books will really benefit truly intelligent, in-depth readers who really care about knowledge and what to do with it. Essential Reading!!!

I found this book to be outstanding. It helps to dispel many investment myths and provides sound advice, while setting forth the essential information that will enable you to become a well-informed investor. The book mainly covers the basics, but it is an excellent and comprehensive starting point. I have taken much from this book and have already begun making changes in my financial life. I have begun building wealth rather than simply saving my money.

Main areas covered include real estate investing, stock & bond investing and small business investing. There are tips, warnings, reminders, technical information icons on every page that usher you through the book. If you pick this book up, you're already proving to be more than a "dummy", as it is explained early on in the book that being confused by and ignorant about investing is one of the main reasons that people don't live as comfortably as they could or should be.

Tyson's not just financially conservative, but lets his personal and political bias slip in at times when it's not appropriate. He decries the entire Social Security system, indulges in the favorite right-wing hobby of bashing the New York Times's journalistic credibility (everyone else who makes incorrect predictions is simply honestly mistaken, but the NYT is an evil liberal machine, apparently), and urges parents NOT to pay for Junior's college education because "kids don't appreciate it."

As it's a "Dummies" book, there are many sections that just scratch the surface. None of it is really explained satisfactorily, and Tyson's poor narrative skills don't help. At one point he references the "facts you bring to bare [sic]" on your financial situation. Investing for the Nude would be a catchy title indeed.

Second time around. I bought one of the first editions of this book back in 1997 or 1998. The 4 th edition is a little more up to date as far as the mutual funds/bond funds. This is the best book out there for someone who is about to be in charge of there financies(ie. graduating from school or getting married). If you can discipline your spending this will help you accumalate assets.

es una obra con un lenguaje sencillo, no altamente tecnificado, donde el autor ofrece un particular punto de vista de la planificación financiera personal, haciendole opocision a otros autores como r kiyosaki.

lo recomiendo altamente,

Like many of the Dummies books, Investing for Dummies really provides a great overview into the market, and various securities. A great starting book for people interested in expanding their knowledge of how the market works. I highly recommend, especially paired with the Wall Street Journals Guide to Understanding Money and Investing...

I received the book at the library. I have never read a "Dummie" book. I certainly obtained a real education. I have been an investor for many years but in todays world there are so many new "Words" and jargon I thought it would be a good read. As I progressed I realized the book was older and ordered a up to date from Amazon. I will always use it for reference and will read it again as I have this one. I would suggest anyone wanting to understand how to purchase stock and operate in the market read this book. You will understand a lot when you do.

For you folks who don't understand investing at all, it may be the book for you. For experienced folks, there are better books to be reading. Eric Tyson the author seems quite longwinded, convoluted, and I get impatient with the fluff in his books. His book demonstrates mainstream/general knowledge, and offers little new knowledge. He seems to fear taking risks in demonstrating unconventional strategies.

The "Dummies" franchise is built on giving accessible information quickly. This book has the information, but loses points on the "quickly" portion. There's a lot of writerly throat-clearing. Some good advice: Skip the first 3 pp of each chapter and the first couple of chapters. Save yourself the time. The writer is just warming up his computer. Also, you've got to deduct a few points for the lengthy caveats. The writer spends an inordinate amount of time warning the reader not to be overly-enthusiastic about the market. At least 20% of the book can be synopsized as: "Don't be heedy; the market goes down as well as up." Okay, we get the point. That said, once you get past the throat-clearing and caveats you get some information-dense material on investing. Worth reading.

Loved this book. I bought it for my family members and employees. I have been approached numerous times by "financial advisors". This book finally explained to me what it was they we're trying to sell me and why. It also taught me how to invest on my own with confidence in good non-commission items.

Loved this book. I bought it for my family members and employees. I have been approached numerous times by "financial advisors". This book finally explained to me what it was they we're trying to sell me and why. It also taught me how to invest on my own with confidence in good non-commission items.

I am sure this is a great "book on tape", but I wouldn't know.

This is a good book, generic overview of your options. Other complementary titles: Investing With out Losing

Everything everyone should know about financial health, whether you have money to invest or not. This book is like having a financial advisor in the family. You can go into any investment situation with your eyes open and knowing the basics of investing after reading this book. I loved it.

This book should have been called "Investing for those Afraid to take Risks". Throughout the book Tyson pushes prospective investors to not play the stock market and only invest in mutual funds. This may be good advice for somebody who is turning 55 and is risk averse, but if you want your money to grow more aggressively than you may be more interested in "Stock Investing for Dummies" by the same publisher.

Really got me thinking and was filled with very useful, helpful, informative, but easy and simple to understand tricks. One of my favorites. A+

I read this book with great interest. My husband had a copy in his collection of books on investing. My husband was an investor for many years and used a technique called passive investing. From the material things he left around the house and our life style I can only assume he was more successful than most investors.

My husband left me with a large investment portfolio. For years he tried to teach me about stocks and bonds. He told me about index funds but for one reason or another I could not grasp just what he was talking about. I decided that it was about time I learned how to invest. My lawyer helped me transfer title to our securities account and suggest I get a good book on the subject. I looked through my husband's library and all his books looked too technical. In desperation I typed in on the Amazon web site "How to Make Money in the Stock Market and found this book.

I read all the reviews and decided to buy the book. This little book told me what I wanted to know. Like what was the strategy was my husband following. Where could I go for help when needed? In the book I found a web site that directed me to other investors who follow strategies using index mutual funds. I often asked my husband what stocks he purchased and he would say all of them. He had mentioned index funds.

I went to the web site he often visited and was mentioned in the book. When I logged on to my surprise the other posters knew my husband and was familiar with his investing techniques. I had found investing friends.

I urge all widows at a loss to buy this little book titled How to Make Money in the Stock Market-Buy 2,500 Different Stocks for $1,000-Pay no Commission by Gordon L. Eade a retired investor with 50 years experience. It only took me 45 minutes to read the book. I know now how to manage my husband's portfolio and where to go to get accurate and unbiased investment advice when needed. I will read all the other books mentioned in this book to further my knowledge of how to invest in stocks and bonds. For now I am comfortable and am certain my financial future is secure. For those who don't care to get too involved-read the chapter on AUTOMATIC PORTFOLIOS. These are portfolios offered by Vanguard that adjust risk automatically.

Here is the best way I can describe this book: It is like a LONG encyclopedia article about investing. This book touches on all the basics but does not get in depth with any one issue. Good for an initial education but DO NOT start investing after you read it! I am not going to get in depth with this review so here is the summary: Too much what you SHOULD do. Not enough how to do it.

BDS III

I won't go into why I needed this book but I'll just say that I was in desperate need of some solid, unbiased investing advice on all topics across the board from the stock market to retirement plans. All the other books on investment I tried to read were full of weird terminology, weird language and might have been trying to rip me off for all I know. Eric Tyson's reference is a godsend for those of us who need some information but are too naive to know good advice from bad advice when it comes to this subject. Tyson not only gives good, common sense advice but also shares his own tips with the reader on stock markets, mutual funds, IRAs and the like. Feel skeptical? He'll even guide you to the best government agencies that monitor this sort of stuff so that people like me don't get ripped off. Other books on investing that I picked up and put down in a hurry didn't bother with petty stuff like legalities! Tyson DOES and he wants you to do your homework before putting your hard earned money into someone else's hands.

This book is fantastically easy to follow, all the hard stuff is explained and Tyson will show you where to find the extra information you'll need. 'Investing for Dummies' is an investment in itself that will keep you out of trouble and the bankruptcy courts in the long run.

M.

I won't go into why I needed this book but I'll just say that I was in desperate need of some solid, unbiased investing advice on all topics across the board from the stock market to retirement plans. All the other books on investment I tried to read were full of weird terminology, weird language and might have been trying to rip me off for all I know. Eric Tyson's reference is a godsend for those of us who need some information but are too naive to know good advice from bad advice when it comes to this subject. Tyson not only gives good, common sense advice but also shares his own tips with the reader on stock markets, mutual funds, IRAs and the like. Feel skeptical? He'll even guide you to the best government agencies that monitor this sort of stuff so that people like me don't get ripped off. Other books on investing that I picked up and put down in a hurry didn't bother with petty stuff like legalities! Tyson DOES and he wants you to do your homework before putting your hard earned money into someone else's hands.

This book is fantastically easy to follow, all the hard stuff is explained and Tyson will show you where to find the extra information you'll need. 'Investing for Dummies' is an investment in itself that will keep you out of trouble and the bankruptcy courts in the long run.

Buy low and sell high. Keep stock for years and diversify your portfolio. Now you've already read the book

Just to say im my own words - this book is a real guide for people who want to learn how to invest by themselves.
Thank you!!!

Just to say im my own words - this book is a real guide for people who want to learn how to invest by themselves.
Thank you!!!

I bought this book hoping and expecting a beginner's level introduction to the world of investing. And, for sure I got all of that. However, this book truly helped my with broader financial issues such as thinking about how much to spend on my home and planning to someday start my own business.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Beautifully written, thorough and without bias. You can't go wrong with this one!

I bought this book hoping and expecting a beginner's level introduction to the world of investing. And, for sure I got all of that. However, this book truly helped my with broader financial issues such as thinking about how much to spend on my home and planning to someday start my own business.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Beautifully written, thorough and without bias. You can't go wrong with this one!

I bought this 3 years ago when I was looking into IRAs. Normally stock and investment talk makes my head spin. This book was very easy to follow.. I used some of his recommendations, and have done quite well with my investments.

A pretty good guide with a lot of useful information. However I thought the approach was a little superficial in spots.

I'd have preferred some real world example to the generalities that were offered.

This book is especially good for the person who wants a broad overview of investing. It will give you a solid foundation to begin growing your money from. After reading, I opened a Scottrade account because they had the lowest rates ($7), and no inactivity fee. [...].

good but had trouble with the fact that it talks about terms in english which don't apply to my country. Tough luck, but it does shed some light on the subject.

page 26, Eric exposes his anti-gun bias in his investing book. What does this type of propaganda have to do with investing Eric? He also states that futures and options should be avoided...
Also states that gold and silver are "lousy" investments...

I read mutual funds for dummies first and thought I'd grab this book, the book isn't bad at all, but I believe this author has much more knowledge about mutual funds than any other investment strategy. I personally am not looking to change jobs and start up my own small business and I don't consider that an investment, if so why not consider going to college to become a doctor an investment, you could do an entire chapter on that.

Basically the chapters about paper assets were pretty good, but the small business section was a waste of my time personally and if I wanted to open up my own business I wouldn't have bought this book. The real estate section wasn't that great either and I think it's because he knows mutual funds the best and other paper assets over real estate and any other investment strategy.

Feel this is a good start at understanding investments of all kinds, and then one can pursue individual needs further. Like the author's personal slants, although he was always quick to include it was his thoughts, not standard advice.

This book will provide you with the knowledge and the conceptual 'tools' that you'll need to evaluate your personal situation and develop an investing strategy based on cold, hard facts. If you're serious about being able to form your *own* opinion regarding how you should invest your money, throw out "Rich Dad, Richer Author" and buy this book.

It's written clearly in understandable language that those foreign to investing can understand, and is loaded with humor that makes learning about such a dry topic as painless as possible.

Much like any "101" (introductory-level) college course, this book provides a wide 'buffet-type' variety of information on all major topics that pertain to investing strategy. That is, there is more breadth than depth in the topics that are covered. Basically, after getting the facts from this book as laid out by Tyson, you'll be armed with a *very* solid base knowledgability in investing that will allow you to figure out exactly how and where to dig deeper to actually implement your strategy.

Like it or not, learning (properly) about a topic as complex as investing takes time. This book is where I'd recommend that most people that had minimal knowledge (like myself) start off learning in order to firmly grasp all of the most important fundamental concepts before they continue on to more advanced topics.

This book is definitely not for the uninitiated. I was expecting the book to "spell out" how stock/bond markets work eg. what happens when a bond matures or what does the author mean by the "value" of a bond. Although a useful supplement, it probably should not be the first book you read on investing.

This book was very useful, not difficult to understand, had lots of great tips... A good buy!

Considering that I know hardly anything about investing in stocks, real estate, etc., this book was a very good one because it introduced me to the basics. It starts with each topic on "level one" and gradually leads you to the level where you understand the topic but do not have useless information. It discusses stocks and bonds, real estate, portfolio buiding, and even the interesting psychological obstacles in investing. I thought an interesting idea was that to succeed long term in mutual fund investing, your portfolio must be diversified and well-researched. This book also discusses the pros and cons of having a financial advisor, and gives resources for more information. The book has cartoons, which add humor and taught me how investing would be applied to my life. The section of the book least applicable to me was about running and buying business, but it was interesting nevertheless. It was a great introduction to investing and I feel much more prepared than I did before reading the book.

This review is for the audio version only. The book may have had documents and examples that may prove more useful.

In the audio format there proved to be very few good nuggets of information.
I listened to the entire audio version in my car on the way to work. I didn't have to stop once to jot down anything important.

It is too bad the disk didn't have a few .pdf files that could have been printed off to support the content of the book.

I would suggest one of Peter Lynch's books instead

If you plan on investing, either by hiring a broker or doing it yourself, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It covers the range of potential investments, from stock and mutual funds to small business and real estate investing.

It is true that Tyson seems biased towards Vanguard's mutual funds and this book, like his other books on mutual funds and personal finance, carries that tradition forward. In this regard, Tyson is in good company: Vanguard is also highly rated by Consumer Reports and it consistently has the lowest costs. So far, Vanguard has avoided any hint of scandal that has plagued other mutual funds.

I have been investing in stocks, mutuals funds and real estate for about 8 years without ever reading a book on the topic. I bought this book to learn the nuts and bolts of investing. Despite the fact that I am not a beginner I still found the book informative. For example, Tyson says when a stock plummets don't bale out, buy some more at the lower price. I baled out of amazon.com at $11 and of course I deeply regret it now. I have since learned to hold during the bad times and now I am in profit territory with all of my stocks. He suggests that college savings accounts, such as 529 plans, may be a bad idea because it could hurt your child's chances of getting financial aid. He explains how bonds can go down in value and says instead of buying individual bonds it is better to buy bond mutual funds. I had been wary of bonds before reading this book, now I am thinking about buying a bond fund in the interests of diversification.

I didn't agree with Tyson on everything. He is more conservative than I am. I am only in my early 30s, so I believe I am young enough to take some financial risks. Also, he believes that it is a bad idea to pick your own stocks. Yet he also says that if you buy good companies and hold for several years you will always come out ahead as long as you have a diversified portfolio. I see no reason to pay a financial planner (who may put his/her own interests ahead of mine) to do this for me.

One thing I really like about the book is that he doesn't just focus on financial instruments. He also discusses investing in both real estate and small businesses. I will be buying a franchise within the next year and I found this information very helpful. Of course, I will need to do further reading on this topic.

This is an excellent book that I had a hard time putting down. If you want to learn more about investing I suggest that you start with this book. It will provide a solid foundation, and help you move onto more complicated financial books and magazines.

I knew very little about this subject and this was a great introduction. It's easy to read with a dash of decent humor.