Book Recommendations for Further Study

The subtitle of this book is “Sane Investing in an Insane World” and it is appropriate. If you have ever watched Jim Cramer’s very popular show Mad Money on CNBC (6PM, 9PM and Midnight Eastern), then you are familiar with this book and his style of investing. He focuses on buying "best of breed" companies and taking advantage of world and market events. In my opinion it is one of the best books on the market today for the beginning investor. Jim’s show is also worth watching as he offers very profitable insights once you get past the antics.

This introductory guide is written by William J. O’Neil and is his best selling book. O’Neil is the founder of Investor’s Business Daily, a great newspaper for the active trader in my opinion. The book is very useful in evaluating companies and spotting market trends.

David Faber can be seen on CNBC every morning on Squawk Box. His nickname, The Brain, came from his tireless analysis of complicated corporate mergers. His reports on this subject have become Wall Street legend. Being a TV business reporter has given David a very clear style directed right at the individual investor. His one-hour documentaries on Wal-Mart, Google and the Worldcom scandal are great showcases of his in-depth reporting style. I would highly recommend anything David Faber writes.

This book by Suze Orman, who also has a regular show on CNBC, is very helpful in gaining control of your personal finances. Its greatest value to the new investor is that it helps you get over those financial anxieties that have developed over time. Once you understand the realities of finance instead of the myths you are free and prepared to increase your wealth with a steady hand.

Warren Buffett is certainly a man worth listening to. He is the second richest man on the planet next to Microsoft’s Bill Gates. He has a unique strategy of value investing and a keen sense when a stock is cheap. This multi-billionaire known as the Oracle of Omaha does his homework and consistently finds stocks that are undervalued. Just a mention on CNBC that he has bought or sold a stock can move the entire market. Some day it could be you that moves markets?

This book is a great introduction to the markets from the premier business TV network in the world. It focuses on the individual investor and, I think, is the best comprehensive book for a person just getting started. The writing can get a bit deep so its excellent glossary will get a work out. The chapter on being your own research analyst is especially good.

This is an inexpensive and quick read about money and markets containing explanations of the basic terms used in financial reporting. It is a good starting point to build your investing vocabulary.

Another excellent book for the beginning investor by Kathy Kristof who writes a well read column for the Los Angeles Times. The book is very motivational and has numerous worksheets and questionnaires to help you get a hold on your financial strategy. Kathy also shows how to build a diversified portfolio that can withstand almost all market conditions.

For those of you who loved Cliffs Notes for help in completing those awful book reports in high school, you will enjoy this book. (Has anyone actually read the entire Hamlet?) Just the facts, without all of the hype. It also has a good section on determining what type of investor you are, and a review of the different types of investments available.

This is an excellent clearly written book that covers the basics of opening a currency trading account as well as complete descriptions of the foreign exchange (FOREX) markets. There are also chapters on technical and fundamental trading techniques that help with buying and selling decisions.

Feel like getting deep into stock trading? Then this book is for you. Technical trading relies on interpreting price charts as opposed to fundamental trading that relies on industry and company specifics. This book contains all of the chart reading techniques and explains them in a clear manner. Definitely for advanced investors only.

An excellent and comprehensive book on all aspects of bond investing. Whether you are interested in speculating on the direction of interest rates or diversifying your portfolio with fixed income bonds this book is a valuable asset. The discussion on investing in bond mutual funds is the best to be found anywhere.

This book is for the advanced bond trader but it is one of the best around. It shows the best Web sites to visit for free bond information, including live bond market commentary, in-depth bond research, bond calculators, and much more. While most people believe that bonds are a “buy and hold” investment to receive a fixed income stream a lot of money can be made trading bonds in an active way.

I’ll bet for most of the Roaring ‘90’s this book wouldn’t have sold 3 copies. But with the return of reality, it is a very useful tool to understanding “the dark side” of investing. The chapter on short selling (making money if a stock price drops) is essential reading for making money in bad times. There is also a chapter on defensive investing that helps you sleep at night because you are prepared for anything.

This definitely for the advanced active investor. TradeStation is the most powerful and popular online trading software on the market today. If you plan to make a living trading stocks, this is a must investment. One of the best features is the ability to back-test a particular strategy on historical data to see if it would have made you money. But remember the mantra of mutual fund investing - "Past performance is no indicator of future results". But it can help a little.

One of my favorite books on these very rapid growing investments. Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) offer the same diversification as a industry sector mutual fund but with added advantages. They trade like stocks, meaning that you don’t have to wait for the closing price of the day to buy or sell like mutual funds require. If there is a significant world event, like a terror attack, you might want to sell right away. ETF’s also have very low fee’s because they represent a fixed basket of stocks and don’t require a high cost portfolio manager. A book definitely worth giving a look.

This Guide has "Everything You Need to Know to Start Trading Electronic Futures Online". Futures Trading is more risky than buying and selling stocks. Futures are time-dependent positions in commodity markets, like corn, heating oil, currencies, and even the indexes, like the S&P 500. Take these markets seriously and learn all you can before you decide to risk your money here. This Guide is a good place to begin.