rcl@tellab1.UUCP (Opus) (07/19/84)
I was pleased at the response to my request for investment books, and I feel there was enough interest in my findings to warrant this summary. Several people recommended more than one book, so I have grouped the replies by individual, with comments preceded by ">" coming directly from their replies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!watmath!csc (Computer Sci Club) >A Random Walk Down Wall Street > >A fairly technical book but well worth working through. This book >presents the theory that everyone agrees with but no one really believes: >The stock market is very efficient. Stock prices take into account >all available information and react very quickly (instantly as far as >the small investor goes). Hence though stock prices are not random in >the sense that they are affected by known events, the events that >cause price changes are to a large extent random and the result is that >price changes in stocks are random (hence the random walk). This theory >is backed up by some excellent research. The book discusses the theory >and its consequences with great clarity. Almost a must read. > >The Money Game "Adam Smith" > >Excellent introduction to investing. Covers all your questions. At >least as good as any other introduction to investing. Read this >before "Random Walk" > >The Other Las Vegas "Darvis? Jarvis?" > >An entertaining and informative book. But ignore his theories on investing >or at least read "Random Walk" first. > >Bulls, Bears and Dr. Freud > >Irreverent and entertaining, also very informative. A nice easy introduction. >(An even funnier, though less informative book is Where Angels Fear to Trade) > > William Hughes ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!drutx!jt >"How to Buy Stocks" is a good intro book -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!maryland!mangoe >Try _The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need_. >Good, calm, rational advice, VERY low on speculation. >You may not make tremendous winnings on Wall Street, >but you won't lose your shirt either. >Charley Wingate --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!idi!kiessig > I suggest you look at Howard Ruff's recent book "Making >Money" - it's a good introductory text. Harry Brown has published >a book called "Inflation Proofing Your Investments", which is >also very good, although a bit more advanced. > >Rick --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!ihuxa!johnnyr >I would suggest Jane Bryant Quinn's "Everyone's Money Book." >It is a very complete introduction to the full range >of financial planning, including investment in stocks >bonds, and term accounts, insurance needs, real estate, >will and estate considerations, etc. > >It should be available at your local library. > >John R. Rosenberg AT&T Tech. >ihnp4!ihuxa!johnnyr -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!houxm!homxa!cl1667 >Try a book by Rollo (sp?) titled "Gaining On the Market". > >I found it to be very complete, but a bit dry and hard to >read for long periods of time. > > >Curtis Luze >houmx!cl1667 ------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!trwrb!trwrba!suhre >I am enclosing a list of books which have been recommended over >the net at various times. The Louis Engel book is basic for mechanics >of stock market transactions and workings of the stock exchange. It >is available in paperback. > >Maurice > >{decvax,sdcrdcf,hplabs,ucbvax}!trwrb!suhre > >ps I've reviewed what I wrote and note that the book "Gaining on >the Market" is not in the list anywhere. I found it quite interesting. >Finally**2, the book "Winning, the Psychological Strategy of Investing" >was very interesting and relatively easy reading. The author is Srully >Blotnick (how could anyone forget that name). > > > 1. "How to Buy Stocks" by Louis Engel. > > 2. Another -- "Technical Analysis of stock Trends" by Frank > Edwards and John Magee. > > 3. Another -- "John Magee's General Semantics of Wall Street" > > 4. Another -- "How Charts can help you in the stock Market" by > William Jiller. > > 5. Two more -- "Human Action" and "Theory of Money and Credit" > by Ludwig Von Mises. > > 6. Another -- "Walk Down Wall Street" by Unknown. > > 7. Finally -- :""Inflation Beaters Investment Guide" by Burton > Malkiel. > >Why Stocks Go Up (and down) a Guide to Sound Investing > William H. Pike > > > A Random Walk Down Wall Street, by Burton > >Another *excellent* book, which has saved me from making a number of >mistakes as well as helping the overall picture, is > > "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need", by Andrew > Tobias. He says that the title is what it is, > because all those other investment guides, you > don't need. Witty, informative, common sense. > > >The Profit Magic of Stock Transaction Timing, by J. M. Hurst, >published by Reward Books (a division of Prentice Hall), and >was priced some years ago at $3.95 for the paperback edition. > >1. Benjamin Graham: Investment Analysis > >2. Gerald Loeb: Battle for Investment Survival > >3. B. Crane: The Sophisticated Investor > --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!maryland!hutch >Ron: > >I have just read a very good book by C. Colburn Hardy called > Dun & Bradstreet's Guide to $YOUR INVESTMENTS$ 1984. >This is the 29th edition of the book. It covers general investment topics >including evaluation of stock quality and value, mutual funds, bonds >(government, corporate, and municipal), options, taxes, tax shelters, >real estate, and others. The book may be a little much for an introduction >but at < $10.00 it is a good buy among the variety of investment books >available. It is certainly the closest thing I have seen to a complete >investment book. It is also a good reference book for someone who already >has a fair idea about the investment world. It is basically for someone >who is interested in 'conservative' investments, in that it deals with things >such as options in the way that an investor (rather than a speculator) would >normally use them. As with all investment books, read it with a grain of salt. > > Good Luck, and may your fortunes grow. > David Hutchens ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!mhuxi!princeton!tilt!stern >By far, the best book I have ever read *about* the stock market is >Burton Malkiel's "A Random Walk Down Wall Street." He explains just >about everything you would want to know: Dow Jones averages and how/why >they tell you things, options, warrants, indices, convertibles, etc. The >book is softcover, relatively cheap, and exceptionally funny for an investment >book (they tend to be drier than parts of Arizona). I don't know who publishes >it, but I would guess it's Princeton University Press. If your local book >place can't find it, try the local University (it's used quite a bit in >corporation finance courses -- Malkiel teaches at Princeton), or in the >worst case, write to the Princeton U-Store and mail order a copy: it's >definitely worth having. > If you need it: The Princeton University Store, 36 University Place, > Princeton, NJ 08544 Attn: Textbook Orders. > >As far as other investment books go, look at William Donoghue's stuff -- >he's written about No-Load Mutual Funds, MM funds, stocks, etc. He writes >very clearly (even if you don't follow economics) and has some good advice. >--Hal Stern > ihnp4!princeton!tilt!stern ----------------------------------------------------------------------- So far, I have managed to scrounge a copy of _The Only Investment Investment Guide You'll Ever Need_ by Andrew Tobias, and it looks interesting. In addition, a friend at work highly recommended _High-Return, Low-Risk Investment_ by Thomas J. Herzfeld and Robert F. Drach. He (my friend) has been following the advice in the book for about four months, and has shown a consistent 10% growth per month (unfortunately, he was doing it on paper only!). Thanx to all who replied, and special thanx to those who offered to share their expertise in this area. I did not reprint that info here as I did not know if those people intended it to be public. An additional thanx to Doug Hosking (...ihnp4!convex!hosking) who suggested that I tune in to FNN, the Financial News Network on cable TV. Unfortunately, FNN airs during the day in Chicago on channel 60, and they typically cut into it to put on cartoons and drivel like the _20 Minute Workout_, where several attractive young ladies dressed only in skin tight tights (I guess that's why they call 'em tights!) bounce around together (Did *I* say that was drivel? I guess I've been married too long :-}). (Was that a double chin?) -- Ron Lewen ....ihnp4!tellab1!rcl <----------------------------------------------------------------> Th...th...th...th...that's all, folks!