INVESTING MONEY: The Facts About Stocks and Bonds

No tickertape hoopla here; this is a sound, succinct initiation that might supplement the high school economics curriculum or substitute for the more speculative and/or specialized adult manuals. Covered in logical order are the workings of the New York Stock Exchange (and other stock markets); the Truth in Securities Laws as enforced by the S.E.C. (with references to Moody's and Standard & Poor's as updating the original prospectus and the official list of safeguards); the financial history of Polaroid as representative of a burgeoning business; how over-the-counter transactions are negotiated and tabulated; reading tickertape and dealing with a broker generally; the fine points and fine print of bond issues; interpreting balance sheets and the more indicative earnings statements, also ongoing market news; attending a stockholders meeting in person or by proxy. The section on investing as a member of a group covers everything from high school funds to mutual funds and the abuses of the latter; that on the techniques used by speculators is a fascinating glimpse of professionals doing what amateurs shouldn't. Other titles focus on the stock market per se (e.g. Wood) or offer only rudimentary information (Sobol); Investing Money is the most thorough preparation available for doing just that.