Investing from Scratch: A Handbook for the Young Investor [Paperback]

James Lowell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997

Filled with basic definitions and easy-to-understand strategies, an investment primer for young adults shows how to reduce the risks associated with investing, select the best investment markets, and track one's progress.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lowell, editor of FundWorks on America OnLine and author of How to Survive in the Real World, offers an investment primer for readers in their 20s and 30s who are just beginning to have money available for investing. In a straightforward yet engaging style, Lowell first explains how to establish a realistic budget and then walks readers through the maze of investment opportunities, including stocks and mutual funds. He offers basic advice on deciphering economic news as well as somewhat more advanced strategies, such as on-line trading, investment clubs and ethical investing. Here, readers not only get the details on individual subjects but also some reasonable warnings from the author. For example, "becoming a landlord isn't all it's cracked up to be, but when it comes to the potential for the best returns?and the most risks?owning an investment property yourself is the way to go. If this is for you, make sure you are ready for the monetary, legal, and psychological demands that even a single investment condo can rain down upon you." The final chapters contain useful information on retirement planning for both the self-employed and workers who have 401(k) plans. Also, each chapter includes a list of books and other publications on particular subjects. The book is narrower in focus than Beth Kobliner's recent Get a Financial Life, for example, but it is an excellent addition to the overcrowded personal finance shelves.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Lowell edits America Online's Mutual Fund Resource Center. He has already targeted recent college graduates with advice on personal finance and money management in How to Survive in the Real World (1995). In that guide, he touches on investing, but here he emphasizes the benefits of investing and the advantages of starting early. Lowell shows how to determine how much to set aside for investment while still meeting current financial needs, and he provides an overview of the basic economic principles necessary for understanding how to make wise investment choices. He also contrasts stocks, bonds, real estate, and mutual funds. He explains how to set up a brokerage account and select a financial adviser and considers ethical investing, investment clubs, and online investing. Finally, he cautions that one must always factor in the tax aspects of investment choices. Each section includes a list of additional books, magazines, and electronic resources. Lowell has written an excellent guide for beginners and uses examples that will especially appeal to those in their twenties and thirties. David Rouse

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140255117
• ISBN-13: 978-0140255119
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,654,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A well written book for beginners., April 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing from Scratch: A Handbook for the Young Investor (Paperback)

The author writes very well, but all too often the advice is a little thin. I liked his approach to handling money but for real practical advice I found another book more useful: "How To Invest $50 to $5,000" by Dunnan. However, both make excellent presents for young and/or inexperienced investors and savers.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars okay.., January 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing from Scratch: A Handbook for the Young Investor (Paperback)

I liked it, and it was helpful, except it wasn't geared to COMPLETE beginers who have had zero experience to investing... I would have liked there to be a section telling you exactly what all the numbers (like in a wall st. journal) mean, and how they relate to a company... The glossary was very thin...

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent advice for thoughtful investors., March 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing from Scratch: A Handbook for the Young Investor (Paperback)

Lowell's writing voice is engaging, intelligent, and refreshingly free of finance jargon. This is a primer for people who have more on their minds than their mutual fund returns. One of the very few books of this genre I could actually relate to, as someone with a healthy skepticism towards the American dream of riches and retirement. Written uncondescendingly and with attention to the often ignored but important issues of investors' social responsibilities, and if it is in fact possible to do well and do good at the same time. One of the few books of this genre that doesn't alienate me.