This classic of basic definitions has a new edition that came out in 1999. Although I have not yet read that one, I do suggest that you skip this one.

The book is filled with discussions of how investors value stocks that few serious investors would recognize. There is almost nothing about investing outside the United States. NASDAQ gets almost no mention. The information about discount brokers is wrong. The terminology for describing many types of stocks was never correct, as best as I can recall.

The facts that are correct relate mostly to trivia, like what the number on a stock certificate means. It could help you answer a question on Do You Want To Be a Millionaire? but has little other practical use. Many of these facts (such as how to read the stock tables) can be garnered by simply reading the footnotes in The Wall Street Journal or Barron's.

This book is a good example of the communication stall. We tend to believe everything that we read from what should be reliable sources, even when the information is often faulty.

Donald Mitchell....

This book is excellent for people who are new to investing and managing their own money. It is colorful, easy to read, gives great real-life examples and provides a great index to the book can be used as a referrence manual. The book can be read rather quickly to give someone a feel for understnading stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures and money in general. It's a must read prior to investing money.

I am an old, avid and very knowledgeable Terry Labonte fan, just look at my email address. This book talks about some of Terry Labonte's old past seasons, mainly two stints driving for non-bill paying car owner Billy Hagan. The photos in the book are ALL old photos of Terry in the Sunoco Oldsmobile, Billy Hagan, etc. The only photo of the Kellogg's car you will see is on the books cover. Matter of fact, one OLD photo includes a picture of the #5 car, driven by Ricky Rudd with the Tide sponsorship. See how old everything is! In several chapters and paragraphs, author Huff says the same things over and over, merely rewording or slightly adding or subtracting from earlier statements. I think he described restrictor plate engines no less than five times. The LAST chapter (Chapter 29) gives a poorly written 20-page account of the 1994-1996 seasons. The book is 308 pages long and only the last chapter talks about the book's title wording of "New Edition captures Terry Labonte's 1996 NASCAR season." Author Huff should be sued for false advertising, misleading content, you name it! This book is about 1970's and 1980's racing stories, with a look predominantly at the 1991 season with Billy Hagan. Take it from me, a die-hard Terry Labonte fan.....Do yourself a favor, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT waste your money on this book unless you can get it for free. Perhaps the paper it is printed on can be recycled for a few pennies!

I'm a new fan and of the dozens of NASCAR books I've read, this tops the list. It is by far the best inside look at stock car racing on the market. And considering that the sport is getting squeaky clean, this may be the last time anyone can expose what really goes on. That Terry Labonte dislikes it, should be enough proof that the contents are the real deal.

While most of the book does focus on Labonte's early career, the book does provide the deepest account of life on the inside of a stock car racing team I have ever seen. The cheating, the backstabbing, Labonte's personality away from the media and NASCAR in general. This book is better than most of the fluff out there.

Called 'American Dreams' it might have been justly titled 'American Commercial Trivia'. Each year from 1889 thru 1989 has a business idea explained in a few hundred words and stock archive photos. Of course, in some years not too much happens, the spread for 1956 covers the interstate highway program and 1935 gives a page to National Labor Relations Act and the AFL CIO.

A book of interesting ideas and products that have changed our lives explained in a superficial way. I would have expected something with more substance from The Wall Street Journal...'the daily diary of the American Dream!

While the author presents many of the facts of Wittgenstein's visits to Ireland (many of them culled from Monk's bio), he makes little effort to DO anything with them. Wittgenstein's fascination with both Norway and Ireland as places of solitude for him to accomplish "real work" is a significant influence on his philosophy. It is a shame that a book of such promise fails to deliver. (But, as with the other review, still necessary for the completist).

but the idea appealed to me so I bought it. The author (not a philosopher) went to Ireland and essentially followed Wittgenstein's (50 year old)footsteps while there. He took a lot of pictures to help you see the views that Wittgenstein saw but most of his biographical information comes from Monks DUTY OF GENIUS and Rhees RECOLLECTIONS OF WITTGENSTEIN. He comes across a few people who remember the strange English philosopher but no stories that make this worth its price. An insane Wittgenstein completist like myself probably couldn't resist buying this, but perhaps you should.

This book is very much outdated and it is missing a lot of words