content: I've read Lynch, I've read Tobias, but MF is one of the best "newbies start here" books I've read. It focuses on basic practical financial advice and leaves the reader with a actual stock portfolio (the Foolish Four, which is a variant of the Dow Dividend theory; and an S&P index fund) with historical evidence that it will work. Additionally, the book serves as a stepping-stone to the free Motley Fool website, one of the best individual investor information sites I've seen. The book does not delve into traditional topics (eg. asset allocation), but -- let's face it -- a new investor will have **plenty** here to keep him occupied. And when he's ready for more, he need look no further than this book's Bibliography.