Review by ttrenkner for SENSIBLE STOCK INVESTING: How to Pick, Value, and Manage Stocks
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This book stands head and shoulders above the great bulk of what I’ve read on the subject of stock investing. Much of what’s out there these days seems to have been written either for the gullible, get rich quick types or for those who have completely given up on trying to come out ahead of the pack and have resigned themselves to the boredom of simply buying and holding index funds. But this book’s premise is that the small individual investor actually can beat the market, not through some secret, author-discovered formula, but by applying logic, discipline, and a bit of effort. If you believe, as I do, that knowledge and diligence tend to be rewarded in the Market as in life generally, you’re going to like this book.

The author does a great job of smoothly guiding the reader through a potentially dry and difficult subject, without presuming any particular prior knowledge or experience. In fact, the book could almost serve as a textbook on how the stock market operates if it weren’t such a quick and enjoyable read. The contents are well organized, and the writing is clear and to the point. The author effectively uses two real world portfolios to demonstrate the application of his techniques and at the same time buttress his credibility. There are also several helpful appendices, including forms for valuing companies and reviewing a portfolio, as well as a handy investment calendar.

One other thing that makes this book special is the feeling it conveys throughout that stock investing can and should be approached as an engaging, enjoyable hobby, like, say, belonging to a fantasy football league. I think an investor who maintains such an attitude is the most likely to stick with the sound techniques this book espouses while at the same time he or she reaps an extra dividend of happiness.

Review by A reader for SENSIBLE STOCK INVESTING: How to Pick, Value, and Manage Stocks
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I have read a variety of books on investing, but have never before come across one which is so uniquely suited to the individual investor. That may be because the author is “one of us.” He appears to be a successful businessman who taught himself to become a successful investor. He is not from the “Wall Street” industry. Instead, he brings the perspective of the “Main Street” individual.

For example, Van Knapp has created easy-to-use tools to rate companies and their stocks–such as a simple point system which allows companies to be graded against each other. Forms like the one he calls the Easy-Rate sheet make for easy recording of the information. He shows you how to create a Shopping List, and how you should take a step back every few months to look at the stocks you own strategically.

This book is only about stock investing, and that is a plus. There is nothing here about how to manage your 401(k), how to allocate your money among asset classes, or whether to buy annuities. With all the space saved by leaving that information out, Van Knapp has written an amazingly informative book about stocks. Such subjects as how indexes (like the Dow) are computed are covered in simple language–things all investors should know, but usually only have a vague idea about.

Another strength of this book is that it covers portfolio management–meaning topics like how many stocks to own, how diversified they should be, when to buy, and (most important) when to sell. Again, topics that individual investors should be thoroughly familiar with, but often aren’t. Taken together, it all comprises a stock-investing system, one that can give you confidence that you are not just shooting in the dark or bouncing from theory to theory without an overall strategy.

Van Knapp writes in a conversational style that is suitable for beginners or experienced stock investors. He does not talk down. This is the kind of book that you read once and then keep referring to again and again, because the information is so accessible.

Highly recommended.

Review by R. D. Thoes for SENSIBLE STOCK INVESTING: How to Pick, Value, and Manage Stocks
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I am an Individual Investor and manage a family portfolio. Also, I evaluate professional money managers for a family trust and a Pension Plan. This book is a must for me in these roles. It is valuable for my own stock picking as well as understanding and evaluating the fee money managers. I highly recommend a sensible approach to investments.

Review by B. Goswami for Understanding Stocks
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This book is a great “first” book to start learning about stocks. The book is well written, and keeps you interested throughout. I wish that some chapters on technical analysis were better explained, but given the scope of the book, I guess I am asking for a bit too much. If you already know a lot about stocks, you might wanna get a more advance book, but as a beginner, its a great book.

Review by William E. Allen for Understanding Stocks
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While this book MENTIONS many basics of investing, it fails to aptly discuss many, most, or all of them. The author, quite frankly, really fails to discuss, to any understandable length, many fundamental analysis items to include such notables as earnings per share, quarterly earnings growth, and book value. He doesn’t discuss in any appreciable detail what each of these mean. He fails to inform the reader what degrees in any of these metrics an investor should look to gain or avoid. He does mention them, but fails to give them any study in detail and worthiness.

As far as technical analysis goes, he sticks with his technique of mentioning items of interest without explaining them to any appreciable depth. He really fails to describe, in any usable detail, how bands or moving averages can be used, or how they are used by some. He has illustrative charts to demonstrate typical named historical patterns, but his narrative is poor. Additionally, he fails to highlight the areas on the charts he writes of and therefore fails to make anything clear. This analysis of historical patterns was very cryptic.

In the end he proposes, in about a page, and not in very good narrative, one system for investing that really is not only not generally achievable, it’s not really generally feasible.

If your goal is to read a book to explain the basics of the stock markets, stock measuring, and knowledge needed for investing, please look elsewhere.