Brian Gongol
The promise and the delivery of this book are simply too far apart. It fails to decide whether it's a handbook of basic financial definitions or a self-help book, and consequently fails at being either. Someone who is just getting started with investing does not need to know about derivatives like call options, nor should they be distracted with nonsense about buying and storing gold bullion. What they need is simple, clear advice about how to START saving. Especially when there are books like Jack Bogle's extremely useful volume already on the market, "Financial Freedom on $5 a Day" is -- at best -- a weekend read for the intermediate-level investor looking for a handful of new ideas for diversification. Everyone else should start with the investment basics.