Let's face facts: this book will not turn you into a savvy investor any more than reading the Cliff Notes on Macbeth will make you a scholar of English literature. The back cover claims the book will help you "master the essentials" of Wall Street, and this is only a slight boast - it will introduce you to the fundamentals with brevity and clarity, then point you toward more information in print and on the web. To that end, the book is certainly a good investment.