A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing and Economics

Mutual fund star Peter Lynch and author John Rothchild explain the fundamental principles of the stock market and economics in an investment guide that will educate and entertain anyone from high school age onward.

Many investors, including some with substantial portfolios, have only a vague understanding of how the stock market works. The reason for this, say Lynch and Rothchild, is that the basics of investing—the cornerstones of our economic system and their connection to the stock market—are not taught in schools. In a time when individuals must make important decisions about saving for college and retirement funds, this failure to provide a foundational education in investing can have tragic consequences.

For those who know what to look for, investment opportunities are everywhere. The average high school student knows Nike, Reebok, McDonald's, The Gap, and The Body Shop. Almost every teenager in America drinks Coke or Pepsi, but very few own shares in any of these companies or even understand how to buy them. Every student learns American history, but few recognize that our country was settled by European colonists funded by public companies in England and Holland—and the fundamental principles behind public companies have not changed in over three hundred years.

In "Learn to Earn," Lynch and Rothchild explain in an accessible style for anyone from high school age onward how to read a stock quote in the newspaper, how to understand a business report, and why everyone should pay attention to the stock market. They not only explain how to invest but also how to think like an investor.