Investing 101

Michele Cagan's entry in the Adams 101 series does exactly what it promises: it covers the major asset classes — stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, IPOs, commodities, real estate — in plain language, without condescension, in 264 pages. Cagan brings more than two decades of CPA experience to the explanations, and the breadth of coverage makes this a genuine one-stop primer for adults who are starting from scratch. The honest caveat is that breadth is also the limitation — no single topic gets deep treatment, and a book from 2016 will not reflect more recent shifts in financial products and regulations. Some reviewers also found the tone dry. For a reader who needs orientation before going deeper, though, this is a solid, credible starting point.