The Wall Street Journal Guide To Understanding Personal ... (ISBN 0743216962)

Amazon.com Review:
Kenneth M. Morris and Virginia B. Morris update this now classic handbook to the fundamental principles that govern personal financial management. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Personal Finance covers the basics of banking, credit, home finance, financial planning, investing, and taxes in a concise and unambiguous manner. The details--amplified by graphics and peripheral data that consistently make its points easier to understand--range from the pros and cons of different types of banking institutions and the various kinds of checking accounts they offer, to the methods available for handling credit-card billing errors and the steps to employ when deciding how large a mortgage one can afford. Obviously, a book of this nature cannot fully answer all questions that might arise in every area it addresses; this one, however, goes a long way toward providing the relevant information that most readers will need to make knowledgeable decisions on their own. --Howard Rothman

Limited introduction to finance...I expected more from WSJ:
I've just graduated from college and wanted to learn how to not be poor anymore. I bought this book because I knew about Wall Street Journal's reputation for expertise and in-depth analysis of the economy etc. What I didn't expect was a book equivalent to a children's primer on personal finance. It's not bad, per se, it's just not what I expected from the Wall Street Journal. The book covers a broad range of topics from paper money to mortgages to stocks and bonds. Unfortunately, the coverage is shallow, mostly giving definitions of what things are. The book consists of teen magazine-like layouts of pictures, graphs, and diagrams. Some of the information is helpful while some of it is interesting but trivial, and all of it is in colorful, bite-sized portions. While it's entertaining and easy-to-understand, it's also quite "fluff"-y at times. It's a good introduction to personal finance for someone who doesn't know much about how money works beyond how to buy things. It may be ok for new high school or college grads, either as a reference or a first book on personal finance but it's not at the level for anyone who actually wants to start investing and already knows the basics. Ironically, it seems to be below the level of Wall Street Journal readers. I have since given my copy away. For someone who already knows the basics but wants a introduction to investing, I enjoyed "The First Book of Investing: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Safely" by Samuel Case. It's the only other book on investing I've read (I bought it on sale on a whim), but it was clear and informative, albeit a little optimistic.

a great introduction, but that's all:
this book is a great introduction to personal finance, including banking, loans, investing, taxes, and retirement planning. it covers all of the basics, provides a nice, clear description of the processes and the structures of documents, and a glossary of important terms. however, it's just an introduction. the book doesn't spend more than a few pages on any subtopic (ie the structure of a paycheck, the basics of a tax form). for details you'll have to go elsewhere, so keep that in mind. as such, i'd reccomend this book to someone who is just learning the basics of money and the world of personal finance. it's a big world, you don't need to start with all of the details, so this is a good place to start. but very quickly you'll find you need more information, and you'll outgrow this book.

Great Starter Guide:
Most of us have some gaps in our understanding of personal finances. This approachable guide lays it out briefly and understandably. Since my attention span is short for this topic, this is the kind of guide I needed. For instance, the two-page section on DEALING WITH A LENDER, shows a loan application form with 6 boxed explanations for parts of the form. You won't learn everything you need to know in two-page bites, but it gets you briefed on everything from mutual funds, making a will, getting insurance, understanding credit card statements, 401(k) plans, your W-2 form, etc. Once you grasp the basics, you can find a book specifically on wills or whatever you are dealing with at the moment. Gaining control over your finances can start with this book!

Good for a brief overview, but I wouldn't call it a "Guide":
A book that calls itself a guide should be full of information that the reader can take and use on his/her own. This book has a good overview of finances, but it does a poor job of relating one branch of finance to another. There is no building of knowledge for the reader, so it is as if you are reading a different book on each page. For a book issued by the Wall Street Journal, I was rather disappointed.

Beginners Complete Book to Finance:
This book is filled with illustrations and is great for beginners or for those who are more visual learners. I personally didn't find this book extremely helpful because I have a background in finance but the illustrations and information is helpful for tutoring and explaining some of the concepts. It is also a good review tool or handy reference guide when you have a quick question about finance matters. In addition the range of material covered is great. You won't find this much investment information in one place so concisely organized.