Author Dave Van Knapp
| The Story Behind the Book |
"NOTES TO SELF"
When I was beginning my own stock investing years ago, I found myself facing what
many new stock investors face: Problems comprehending investment terminology,
understanding what is going on in the stock market, and seemingly irreconcilable
differences among the various “schools” of investing. So I began a "notes to self"
journal, writing down answers to problems as I discovered them through my own
experience and research.
As I continued my research and my notes grew, I realized how often individual
investors face the same problems, without having a sole comprehensive source to
turn to for the answers they need.
FROM NOTES TO A BOOK
The idea that the growing body of notes might become a book took root in 2001.
Sensible Stock Investing was developed over the course of five years after I
became convinced that the solutions I was creating could be of great help to other
individual investors. To publish a book, of course, requires more rigor than keeping
a set of personal notes, so I broadened my perspective to make the book
comprehensive and intensified my research to attain the necessary rigor.
In order to write a book suitable for beginning and experienced investors alike, I
created innovative features, such as:
- The concept of the "Sensible Stock Investor," modeled after the law's
"reasonable person" who devotes a high standard of care to what he or she is
doing. - Discussions of compounding, how the stock market works, the differences
between great companies and lousy ones, how any company can be viewed
as a financial "black box," the importance of dividends, and how to conduct
one's investing as if it were a business. - Two real life portfolios created especially for the book. The portfolios
demonstrate the principles--and success--of Sensible Stock Investing, and
they also generated a list of important lessons learned. - Unique analytical tools and forms to simplify investment tasks, including
- The Easy-Rate Stock Rating Sheet,
- The Shopping List, and
- The Portfolio Review.
- An annual calendar of what to do each month
THE END RESULT...
Sensible Stock Investing is the book I wish I had when I began my own stock market
investing. I hope and believe that the book will help both beginning and experienced
individual investors with clear, innovative, fact-based stock investment strategies
and advice.
As one five-star reader review posted on Amazon.com puts it:
"This book does the impossible. I will refer to it often. Wish it had come out
20 years earlier!"
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