A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel

This is kind of a hard book to review, because I read it for different reasons than I normally read for, and so I've been putting it off. But I'll do my best.

Now that I'm a working woman, I actually have to think more about my finances than I used to. As a graduate student, I just tried to make enough money to live, but now that I'm entering into a permanent position, I can finally start thinking about money not just from month to month, but in terms of the future. I asked my dad, who is a corporate banker, for some advice, and he recommended this book.

I'm going to admit that there was a lot in here that I didn't understand, about investing and markets. But there was also a lot that I did understand - things about human behavior, some basic principles. I tend, unfortunately, to shy away from most things financial. I mean, I'm very capable of handling my own money, staying out of debt. And with my math background, I am capable of understanding basic statistical analyses and compound interest and growth patterns. But it doesn't mean that's where my mind naturally wants to go, or that I feel an intense personal interest in finance. I just don't.

What this book did for me, then, was to give me a rudimentary understanding of what goes on in financial circles. It's more information than I probably need, but written fairly clearly, and with an eye to grand principles and wise investment. When I received my retirement plan pamphlets in my campus inbox last month, shortly after finishing the book, I read through them and felt pleased that I actually mostly understood what they were telling me - something I hadn't felt about a year ago when I first perused the BYU benefits webpage.

I have a lot more to learn. My finances have been incredibly uncomplicated thus far because I have always been a student, but now I have to be an adult and I'd prefer not to make choices blindly and hope for good outcomes. This was a nice start in that direction.