Rule #1 by Phil Town (2006, Abridged, Compact Disc)

With bulletproof arguments and statistics to back up his advice, Phil Town says you can make money choosing individual stocks that you research, understand, and love instead of letting a money manager squander your money in an under-performing fund. Though his narration is flat, there is excitement in the author's personal story and in this well-crafted lesson. With motivating clarity Town explains how to analyze every conceivable aspect of a publicly traded company--product viability, brand strength, competitive advantages and weaknesses, management, financial soundness, etc. Though his approach is decidedly fundamentalist, Town says it also will help traders--if they do their homework. An energizing lesson to wake up your inner stock-picking genius.