The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of

From the personal-finance duo Fortune magazine called "funny, smart, cynical, opinionated" comes savvy financial advice for today's street-smart young investors.

The Motley Fool has made investing fun and easy for millions of people. Now, it custom designs its wit and wisdom for today's money-savvy teens.

The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens helps teens stand out from the ho-hum mutual-fund crowd, build a portfolio of stocks they can actually care about, and take advantage of the investor's best friend -- time -- to watch their profits multiply.

• Strike a blow for financial independence. The Fool shows you how to:

• Question authority when it comes to managing your money

• Save cash (for investing, for college...and, yes, even for having fun!)

• Dodge the spending and saving pitfalls that trap so many adults

• Get started investing -- online and off -- with just a few dollars

• Discover up-and-coming businesses that could become future blue chips

Warning: this is not your parents' money guide! From identifying companies that are both cool and profitable to building a portfolio that makes tracking investments exciting, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens shows young investors the way to financial freedom.

In a wise and witty manner, brothers David and Tom Gardner, founders of the multimedia investment company The Motley Fool, impart their investment strategies to the adolescent masses with The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens. In eight teen-friendly sections, the brothers Gardner and writing partner Selena Maranjian demystify the stock market by describing and defining mutual funds, banking practices, IRAs, and drip investing. The authors also include numerous quotes from money-savvy adolescents who detail some of their rookie market moves in an attempt to help their peers steer clear of similar mistakes. Parents will approve of the strongly worded sections on credit card debt and the costly financial and physical tolls a smoking habit takes on both wallet and health. In fact, parents would do well to pick up this investment primer for their own edification, if they find the stock market a confusing and chaotic business. Loaded with worksheets, helpful Web sites on a variety of financial subjects, a concise glossary, and a comprehensive index, this is one investment guide that both generations can and will turn to again and again.

Traditionally, teens have been known for having a hard time seeing the proverbial Big Picture. But the Gardners respond admirably to this characteristic, by constantly emphasizing the fortune teens can make in the future by investing now and reminding them that investing money is the least labor-intensive way to make more of the desirable green stuff. A perfect gift for the burgeoning Warren Buffet in your life. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert