Rating: 
Summary: Great fact-based guide for investors.
Review: Presents time-proven investment fundamentals in a clear, well-organized book. Plenty of charts and tables of numerical data for those who thrive on historical investment facts. Lacks chapter summaries. An excellent update of Bogle's earlier book "Bogle on Mutual Funds" (1994).
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Summary: Beat the dead horse
Review: The central theme of this book is good -- that index funds are likely to deliver better returns than actively managed funds due to their low cost, high diversification, and tax efficiency. However the book just goes on and on and on with this same argument. It beats the dead horse a thousand times over.
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Summary: Exposes The Fanatasy Aspects Of Investing
Review: The fund industry sells the fantasy that everyone can beat the market. What nonsense, since we are, in the aggregate, the market. Don't be sucked in! Listen to Bogle; he understands investing and offers great advice. My only disagreement is that, I believe, investors need greater exposure to international assests.
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Summary: Not sexy BUT powerfull common-sense principles for investing
Review: This book has some basic, common-sense and powerfull principles. It is full of technical detail that is sometimes hard to follow for the layman but nevertheless is explained simply enough to have the ring of truth about it.It's basic principle is that for your investments to provide wealth in the long-term you must abandon the current casino-style gambing on the latest mutual fund fad and invest in solid, low-cost, no-load funds. This book is not for the total beginner since it probably has too much detailed technical data for the few pearls of wisdom -- albeit priceless pearls. However, given the huge mutual fund industry that mostly disagree with John Bogle, the amount of technical information is probably necessary. Unlike the four "Common Sense" pamphlets written by Thomas Paine to inspire the regular citizen to reject British imperialistic rule, this book is too technical to spark a popular uprising against the over-priced mutual fund industry of today. However the fact that Bogle practices what he preaches and has built a company 'Vanguard' on his beliefs gives his book an authority missing in much writing. For the beginner, a book I read that really did change my life is "Personal Finance for Dummies" by Eric Tyson.
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Summary: A good argument for investing in low cost, index funds.
Review: This book provides a good argument for buying low cost, index funds for the average investor. Each chapter provides evidence on why index funds should be a major part of one's portfolio. The book details how cost is a large factor in reducing returns. He presents the data very well, however each chapter is just another detailed argument on why one should buy low cost, index funds. After the first few chapters this gets a bit tiresome. Mr. Bogle's first book was much more informative on how to design a well rounded portfolio.
Rating: 
Summary: Common Sense, Yes -- Plain English, No
Review: This book struck me as an academic and unnecessarily complicated version of Eric Tyson's "Mutual Funds for Dummies". Both books recommend a common sense (and increasingly common) approach to investing that stresses the importance of long-term horizons, low expenses, and minimal turnover. The difference is that Bogle cloaks his "thesis" in so much jargon and gobbledy-gook that it often takes a couple readings just to figure out what he's trying to say. He's kidding himself if he thinks Main Street USA is going to get through this book. If his intent was to shake up American complacency a la Thomas Paine, I'm afraid he's failed miserably. By the way, the book's jacket and first few pages are loaded with hyperactive rave reviews from some Big Names in the investment field. This seems awfully disingenuous when Bogle thanks almost all of them by name a couple pages later in the Acknowledgments section. Logrolling, anyone?
Rating:
Summary: excellent!! a must read for all BOGLE fans.
Review: this book thoughtfully presents the case for sensible cost controls when is comes to your mutual funds......it also highlights the need for fund directors that are responsive to the interests of shareOWNERS........and voices the view of WARREN BUFFETT and others for the long term approach. THANK YOU MR. BOGLE!!! a fine companion to the 1994 bestseller BOGLE ON MUTUAL FUNDS.
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Summary: Great Book on Investing with Mutual Funds
Review: This is one of the finest Books I have ever read on Mutual Fund investing. After reading this you will know that he knows what he is talking about. Without a doubt the best in the field. If you folow the "rules" you will do very well in the market.
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Summary: Not for rookie investors
Review: This is suppose to be an excellent book but if you are looking for an easy read, you are mistaken. I am a rookie investor and he just confused me.
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Summary: Index funds are the way to invest wisely
Review: This is the book that you would use to show hard evidence to fund manager friends as to how indexing is the most cost-efficient method of investing in the long run. It has everything you need to right a disertation on the subject of index vs. actively managed funds. It is a good read, but pretty dry at times. I can sum up the major points of this book:
1) Index funds, due to their low costs and tax efficiency, give you greater returns over the long term than similar actively managed funds.
2) Index funds are the way to go when it comes to large- and mid-cap funds. However, actively managed funds are better for small-cap funds.
3) International funds may not be needed since most US companies now have very significant international exposure.
4) Index funds are also the way to go when it comes to bond market exposure.
5) Very few investment companies will tell you about the above four points because it means that they would be admitting their own inefficiencies, their high costs, and their false claim of actively managed funds do better than indexed funds. There, I just saved you the cost of the book.
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