This part introduces you to the history of the stock market, its structure, and the basics of how it operates. You learn how stock is traded, understand the major stock exchanges, and become acquainted with indexes, which are gauges of stock market activity based on the performance of a particular group of stocks. You also get an overview of how the Great Depression came to be, and read about the bull and bear markets that have followed it. And you learn that, historically, the stock market is the best long-term investment.

Having said that, stocks aren’t for everyone, and you learn why. If your personal financial house isn’t in order, you probably should put stock investing on hold. By the time you finish Part 1, you should feel more confident about understanding what the stock market is all about, how it operates, and how you can benefit from it.