R. W. McNeel

History of financial advice collection. R.W. McNeel, the Financial Editor of the Boston Herald, walks a fine line in this book. Throughout, he is at pains to caution readers against a “something for nothing” or “get rich quick” attitude in approaching speculation in stocks. He stresses, instead, that speculation is hard work, requiring careful study and long term commitment, and he works methodically through the key techniques and practical skills (such as short selling and dealing with a broker) that the serious speculator should seek to master. At the same time, though, in the way in which it is packaged and marketed, the book clearly aims to tap into the very fantasies of inordinate and improbable success that it ostensibly cautions against. This is evident not only in the book’s bullish title, but also in its accompanying advertising campaign, which claimed that one of its users had made profits of $70,000 following its tips.… (meer)