It is our intention in this book to help you understand the New Economy and it's valuable intersection with the stock market. We'll help you figure out which companies stand to benefit, and which companies may have great stories but weak prospects. Though the New Economy has many beneficiaries, it is not the guarantor of universal success. Optimism must be tempered with realism, and we won't flinch from telling the harder truths too.

Finally, this book won't cover all types of investing. You won't find an analysis of the art market or much about heating oil futures. We'll talk a bit about bonds and whether you need them for diversification. But mostly this book is about stocks. We've got no particular beef with other investments. But this book is for New Economy investors with the inclination to make their own decisions about stock picking, with or without the help of a broker. And it's for investors who share our view that over time, equities are well worth the risk.

I will take you on a tour of the key issues you need to understand in today's investing firmament. With the help of some of TheStreet.com's most experienced writers, we will explore several areas of the market. We'll help you become a more confident, less fearful stock picker. And for those of you ready to test your mettle, we'll even introduce you to options and shorting!

In this middle ground, between the dummies and the self-proclaimed savants, there's much we feel we can offer. This, in a real sense, is how I and many others have learned about the stock market and investing. Back in 1994, I was assigned to cover the stock market for The Wall Street Journal. At the time, I knew more about hat tricks (hockey) than Red Hats (Linux software firm). So, I went to work. I read books, I talked with professors and hunkered down with traders and strategists, trying to absorb their knowledge. This kind of self-teaching is an invaluable way to learn about something, and it is how many on Wall Street, and now Main Street, have learned their trade.

Our efforts to help you master the market will, in some respects, mimic my own crash course on the markets. We'll start with the economy and work our way through fundamental analysis, researching stocks, and how to read charts. We'll help you figure out when to buy a stock and when to sell a stock. We'll break down the technology sector. We'll even give you guidance on how an individual investor can best handle the tax consequences of buying and selling stocks. We will cover every important nook and cranny to ensure that you are equipped to become a full-fledged participant in this new world of investing.

To make sure we get the latest and best information available, I've called on a powerful group of writers and contributors from TheStreet.com to help reveal the secrets to the world of individual investing. Among the people we'll receive wisdom and guidance from are Tracy Byrnes, Dan Colarusso, Christopher Edmonds, Jim Griffin, Thomas Lepri, George Mannes, Mark Martinez, Helene Meisler, John Rubino, and Elizabeth Roy Stanton.

We believe TheStreet.com Guide to Smart Investing in the Internet Era will teach you how to become a smarter investor. And ultimately, a richer one. We're not going to claim it's a simple world with simple answers. But there are ways to get a leg up on your competition–even the lurching monster that is Wall Street–and we'll give you that edge. Along the way, we'll try to make sure that you are entertained as well as enlightened.

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