The world of personal finances can be complicated and confusing. Most of us who are not finance professionals wish we knew more than we do, but may be too embarrassed to admit the gaps in our knowledge. And so we stumble along, year after year, following advice we've pieced together from our parents, our peers, and the media. The result? Our money isn't working as hard for us as it ought to be.

In 10 Financial Strategies for the Smart Investor: How to Avoid Common Mistakes and Build Lasting Wealth, wealth manager Mark Chandik offers a refreshingly candid exploration of where we go wrong with our money behavior and how we can do things right. Without insulting our intelligence, he takes us back to the basics, and shows us how to build--or rebuild--a simple money strategy that actually works.

This quick and easy read will teach you more about money and investing than you ever knew you didn't know.