John C. Bogle, founder of Vanguard, thoroughly discusses the risks and rewards of investing in mutual funds. He explains how to select among the four basic categories of funds: common stock, bond, money market, and balanced. He argues convincingly that a passively managed "index fund" costs less and is more reliable than a fund managed by someone making weighted bets on individual securities, sectors, and the economy. Bogle, long the mutual fund industry's loudest critic, denounces its misleading advertising, mediocre performance, and selfishness. Sprinkled throughout the text are "caveat emptor" boxes that warn readers of the hidden pitfalls of mutual fund investing. Includes a new introduction by the author. --Publisher's description.