Truly an Undergrad Text: in addition to being overpriced, many traditional investments textbooks contain hundreds of pages of materials that are not meant to be explored in an âintroductoryâ undergraduate investments course. Smith provides students with the true fundamentals of investing. Advanced investing topics are left for more advanced courses. Practical and Concise: this is a âhow to\" book that gets right to the point.. Students will be able to directly apply the theories and concepts they learn to their own investing practice. Self-explanatory: easy-to-understand language accompanies step-by-step instruction. Studentsâ² knowledge can be tested by using the pedagogical aids found in each chapter.