so much info

[the cheapining]

good books for newbie in the stock/ira game that is good for t thick headed fool.I know its  a process of ups and downs and many years with out a magic guide .

[mrpercentage]

General investing or individual stock purchasing?

You really don't need to dig too deep if you are just investing for retirement. In fact don't nuke it. Read the forum on index investing. A combo of VTSAX and VBTLX will do just fine. Adjust according to your volatility tolerance (how fast you can tolerate temporarily losing money), because it will go up and down. Up more times than down over years. The shorter the time the harder to tell. Then make it a point not to look at it for a long time. Its better that way.

By the way, Im summarizing what 80% of the forum will tell you. I take a different approach.

[Financial.Velociraptor]

I'm an outlier like MrP and do individual stock selection and options investing.  Most of the forum will tell you what M/P said.  Index and fuggedabowdit.  And that is a fine strategy.  And what Warren Buffet is recommending his heirs do.

Seriously, start by indexing.  There is plenty of time to learn more sophisticated methods and you will be better off if you take that slowly.

[ScarElbow]

I wouldn't recommend books. Google around and find your own style. Just read to death until the light switch turns on.

[bearkat]

Required link to J Collins stock series: http://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

Indexing: A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel

And just for good fun, the recommended section of this very website for investing books: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/the-mmm-reading-list/

Personally I liked the Intelligent Investor for a bit of a history lesson and how to think about stock purchases.

Happy hunting!

[arebelspy]

Required link to J Collins stock series: http://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

This.

Read it. Several times.

Then you can move on to the Bogleheads book and such. But that's where to start.

Good luck!  :)