Book reviews: who is watching the watchmen?

With bond yields at record lows and stock markets performing badly, it?s no surprise that dividends are back in fashion. In his latest book, experienced investment writer Rodney Hobson explains how to go about hunting down reliable dividend shares to boost the income from your portfolio.

He starts by explaining some of the basics, such as what a dividend is. He then looks at some of the key ratios that can help you decide whether a share is worth buying. The third section discusses general tactics for investing wisely. Finally, Hobson outlines a strategy that focuses on dividends, using the example of BP to show how things could go wrong.

The book could do with providing more data on the long-term performance of shares with high dividend yields ? a surprising omission, given that such shares have consistently outperformed the market in the past. Those who already have a reasonable amount of investment experience may also find it a little basic.

However, if you are just starting out, then Hobson?s decision to assume little prior stock market knowledge makes this an excellent book for beginners. He also has an undeniable talent for explaining difficult concepts in an easy-to-grasp manner, breaking them down into bullet points.