"Throughout the 1980s, which was the second-best decade for stocks in modern history (only the 1950s were slightly more bountiful), the percentage of household assets invested in stocks declined! (p. 15) By sticking with stocks all the time, the odds are six to one in our favor that we'll do better than the people who stick with bonds. (p. 16) The key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them. This point cannot be overemphasized. Every year finds a spate of books on how to pick stocks or find the winning mutual fund. But all this good information is useless without the willpower. In dieting and stocks, it is the gut and not the head that determines the results. (p. 36) While catching up on the news is merely depressing to the citizen who has no stocks, it is a dangerous habit for the investor. (p. 40) A healthy portfolio requires a regular checkup—perhaps every six months or so. Even with the blue chips, the big names, the top companies in the Fortune 500, the buy-and-forget strategy can be unproductive and downright dangerous. ... Investors who bought and forgot IBM, Sears, and Eastman Kodak are sorry that they did. (p. 284)"