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Tracking Jim Cramer's Performance: January 2007 Stock Picks

O.K., watching Cramer is like going to the circus and paying to see something in a sideshow. After you've done it, you have that empty feeling, but curiosity led you to do so anyway and you'll probably be back doing it again--watching him on the boob tube, that is. Eventually you realize you can gain something by studying what the Cramer "herd" (am I one?) is planning. In general you know you shouldn't watch the sideshow because it isn't ennobling. Sooner or later those who are using his method will get a serious whiplash because they are gambling, not investing.
One should invest in the companies and believe in their ability to produce products/services with normal profits. Las Vegas is for gamblers and the stock market for owners of companies.
The author I found who helped me the most was Gene Walden and his book "The 100 Best Stocks to Own in America", currently not very updated, to the best of my knowledge. But, although the last edition I know of, the seventh, is from 2002, the 23-page introduction began my instruction in the principals of investing years ago. I've read a lot in my latest fifteen years of investing in the stock market. The hotshot (Cramer?) method has never given me an overall positive return. The simple methods of buying and holding good companies, selling when they don't meet my criteria, of course, has been the true blessing on my investment. At least for me, I need to forget the fast and furious trading, etc., because I will eventually make a wrong decision when too much money is in play.
If Walden's book isn't available in your library--and it is from Amazon--one could look for John Slatter's "The 100 Best Stocks You Can Buy:2008". Also for the armchair investor, he, too, has a great introduction (41 pages long), which will indicate when to buy and sell, etc.
A great book, in my opinion (remember, I'm obviously not one of those previously mentioned analysists or borkers--by the way, all of you, nice blog comments above!) is "The Single Best Investment: Creating Wealth with Dividend Growth" by Lowell Miller. Last edition I know of this is from 1999. (Disclaimer: none of the above authors will admit knowing me and so, no, I'm not anyone's nephew, nor do I have anything to gain from the sale of these books.)
I think that the Cramer method eventually will lead most stock purchasers to make generally poor decisions. I am happier being pokey and investing in good companies, as per Gene Walden's concepts. Can't suggest to the amateur investers too highly visiting your local bookstore and seeing what else is on the shelves besides Cramer's much tossed about titles.