23-year-old writes book on investing

Robin Speziale sent me an email about his electronic book, Lessons from the Successful Investor. When I saw the date 1987, I wondered why he was flogging a book written so long ago. Then, I realized that 1987 was his birth date, not the publication date.

Impressed to see a young man teaching others about his investing secrets, I invited him to speak to my class last week. He delivered a PowerPoint presentation with confidence and economy, finishing exactly within his allotted half hour. I was impressed.

After graduating from the University of Waterloo last June, Robin took the summer to write a book before taking a job as an IT consultant. He decided to publish it himself and sell it as an ebook before breaking into hard covers.

A fan of Warren Buffett, he's a value investor who loves consumer companies with a strong brand and a "moat," a competitive advantage that others cannot easily penetrate. He raves about McDonald's, Starbucks and Tim Hortons -- but not Dollarama, a retailer he feels lacks pricing power. He prefers Walmart.

Speziale is giving away his ebook free to boost his profile. So, who can turn down such a deal? He's allowing my readers to download the book at no cost until Jan. 1.

Go to Smashwords, click Add to Cart, sign up and input this coupon code (LB96Y). Then, sit back and enjoy reading the lessons he's learned in his short, but fruitful, investing career.