Investment timing: what do you think of the timing at the moment for dropping money into China funds, or BRIC s? I'm very much on-board and up-to-date on the impending recession (or worse) in America, the ongoing housing collapse, the devaluation of the dollar, and growing credit woes, for what it's worth. I'm also aware of the need to carefully investigate the fee structure of any potential investment. I am fairly risk-adverse, but wanting to diversify and see if I can bring in a little higher average rate of return over the whole portfolio.

Investment timing: what do you think of the timing at the moment for dropping money into China funds, or BRIC s? I'm very much on-board and up-to-date on the impending recession (or worse) in America, the ongoing housing collapse, the devaluation of the dollar, and growing credit woes, for what it's worth. I'm also aware of the need to carefully investigate the fee structure of any potential investment. I am fairly risk-adverse, but wanting to diversify and see if I can bring in a little higher average rate of return over the whole portfolio.

Are there books that explain, in great detail, the systems that clear trades (equities and options) on the markets and shuffle funds among banks in the U.S.? This is a personal curiosity. I know how all of these things work, but I am interested in the mechanisms behind them. Specifically, I'm looking for books (or other resources) that explain in detail what happens in...

• Buying a stock -- info about how big brokerages work the spread, and also info about the electronic systems that provide liquidity for smaller trades
• Shorting a stock -- what steps does the broker take to find a bank from which to borrow the shares?