I read your post and I'm not sure why you think fx is too risky. You can open a practice account for nothing and then trade with as little as $500 if your willing to live with very small gains as you learn. I started trading options after a 3 month mentor course and moved on to fx. I have taken and printed and stored more courses and trading material in my office than any 5 other people, and all the reading didn't do me as much good as the experience I gained from my mentor and my forex experience.
Good luck, Bob