No comments about Investing in Our Children: What We Know and Don't Know About the Costs and Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions.

1 comments about Process Driven Comprehensive Auditing: A New Way to Conduct ISO 9001:2000 Internal Audits.

1. Palmes does a marvelous job of illustrating the abstract concept of PDCA, making it more relevant to internal auditors and enhancing their ability to conduct value-added assessments of their organizations. This book is a wonderful tool to help people understand the relationship between their jobs and this thing we call "process approach."

5 comments about Chicks Laying Nest Eggs : How 10 Skirts Beat the Pants Off Wall Street...And How You Can Too!.

1. It sounds to me like people either loved or hated this book. I'm in the middle. The content was excellent for beginning investors. Even though the math may have been a bit elementary, sometimes a refresher is needed! Skip over the examples if you have just graduated from Harvard.
   I am going to be starting an investment club and have read a few books on it now. This one is very light-hearted, even if you don't think her humor is. It does, however, allow one to read more than one chapter without falling asleep, a problem I did have with another book.
   What is comes down to is this -- this book is full of IDEAS, a place to start. Some of us ARE middle-class stay-at-home moms and some of us aren't. It really doesn't matter either way. She is showing us what worked for her and her club. It is up to us to decide which information we would like to use and which information we could care less about.
   I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in forming an investment club, or just learning a few of the ways to go about researching, choosing and following stocks.



2. This book is written in a coffee klatch style, with great ideas and simple explanations. While there is a lot more chatting than content, it keeps the book from being dry and boring. And the content IS good, especially for those who are starting at the very beginning and need the basics explained. I recommend that you read the excerpts to see if her style is okay for you. If so then buy the book!



3. The first problem I had with this book was the incredibly condescending attitude by the writer. Just because *she* was completely clueless about their family investments doesn't mean the rest of the *housewives* in the country are. She continually talked down to her readers and spoke absolutely horribly about her children. Whether she was joking or not, I found her style extremely offensive. This breastfeeding, clothing diapering, homeschooling mother who happens to love her children didn't fit into ANY of the stupid examples she used.

   But I muddled through those first few chapters to get to the meat of the matter - The Chicks Dozen. This is the all-knowing formula that one must run each potential company through before buying the stock. The problem? It worked fine when the bulls were running full steam last summer and they went with primarily tech stocks. Now? Their portfolio is a total loser and they were hit hard. I mean HARD. I notice they don't even publish the numbers on their site any longer.

   As it is now, I don't think ANY company would fit into their standards and, in fact, they've changed strageties completely (I mean a COMPLETE reversal!) and are now going with mutual funds. There was page after page in the book BASHING mutual funds and now they've realized that putting all your eggs into single stocks in this bear market just doesn't wash.

   They may have beat the men on Wall Street for ONE YEAR, but they sure aren't clucking now. So save your money and check out their website to see their current strategies because they've changed their tune. You'll also notice that one of the members has already left.

   Didn't anyone at the publishing company *read* this book with it's hogwash advice before publishing it?




4. Like all flash-in-the-pan popular "investment books" this one had a lucky run, until....errr, uhhhh, ......the portfolio began to stink.
   
   There is an iron rule for "popular" investment books: avoid them.
   
   Instead, look at the easy-to-read books written by investment pros: John Train, Warren Buffett's annual reports (those are very inexpensive), Ben Stein, Joel Greenblatt, and Andrew Tobias.
   
   If you are a frazzled housewife who wants to have an investment club made up of folks similar to yourselves and put together a market beating portfolio this book will lead you astray. For tips you can e-mail me.
   
   Full disclosure: my wife also is a professional portfolio manager, mother of two, and is a better investment manager than me. What Professor of Finance would ever admit that? An honest one.



5. Put you money into a small company out of Chicago called CytoCore that is going to revolutionize the PAP test. Stock symbol CYOE.
   
   Huge and I mean huge market potential. Will become the "standard of care" in the cervical cancer detection industry.
   
   Get in now and watch your profits grow.

4 comments about ETF Strategies and Tactics.

1. IMHO the best book out on the subject to date. ETFs are an extremely underutilized investment instrument, and this book fills a void and provides a clear and concise survey of the many exchange traded funds available today. Not only is it highly informative, but is written in a witty and entertaining style as well. If you are a serious investor, you probably should have a few ETFs in your portfolio, and here is the title to get you started. Well worth the cover price.



2. 
   Clear, concise overview of the different ways to use ETFs and what pitfalls to look out for. Highly recommended.



3. Title of this book is misleading. Infact, in one section option methods (buying calls and puts) are enlisted as option strategies! That will really get option traders excited.



4. As parents working to invest for our children's college education, and our retirement, we found this book enlightening. It isn't a get rich quick book, but about putting your investment priorities in order and making sure your money will be there in the future, when you need it. Why invest in mutual funds that have high expenses and needless taxes? ETFs put more of your money to work for you, as opposed to other financial products. This book is also very clearly written -- and was easy for us to understand -- and we are not financiers.

2 comments about The Lean Healthcare Pocket Guide XL - Tools for the Elimination of Waste in Hospitals, Clinics and Other Healthcare Facilities.

1. I found this larger version of The Lean Healthcare Pocket Guide very useful. The forms are easier to read with this larger format. We review the case studies with our kaizen teams to discuss similar applications to our type Lean initiatives. Case studies alone are worth the price of this book. We purchase these for all our continuous improvement team members (and they are used all of the time).



2. Our organization distributes this booklet to all who are receiving Lean Management/Lean Green Belt training - that's 350 people so far. We find it concise enough to be handy, and detailed enough to be useful. The larger format is excellent for reviewing, although we also like the pocket version for portability. This is a fine resource for those who have had some training and need a quick reminder about the tools and concepts of lean in healthcare.

5 comments about The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.

1. If you are looking for validation for the talents you think might be lurking around inside you somewhere, you need to read this. It will remind you that there's more to who you are than just a work-producing-robot! With The Artist's Way as my workbook, I am now reading Cameron's Right to Write and am looking forward to Vein of Gold. Just get the book. If she wrote the phone book I think I'd read it!



2. My boyfriend and I have an ongoing argument about whether fear or laziness is more likely to keep someone from action. He claims it's laziness, but my answer is fear.
   
   Julia Cameron would seem to agree with me. Her book, a classic for "blocked" artists, outlines a 12-week program for "creative recovery." Week one is devoted to the tension between "the dream of action and the fear of failure."
   
   I discovered The Artist's Way nearly two years ago, and it became I lifeline for me as I recommitted myself to singing.
   
   The book's numerous exercises helped me discover and confront the fears that held me back from fully pursuing my dream.
   
   Self-acceptance and the freedom to fail have been essential to me as I've taken new artistic risks, and they are woven throughout Cameron's recipe for success.
   
   The spiritual overtones in The Artist's Way might not appeal to all readers. However, I found it easy to "translate" these into my own words, and I highly recommend the book to anyone who has fallen into a creative rut.



3. This book got into my hands at a crucial moment in my life and has been a life changing experience. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with self doubt about your capacity to create art.
   Do the 12 weeks and you will discover a new you.



4. Got this book for an Artist's Way course and I'm glad I'm in the weekly course or I wouldn't do the projects. For me, I need to not only be held accountable but also to hear what others are doing as they open their path. It also helps to have a facilitator who is open and offers suggestions. The book is rather dated and doesn't take into account the time we spend on the internet and how that needs to be balanced.



5. A good accompany piece to The Artist's Way book. Can't use this instead. So much is left out but she hits some key points.

1 comments about Standard & Poor's 500 Guide 2008 Edition (Standard and Poor's 500 Guide).

1. I had previously owned and older book,and was updating. they are very informative on all information about lots of stocks, contact information, charting, dividends, buy recommendatin, etc

No comments about Managing the Small Construction Business.

3 comments about Organizing Projects for Success (Human Aspects of Project Management) (Human Aspects of Project Management).

1. WOULD LOVE TO REFER THE BOOK AGAI



2. The book provides a wealth on information that others in the PM range don't. It looks on the human side in projects, how to set the project INCLUDING the team up for succes.
   
   This requires definitely more than just a good network diagram, a good scope and a decent budget. What more.. can be found in the book.
   
   Usefull for beginner and advanced PM. Altough I think someone with more experience understands the book more.
   
   The only regret I have is that I did not buy it earlier.



3. This book explains the difference between the role of the project manager and the other roles in the organization, like the line manager for example, and explains important concepts such as authority, accountability, responsibility and reliability.
   From there, it looks at different organizational models, from weak to strong matrix.
   Easy to read and addressing the typical problems the project manager is confronted to.

5 comments about Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble.

1. This book shows the reality of the real estate bubble better than any I have read. It will not only convince you that the real estate shakeout will last many years, but it will also show you many ways to profit from - whether you are considering buying, selling, buying investment properties, or making money from the stock market.
   
   I got the book right when the sub-primes tanked so I wasn't able to follow his advice in shorting these stocks. But he shows the specific stocks that will collapse (Accredited Lenders, IMPAC, Freddie, Fannie, the homebuilders, etc). He even mentions that Countrywide has a lot of risk and they might represent a short! No one anywhere predicted problems for them. It's almost like he has a crystal ball.
   
   According to the author, there will be many other chances to make money from this bubble. I also plan to buy rental units as he recommends and knw I have a better idea how to analyse the real estate market myself. I just ordered his other book that predicts a depression and I'm looking forward to reading it as well. Highly recommended.



2. A quickie rushed out to exploit the current market, words fail me to describe how poor this excuse for a book is. The Author is unnamed, they must be embarrassed. Pages 1 - 101 are off topic political and economic insight of the lowest level and accuracy, such as "Of course, Vice President Cheney has ensured that Halliburton has been the main beneficiary of taxpayer dollars."
   When you finally get to the content, the author states on page 101 "Some of you may be wondering why it took me 100 pages to get to the "meat" of the book"
   Um, yes, we are wondering when we'll get what we're paying for. The answer, sadly, is we won't. The scanty "meat" of the book, until we go back to off topic filler and Government statistical data starting with the appendix on page 175, is no better.
   The book is riddled with errors, such as the reference to ROEs on page 138 or this gem of advice on page 124 to find an appraiser that "doesn't work with mortgage companies". That would be, an appraiser who doesn't work, might be tough.
   More keen insight on page 108, the very first suggestion under the topic of Strategies for Investors, is "Buy land and build" Excuse me, but aren't the people that do that all losing their shirts right now? And this is the best strategy?
   Page 130 suggests "try to control an area". You are supposed to buy an entire run down area so that you can influence the demographics. This is not a viable strategy for any but the very largest investor, even the Trumps of the world find this very difficult, Atlantic City is an excellent example.
   The things that you might hope to learn from this book, such as Buying Pre-Foreclosure properties, span less than four pages and provide little help. For example, one paragraph warns you watch out for liens, but no real data on how to do this, title searches or tax lien searches, no info or suggestions on how to locate or protect yourself from these risks.
   I see two good reviews of this book. I can only wonder if the book was read or there is an undisclosed link to the reviewer for such a glowing review for such a inferior product.
   Try one of the many, many better books available.



3. This book is distinct from other real estate books I have read because it does not focus on lists of real estate resources. As well, it does not paint an "easy money" picture for would be real estate investors. Instead, it gives an overview of all the ways to potentially profit from the real estate meltdown, from sound advice for homeowners, buyers, and investors, to those wishing to profit using the stock market using rental REITs. It even shows one how to short the mortgage and homebuilder stocks.
   
   Perhaps the best thing the author does is that he spends the first half of the book explaining how the bubble formed and how severe it really is. This information is critical because it will help you assess risk and opportunity throughout the real estate meltdown. If you do not understand the full picture, you will get burned. I have found no other book that even addresses this aspect. All others are set up to help you rush in with both feet, as if there is no further downside risk.
   
   The material on profiting from real estate in the stock market was particularly informative. The author does a very nice job of showing how and when to short the mortgage stocks. In fact, the examples he shows have crashed since the book was written. If I had read this book sooner and followed his advice I would have made some huge profits.
   
   I am an experienced investor, especially in the stock market. And I have never read a book that showed one how to properly value REITs until this one. Another excellent benefit of the book.
   
   In summary, if you're looking for a book dedicated to foreclosures, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a book that discusses the risk in the real estate meltdown, what to expect over thenext several years, how to manage it, and a focus on profiting from the stock market, this is the book to get.



4. First, I want to thank the author for sharing his brilliant insights in this book. Unlike most of the real estate books out there, this one was obviously written by a real financial expert, because it actually shows you how bad the US economy is in addition to the real estate bubble. Therefore, you won't be surprised when you continue to hear more bad news. And you will be ready to make a move at the first sight of problems, like the recent Citibank collapse (like I did!!). Suckers will rush in and buy foreclosures because they don't understand what's goin on. If you want to prepare yourself to get through this mess you absolutely have to read this book!
   
   Another great thing I liked about the book was that it shows you many ways to make money from this meltdown - buying, selling, shorting real estate related stocks and banks, buying REITs. He also says that the rental market is going to heat up and be a great investment. I also followed his recommendation to buy gold and im up 50% in just a few months!!
   
   Real estate books are usually focused on charging you up and making you feel like its so easy to get good deals. This book shows you the realities. The book specifically tells you to be on the look out to short the bank stocks due to the real estate meltdown and it even provides a tutorial on shorting. Another unique thing was that it showed you how to do something that most don't know how to do - value REITs. I have already made a boatload of money shorting the bank stocks!!!
   
   Now, all that said, if you are looking for some step-by-step guide how to buy foreclosures and preforclousures, this book is essential alongside one specifically written for that method because you need to know what is going on in the economy and this book really delivers that message. As well it also gives some great bottom-line advice on foreclosures and pre-foreclosures. I was interested in buying real estate until I scored big in the stock market due to the material in the book. Already I made many times more than I could have in one month than I could in a year if I had gone the foreclosure/pre-foreclosure route.
   
   This book's real value is that it shows you how bad the situation is, how bad it is going to get and how long it could last. And if you don't know that, those foreclosures you buy could be a huge loss. I have read so many of the books on real estate and not one of them actually shows you how to assess the real estate environment like this one.
   
   The RE Investor reviewer is obviously some moron who watches foreclosure infomercials. Guys like him are looking for easy payoffs and don't realize timing is key. And if you don't understand the full extent of the real estate problem, you are going to lose alot of money.
   
   This book is worth many times its price. It's truly brilliant!



5. An interesting historical analysis. I cannot find any major area of disagreement. I just wonder if the information is as timely now as when it was originally written. Regardless, I think that you'll get something of value out of reading this book.
   
   You may also want to check out:
   
   The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording.