1 comments about Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification: How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns Than Stocks and Bonds.

1. According to Professor Mahesh Kumar, and his dense Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification, people who invest in wine don't all have butlers for alarm clocks. They don't all have different homes for different moods.
   
   It's true that some wines have Bentley price tags. A few years ago, three bottles claiming to be the past property of Thomas Jefferson (the handwritten "Thom. J." on the label giving it the seal of authenticity) was auctioned off to a Florida millionaire for 500K. Their actual provenance is being determined in a NY court as I write. These sorts naturally get the headlines. So we, those who've never raised a paddle to a rapidly appreciating Monet, naturally think the whole indulgent scene is the domain of the moneyed set.
   
   But ask Kumar and he'll tell you that people who invest in wine don't all have their phone numbers on congressional speed dials, and after reading his book, the parts that I could grasp, parts not requiring an advanced math degree, it not only makes sense, it exposes bagging six-figure bottles as merely big-game hunting.
   
   By not assuming as a starting point the profitability of wine, Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification is unique to the small population of wine investment books, like Sokolin's1987 Liquid Assets, and the new Keys to the Cellar (interesting but superficial buying and cellaring guides). Kumar first presents the arguments against wine investment (and there are plenty of these). Point-by-point he unravels them, with his Fine Wine 50 Index, a collection of a dozen blue-chip Bordeaux (the household names like Lafite, and Petrus) which, over a 21-year period, holds steady with the Dow and beat the FTSE 100 by several percentage points. This alone wouldn't make for much celebration, but taken in step with Kumar's assertion that wine prices aren't influenced by the same sort risk that affect stocks and bonds (recession, inflation, etc.), and are far less volatile, which makes fine wine "and other alternative investments" ideal diversifiers--for as much as a $50,000 per-year earner puts in his 401-K annually. That of course means he's not suggesting holding fine wine as a single asset class, but held as part of portfolio of tradition equities. Kumar also diagrams "relative value analysis." He says it's a "simple and effective indicator of which wines and vintages are under-or over-valued" that "maximizes returns by minimizing overexposure to specific labels." Seems useful enough. But simple? I couldn't tell you. Overexposure to six-inch-long math equations make my eyeballs vibrate.
   
   Thus afflicted, the second half of the book was impenetrable. Kumar is after all a professor of finance. But it does purport to have in it calculations (like "relative value analysis") to help insure prudent purchasing, so I suggest gifting it to your financial advisor. Include a bottle to make it well rounded.
   
   The first half was surprisingly fascinating; not what I was expecting from my experience with other wine investment/buying guides. Kumar unpacks how the alternative investment market interacts with the wider financial world--a brief education in economic and financial philosophy, and the kind of primer that engages the imagination.
   
   The front matter includes an introduction by the iconic Michael Broadbent, a wonderful retrospective of Christie's (the British auction house for which he's director of wine) dealing in the old wine trade; and an interesting short preface by the publisher which attempts to come to terms with the "general anti-wine-investor vehemence" of wine critics.

2 comments about Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations Volume 1: Develop the Plan, 2nd Edition.

1. A companion book to the popular "Strategic Planning Workbook for Nonprofit organizations", it takes you through the stages of getting the information about your organization and its programs to the community. You dont need to read it all to gain benefits - any of the steps can be of assistance.



2. I purchased this book because it was recommended reading for my Peace Corps service. I have a degree in Marketing and found this to be a good summary of what I have learned at the very basic level. if you have little to no business background then this is a good place to start.
   
   I have been reviewing it at site and think I can make even further use of it. I think if translated it could make a good tool for villagers to use on their own with little to no explanation. I have reviewed it with some of the people that speak a Little English and they seem to like it.
   
   It breaks down like this:
   Part 1; Demystifying Marketing
   Part 2; Your Marketing Effort
   Step 1 Set marketing Goals
   Step 2 Position Your Organization
   Step 3 Conduct a Marketing Audit
   Step 4 Develop a Marketing Plan
   Step 5 Develop a Promotion Campaign
   
   The greatest thing for me is its simplicity. It really gets back to the basics of marketing. I mean stuff that was assumed we knew when we signed up for our first marketing class in college or high school even. These are the basics that developing countries may not have ever heard of. This helps to teach the concepts and get them started.

5 comments about Forex Simplified.

1. I bought this book on a whim because I was frustrated. Incredibly, I couldn't find any information on how to figure out the swap rate. I have 3 big forex books on my shelf and they wax eleoquent about technical analysis, the Bretton Woods agreement, how to make a fortune, and etc. - but do not explain something as fundamental as figuring the swap rate - or even why there is such a thing! I tried Googling for it, and got tired of trying to sort through the deluge of irrelevant and mostly commercial results. So when I read "swap rate" in the book description here at Amazon.com - I bought it immediately with expedited shipping!
   
   When I recieved the book, I quickly found the answer. The author made it easy to understand. Then I got curious about the rest of the book, and sat down and read it in one day. I really like the author's no B.S. style of writing. She covers the really important stuff in a concise, easy to understand way. She includes personal anecdotes from her own trading experience which made it fun to read. She does not try to tell you how you can beat the market every time and get rich overnight by using her secret trading system - (like so many other books and web sites). I find it refreshing to read a book like this that takes little of my precious time, yet gives me the essential tools I need to help me find my own way to success.



2. This book starts off with a factual error on the first page of the introduction and goes downhill from there. It is not true that individuals were able to start trading in FX only in 2000. What about the futures market? Other errors abound, like the assertion that no other market is so "schizophrenic." There is no evidence and none offered here that the FX market is more volatile or choppy than any other security. As for the section on swaps, there is no mention of the underlying money markets that determine the swap rate. The tone is chatty to the point of cutesy, which is annoying. The writer is obviously an amateur in both trading and in FX. The section on technicals is lifted wholesale from other sources and offers no insight, while the fundamentals section is laughably brief and context-free. A waste of time.



3. This book reads more like a pamphlet than an actual book. If you're looking for anything beyond the most basic introduction, look elsewhere.



4. The other reviewer was right, very chatty tone but nothing that would prepare anyone for a forex trading experience.



5. I agree with Ed Ponsi the author of some good Forex dvd's when he said "This book is a refreshingly honest work that contains no hype or promises of easy money. Instead, Marilyn covers all of the bases in a truthful manner and gets right to the core issues that determine success or failure in the Forex market. This manual will serve as a much needed eye opener for those who have been 'blinded by the hype. I am happy with what I got out of it.

3 comments about The First Time Investor : How to Start Safe, Invest Smart, and Sleep Well.

1. An easy read yet full of useful info. The authors explained some concepts I'd heard often but never fully understood. I'm excited about applying the concepts to my personal portfolio and my 401k.



2. Although I'm a veteran investor, I enjoyed reading this well-written updated third edition by two highly qualified authors. Everyone involved in investing in the stock market, mutual funds or separately managed accounts will glean useful information from this book. Composed of 22 chapters and three appendices, this 300-page paperback covers the key basics of investing.
   
   This no-nonsense easy-to-read text explains the importance of determining your risk tolerance before you invest, understanding the difference between asset allocation and diversification so you don't make foolish mistakes, knowing how to determine your retirement income goals and capabilities, and investing for your children's education.
   
   Many investors do not have a clear idea of the riskiness of the stock market. Perhaps after the the Nasdaq Composite Index fell from 5048 in March 2000 to 1100 in October 2002, investors learned the hard way that risk really matters. That is why one of the key discussion points that the authors hammer home is the comparison of investment risk vs. reward. The authors cover the risk-to-reward spectrum with numerical examples, the meaning of the efficient frontier, beta, and the standard deviation. One chapter provides a blueprint of how to build a diversified portfolio in five easy steps.
   
   Additional chapters cover the basics of investing in active and passive mutual funds, their share classes, stocks, bonds, annuities,separate accounts and company stock options. Also provided is a 17-page glossary of investment terms.
   
   If you have never invested in the stock market or have a minimal knowledge of how to play the game, then I highly recommend that your read this book before you place your hard-earned cash in the market so that the odds are in your favor. You need at least a basic knowledge prior to investing, otherwise your may lost a large portion of your capital without realizing what happened to you, and that would be a shame.



3. I was thrilled to finally get some serious and safe " how to" information on investing. I thoroughly read and enjoyed Peter Lynch's book " One Up On Wall Street", which is the true ABC guide to investing, but never felt confident enough to put my money in any sort of investment vehicle. This book helps the reader to diversify and thus reduce risk. Simple explanations and data to back up the authors' claims makes this an excellent guide for the first time investor.
   
   A strong 5 stars!

1 comments about Tough Market New Home Sales.

1. Jeff Shore has once again hit home with relevant, useful information in this book. The quotes from industry experts from around the country add to the meat of this book - a must-read for all sales people and sales managers in the homebuilding industry.

5 comments about Covered Calls and Naked Puts: Create Your Own Stock Options Money Tree.

1. The writing style detracts form the otherwise good explanation of what options are and the recommended techniques.



2. Overall I would recommend this book if you are new to covered calls and naked puts and want to gain a basic understanding of how they work. While income can be generated selling options a good stock picking strategy is a must if you are going to be successful. With that said I wouldn't necessarily recommend the stock picking technique that is outlined in the book. I also found it extremely annoying that the author constantly plugged his software package.



3. I trade lots of stocks and options, I disagree with the authors method of selecting stocks to trade but his concept is right on the money. I have been trading for 25 years and the simple covered call, naked put strategy is the backbone of my successful trading program. I have about 20 stocks in my "stable" that I am comfortanle with and apply the books methods to those stocks (because I know the personalities of these stocks). The story line in the book is pure cheese but the concept is excellent, I recommend the book as a way to get into a stock cheaply (naked puts) or enhance your returns (covered calls).



4. This book is good for improving your speed reading skills as you scan the trite "story" for any useful nuggets. About 15% of the verbiage has anything to do with options. The rest is sophomoric prose representing the characters' acquisition of the keys to consistent 28% returns from the professor, which you too can obtain buy purchasing his simple software.
   
   The testimonials on the back suggesting the text could serve as an "academic supplement to hedging financial instruments" are especially ludicrous.



5. I have ordered twice of these books, but I have not received them yet for some reasons. Please check it for me about my order. Thanks

No comments about Managing the Small Construction Business.

5 comments about Use the News: How to Separate the Noise from the Investment Nuggets and Make Money in Any Economy.

1. I could have just as easily borrowed from PT Barnum and made the subject line: "There's a sucker born every minute."

   Anyone who's watched Maria in action on CNBC and who knows ANYTHING about making money in the markets has to realize she couldn't trade, speculate, or invest her way out of a paper bag on her own.

   The fact that a book like this could be written; the fact that a book like this could sell; and, disturbingly, that such a vacuous treatment (but then why should it be any different than her "on-air" persona?) could garner so many favorable reviews speaks volumes re the gullibility of the "investing" public.

   Oh well, I guess I should be glad--it provides yet more evidence that for all the modern technology and superficial sophistication in the financial world, the market game is likely to pretty much remain the same at the core.

   If you want to be "dumb money" follow Maria and by all means STUDY this book. If you want to make money, you could probably do better by picking any number of other investing books almost at random.




2. ...I happen to think she is a very smart and charismatic woman, in addition to being strikingly beautiful. This book is aimed at investing novices...I was left pretty much clueless about investing. I relied on him to do all that. This book was a real help in those dark times. Bravo!



3. I am from Brazil, and I never had watched her TV programs. I brought the book with curiosity, due the opposite opinions of the readers.
   As indicated on the title, it is how to separate noise from news. How many nuggets one can find reading tons of newspaper or hours watching TV, during a lifetime?
   This is a usefull book. It should be carefully studied.How to separate nuggets and noise in this book is your first task. If you are able to do this; then you will SURELY make money in any economy!



4. The book is interesting in a since that it was written by a person who has been exposed to some of the most prominent people/events. On the other hand, I believe that it has very little practical use.



5. Take this book seriously and study! At least, chapter 11 and after are excellent. Maria tells a lot of short and insightful story about many kinds of important company events. She tells a lot of easy and interesting stories that incorporate academic finding in finance. Her suggested process of information gathering and information analyses are excellent.
   
   For the ones who are too lazy to get away from their trading desk, this book may be annoying.
   
   Some students in finance class always complain "it is confusing" no matter how hard you try to make it easy to understand. Forget about those complaints in your decision making about whether to read this book or not.
   
   Some reviewers complain that Maria is not qualified to give an investment advice because she has no experience as a trader. Experience as a trader? If anyone is a real smart trader to complain about Maria's qualification, he/she has to know in the first place that this book is not written for him/her.

No comments about IT Governance based on Cobit 4.1 - A Management Guide (ITSM Library).

1 comments about Managing the Gray Areas: Essential Insights for Leading People, Projects & Organizations.

1. Jerry Manas provides an excellent set of compelling reasons to reflect on how the world is certainly much more gray than black and white and how employees are human beings needing to be treated as the most valuable part of any organization.
   
   Far too often managers (admittedly myself included at times) tend to think about how to establish rigid policies and procedures rather than considering more guiding principles. Many of the concepts Manas suggests I have tried to implement or discuss with others in the past but I have found it to be difficult. Manas gives suggestions on why people think in black and white and how one can approach situations differently.
   
   Looking at the table of contents you will see he has picked out some great gray topics; Vigilance versus Delegation, Structure versus Flexibility, Centralization versus Decentralization, etc.
   
   This is one of those books you might find yourself lending or giving to a manager/leader pleading them to read. If they pick up just a few of the concepts it will be well worth it.
   
   I also like the references and uses of other books helping to support his concepts. The book format works well too with the Concept/text, then "Key Concepts" and "Questions to Ponder" and then a place for notes. This helps to reinforce the text and makes it easy for a discussion group reading of the book or for just a quick reference in the future.