5 comments about Trading With The Odds: Using the Power of Statistics to Profit in the futures Market.

1. It is amazing how we humans all have our own agendas. Someone founf this book 'useless', some found it exciting...that's all fair...I found it revolutionary (read the post before this one). One fellow bloats his ego and describes how he is a great technician. I'd like to see how his finances compare to Cynthia Kase; as a trader. The proof is in the pudding....
   
   This is a revolutionary book and there are very few out there!
   
   (however, I noticed esignal's add for Kase Statware states 95% successful is predicting market turns...rubbish!)
   
   Still that's a differnet subject, isn't it!



2. Book was quite expensive. $55 for 143 pages. I found some of the graph illustrations difficult to follow since the printing was so bad. Requires many readings to get the full jist of what the author is saying. Overall, I found the book and concepts interesting.



3. Below is a review of this book by a "Ron Davis" who styles himself as "a proud member of the Market Technicians Association." Bzzzt! I am the only current or past Ron Davis in the Market Technicians Association. Interestingly enough, I also have a successful real estate practice. Quite the coincidence -- makes one wonder.
   
   The "RD" below finds the book to be without substance. Perhaps what one sees depends, in part, on what one brings to the book. I quite agree with the reviewers who say this is not a book for beginners. I had a couple of "aha" moments reading the book, one about Kase DevStops (I'd better have yet another look at those) and one about one of my own proprietary indicators. A few minutes of programming and, by golly, I was able to derive a bit more useful information from my own gadget.
   
   What's this book good for? (1)A trading methodology or (2)ideas about ideas. I'll not broach (1) -- the book does that. I have already mentioned two things that jumped out at me. I also want to take a look at her variation on Elliot Wave counting and targeting. And, on a second read, I may find other things I'd like to fiddle with a bit.
   
   Criticisms: My criticisms fall into two categories (1)purist mathematics nit-picking (I am a mathematician by training) and (2) my laziness/the book's lack of complete exposition. The mathematical nitpicking is not relevant except to a mathematician: for instance, the number of random distributions which are not Gaussian/Normal are at least an order of infinity larger than the number of Gaussian distributions. Should the person who is reading to learn of trading care? I wouldn't think so. My Laziness/the book's incomplete exposition: What? I really have to turn on my brain and think through how to implement the ideas? No cookbook approach here? Of course, if one were being rational, not lazy, one could point out the advantage to having to think: one might actually learn what it is one is doing. And, one might even think up a new idea, heaven forfend.
   
   In conclusion, not only do I resent the attempted identity theft by the person below, but I especially resent being represented as such an empty-headed fool that I cannot see the considerable value in this book.
   
   The REAL Ron Davis, CMT, MAI, MA



4. I sensed that she has tremendous amount of trading experience. Simply put, she knows what she is talking about. Along with, not in particular order, Constance Brown, Linda Bradford Raschke, and Robin Mesch, Cynthia Kase once again proves that lady traders are as good as,if not better than, gentlemen traders. Job well done, Ms. Kase.
   
   Keith J. Chung



5. The book might contain many good ideas. But there is no way to verify these ideas with back testing without the formulas of the Kase specific indicators. Kase lists the calculation of the traditional stochastic indicator, which is implemented in almost every charting package. But she doesn't say how the kase peak oscillator is calculated!!
   2 stars for the good ideas including the Elliott forcasting rules

5 comments about Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World's Most Dynamic Companies.

1. Companies like Google and eBay have business models that are touted as "revolutionary". But the same concepts allowed businesses like Diners Club and Sotheby's to change the business landscape many years ago. That "something" is explored in Catalyst Code: The Strategies Behind the World's Most Dynamic Companies by David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee. Once I had the concept of a two-sided business explained to me, a lot of things started to click...
   
   Contents:
   What Is a Catalyst; Build a Catalyst Strategy; Identify the Catalyst Community; Establish a Pricing Structure; Focus on Profitability; Compete Strategically with Other Catalysts; Experiment and Evolve; Cracking the Catalyst Code; Additional Readings; Notes; Index; About the Authors
   
   The catalyst spoken of in the book involves bringing together two groups of people who have complementary needs but no way to meet those needs without a common ground. For instance, Diners Club allowed customers to dine out now and pay later. Restaurants who took Diners Club knew they would attract cardholders and have a guarantee of payment. The trick was that Diners Club had to convince cardholders that there were enough outlets in which to use the card, while convincing outlets that there were enough customers to make it worth their time. The companies that can create and grow these catalysts stand to capture a large market following. A more modern example is eBay. They were the most successful at providing an electronic marketplace bringing together buyers and sellers without the confines of geography or quantity of product. By making the service free for buyers, eBay was able to attract potential customers for sellers. Sellers are willing to pay the transaction fees in order to get access to that buyer group. Evans and Schmalensee do an excellent job in examining this type of business model, and they open your eyes to a different way of looking at companies.
   
   Once you understand the concept of two-sided businesses, it's tempting to start labeling *all* businesses as two-sided. For instance, stores are bringing together producers and customers. But there are market forces that come into play, and the authors do help you differentiate between traditional one-sided businesses and actual two-sided models. I also had a bit of trouble at first accepting software companies as two-sided businesses. But after some thought, I can see how a company like Microsoft would be a two-sided business with their Windows operating system. The platform provides a way for developers to build software that conforms to a agreed-upon standard, and for customers to buy software that will run on their computers. It also explains how a newer two-sided model (Linux) can threaten Microsoft and render their current advantage obsolete.
   
   I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone studying how businesses work. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking to replicate the success of stories like MySpace. You'll be able to avoid some common errors and increase your chances of succeeding.



2. Catalyst Code provides a way of thinking for businesses that are double/multisided in nature. This book gives a framework for building, analyzing, understanding, governing and managing multisided businesses (i.e., businesses with two or more groups that need each other). Case studies from different industries are provided (e.g., eBay, Google, Credit cards, shopping malls, dating services, magazines, Craigslist, etc.), with each case shedding light on the various components of the framework.
   
   Catalyst Code describes the hard work and constant calibration required to build and grow a catalyst. Entrepreneurs, executives, managers and investors can benefit from the insights this book brings into the forces and dynamics that shape successful catalysts.
   
   I find the book particularly interesting for those of us who are in the process of building catalysts. It is readily applicable to the day-to-day challenges we face. The ability to capture such a complex topic in a simple, easy to read and easy to understand framework is invaluable.
   
   Catalyst Code is an excellent reference for multi-sided, complex and volume based businesses.
   
   Marwan Forzley



3. This book describes what it calls 'two-sided businesses', which to quote from the front jacket '... generate value by creating simultaneous and mutually beneficial relationships between the different groups of customers they serve'. The book opens with the example of Diners Club which creates value for the following two groups of customers:
   
   1. Restaurants
   2. Diners.
   
   In this case, Diners Club allows diners to eat at many restaurants on credit without having to establish a credit relationship with each individual restaurant (assuming the restaurants are willing to offer them credit). The diners benefit from the credit they receive, and the restaurants benefit by getting more diners who spend more and by avoiding the hassle and expense of managing credit relationships with individual diners.
   
   The book is easy to read (no jargon) and provides numerous and familiar examples. It may not astonish you with any earth-shattering insights (that's why I didn't give it five stars), but it will make you look at 'two-sided businesses' in a new way.
   
   This book is a must-have if you are involved with or competing against 'two-sided businesses', and will probably be useful to anyone involved with business generally.



4. For the many who read Evans and Schmalensee's previous collaboration, Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries, Catalyst Code offers both some expected elements and some new angles. Like in Invisible Engines, Evans and Schmalensee continue to treat themes relating "multi-sided" or "platform" businesses. Multi-sided or platform companies -- relabeled "catalyst" companies in this book -- are those that build businesses based on complex intersections of interests among various constituencies of third parties (partners, suppliers, customers). However, in Catalyst Code, while Evans and Schmalensee continue to describe some platform companies that involve the selling of software, the main focus of the book expands beyond software platforms to the broader application of disruptive multi-sided business models in various market contexts.
   
   Even though I really enjoyed the dedicated focus on software platforms in Invisible Engines, I think that Catalyst Code benefits from the shift in emphasis to the broader thinking involved in crafting, implementing and extending "catalyst" business strategies. In some ways, Catalyst Code is less descriptive and more prescriptive in tone than Invisible Engines; I think that it is also a more immediately practical work for those who might want to consider applying some "catalyst" strategies in their own businesses.
   
   Still, in a strange way, I must say that Catalyst Code was, at least for me, a less satisfying book than Invisible Engines. And I think that this is a good thing. At the conclusion of Invisible Engines, I think that one is apt to get the feeling, "well said: case closed." It's a book with a carefully laid-out thesis and ample examples of software platform companies that fit the model hypothesis. Indeed, Invisible Engines feels like a comprehensive survey of a common, though perhaps not previously well-highlighted, business phenomenon within the software industry.
   
   On the other hand, Catalyst Code left me strangely discomfited and full of the kind of questions that one wants to have after reading a good book on corporate strategy. Questions like: which present generation Internet-oriented companies are really better catalyst companies (i.e., Microsoft vs Google), and which might be in the future (MySpace vs Facebook, Yahoo vs Wikipedia, eBay vs a re-invigorated Apple)? And beyond these questions, one can't help but ponder others about how trust (brand), style (marketing), and the right choice of community participants (who is included or excluded) might ultimately impact the business success, reputation, or longevity of various catalyst players. Provocative stuff.
   
   In an age when Microsoft is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase a miniscule stake in Facebook, I think Catalyst Code serves as a great gloss to the nightly business news. Perhaps it is that immediate relevance that makes the book so thought provocative. I found it a fun read for a serious business book.
   
   On a final note, Catalyst Code is a deceptively quick read (at least much quicker than Invisible Engines). I'm probably not the world's fastest reader, and I still managed to finish Catalyst Code over three or four good nights of reading. The prose is very crisp, something too often lacking in many other business books these days.



5. Everyone's keen to know the secrets of successful, fast-growing companies. In response, David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee look at new ways to bring buyers and sellers together. Companies that act as catalysts combine opportunism, customer service and savvy pricing to create a profitable, flexible business model by assembling audiences, cutting costs or connecting other companies. The authors offer plenty of concrete examples of these strategic combinations - from Diners Club and American Express to Microsoft and Google. Perhaps the one weak point in their theory is that the borders between catalysts and noncatalysts are a bit fuzzy. (A supermarket isn't a catalyst, but a mall is.) We recommend this interesting, strategic analysis to managers seeking a thought-provoking look at how to create new, enticing and profitable links.

No comments about Venture Forth! The Essential Guide to Starting a Moneymaking Business in Your Nonprofit Organization.

5 comments about The Executive Coach In The Corporate Forest.

1. Gladis has done it again! Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during someone else's executive coaching sessions? In spite of the fact that coaching has become a $1.5 billion industry and growing, it still remains a mystery for leaders who haven't experienced it personally. You've heard about coaching, but don't really know what it looks like, what to expect, or what it might do for you. Now, there's a window into that mystery. Steve Gladis, PhD., has published a quick read that helps leaders better see and understand how coaching works. The Executive Coach in the Corporate Forest is the story of a fictional executive coach named J. C. Williams, and his varied business clients--all with their own professional issues. Delightful characters with some realistic challenges hire the executive coach, and we get to watch their successes unfold. Styled in the fable format, like the popular Patrick Lencioni books, The Executive Coach in the Corporate Forest has that special blend of easy and engaging storylines balanced with methodology and process information about how executive coaching contributes both to the leaders' careers and the organization's bottom line. It's a great airplane read for any busy executive who wants to know more about coaching, whether for your own career, or to improve overall results for your organization.
   --- Suzi Pomerantz, MT., MCC., author of Seal the Deal Seal the Deal: The Essential Mindsets for Growing Your Professional Services Business and Master Executive Coach ([...]).



2. Gladis takes the reader inside the mind of the coach and the
   coached and makes him feel like a witness to a host of
   human foibles. His parallel stories are laced with real people who, while
   successful in many ways, hit a rough patch in their lives and are compelled
   to face up to some deep seated issues that are holding them back.
   In his gentle, humorous but unyielding view that people must embrace the
   light and the shadow within themselves, Gladis makes it clear that there are those who can lead
   us back to our highest purposes when we have lost our way.



3. A must read for those unfamiliar with or unsure of the value of executive coaching. Dr. Gladis's use of scenario-based examples demonstrates the entire coaching process in a poignant, simple manner, from the pre-coaching interview to the final evaluation and review. The examples enable readers to understand exactly how an experienced executive coach helps a qualified client find his/her own path to the next level, both personally and professionally. If someone has found that he/she has stalled in their professional advancement, it is very likely that an executive coach could be the answer. An extremely quick read and well worth the investment.



4. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in becoming a great leader! The narratives in this book strike a very familiar note and are most revealing of the complex relational struggles that confront leaders. Gladis does an excellent job illustrating the best communication strategies for meeting and overcoming these challenges. Steve Gladis becomes your leadership coach in this book, helping you successfully inspire, coordinate, and influence the people you work with. I really enjoyed reeading this book and I have already incorporated a lot of what I learned from the book in my personal and professional endeavors. I think you will find this book to be extremely valuable too!
   
   Gary L. Kreps, Ph.D.
   Eileen and Steve Mandell Professor of Health Communication
   Chair, Department of Communication
   Director, Center for Health and Risk Communication
   George Mason University



5. I coach a lot of executives and political appointees in the Federal government and often find new clients don't understand what is executive coaching and what kind of impacts it can have on them and their organizations. Steve's book helps speed up the process in a succinct, easy to read way that is not time consuming. I find that giving my clients this book up front helps us move quicker and go deeper to achieve the results they want to achieve. I recommend this book to all practicing coaches as a useful tool to speed client engagement.

No comments about Managing Marketing in the 21st Century.

5 comments about Why the Real Estate Boom Will Not Bust - And How You Can Profit from It: How to Build Wealth in Today's Expanding Real Estate Market.

1. David Lereah was the chief economist with the National Association of Realtors during the housing bubble. Additionally, he was often on TV and Radio, as he was the most oft-cited expert on real-estate markets.
   
   This man's speeches and philosophy were echoed across the land, and were believed by many (though not all, to be sure!). The book captures the idiocy that is his economy analysis of housing.
   
   If you read this book looking for good advice, you're in for a disappointing and dangerously misinformed afternoon. If you read it to see what a bubble looks like when it's growing (and near it's peak), then it's possible you can get something out of it.
   
   That said, I can save you time: If somebody is claiming that fundamentals don't matter, they're wrong.



2. Lereah is a master of comedy. Often while reading Mr. Lereah's tome i became overcome with laughter, sometimes experiencing convulsions. The convulsions were so severe that i would need to rest for shortness of breath. Thanks for your service Mr. Lereah, you've made a significant contribution. This books identifies you as one of the few who were ahead of the curve on the mortgage and credit issues we now confront. Also, I miss your hilarious monthly commentary on new & existing home sales--somehow you were always able to find a silver lining. Proud of you!



3. Let's see, the boom busted, what? Last year, and it's still sliding downhill.
   
   Here is a recent quote from Lereah himself from a May 6, 2008 Newsweek article about the housing market:
   
   "We're not at the bottom," he says. "[People] want it to be near the bottom, but we're not there yet. The leading indicators are still very bad. Pending home sales are still in bad shape. Mortgage applications are low ... There's still supply out there in abundance ... This thing is going to get worse before it gets better."
   
   And...
   
   "We're probably going to end up with a 20 percent [decline], but if I'm wrong it will be even more than that."
   
   Well, since the title of his book is clearly shown WRONG by current events, it would be advisable to skip this boatload of malarkey.



4. I found this title by accident, and the irony was too great to pass up. We are signing the closing documents tomorrow on a house here in Sonoma County, CA that is down 36% from when it last sold in November 2006. The house is a foreclosure, owned by IndyMac Bank, stock price $0.06 per share at this writing.
   
   Added hilarity comes from the two testimonials, one gushing from a former govenor of the federal reserve, the other equally non-reasoned from the Chief Economist of Fannie Mae. Oops, they just got taken into receivership by the Treasury Department!
   
   Unfortunately real people were harmed by this advice. Buyer beware, of course, but you would think folks in positions of authority would have a little more temperance. But then you would have thought wrong. Maybe that's why I have so little respect for authority ...



5. With all the naysayers, it is refreshing to read something that goes past the doom and gloom predictions of the media and gets to the real substance of why real estate is the greatest investment of a lifetime. With all the recent trouble in the stock market, this makes an excellent case for why money should be placed into real estate (which will likely continue to increase in value) instead of stocks and bonds which have been decreasing in value.

2 comments about The 100 Best Dividend-paying Stocks To Own In America (100 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks to Own in America).

1. This is probabaly just a pubishing problem, but most of the research in this book (dated 2005) goes back to 2003 and 2004. All well and good, theory wise, but for a book that claims current stock picks...



2. Dividend paying stocks are generally large,well established companies that can't find anything better to do with their profits than pay them back to the shareholders.
   
   Research a couple of years old is still valuable, just do your own homework.
   
   This is not a list of growth stocks.

5 comments about The Power of Nice.

1. During my training as a physician, contract negotiations discussions were not part of the curriculum. Such discussions with our staff were, in fact, discouraged, since our only focus should be to learn medicine and take care of patients. Unfortunately, the art and science of negotiations does have a substantial impact in the ability of a professional to maximize benefit in his/her carreer.
   
   This book was my first introduction to this subject. It was easy and fun to read.
   
   During my job search as an anesthesiologist, this book armed me with the tools I needed to confidently negotiate the right position and compensation package.



2. First of alll, this isn't the usual kind of book I read. I have not read any of the other "self help" authors, but did pick up on a lot of use from the magazines I read. And there are parts that reminded me of Richard Simmons or Oprah. But it didn't bother me so much to get in a little "niceness". It was refreshing to read about how "nice" can work instead of "mean". I have certainly not know anyone to focus on such before. I picked this up since a friend mentioned how much this book helped them be a better person in their professional life. After reading it I think there's a lot to be said about the power of nice. Nice guys can win... ...and you can be a nice guy and be a winner too.



3. Becoming a better negotiator is in everyone's best interest so when one of my students recommended Power of Nice, I was pretty excited about ordering it from Amazon and put it in the queue to read. I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Shapiro has been there, done that in some of the biggest and toughest negotiations in the sports world. If you are a baseball fan, it will bring back memories. And I learned more from the stories than anything else.
   
   I have read this book twice, the first time it didn't quite click and I have a theory why. The book's content is pretty good, but the layout is terrible. I just finished reading a book by Addison Wesley press that had at least 4 times the number of facts per page and power of nice and as always the information was laid out professionally; it helps me to absorb the material. There is another thing that is off putting is how the author keeps saying if you follow the principles in this book you'll get better results and more of what you want and similar. Hey, I already bought the book, quite selling. It reminded me of Richard with his Refuse to Lose's 9 principles in Little Miss Sunshine.
   
   Another small problem and then I will start praising the book again. They use a lot of initials, for instance, the three Ps. Everyone who has ever read a business book knows the three Ps are product, price and positioning, but not here. The three Ps in power of nice are prepare, probe and propose.
   
   However, I just came out of a fairly intense negotiation, I had read the entire book once and spent the days before the negotiation preparing. I let the other side propose first, I probed and I proposed. It all worked. So the book was certainly worth the $20.00 I paid for it and much, much more. And I did get better results and more of what I wanted so Shapiro has every write to claim that. I have not read a better book on negotiation, pick it up and deal with the layout already.



4. I would imagine that since each of us has different personalities and different likes and dislikes that some would be more inclined toward this book than others. Some like Antigues and some modern furniture. Some love good carb snacks and others a great chocolate bar. Our taste vary, but this book is most probably for everyone.
   
   Becuase while we may differ on what color car we want, or or what type of work we do, we all want to win our negotiations, we all want respect first and we all want appreciation. This book teaches the skill of negotiating in a fair way. Fair like it or not means taking a look at the others prespective as much as we hate to do this. (when you are at a ballgame and the umpire makes a call against the home team 50,000 are booing. Can it be that all of the people on the field saw it one way and the home team and home fans another?
   
   Its human nature to want to be right. And human nature to want to be treated fairly. This is a great read. And will produce better results in your negotiations, withhout burning a bridge, becuase that is not a wise way to live.



5. I recently enjoyed BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE
   by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski so much that I had
   to seek out their first book: THE POWER OF NICE . . . and if I had to do it all over again, I'd
   probably reverse the order of my reading and read this latter book first.
   
   It gives the background for much of what is taught by the two
   authors; i.e., that you should seek to make sure that everybody
   wins in negotiations--but you win bigger . . . to do so, you need
   to understand the "three Ps," which are described as "preparing better
   than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why;
   and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much."
   
   If you're a sports fan, you'll like the many examples involving
   such superstars as Eddie Murray, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken,
   and Brooks Robinson . . . however, others will be able to relate
   to discussions involving President Carter, home purchases
   and salary negotiations.
   
   I learned much from this book, including:
   * A good negotiation is about dividing the pie so that both sides get a
   satisfactory piece. A better negotiation is one that finds a way to grow
   the pie (increase revenues, add market share, strengthen resources)
   so both sides get a bigger piece. But baseball was playing out the worst
   scenario possible. What had been a 2.5 billion dollar pie was actually
   shrinking. It had taken decades for it to reach that size and, in a matter
   of weeks, it was losing revenue by the millions.
   
   * When people are under pressure, they revert to habits. In order to create
   new habits, you need a simple, systematic approach that you can practice
   and master. I learned that lesson through skydiving, and I learned it again
   and again in negotiation. We do not teach people the 45 best opening
   lines or the 75 greatest closing tactics. If you learn it-that is, practice
   and master what we preach-when the pressure hits, you'll revert to your
   new, learned habit and you'll be a more effective negotiator.
   
   * And this particularly valuable tidbit that I have to put into practice more:
   Shh! (That's another secret to negotiation.) People like to talk. Resist
   the urge. The other side is human, so they want to talk, too. Encourage
   them. Then listen. They're trying to tell you how to make the deal.
   Did you ever notice how often the party opposite you thinks what he or she
   has to say is more important than what you have to say? That's okay.
   Give them a chance and they'll tell you everything you need to know:
   What they hope for, what they can move and where they can't. They may
   tell you directly or subtly. Ask questions. Listen more. Every moment
   you're not talking is an opportunity to learn what it takes to make the
   deal. The best negotiators aren't smooth talkers; they're smooth
   listeners.
   
   The less you say, the more others will remember. It's simple math.
   Say a lot and they're bombarded and overwhelmed. Say a little
   and they can retain every word. And, or course, the less you say,
   the more you can focus on what they say.
   
   THE POWER OF NICE also presented quotes in each chapter
   that pertained to the subject of negotiations, including this
   one from Thomas Jefferson that has very quickly become one
   of my favorites:
   
   When I'm angry, I count to ten before I speak. When I'm very angry,
   I count to one hundred.
   
   That said, I won't even bother doing any counting before recommending
   this very informative book to my fellow members of the Negotiations Team
   at the college where I teach . . . they'll greatly benefit from it, as will
   anybody else seeking insight into what makes others tick when
   they want something.

1 comments about Revenue Recognition Guide 2008.

1. When I ordered this book, I was afraid that I would get something that basically repeated the literature already available from the SEC and FASB. While the concepts in the book are based on authorititive GAAP literature which is already available to me, I find the book useful in applying the guidance to specific situations which I face on a daily basis.

No comments about The Executive Guide to Understanding and Implementing Lean Six (The Asq Quality Management Division Economics of Quality Book Series).