No comments about Instructional Systems Development: An Info-line Collection.

5 comments about Straight Talk on Investing: What You Need to Know.

1. FOR A BEGINNER I FOUND THIS BOOK TO HAVE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION THAT HELPED ME. THE DUMMIES BOOK ARE FAR BETTER. MOST OF IT WAS THINGS I ALREADY NEW AND WHAT I DID NOT KNOW I STILL DO NOT KNOW BECAUSE IT WAS NOT EXPLAINED IN SIMPLE ENOUGH TERMS.



2. The Vanguard Group is the world's second-biggest mutual fund company, and author Jack Brennan is its chairman and CEO. When this book was published, Vanguard had 15 million shareholders and approximately $600 billion under management. Vanguard pioneered index funds, a type of investment that aims to reflect, not beat, the returns of the market. Because Vanguard does not pay fund managers to outguess the market, it can keep fund fees and expenses low. This economy is one of its primary assets. Brennan's book, written with Marta McCave, recapitulates sound principles of long-term investing in a straightforward, user-friendly way and details numerous kinds of investments. He does not tell you how to strike it rich in the markets or discover the next Microsoft or recognize unusual patterns in price charts. Better yet, he tells you how to build wealth the unexciting but generally reliable way: slowly, carefully and dispassionately. We recommend this excellent book to those who don't want to get rich quick, but who would be very content to get rich eventually. Warning: this book is not for the greedy.



3. This book is very appropriately titled. "Straight Talk on Investing" is just that, straight talk on investing. I've read many books on investing stressing the buy-and-hold approach and this book is by far the friendliest to read. Most other books read more like text books but this author gives it to you in plain english. I highly recommend this to the beginning investor as they are not interested in academic hoopla. That said, the author is somewhat biased to mutual funds specifically index funds since he is the CEO of Vanguard, the 2nd largest fund company in the US. But objectively speaking, other books that are totally unrelated to Vanguard also stress buying Vanguard index funds since they have the lowest fees and are virtually the pioneers in index funds. Basically, buying an index fund allows you achieve market performance which, according to research, is pretty good performance - beats 2/3 to even 3/4 of other actively managed funds. Unless you know for sure that the fund you own is part of that elite 1/4 that beats the street, I'm guessing you better go with market performance. It's really hard to argue on tried-and-tested approaches such as indexing, buy-hold, or dollar-cost averaging. Even from my own experience, I realized had I just bought an index fund such as the Vanguard 500 and hold it for the last ten years, I be up 20%. But instead, I thought I could beat the market with my own stock picks and as of current I'm still down 10% from the bubble (I'm firm on buying-and-holding). I've read other books and they all say the same things with the exception of those "get-rich" trading books so there is something to be said of those techniques. Sadly, you would think more people would follow the advice, but in the world of investing, everyone is still after that quick buck or the excitement of the possibility of discovering something that will give them an edge. One thing for sure, if such a way exists, you won't be reading about it soon. I remember once when I was working for this company specializing in financial software, the tools which will allow the professional investor/trader achieve what they desire and I ask if their stuff really works. They gave me a vague answer about it being able to access the situation better - baloney sandwich anyone - and ended with something I never forget: "When we do find a way, we won't tell anyone" Makes you wonder whether that 1/4 that do beat the street found "the way". Oh well, back to reality...let me get some more shares of that index fund.



4. I have limited investing knowledge and have read a few books on financial planning and investing. This book, by far, has given me the knowledge and confidence to invest my retirement, as well as short term investment funds. The book is laid out very simply and is presented in a conscise, yet easy to read manner.
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone with money in some form of retirement account. I am purchasing an additional 5 copies this visit to give to friends and family!



5. Simple, basic, conservative advice on investing basics. His main points: spend-less-than-you-make, pay off high credit card debt, become a disciplined saver and investor, pay yourself first, invest in no-load mutual funds (preferably low cost index funds), reduce risk through buy-and-hold strategy over a long period of time, employ balance and diversification, re-balance your portfolio periodically, dollar cost average.
   
   Suffice it to say, there's very little new here. This advice has been said many times before in many different ways. However, he does say things very clearly and has nice, short chapters.
   
   Very easy for novices to learn basic principles of successful investing.
   
   The best part of this book are the graphs and tables. He uses them very effectively to show how your total returns are affected under different scenarios.
   
   This is a book, though, that concentrates on principles. You'd probably still need to sit down with an adviser and figure out exactly which funds to buy.
   
   surpises: He should have been more up-front in admitting his bias for index funds. He is, after all, running the company that brought them to the masses.
   
   Also, as another reviewer wrote, why no references in appendix to the books by John Bogle? He founded Vanguard and practically invented low MER index fund investing.

No comments about Management Level Psychometric and Assessment Tests.

No comments about Bluestocking Guide: Applying the Clipper Ship Strategy.

No comments about Kiplinger's Build a Winning Portfolio: Investment Strategies for Reaching Your Financial Goals.

2 comments about Karaoke Capitalism: Management For Mankind ("Financial Times") ("Financial Times") ("Financial Times") ("Financial Times" Series).

1. I love the writers' different "accent" in the writings, and if you are bored with the many similarity among American Gurus' writing, try this one.
   
   Funky Business is thier first book and i love the book very much. This long awaited sequel has been in Asia ( i bought in spore twice) for sometime and i strangely could not find it in Amazon (untill i check today).... and why it is listed for 50USD is beyond me. (Should be about 15 USD for the soft cover).
   
   The book has nothing to do with Karaoke (singing to the tune of music which is popular in Asia), and this is about business, the rise of the individual, and a host of other things.
   
   I am biased, I love Tom Peters, Seth Godin, and both writers of this book.



2. Again, a wonderful written business book from those two super authors. While the book title might be a bit misleading, it's all about INDIVIDUALITY. It's about experiencing and expressing our individuality in life (mostly through the context of business). Business if floaded with copy-cats. This book is a manifesto against copy-cat business (or karaoke capitalism).
   
   Understanding this is like understanding outsourcing. Executives used to believe that 2+2=5. Now it is 5-2=7 because the more non-core activities you place outside the firm the higher the value you can generate. Funky :-)

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5 comments about Venture Capital Investing: The Complete Handbook for Investing in Small Private Businesses for Outstanding Profits.

1. This book is good for beginners who want to know more about the VC process, but it needs to be updated for modern practices. It also needs to be edited for gramatical errors, which I found unacceptable given the price of the book.

   If you are truly interested in private equity either as a student, angle investor, or professional, then I recommend a book by Josh Lerner: "Venture Capital & Private Equity - a Casebook". It is very thorough and modern.




2. I need a book in spanish, the autor is david Gladstone.



3. This book is not geared toward modern, big-ticket, ultra-risky venture capitalists. You won't find any eBay case studies here, nor any advice on how to finance such.

   Instead, the author's focus has a small-time, mezzanine debt flavor. Think lower-risk, low to mid-tech deals; smallish companies, such as printers, with existing business models and revenue streams, in search of expansion capital.

   The proposed structures are safe (secured, convertible debt) and the bulk of the book consists of due diligence checklists.

   The writer's conservatism is both the virtue and the limit of this book. Depending on your needs and beliefs, you'll find it either reassuring and methodical, or stodgy and old-fashioned.




4. After reading some previous previews, I thought it would be appropiate to respond. One reader stated that the material in the book was updated with old school material and a lot of check off list and did not focus on the big ticket deals. Well, no one book will contain every little detail of the business in all reality as some may desire. This books provides a great foundation or a starting point for the industry of venture capitalism. Anyone that masters with basic material will have no problem using common sense to build upon this knowledge with current issues of today. Besides, the author enclosed contact information for getting more information about venture capital training or information within the book. Let me close with this, if you are serious about learning about the venture capital industry then this is a SUPERIOR book to begin with. And if you become an astute student of venture capital industry then obviously this book will only be the beginning stage of your venture capital education. And also this book is great for entrepreneurs!(Understand those whom you plan to deal with$$$)...



5. Much updated from previous editions, David Gladstone's useful text provides a very cursory survey of deal and investment techniques, albeit for slightly later than "sexy" stage deals. However, as this book is designed for the novice, and as Lipper's text has fallen out of print, this sadly remains the only general text on VC investing for the inexperienced, and is useful in context of the level which it is designed to educate. While the many checklists may be somewhat annoying to seasoned VCs, they are probably indispensable to the novice investor, since they provide a summary framework when working through deal and business terms. And while the book is designed more for later stage (through certainly not LATE stage, as some have alluded to) deals, the book is, again, designed to educate the novice venture investor, who really shouldn't be doing high tech start-ups anyway. Irrespective of that, anyone who presumes to write a text on investing in high tech start ups would likely find his text applicable only for the next few months after printing. Ours is an industry that evolves very quickly, and changes rapidly in accordance to the latest trends. No one can teach you how to pick the winners in the trend that hasn't happened yet. Getting the basics from a text like Gladstone's, however, can give you the fundamentals on which to build that "knack".

5 comments about Bear Market Investing Strategies (Wiley Trading).

1. If you had acted on the advice in this book 3 years ago you would be rich, but don't let that stop you from reading it now. By most historical models the stock market remains wildly overvalued and the information in this book retains its validity today. This book is a joy to read and offers balance to the talking heads at CNBC and the other mainstream media outlets that could never call a top to the market, but issue new prognostications about a bottom every week. The information on short selling alone is worth the price of the book.



2. I just finished ready this book for the second time. I had ordered it prior to release on the basis of Harry Schultz's reputation, alone. This book is worth ten times it's cost. If you are committed to wealth creation, if you are willing to do the work and are open to other's opinions, then read this book. Harry does not preach the merits of technical analysis; he presents the history of market action, correlates it to technical indicators and lets the reader accept or disregard the evidence. He also challenges the "Ameri-central" view of geopolitical and geoeconomic events and activity, and further challenges the reader to seek the most accurate information on which to base decisions. Lastly, he's a fluid and entertaining writer. The book is filled with relevant quotations from Dow, Churchill and Emerson.



3. The book was very straight forward and very interesting,. I have found alot of the information was true.



4. If you're looking for specific methods for trading or investing you'll be disappointed. Most of his advice reads like a collection of conventional investing wisdom, with his own bent. It's almost like a theory of investing and he doesn't give specific techniques or examples. More "Look to do this or that". Much of it is vague. Lists over 20 indicators to look at, suggestions on what to look for, but there are no examples or charts. It reads like a general overview of his investing philisophy or a primer. You won't come away with any new techniques. The main theme is don't buy and hold, there are times to go short and look at the big picture.

   He does touch on cycle theory and Elliot wave briefly. He list many sentiment and breadth indicators to look at or calculate. Some can be gotten through data services, others you have to calculate by hand from data from sources like Barrons. I was expecting a lot more from someone with his reputation. There was no solid material here.




5. Save your money for something more useful. There is nothing in this book that makes it worth the price. A far better book on bear market investing is "Riding the Bear" by Sy Harding. And for concepts about timing the market and investing both long and short, see Les Masonson's "All About Market Timing" and Deborah Wair's "Timing the Market."

No comments about The battle for stock market profits: (not the way it's taught at Harvard Business School).