5 comments about Confessions of a Street Addict.

1. If you ever wondered how Jim Cramer became who he is today, this book gives you the low down. Very humerous and eay to read and follow. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know Jim Cramer better.



2. Bought this for my husband as a Christmas present. He loves watching
   this guy every evening on TV. He couldn't put it down. Great book.



3. Takes you right into the heart and guts of this crazy business.Makes you feel you are in the room with him.A wild and crazy ride. Re-read it immediately after completing the first read.



4. I bought this book because I saw a recommendation somewhere together with One Up on Wall Street. I had my doubts when I saw the cover (close up of the author's face) and unfortunately when I began reading my fears became true. It is one big ad of Jim Cramer. I strongly recommend against buying it however One Up on Wall Street is highly recommended.



5. James Cramer wrote a great autobiography. I love the show and wanted to learn more about the host. After hearing about this book, I bought it and read it without stopping. Cramer begins with his childhood and describes all the seasons of his life. His time in college, LA and at Goldman Sachs. I enjoyed reading about someone who never quits. There were many times in his life when he could have given up, but he never did. He also shows the importance of having someone in your life who always believes in you no matter what. To me, this novel shows the hard work and grit that are required to become great: whether you are lucky or not.

5 comments about How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method.

1. When there are hundreds of book on "How to get a consulting job at a Top firm", why another one? That is precisely the point. One can get easily lost in the hundreds of books and references. What one wants is a quick, easy to read and yet comprehensive guide. Tim Darling's book, filled with lots and lots of nuggets does the job.
   
   Getting a consulting job is not just about acing the case interview. The enormous amount of preparation that goes into the process prior to the interview (resumes, networking and mixers, office hours, the behavioral interview stories etc), make the difference. This book does an excellent job going into just enough and relevant detail about the entire process.
   
   Let me share a few reasons as to why I recommend this this book to a 1st year MBA student.
   
   You enter a top B-school. Everything is so different. People always ask, so what is your bottom line contribution? Can you quantify and can you make it appealing to the CEO? You have great stories, but you are in need examples of how to succinctly structure our thoughts and make it appealing as well. The book is full of how-tos.
   
   I also found the book particularly helpful with case interview preparation. I am sure, during your preparation, you were inundated with hundreds of frameworks. However, you might often wonder, is there a big picture that ties everything together?
   
   Tim does just this in his simplistic framework covering 80% of the real life cases interview questions. You will be surprised as to how the thousands of cases you may see/do fit nicely into the structure that Tim uses. After conceptualizing the framework, regardless of the type of case you are given (market entry, M&A, P&L, Growth Strategies), you will be armed with a comprehensive starting point.
   
   So what should you do about the rest of the 20% of the time when curve balls are thrown at you? Tim provides excellent tricks to help guide your thinking so you arrive at that answer which awes the interviewer.
   
   The book has several other nuggets that pretty much guide you through the entire process from soup to nuts.
   
   Finally, the consulting club of Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University was looking to develop a handbook that pretty much hand holds a member from start to when he/she lands into a consulting job. Tim's book covers bulk of what we were looking to incorporate into the handbook.



2. I don't usually write Amazon reviews, but in researching for case interview preparation books, I found the reviews so helpful that I felt compelled to contribute. If you are searching for a case interview prep book, look no further: it doesn't get any better than this one. Like the other reviews said, this book tosses all the standard case interview complexities out the window and made me see the simplicity behind them. It's Clear, calm, confident, (like I will be in my interviews).
   
   I would rename the title, though: case interviews are used in many job interviews, not just consulting.
   
   The book has a few resume tips, info about mixers/office hours/pre-interviews, and some good suggestions for the behavioral interviews.
   
   A must-read and a quick read. But spend your time practicing cases, not reading about them! You can't just read through cases and do well; you have to get together with a friend a do them as if it was a real interview. So this book is a good starting point, but it won't replace doing the actual practicing.



3. I received an advance copy of this book for review; hopefully it will be in stock on Amazon soon.
   
   Simply, I'm glad to see a resource out there that will help us put and end to the canned frameworks everyone seems to be applying to consulting interviews (and even consulting engagements?).
   
   Tim's book is about problem-solving and getting to the business economics of an issue quickly. Thanks for taking this on!



4. This book dispenses with the variety of frameworks that other books offer and instead focuses on a single overarching framework built to handle a majority of case interviews. I personally preferred this approach as it provides a single logical and coherent framework that handled both strategic and tactical questions well. Of course, the best advice is only beneficial if put into practice. Practicing case interviews with others will help internalize the method in this book. There are some cases provided in the book but practicing with a larger variety of cases will show how effective the framework can be.



5. The obvious comparison to this book is Marc Cosentino's Case In Point, which has been a best-seller in case interview preparation for many years. So perhaps the most obvious place to start a review is to say how this book differs from that.
   
   The focus of Darling's book is on problem solving and how to get your hands dirty with a problem for 15 minutes, then to come up again for air and communicate a coherent, polished recommendation based on it. The problem-solving tips he suggest are simplified - but still surprisingly effective - variations of the problem-solving techniques used by strategic management consultants. Key topics include defining the problem/objective, building a MECE tree to disaggregate the key drivers of the problem, and understanding how to analyze that tree to solve the problem.
   
   Most interesting to me (as someone with an MBA and 2 previous years' experience in a strategic consulting firm) was his explanation of how to use the various industry standard frameworks (such as the 3 C's, Porter's 5 Forces, the Value Chain, the 4 P's ...). In my previous experience, as with Cosentino's book, these frameworks were just thrown into a general toolkit with little guidance offered on how to use them. Do you know how and when to use the 3 C's or 5 Forces while solving a generic business problem? Darling offers his thoughts and they are very lucid and insightful. I don't know that they are the "right" or only answers, but his vision is well worth reading and considering for anyone in business - not just consultants, and certainly not just consultant firm candidates.
   
   This brings me to the contrast with Cosentino's book. Cosentino offers more tools for your toolkit; Darling offers fewer tools with more detailed explanations. Cosentino falls on the side of learning the "answers" to a set of problems ahead of time and demonstrating your poise and polish in presenting them; Darling falls on the side of learning a general problem-solving technique and showing you can be a force in the team room with polish and poise saved for the end of the interview.
   
   Which book or approach is better? Again, I don't know -- but as a pair, they make an interesting enough contrast that any serious candidate should most certainly read both.

5 comments about Commercial Real Estate Investing For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)).

1. I really enjoyed reading it! And I'm ready to Invest in Commercial Real Estate!
   For someone who has little knowledge and wants to invest, this is the book!
   This book will guide you step by step with some tips, warnings, ... and even some scripts



2. I thought this book was well written. Certainly better than most of the real estate investing books out there.
   
   However, . . . they mention their website a few times in the book and claim to have additional materials and information available on the website that wouldn't fit in the book. When you go the website, you must put in your contact information to access these additional materials. Fair enough.
   
   Later, you will be contacted by a "mentor," offering you the chance to join their coaching program for the bargain basement price of $9800! That's right! $9800.
   
   Plus, as a special promotion, they will only take 50% of the first $100,000 you make in your real estate investing career. (Not sure what they do if you don't make any money.)
   
   I was really disppointed. I thought I had finally come across a well-written book that wasn't just a come-on to get you to join a ridiculously expensive "training progran." I was wrong.
   
   Oh, one more thing. The authors let you know that they are good Christians who give thanks to the Lord. I guess they are extremely thankful that a sucker is born every minute.



3. I love commercial real estate so I have read a lot of books. Most of them are dry and hard to read. This one spoon feeds you all the way to the end.
   I recommend this book for anyone interested in investing in the wonderful world of commercial real estate. It is also a great reference book for experienced investors. It is on my shelf! Peter Conti and Peter Harris have written a great book...Good job guys! Rob from www.WealthLifelines.com



4. As a seasoned commercial real estate investor, let me say this is a horrendous book. Much of what they say is just plain wrong. THE REST IS FLUFF AND HYPE. It may sound good on paper but much of their advice will simply not work in the real world.
   
   I bought this for my son to "get his feet wet" and decided to peruse it prior to giving it to him. Thank God I did! It is now in the trash can.
   
   Additionally, much of it is just a sales plug for their other products. After reading it I doubt they are commercial real estate professionals but rather self proclaimed gurus. Those of us "in the know" see right through this book. SKIP THIS BOOK! IF I COULD RATE IT LOWER THAN A 1 I WOULD!



5. An excellent book covering all aspects of commercial real estate. Dominantly multi-family residential. Many enhanced checklists to follow, real life examples, and internet links for more info. I look forward to following Peter's techniques to one day be able to close large profitable deals, too!

5 comments about Mortgage Ripoffs and Money Savers: An Industry Insider Explains How to Save Thousands on Your Mortgage or Re-Finance.

1. I'm about to buy my first house, and I'm so happy I read this book first! I had no idea all these junk fees existed. And YSP? I definately would have been one of the 'stupid' people who blindly trusted my broker and assumed these fees were all standard. I also like how the author goes over each loan type and what type is best for each person. I do wish the author would have included more on how to negotiate, but there's so much useful information, I would still recommend this book to anyone and everyone.



2. We have bought and sold investment properties for over 10 years in Pennsylvania. We are now investing in million dollar properties in Florida. I was in a book store and saw this book, and thank god I bought it! I read it, and out of curiosity I dug out a few of my old closing statements and good faith estimates, and was shocked at how ripped off I was by loan officers that I thought I could trust. This book was very informative, and that's an understatement. I thought I knew about the lending industry, but I was definitely mistaken. Now armed with so much knowledge, I can't wait to put another loan officer to the test.



3. I poured through at least 15 books on mortgages. This book is the only, I repeat, only good book out there. While other books may have had two or three "pointers", every page of Ms. Warren's book is worthwhile. Do not go for a loan without this book. Invaluable!



4. As a retired attorney, I have read my share of how-to books in various areas of expertise. Many have disappointed for lack of follow through and updating techniques such as online access to the author, with up-to-the-minute links to web pages addressing new areas of concern. Carolyn Warren's incredibly thorough, professional and brilliant comprehensible book lacks nothing in this regard. In fact, I would place this book among the various genres as the #1 book I have read in the last year that has made it possible for me to actually understand what was once an almost impossible mess of information for the layman. Having no background whatsoever in banking, financial management, debt, mortgages, credit, equity loans etc., this was a perfect book for me to rely upon for clear and concise knowledge. Oh, and after reading this book along with accessing her free info online, you will be delighted to know that Carolyn Warren does not just leave the reader there. She actually answers your emails! Yes, an author who cares about you -- long after you have purchased and read her book! You just gotta get this one - she is a star who knows what you need to survive like no one else out there.



5. Unless you work in the mortgage industry yourself this book is a must read before picking up that phone and calling a loan officer. Even if you have had gotten loans in the past, this book will be the best guide through the, at time seems mysterious/dark, mortgage alley. It is everything you will need to know to ensure and feel confidence that you have gotten a good loan. And that's big for me, to know and be able to sleep at night on a relatively big financial decision. ALL your questions will be answered in this one book. It is all collected and packaged for you. Why spend hours to search online, browse numerous websites and collect this valuable knowledge? It is all right here! It was an easy read too! I personally read it like a novel, the next page seems to answer exactly what I was about to ask. Please read, learn and be a savvy loan consumer for you own sake. It will save you and your loan officer a lot of time, grief and MONEY when you guys are speaking the same lingo.

4 comments about Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking - The Scientific Thinking Mechanism.

1. Having practiced Lean for over seven years, my biggest complaint has been the difficulty of finding books written simple and direct. Dr. Shingo's book is easy to read, simple, full of real-world examples not theory, and yet provides deep insight into a difficult area that all western manufacturers struggle with - continuous improvement at all levels.
   
   People with different reading styles will appreciate his graphical representations. Although, at times I found them less useful (personal reading style).
   
   Read this book once for the simplicity, then read it again to see the insights behind the simplicity. Then share it with everyone in your organization if you truly want to become a world-class manufacturer.



2. I have just received the book the other day and I am impressed with what impressive clarity Shigeo Shingo shows what Kaizen is really about:
   
   -- Finding new ways of improvement through thinking out of the box.
   
   Half way through the book I can say it is the most challenging and condensed piece of literature I have read on Lean until the present day.
   
   Shigeo Shingo shows through his given examples (from various industries and backgrounds) where people's mental models (meaning assumptions, behaviours, beliefs, etc.) seem be stuck to old thinking until there comes a shift of thinking. The short episodes have a great impact on the reader's own thinking and connecting to his/her past experiences.
   
   So my opinion is that the book -even though (or because?) the initial work of Shingo came out in 1959- is well suited to present questions around work improvement.



3. Kaizen is a Japanese word for small changes for continuous improvement. Kai means change and Zen means good. Anthony Robbins, the self-improvement guru, uses this, so does Toyota.
   
   "Kaizen and The Art of Creative Thinking" by Shigeo Shingo is a book about change, and how to making it happen. This book is designed to shake up the status-quo. It is self-help for organizations, and has much information that can be used by individuals. While the examples are from manufacturing, these principles can be used, and are being used, in many different organizations. If you are a supervisor, shift leader, manager, or a worker looking to improve work, you need to read this. If you are a business consultant and haven't read this, shame on you!
   
   Dr. Shigeo Shingo was a master of Kaizen and wrote a book in 1958 about creative thinking. This is his book. Shingo writes "based on my 30 years of hands-on experience of plant improvement, I developed a system called the "Scientific Thinking Mechanism." It embodies techniques and philosophies advocated by others, such as the aforementioned Experimental Scientific Thinking, Creative Thinking, and Brainstorming methods. Although each of these methods captured a certain aspect, none of them were comprehensive. Thus, I combined the strengths of these various methods and created this Scientific Thinking Mechanism." Some of these are Fredrick Taylor, Immanuel Kant, and W. E. Deming, well known to all college business students.
   
   Dr. Shingo breaks down complex subjects in simple terms. He illustrates his points using humor and shop floor examples with lots of charts and illustrations to show what's discussed and to tie these concepts together. Each one of the six chapters, Principles of Analytical Thinking, Capturing Problems, Idea Generation for Improvement, Evolution of Improvement, From Ideas to Reality, and Promoting Improvement Ideas are stuffed full of real-life examples highlighting the chapter's points. You can actually see how The "Scientific Thinking Mechanism" came to be.
   
   In Chapter Six, he describes the Engineer's Instinct and the Manager's Instinct. In the example, the change didn't completely solve the problem, just 60% successful. The engineer's instinct says it didn't do 100%, so it doesn't work. The manager's instinct says there a savings of 40% - so more profit! Also in this chapter he describes 10 common objections to change. I hate to admit it, but I've used some myself. It is worthwhile to note that between 50 years and two cultures, Japanese and American, there are the same obstacles to change.
   
   Reviewed by Steve at J. Kaye's Book Blog



4. In this book, the reader is taken back behind the proverbial " curtain", to be shown the essence of the thought processes used by one of the profound geniuses of lean thinking in the 20th century.
   
   This book will have the heaviest impact upon those who have a great difficulty grasping how to think unconventionally. It will only help those people, when they are truly ready to loosen their grasp upon their traditional paradigms.
   
   What particularly impresses me when I read this book is that it is not overly complicated, and in fact, is in many ways very simple. It takes the reader to the threshold, to touch the ability to open up and allow oneself to be receptive to thinking differently.
   
   By thinking differently, the mind ends up in a different place. This "place" is subtle, yet the implications are profound.
   
   One thing that really did surprise me about Dr. Shingo's presentation was his creative assimilation of western thought. Almost all of his references in the development of his thought processes come from western thinkers - not the ancient Buddhist Japanese texts, that students of Zen and eastern thought might be inclined to think were the sources, but rather, a solid reliance upon the same people that many of us were exposed to in our education. The profound realization herein is that while Dr. Shingo read the same books, he got entirely different messages from the reading. That, in and of itself, gives me much pause for reflection.
   
   This is not a book to be read once and then put down - the real value comes from beginning to "live with it", as a companion.
   
   As a final thought, don't try too hard to understand what is being said - simply open up, allow the mind to relax, and let the mind be taken to new and different places - this might be scary to some, but can be accomplished if you allow yourself to trust ultimately in truth for the sake of truth.
   
   Happy reading!

5 comments about Updated & Expanded 2006 Edition of the World Is Flat.

1. This is one of the most important insights presented since "Future Shock" and "Megatrends." Thomas Friedman presents a clarion call for individuals, businesses and nations facing global dynamics of a scope and speed unparalleled in human history. His perception is brilliant and his argument compelling and thorough.
   
   One minor flaw is his tendency to occasionally insert a political agenda. For example, he starts one chapter with a quote from Lyndon Johnson's 'Great Society' speech. This is ironic since Friedman makes such a powerful case for a Great Society requiring that its people be empowered to be full participants in the global juggernaut now occurring rather than be made to feel more comfortable in poverty. Perhaps he is more focused on Johnson's words than his accomplishments.
   
   In spite of that "The World is Flat" is a powerful wake-up call for America--a survival guide in every sense of the term. This is a MUST READ.



2. Thomas Friedman professes our world was flattened while we were sleeping (2005). In his book, The World is Flat, Friedman provides several theories for believing so. However, his premise is based on two factors: 1) the sprawl of globalization, and 2) technological advancement. According to Friedman (2005), there are ten trends that leveled our economic global playing field: 1) 11/9/89, 2) 8/9/95, 3) Work Flow Software, 4), Open-Sourcing, 5) Outsourcing, 6) Offshoring, 7) Supply-Chaining, 8) Insourcing, 9) In-forming, and lastly 10) The Steroids. Friedman shared that jobs are simultaneously going abroad, being outsourced, and are being taken away from in-house companies. Growing countries will be able to compete in this flat world era because communicational resources and services will be available for minimal cost.
   
   A flaw, however, in his premise is the assumption that all countries/people wants to compete and be a part of this flat technologically advanced leveled playing field. How about cultures that want to maintain their current state of traditional values and self-reliant economy? Will they be left out?
   
   The theme of the book does yell out CAPITALIST economy for all (not sure if that's good or bad... I guess it depends on who's making the money), but he does provide a wakeup call for people that our world is changing and it is changing rapidly. The book is a great read and a must read if you want to know about the spread of Globalization and future economic trends.
   
   David San Jose
   UHM - Honolulu, Hawai'i



3. Thomas Friedman writes a book that is a great guide to the people he explains as the "disempowered" or the ones who have not been fully encompassed by this flattened world he describes. His book also gives detail on global interactions with politics, economies and a little mixture of religion with a twist of future insight in the ending chapters. This insight can be interesting at times but for most readers it's not going to be new material.
   The book is often preachy, I don't believe everyone in the world wants the "american dream" and will step in the global playing field to get it. I do find his thoughts on maintaining culture and values in the flat world intriguing and a necessity for all.
   The book is mostly a promotion for capitalism which can skew the facts that are presented. If you're looking for a good book to read but with an insightful and open mind this one would be a good read.



4. The World is Flat provides a very interesting view that establishes Thomas Freidman's view of globalization in the world today. It is a very interesting read and gives a lot of background on his view of globalization in the world today. This book tells a lot of the new trends that are taking place in the world. He teaches Americans about how the world is becoming more flat by getting interconnected through globalization. It serves as a warning to Americans that the world is not the same place it used to be. No longer is America on top of the world in every aspect. As the world is becoming more interconnected, outsourcing is changing the world in every aspect. Many jobs such as secretarial tasks are being outsourced to India. Manufacturing jobs are being outsourced to China and other low wage countries. This means that the position of the United States in the global economy has changed greatly in the past few years and is still changing at even a greater speed today. He says that the increasing global and flat economy of the world are helping make the less industrialized nations have a level playing field. Increased globalization in forms of better communication will allow poor and less industrialized countries to compete equally with the more industrialized countries such as the United State and the rest of Western Europe. However, Friedman assumes that all counties want to be capitalist. This is very biased in this manner. Overall this is a must-read because of all the insight that it provides into the new global order. It is an interesting view on this increasing controversial topic of politics.



5. While you were sleeping, the world woke up.
   
   Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat" is an eye opener.
   
   You will learn of entrepreneurs and opportunists throughout the world in India, China, Eastern Europe and other "Third World" locales, who are planning to eat your lunch!
   
   Friedman's premise is the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the rise of Internet technology has developed a flattened world, where boundaries of distance and borders have less and less relevance.
   
   The book is a great wake-up call, and it is up to each of us, in the face of rising competition to determine what we as individuals will do about it.
   
   Times of great change are also times of great opportunity.
   
   The flat world as it evolves may be the most significant change in history, and the time of greatest opportunity.
   
   Highly Recommended

5 comments about Trump: The Art of the Deal.

1. The fact that this book was written years ago makes it more valuable to someone who's looking for a good business book. Trump has developed his brand in an amazing way utilizing his abbility to relate to people. That way is making deals. Definetly a great book that teaches you one of the most important lessons to learn in business: how to make deals.



2. Great book!!! I purchased this book because it was a best seller. Glad I did, it was before all the drama with his wives and near declaration of bankcruptcy. It explains his roots to his rise as one of the wealthiest land owners. Great read, hard to put down.



3. Wow, The Donald has no real wig on this cover! Actually, this book is quite different from his later books. Here he gets into detail much more often and gives you better insight into the rise of his career (his fall and second rise came after this book).
   
   In this book you'll get the examples about Trump that made him rise. He was as bold then as he is now. Only difference was he had less money, but it'll make you realize that if you want to be succesful in the future you have to act succesful in the present.
   
   All the casino's and buildings he built early on in his career are mentioned in the book and the details about the deals are fun to read. Just consider this is a one-sided story, but the examples fit their goal.
   
   This book is like The Donald without a wig: strange, but fun to see.



4. This is a excellent wealth of information and insight in Mr. Trump's life and business dealings of his early years. Learned he is a very good man. It is as intended very inspiring. Made me fill like I needed to go out and build sky scrapers as well, witch after reading this book now believe we all do in ways that fit each of us. Recomend reading his following book next Trump: The Art of the Comeback for more clairity.



5. The Art of the deal is the only book written by Trump that I recommend; however, I rate this as one of the finest autobiographies I have read.
   
   The Art of the Deal takes you behind the scenes and into the thoughts of one of the great deal makers of our time. Donald jumps right in with a detailed daily account of his business dealings for an entire week offering a genuine feel for the life of high society and big-time business decisions. He goes on to discuss his childhood and the brilliance of his self made father whose millions enabled Donald to jump start his own career in Manhattan.
   
   Donald spends the bulk of his book discussing in detail his triumphs in Manhattan; from starting as unknown developer to gaining celebrity status as an entrepreneur. He outlines his often unpopular decisions such as filling half of one of his buildings with the homeless while waiting for tenants to give up their leases. He also outlines his knack for efficiency by taking over the construction of the Wollman Rink from the city and finishing the project in far less time and for reduced costs. Donald further discusses his entrance into the casino industry in New Jersey as well as his plans to build the world's tallest building on the west side and court NBC as its main tenant (something that obviously did not come to fruition). Perhaps this book is at its best in its discussion of Trump Tower, Donald's largest love and possibly most significant investment having been profitable even before completion of construction.
   
   Since the time when he finished the book, Donald's life has taken numerous turns many of which fall outside of real estate development. The Art of the Deal at its core is all about his real estate empire. Donald gives off none of the arrogance that he is often associated with, the only exception being in his aggressive approach to business. If you enjoy the real estate industry and want to hear from one of its great tycoons, The Art of the Deal is essential reading.

5 comments about How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years in the 21st Century.

1. What a fun book to read! Mr. Ruff seems to be a very good and honest man and I enjoyed his book very much. If you believe the country and the world has no problems then this is not the book for you. If you believe we will have economic problems in the future and like me you don't have faith in our growing supply of paper money, then you will enjoy this book. I am a silver nut. I believe gold and silver are money, not paper. More important, I learned a few things from reading this book. I always admire men who can teach me something. I seek them out. Regards, Keith, Peachtree City, Ga.



2. either you get it or you don't. this book was first published in 1979. therefore, it is way ahead of any other financial book that was written during this same time period. the title would sound a little frisky, if it were written just today. however, it wasn't. there are many things that he talks about that people are only now starting to realize and discuss. things like gold, silver and food for survival. he talks about the impending banking crisis that would be about to unfold. these are all things that are coming into fruition now, and yet people still do not get it. the premanatory nature of this book shows just how brainwashed we still are with gas about to hit five and gold set to hit $1000 one more time and beyond. if people do not get it now. they will after this christmas. it will be one of the worst christmases ever.



3. Excellent read, Mr Ruff, makes his case here compelling letting us know of the urgency of our situation in this country, but he also gives solid solutions in how to overcome them I give this book 4 stars for strong clear, readable content and excellent problem solving ideas.



4. Howard Ruff originally published this book in 1979. Anyone who followed his advice lost money for years and years. Sort of reminds me of Ravi Batra and his 1987 best-seller, "The Great Depression of 1990." What Great Depression of 1990, you ask? My point, precisely. Now that things are looking badly economically, Ruff can call himself a prophet, and republish his book with "21st century updates" responding to the credit crisis. Yeah, okay Howard.



5. If I had spent three minutes doing a little R and D I would have never bought this book but I was lazy and I got what I deserved.
   
   If you want a book with a lot of right wing Republican drivel and Mormon survival philosophy pushed at you and exposure to an author who spends most of the book's time letting you know how prescient he is then go ahead and buy it. But if you are serious about getting personal financial information then look further and pass on this one.
   
   I agree he might need the six months of food supply hidden away as if everyone populates the earth with scores of kids and grandkids as he has then the food supply will surely become strained.

5 comments about The Successful Investor: What 80 Million People Need to Know to Invest Profitably and Avoid Big Losses.

1. I believe every investor ought to read this book before putting any money in the market. If O'Neil's CANSLIM system is followed, it is IMPOSSIBLE to to lose money in the stock market!



2. William O' Neal has done an excellent job laying out for investors and stock traders the 5 steps to take for outstanding results. I have read Oneal's other books but this one really laid out his strategies in a very easy to understand format. Here are the 5 steps he puts forth:
   
   #1 Which way is the general market going? Only invest in bull markets, if the market is continually going down and has rallies that fail and fall again into lows. Stay away and safely in cash. Wait to enter when the market is clearly in an uptrend.
   
   #2 Use a simple 3 to 1 profit and loss percentage plan. By setting a 7% stop loss on all stocks, and capturing a 20% gain when you are right, you can be right on 33% of your stock picks and still be a profitable investor/trader. Of course this is the worst case scenario. The important thing is taking losses quickly and letting profits run to a reasonable place and then take them.
   
   #3 How to buy the very best stocks at the very best times. Buy stocks using the CAN-SLIM method for the fundamental value. (With current and 5 year earnings increases being the #1 measurement of valuation). Then buy them after they have reached there 52 week high, pulled back and resumed upwards after coming off new support levels.(Cup and handle chart pattern).
   
   #4 When to nail down your big profit. Sell a stock that has run up to a ridiculous price while it is still heading up. Do not try to call the top, these stocks pull back tremendously when they run out of buyers. The signs to sell include when it closes at the low for the day or fails to make new highs for a few days. (Railroad tracks on a chart).
   
   #5 Managing your portfolio for maximum gains and minimum losses. When it is time to realign your portfolio sell your losers and keep your winners. Diversifying is for people who do not know what they are doing, successful investors buy 4 to 10 stocks they are experts on and watch them closely. Only add a new one after you sell your biggest loser. Never buy more of a stock that is going down only increase position sizes on winners. Only buy the best stocks in an industry, stay away from stocks under $15 to $20 a share.
   
   Excellent book that belongs in every investors/traders library. William O'Neal belongs with other legendary traders he has done a great job of building on what others have learned. I predict it will be a classic one day.



3. I think IBD is worth every penny. You can do everything that the author says without using IBD (by using MSN, Yahoo etc) but if you don;t have time for that IBD is the way to go. I have been following many (not all, i don't like the idea of buying at market price) of the advices in this book and have bagged 30% return in the last year despite two nasty corrections. If you want to take one lesson from this book, it would be
   
   Buy high and sell higher in a bull market.



4. For once someone who knows what he is talking about. If you are serious about investing buy this book, you won't regret. In fact, it can be your only investment book. What I like is that the book clearly shows that there is no such thing as buy-and-hold investor. To me investor is a just trader who trades in a weekly timeframe.



5. William O'Neil, who started a successful financial paper known as Investors Business Daily, wrote How to Make Money in Stocks. Decade of research and critical thinking has helped O'Neil to create some very powerful ways of investing successfully.
   
   O'Neil's ideas aren't about getting rich quick. It takes time, study diligence and patience coupled with controlling ones emotions to become an excellent investor. The Successful Investor melds both the technical and fundamental aspects of investing with common sense. O'Neil uses a great number of charts throughout the book to explain concepts in detail.
   
   The Successful Investor provides strong basics to help the intermediate investor as well as the experienced investor. This book may not be right for a novice.
   
   Topics include Managing Your Portfolio: How to Buy the Very Best Stocks, When to Sell and Nail Down Your Big Profit While You Still Have It, Time-Proven Methods to Maximize Results and Minimize Losses and much more.
   
   I have read many books, magazines and articles on investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and more over the years. O'Neil's ideas are some of the most solid and consistent I have found to apply to the stock market. They are easy to read and understand the basic...but like anything worth while...it takes years to be good. I have read three of O'Neil's books and have found great ideas in all of them.
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

5 comments about The Real Estate Developer's Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Successful Real Estate Development With Companion CD-ROM.

1. Well writtan,all the information you are going to need on starting your own Real Estate development company.I flew through this book, I could not put it down.It really gives you the starting building blocks on how Real Estate development works.It comes with a CD,it gives you all the contracts
   you are going to need when starting your business.If you plan in getting into Real Estate development,this book is a great head start.



2. Once in awhile there is a book that stands out that is well-written and informative. This book has a lot of easy-to-understand insights on becoming a Real Estate Developer and the process and pitfalls that one may encounter.
   
   Almost all Real Estate Developers have to learn the ropes through real world experience; with this comes a lot of trial and error. This book displays the common problems that Developers face, which speeds up the learning curve rather than enduring years of learning the "kept secrets" of Developers. The core of this book covers a lot of Real Estate and Developing concepts!
   
   This Handbook is very up-to-date and provides a lot of resources to turn to for additional help and research; it also has a CD that has useful forms that is sure to be of great benefit.
   
   I am very glad that I picked up this book... I have learned so much and it has saved me years of learning on my own. Thank you!



3. This book is a good primer for what a potential developer should need to know before diving in to such a risky venture. The chapters on the many potential pitfalls while researching and buying a piece of property are solid. However, what is quite conspicuous is the almost complete lack of mention of the basic knowledge of the construction processes that any person needs to know in order to be a successful builder. While the white collar end of things in the book are crucial, it should include, or at least refer the reader to some other useful materials regarding construction management. Knowledge of the trades is essential; one needs to know how they operate, work together, how each phase is completed, the inspection process, etc. You should know how to read a set of plans in order to be able to accurately estimate how much it's going to cost you to build a building of any sort. A person doesn't have to be an expert in everything from initial grading to touch-up painting, but again, a working knowledge of how to physically manage the project is utterly absent from this book.
   
   I would encourage anyone thinking about building to read this book because it has some great information, but by no means is it complete.



4. This book is essentially a step by step guide as to how one can enter the real estate development universe. It outlines the various opportunities available and the processes through which a beginning developer can systematically approach the onslaught of obstacles he or she will encounter throughout the development process. The beneficial aspect of this book is that it provides a birds eye launch point from which a person can prepare for and begin to research the intricacies of what is an incredibly complex process. On the other hand, I would argue that the book borders on being uninformative. While I did not expect a comprehensive guide to a successful development, I found the content to be lacking actual substance even short what I would expect from an introductory level text. The author writes the book as if one could carry out the process simply by bringing the book with them as a checklist. However, I think the best use of my time would have been to simply write a list of topics touched upon so as to seek out other books that more comprehensively address those points. But, as I said initially, this book is a fine introduction to real estate development if you are simply trying to understand what is involved in the process.



5. I am a real estate developer in a family business.
   She does a great job at making the complex subject of development easier to understand.
   Excellent for beginners.
   Great for intermediate.
   Very Good for the Big timers as well.