5 comments about Investing with Exchange-Traded Funds Made Easy: A Start to Finish Plan to Reduce Costs and Achieve Higher Returns.

1. The book covers ETF for investors - new or not - and does a very good job at explaining risk and volatility. From my point of view, it's more than just ETF and "how to", but also a good background on historical behavior of markets and a review of "well known facts".
   
   For example, read the following excerpt from page 69:
   "Since the start of 1941 - a period of 65 years - there have been 35 market corrections of 10 percent or more in the S&P 500, representing one correction every 1.9 years on the average..."
   
   Conclusion page 70:
   "Identify the worst period for each of the investments you are comparing..."
   
   and a question (page 70):
   "What if your investment was not around during a bear market?" (like the new ETF's offered)
   
   In addition, there are data tables and graphs (for the ones inclined to look at hard data).
   
   By the way, if you assume that investing in ETF's is superior to a mutual fund investment, think again. See page 22:
   "As already discussed, ETF share prices are sensitive to the balance between supply and demand - a risk absent from regular mutual funds.
   ----
   "The result is that at the time you are most anxious to sell, you might not be able to get a fair price (relative to the value of the underlying shares) as you thought you would."
   
   All in all, a good reading on markets and new investment vehicles like ETF's.



2. Not as clear or as useful an introduction as the 'Dummies' series book on ETFs, but a good additional introduction if you have no knowledge of statistics and time-series etc, and want a little more detail patiently explained to you.
   
   If you already know basic statistics and correlation, you don't need this text - as the explanations are rather long-winded and, at times, irritating.



3. I read this book over the Christmas holidays and found it very helpful. It is one of the best books on investing that I've read of late. The best part about the book is that it gives you some guidelines on how to develop a diversified portfolio. The author gets a little long-winded in some parts, but he gives you a good idea of what to look at in terms of trends and sectors of the market to get into. I appreciated the list of Web sites he provided.
   
   I found the book very readable, but I would not recommend it to a novice investor. Overall, this is a very good book for an intermediate/advanced investor and it encourages using the Internet to track price movements. Bear in mind that the author assumes that you have the time of day to get on the Internet and track prices in order to observe trends, which may be profitable. This is a book for those who can devote some spare time to investing on their own. If you don't have the time or energy, buy a bank CD and call it a day.



4. Like other Appel books, this one is too heavy on fluff and not enough on the real thing: solid strategies. There's also way too little discussion on international ETFs, esp. given how such ETFs account for a large percentage of all ETFs out there in the marketplace. I also have doubts about the buy-and-hold strategy; after all, one can easily have done that with mutual funds.



5. Marvin Appel does a very thorough job covering ETFs. His book is surprisingly wide-ranging. On the one hand, he explains some very basic concepts, for example explaining a bid-ask spread. On the other, he gets into the sophisticated details of ETF composition. This book is a like a small ETF encyclopedia. Well done!

No comments about Asset-Backed Credit Derivatives.

4 comments about The Survivor Assistance Handbook: A Guide for Financial Transition.

1. Although the book origionally seemed small for the price I discovered that it had a lot of information. It covered everything from how to handle my husband's car lease to estate processing and identity theft. It was also well written and had a easy to follow format.



2. If your loved dies suddenly or you know its coming this is the essential book to read about handing the situation.

   A compact guide on what to do when and how. It brings together in one easy to read and understand format the information you will need immediately after a death and later on.

   This is a book to have on hand as you would have a dictionary.

   When my mother died I found it was dificult to get the information I needed. Laywers can be very expensive. If I had this book it would have saved my time and money.




3. How would you hendle the death of a loved one? For me, until I read this book, I wouldn't have had a clue! I think this book makes sense for anyone who is going through the financial transition that death brings to survivors but also to anyone who wants to be prepared for the event. Think about it...we will all eventually have to face this, why not be prepared? This book covers more details than I would have thought of, and I work in the financial industry. I think a major plus to this book is that is gives definitions, addresses, phone numbers, web addresses, etc... of all the things and places you will need to know about. I would highly recommed this publication.



4. I thank God for this book. It's practical and hands-on. It's a must-have for anyone who is ignorant of funeral planning, personal finances and wills. Most of us are in at least one of these groups. I was in two before I read this book.

No comments about Project Portfolio Management Tools & Techniques.

5 comments about How Charts Can Help You in the Stock Market.

1. I have read some TA articles and books before.. but many of them were explaining what would happen when a particular pattern is formed and for me, it was like memorising those patterns. But this book aims to imbibe the basics onto you.. the author gives you the reasons for the expected results eg.. he explained the resistance concept by asking.. how often did you bought a stock, saw that drop down and eagerly waited for the stock to regain the price at which you bought it, so that you can sell the stock with no loss on your part !! I really thought that this was simple logical teaching..
   The 200 dma behaviour explanations are great !
   Highly recommended
   NB:
   Given the cost of this, its even more appealing to buy this book



2. This book as absolutely a perfect book to introduce new traders to charting. This book was written in 1961 well before stochastics, Willams%,force index and other new computerized indicators. However it is a great introductions to basic charting concerning resistance levels and support levels and how to read them. You will find explanations for head and shoulders formations, double bottoms, double tops, cup with handle and all the traditional patterns we look for. If you are a beginner read this book to get started. I learned a lot of these patterns on my own and made ten thousands of dollars off understanding when to buy at confirmed support and sell at the first strong sign of resistance. I could have made twice as much with this book to begin with. If you need to learn charting, buy it.



3. while I have read many books on investing,I can enjoy one more book, as a person who has invested for 20 years or more,I can say a good read and interesting,yes you can learn from the book,however if you are starting out in investing ...read Stan Weinstein's secrets for profiting in Bull and Bear Markets,as an older investor and read many books from Amazon I like to keep up with new books out, this is a book that will open some doors for you as far as keeping up,but I prefer to keep it simple,investing is simple once you understand the basics,I go long in up markets and short the down markets...duhhh not hard at all,this book did open up to me resistance and support levels ,I did enjoy it ...if you are a seasoned investor ...go for it ...it may help on the buy and sell...and be able to predict a day or two ahead of time ...helped me in my trading...but if you are new to trading ...forget it ....good book...only two stars ...well not good for all investors only seasoned investors will enjoy this book,while it may flustrate the new investor...Happy Investing



4. I was reading this book and it kept going against the grain in how one should really invest. Maybe this book will be good if you want to spend all your time day trading with little to no returns. I was very disappointed in this book's inability to look beyond what a stock really is - a real company. No where did I find any mention of researching the company that is the stock. A chart will not tell you if a company has good, strong financials or if management is good. You could avoid of a lot of losses before investing by putting some time into what a company is.



5. as always AMAZON comes thru finding books of interest for all customer bases. shipping was RAPID as promised
   couldn't ask for more in the way of service, product availability, and delivery!!!!!

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

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



2. Julia Cameron's book was the reason I've been able to create plays, acting jobs! I can only say this: IT WORKS! I'm living proof! For anyone who is blocked, these tools used over years creates a strong powerful base upon which to create work!The Green Room



3. Just get it.
   
   The first chapter as I remember was a little bit boring for me and when I start complaining to my friend, she told me :"Just read it."
   And that was the best advice she ever gave me.
   I gained a lot of self-confidence as an artist and person, came to conclusion in a lot of things that bothered me for a long time, it truly gave me a peace of mind.
   
   So, for you, my friend:"Just ge-e-et it".



4. This is my second copy of this book. I've worn one out already. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. It is life altering!



5. I can't even explain how much change I've made in my life since reading this book. Julia Cameron says things that every artist wants to hear. The main things I've taken from this book are Morning Pages, Artist Dates and going on walks - those three simple things have totally centered me. I wasn't even necessarily diligent with all the other worksheets.
   
   Even if you don't care to increase your creativity, it will help anyone to live life!

No comments about Business As Unusual: Handbook for Managing and Supervising Organizational Changes.

5 comments about Running Money: Hedge Fund Honchos, Monster Markets and My Hunt for the Big Score.

1. What made Wall Street Meat entertaining were the personal anecdotes regarding his contact with various well known personalities. This book starts in a similar vein, with stories about his efforts to raise money for his hedge fund. Then the book seems to completely lose its focus. It turns first into a high level history of the industrial revolution in England, and then into an economics lesson. The history is circumstantial and of questionable relevance. The economics is pure poorly thought out drivel. This stuff goes on for chapter after chapter. Had I written a review after the first few chapters, I would have given the book four stars. After finishing the book, I think I'm being generous giving it two stars.



2. 3 stars for its entertaining value, 2 stars for its real worth. The author seems to lack some understanding of macroeconomics, as mentioned in other reviews.



3. It's entertaining, interesting, and well written. Not much investment strategies, but fun reading!



4. This book is a real letdown. As other reviewers noted, he wasn't running a typical hedge fund strategy. He just bought and held tech companies, either public or private. And he did this during the .com boom. He had the sense to wind down the fund before the crash. Gosh, he made a lot of money. As I think he himself says, never mistake talent for a Bull market.
   
   You don't find out much of anything about his approach, because I don't think there was much too it.
   
   The chapters jump around without much coherence. He seems to be building up to a point, leading to a big 11 page section that entirely in italics, in case you were going to miss it. We have higher margins than the developing world, so the trade deficit doesn't matter. That's it.
   
   One of the least interesting books I've read this year.



5. great informative book!

4 comments about The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Personal Finance, Fourth Edition.

1. (this review is based on an earlier edition)
   Most of us have some gaps in our understanding of personal finances. This approachable guide lays it out briefly and understandably. Since my attention span is short for this topic, this is the kind of guide I needed.
   For instance, the two-page section on DEALING WITH A LENDER, shows a loan application form with 6 boxed explanations for parts of the form.
   You won't learn everything you need to know in two-page bites, but it gets you briefed on everything from mutual funds, making a will, getting insurance, understanding credit card statements, 401(k) plans, your W-2 form, etc.
   Once you grasp the basics, you can find a book specifically on wills or whatever you are dealing with at the moment.
   Gaining control over your finances can start with this book!



2. I bought this book and then returned it. I found it way too brief and simplistic, not offering details and explanations to concepts I was already familiar with. Frankly, for the price you could get much more instruction on personal finance with other books (i especially like Clark Howard's).



3. This book was great I had to read if for an Economics class and it helped me to understand more about financing and how to raise money for school. It is great to have an understanding with this so i can be ahead, and collect as much money as I can for retirement. This book goes into many categories in financing such as banking, investing, financial planning, credit, and mortgages. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about how to have a good financial life.



4. I just moved into the United States and wanted to know how do personal savings, the bank, financial planning, housing, taxes, retirement etc...
   
   This book gives a very consolidated overview will all the nitty-gritty about how personal finance should & is handled in United States. Recommended to anyone new to the US or just off schools entering the REAL WORLD. Also gets you acquainted with the local financial terms.

1 comments about The New SAP Blue Book.

1. Though interesting to read, I feel that the author is coming too much from the perspective of a SAP salesman/advocate. He seems to be "one of the fold." Statements such as, "At any rate, do not use planning templates for traditional IT implementations. They will only lead you astray." (p. 92) sound too much like a call to forget what you know and accept the SAP way.
   
   The book seems to make a case for expecting and accepting a long, expensive conversion to the SAP world where you will accept and trust SAP's benevolent intentions/advice, and be prepared to keep putting money into your SAP implementation evermore to keep it current with your changes to your business environment. Too much of the "Trust SAP" mentality is presented for my tastes.
   
   I purchased the book to get an overview of SAP, and the book is accomplishing this goal to some degree. Worth reading, but certainly not a neutral presentation. I'm not ready for my SAP tatoo, yet. But, I do know more about it from reading this book.