5 comments about Risk Management.

1. I think it the best book about Risk management I read so far. I was impressed even by the way they treat market risk although it does not seem their main interest. The chapter on VaR is much better than a whole book on it. Great!!! Everyone should have a copy...



2. I bought this book because some readers highly recommended it. I'm a financial derivatives strategist and risk management consultant. When a reviewed the book I disappointed in five main particular points: 1) The chapter on VaR is unsatisfactory and insufficient. The authors discuss this subject in a general approach. From my view point I have a preference for Jorion's Value At Risk. 2) There is no discussion about GARCH models, which decrease the importance of this book. I recognise "Risk Management" is a great book. It's a vast encyclopaedia of risk. 3) There's a great discussion of all types of risk, but without any practical solved case. This particular point demerit the seriousness and greatness of the book. 4) The level of mathematics in the book is a little advanced and without any support en practical cases, these poor numerical exercises and calculus tools are useless. 5) Montecarlo simulation approach is bad. There is a great discussion on this subject in Hull's Options, Futures and other derivatives, where the theme is practical, objective and concise. Finally and taking into account these five particular disadvantages, I'll give my rating to this book: 3 stars.



3. This is an encyclopedia, and reading such things is not what most people, even when deeply interested in the subject are likely to do. It does provide a fair reference for specific topics, but this is not a subject one can really pick and choose.

   VAR is the ususal starting point, and its famous authors (one of whom I hired for his skill in these matters) cover most of the bases in an interesting way.




4. This book is the most comprehensive treatment I've seen of financial risk management, particularly from a banking perspective. It covers both the regulatory and practitioner perspectives of modern risk management -- it's a veritable encyclopedia.

   It's drawn from the wealth of experience of the authors, who are well known in both the academic world and on Wall St.

   I guess what I like most about the book is the inside look it provides at the various aspects of financial risks -- no other book does it better, and I found the discussion enthralling.

   While mainly geared toward banks, the book also includes a fascinating chapter on risk management in regular corporations. I think the book would serve equally well as a textbook for a risk management course or a handbook for the risk management practitioner.




5. I work in the area of Risk Management for over 8 years and I find this book still covers a lot of what someone in the area needs to know. I think it is rather a reference book, better written than the Bessis book on RM in banking and covering more things on Credit Risk, but still ... it is not a book one can read from start to end. It is good to keep on the shelf and read a chapter on a specific topic when necessary.

4 comments about The Executive Rules! A Complete Guide to Landing an Executive Job.

1. Mr. Greer's breakdown of the "Seven Key Career Questions" should be the foundation for anyone hunting for a job. Whether you are just starting a career, or looking for the next step to take, Mr. Greer's book provides readers with the insider's guide to everything you need to know. Particularly important is his emphasis on the details, such as making sure your resume is readable and professional. Filled with anecdotes, examples, and invaluable information, "The Executive Rules" is a must-have for anyone looking for a job. It would certainly make a great gift for any recent grad.



2. First off, this guy knows what he is talking about. This isn't some general job hunting advice book. Greer uses his experience in management recruiting and gives an inside track on how to get a high paying position in the absolute quickest time. The information in this book covers in depth nearly all aspects of the management/sales seekers employment process and provides direct and to-the-point strategies that will get your resume read by the decision makers.
   
   The major thesis is that the job search is a process, and while there are many things you can't control, you can control your process and execute on your strategy to maximize your probability for a positive outcome, and more importantly, minimize wasted effort and costly time. This is a straight forward, to the point, no holds barred examination of the best and most practical process to find and get a job as quickly as possible.
   
   T. Greer has done an excellent job laying out the blueprint for an effective search that includes everything from who should write your resume, to interviewing, to what and what not to say and do when effecting a transition from your current job.
   
   I was employed in three months in a great job. I highly recommend taking the time to get real about your job search.
   
   Jason K.
   G.E.Capital



3. This is a wonderful read with tremendous amounts of hardcore advice that we should all take to heart. Mr. Greer gives you the unabated version of what most successful recruiters look for in a candidate. I keep a copy of this in my home office and I reference it often. After reading this book I ended up getting my dream job and I think it has also helped me to be a better employee. This is a must read!!!!



4. Wow..The Executive Rules does RULE on how to land that top job. Anyone thinking about changing employment or needing information on how to find an executive position must read this great book. I give it 5+ stars.
   
   Randy Loren
   Author
   Climbing The Money Mountain

1 comments about Sector Trading Strategies Course Book (with DVD).

1. This book covers the very basics of trading sectors. It gives ETFs to use to track industry sectors, and also explains the value of buying the stock of the leading company in a sector. It explains the difference between trading based on technicals and fundamentals. It also explains how to sell short and trade options. This book is very basic and not for veteran traders. With the steep $30 price tag I suggest reading "How I trade in Stocks" by Jesse Livermore, or "How to make money in Stocks" by William O'Neal to get a better picture of how to trade stocks in sectors that are increasing their earnings. The bottom line is trade stocks in sectors where earnings are growing. Investors Business Daily is a great tool for this.

1 comments about Money Wise: How to Create, Grow, and Preserve Your Wealth.

1. Unfortunately for me, I do not have to ask myself the "What now?" question about my wealth because I haven't amassed it yet. Many of you have created great wealth for yourselves and Michael Lipper and Douglas Sease have written a book specifically for you, to help you preserve the wealth that you have worked so hard to create and how to make it even bigger! Do you even know how much wealth you have? This book will help you to measure your wealth, learn about investing and what works for you, learn how to spend your wealth and when not to spend it. Mike Lipper is an analyst who has helped develop the Lipper Indices for mutual funds, so you are hearing this from an expert that can really help you. If you have been successful and have accumulated wealth that you just don't know how to handle, take the advice of a credible, and proven expert to make your money work for you and not against you. Many people are scared of investing, advisors and money, this book will help you shelve your fears.
   If you are like me and don't have any wealth as of yet, I would recommend you read this book so that when your wealth hits you, you know what to do with it in a smart and knowledgeable way.

No comments about Understanding Accounting Ethics - 2nd Edition.

5 comments about The Handbook of Mortgage-Backed Securities.

1. I have seven years of experience selling these products, and I use Fabozzi's book often. This is a good reference, and a good treatment of mortgage and asset backed securities. I only gave it four stars because the fact that this is a compiled work of research material interrupts the flow of ideas. On the other hand, there is some merit to getting different angles on the subject from different viewpoints.

   One caveat. Mortgage derivatives used to mean calls and puts on mortgage backed securities. Today, however, entire portfolios of mortgage risk are laid off in the form of credit derivatives.

   Tavakoli has the best treatment of that topic in the book: "Credit Derivatives".




2. If youre in the MBS business, you gotta have this as a reference book if nothing else. Its the industry standard. Item showed up brand new and good delivery.



3. I have to say that Fabozzi has the formula down pat--he gets "guest writers" to contribute various chapters to this book and does very little writing himself. The result is a disjointed, sometimes repetitious, other times incomplete volume. This book focuses extensively on agency mortgages--Ginnies, Fannies, Freddies--and speaks only a bit to the Alt-A, subprime and more exotic privately-originated mortgage markets. To call this book comprehensive would be a lie. Although this book was highly recommended to me by a PM at a traditional long-only manager, I can only guess that previous versions were better, because this one was certainly a high-priced primer that still left many areas of the market uncovered. Areas that are glaringly missing (beyond non-agency topics) include the role of hedge funds, loss mitigation/foreclosure processes, more info on EPDs, and the erosion of lending standards/rise of the subprime market. I think that a chapter on common mortgage origination fraud issues is also merited.
   
   This book is good for the basics, on agencies. Beyond that, it may leave you scratching your head and wondering, "And...." because there is a palpable sense of incompletion. Borrow this book from someone else that already has it--don't buy it!



4. This product is very beneficial for me. Because I would like to learn sth can't see easily about mortgage. This book covers both permanent examples and academic details.
   
   On the other hand it contains too much article from different writer. So that We can learn different idea about mortgage and deduction for our study.



5. The most comprehensive book on the subject period. If you are in the industry you must have it. Best used as a reference manual to go through whenever needed. Kinda bland book which you would not want to read to finish from page 1 to the end.

5 comments about The Motley Fool You Have More Than You Think : The Foolish Guide To Personal Finance.

1. The title of this book reflects the optimism that it breathes from beginning to end. It makes you want to go for it, without encouraging hasty decisions, and encourages to read more. For true fools (I mean morons) like myself, the book adequately warns you to first get out of debt before trying to invest. The part that tells you how to get out of debt is brief but the advice is sane, and optimistic. Once ready to invest, we are adviced to use a buy-and-hold strategy, and the arguments for it seem to make sense. Most importantly, after reading this, the reader has a clear general framework that help him/her to make confident investment decisions.
   
   Picky points:
   -A bit wordy on occasion.
   -Not enough advice on what to do when your stocks just keep declining



2. I have to say that this is the perfect book for any independent adult and/or college student. The main reason I say that is because schools do not offer education on financial freedom. If you are a teen or think you can't read this, go read Motley Fool Teens before reading this one.
   This book is separated into two halves. One half will tell you how to have good spending habits, pay debts, find good bank, etc. This half is good enough alone. They give you advice and tell you the reasons behind instead of "Trust us". This is a plus since most of the info is shocking. For instance, it is better to go to a casino than play the lottery since a casino has a payoff of 95% while the lottery is -50%! I personally can say that my life will be easier because of the forewarnings of mistakes and following the path least famous, but most secure.
   The other half is about how to invest the stock market. It is amazingly easy and it makes sense by adding charts of growth over time using average return. One of the points the book tries to keep in your head is the stock market only looks scary since not too many know much about it. Remember when you thought you would never learn addition in second grade? In this half the book goes in detail of how to open an account, deciding your stocks, why you shouldn't panic during slumps, etc.
   Unlike the teen version, this book is amusing with jokes on every page without overkill. The jokes do well to keep you entertain instead of dreading the fact you need to learn how to compound growth. The jokes even do well to get points across. A book of choice if you don't like books that sound like Ben Stein at pep rally.
   We all have gotten advice on money from other people and it is nice of the authors to actually mention advice people give and why or why not it is good. I mean, some people say they lived on ramen noodles and finger toothbrushes in college while the book offers strategies that allow you to live within your means. Remember that ramen is fattening!
   I can't say how priceless this info is for being practical and wonderfully hopeful of what is achievable with a small amount of thought. Nowadays people do not know what to do with their money and I see most knowing how to get rid of it. Anyway, this book is a must own for any adult and students alike struggling with the sheer thought of money.
   I give this book my strongest recommendation to possible to own, not rent.
   
   (...)



3. This book was a great read - I think tha's probably one of the benefits of reading a book on finances written by two English majors.
   
   Pros:
   - Helps you understand where to start in your personal world of finance. I especially enjoy the fact that there is an especially abhorrent attitude towards debt (i.e. - pay what you owe before you every try to put that money anywhere else).
   - These guys don't promise any fast cash, but employ a methodology that tends to scream, "slow and steady wins the race!"
   - The advice is sound, and there isn't any threatening terminology to find yourself lost in.
   - Like I said before, it's a great read. You aren't necessarily reading a manual written by guys who want to lay out the bare facts. You will be reading an entertaining and thoughtful tome on how to have fun with the way you think for your financial future.
   - The authors don't seem to assume any drastic steps here - just being smarter with what you have.
   
   Cons:
   - While the book helps you start in your personal world of finance, it still leaves a lot for you to figure out on your own. In the end, I was still wandering around the Internet trying to find more information. The book shows you a good direction in which to move, but it doesn't necessarily show you the door in.
   - The book isn't written for everyone. The authors admit this throughout their writing also.
   - Shameless self-advertisement - but it's funny at the least.
   
   My general perspective:
   (Third time, at least) This is a GREAT book. Even if you don't think that you can trust yourself to make a deposit in a savings account, give this book a chance. It opened my eyes to see that there are a lot of people out there making a lot of money and doing very little to merit their worth. These guys aren't business or marketing majors, but their experience speaks through the written word. They won't lose you in a milieu of doublespeak, but sort of hold your hand in understand how you can be your own money manager - and I like that.
   This is a work that is for the ordinary man - the sort of fellow that doesn't feel like working his way through a financial dictionary just to understand a book on personal finance. I found this book in my local library - and that's $11.20 you can take straight to the bank!



4. Wow. This book was really, really, really useful. I'm one of those people who, until recently, never gave a second thought to savings or investment because I was always living paycheck to paycheck. Now that we have a little gbreathing room, my husband and I have been reading up on financial things of interest.
   
   I HIGHLY recommend this book for your first one if you're absolutely clueless about personal finance. It takes a bunch of terms that many people find terrifying (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.) and not only explains them and many others in amusing detail, but also makes the process of investing a lot more accessible to the average person. It's realistic, though--for one thing, the authors explain why everything from lottery tickets to penny stocks are a bad idea. It also bursts other bad habits, such as not buying Stock A because Stock B is cheaper per share--but not returning as much interest to the owner.
   
   Additionally, there's a lot of really good advice for newbies to investment.



5. I bought this book a good five years ago and ate it up. I have read it several times only to be reinforced in my investment approach - a well-diversified assortment of passive index funds, along with a few well chosen blue chips that pay regular dividends. Monthly automatic investments are now a way of life and though humble in its beginnings, my portfolio today is more than respectable in comparison with most of my "buy it new and yesterday" peers. The Gardner brothers style is informative, quirky, quite clever and humourous. If you don't have time to be a slave to mammon, you'll find as I have that INDEXING is the way to go- slow and steady, living within your means, depending on what you can invest per month-in 20-30 years you will be very wealthy.

5 comments about The Frugal Millionaires (Retail: $21.95 - Ships October 15th 2008, Pre-sale: $19.75).

1. This book was really enjoyable. I actually could not wait to turn the page, curious about the next best tip! And as an added bonus, the author was quite humorous.
   
   The timing could not be better, now that our country is in an enormous economic crisis! We are all feeling stressed and under pressure to save! The advice reveals numerous clear strategies that will result in greater financial security no matter what one's current economic status.
   
   Also it occurred to me this would be a great book for young adults who are just venturing out on their own and do not know the first thing about "the value of a dollar".



2. Packed with practical information on how to become and stay financially secure, this book quickly grabs your attention and is hard to put down. It takes the mystery out of wealth attainment and replaces it with sound strategies that are easy to understand and apply. From Investments to Mortgages to Credit Cards to Marriage, this book has something for everyone. It will be one of the most useful and enjoyable books you will ever read, particularly considering today's economic climate. Its candor and use of humor is a refreshing plus as well....enjoy!



3. Frugal Millionaires is an excellent read for anyone seeking simple ways to save and accumulate wealth! It is a compilation of advice from various millionaires who have built prosperity and know the ins and outs of growing money. As a recent graduate, the book is like a roadmap to financial success in the way it reveals the paths that others have taken toward great wealth. Lehman does a great job of explaining specific terms and ideas that I was unfamiliar with, and was able to compile a vast array of expert opinions that are extremely useful. I highly recommend (especially for recent college grads)!



4. Lehman's book is exactly what we need right now and is a fast read...I could not put it down. Frugality is certainly going to be the mantra in the US for many years to come. You might as well learn how ordinary folks become millionaires. This book guides you through the millionaire minds of 70 folks and their secret to making this happen. This is a MUST READ today.



5. I found the book to be very useful in two areas. 1. Rekindling memories of the basics that my parents taught me and secondly finding some new ideas on investing. The style of the book is very easy to read and follow. I have recommended this book to several friends. Well done!

5 comments about The Big Money: Seven Steps to Picking Great Stocks and Finding Financial Security.

1. I think this is a great book because it offers practical advice that the average investor can understand and use. There is no magic formula, no complex set of strategies, and no attempt at predicting the future.
   
   Mr. Kobrick dispenses quality advice in what is normally a sea of crystal ball gazing.



2. A fascinating book that is equally useful to the individual investor and the professinoal. The book's system of focus on fundamentals [BASM and Seven Steps] is refreshing in these days of concensus investing and short term trading. The war stories about important companies are both entertaining and informative. The investment returns available from these well known companies challanges the investor to be both selective and patient. The book does a good job laying-out a way [BASM and Seven Steps] that is instructive to the individual and a great reminder for the professional. I read it twice and recommend that anyone interested in investing does the same. It will help you avoid many of the fads and mistakes being made today.



3. Without realizing it, I've been practicing Mr. Kobrick's BASM principles successfully for years. It's exciting to see how he so clearly articulates his approach without being intimidating to a layperson. I've even begun using his BASM paradigm to explain to my children what "buy low and sell high" really means. This book is a standout!



4. THe book works just as readers and reviewers have said, e.g., USA Today, Equities magazine, and recently, Kiplinger's has said: "Particularly beneficial for an investor who is challenged to find and implement a specific stock-picking strategy that actually works".



5. I like this book even better than the classics on growth investing: Peter Lynch's One Up on Wall Street, and Philip Fisher's Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. The information is timeless but it's nice that it was written in 2006 and the examples are still nice and fresh.

4 comments about David Scott's Guide to Investing In Mutual Funds (David Scott's Guide).

1. The author has written another superb book on investment. This book on mutual funds is fun to read, easy to understand and cuts through the fog of misunderstanding associated with mutual fund investing. It includes a detailed explanation of all the various mutual funds which includes equity, bond and money market funds. It also covers alternatives to mutual funds such as closed-end investment companies. The book provides a wealth of knowledge and is a welcome addition to my library on investing.



2. This is a concise guide for beginning investors. It is easy to understand and reasonably complete. The material is too elementary for someone experienced in mutual fund investing but just about right for someone who is about to get their feet wet.



3. This is another good investment primer in Scott's series. An easy read that is especially worthwhile for someone wondering what mutual funds are all about. After reading this book you may also wonder why you may be paying so much to buy and own shares of a mutual fund.



4. I have found Scott's book to be a real help in understanding how to select mutual funds. Now I know what fees to check and the type fund that best fits my needs. I have recommended this to my friends who were in the same sorry shape I was.