5 comments about Stock Options for Dummies.

1. I was misled by the title of this book am disappointed. This book is NOT for individuals who want to take their investing to the next level and start trading options on the open market, as I had expected -- rather, it is for people who are offered stock options through their employer.
   
   If anyone knows of a good beginner's book for trading stock options, please clue me in.



2. First, disregard the 5-star rating. *I* think the book is good of course, but that's not why I'm writing this comment.
   
   To the two recent reviewers who complain that the book isn't about puts and calls but rather about ISOs, NQSOs, etc. - look, I'm sorry for your inconvenience but if you had taken about 2 minutes to skim the table of contents and the editorial review on the amazon.com page ("...your company's stock option plan..."), you would CLEARLY see what type of stock options this book discusses. In fact, taking less time to do so than it took you to write your complaint-reviews and give the book a poor review would have saved each of you $20 or whatever the book cost you.
   
   So my sympathies to you for your misspent $, but come on: blaming the author and publisher for your own haste and, further, feeling the need to do so publicly on an amazon.com review with one- and two-star rankings? (At least the other reader who did the same thing back in August, 2003 had the courtesy to give a 5-star ranking because of the reselling experience on amazon.com to rectify his/her error.)
   
   I sincerely hope that if you do begin to dabble in puts and calls - the other kind of stock options - that you do so with much greater care than you took in making your respective book purchases. Otherwise, you should really think twice about that side of the investing world.
   
   To the one reader who is looking for a beginner's book about the other kind of stock options: see "Futures and Options For Dummies" by Joe Duarte. But do your homework first before buying!



3. This book is aimed at employees elegible to receive stock options in the company they work for from their employer.
   
   It is NOT for investors wishing to buy and sell stock options through a stock broker.



4. This book, to me, was completely worthless. I purchased it thinking, like others commenting, that it was about options trading (puts, calls, etc.), not about "employee stock options" (which is what the book should be titled).
   I did read the author's response to criticism about the title, and I think he has some valid points; and in return I would like to sell him a coffee table book entitled "Cats" with a cute little kitten on the front. When he opens it I'm sure he'll be happy to see that it's full of pictures and information about catepiller industrial equipment.
   Also, his argument that anyone who looked at the table of contents would know what the book is about proves that he does not realize who his audience is: This is a "for dummies" book; it should be assumed that the reader knows very little about options. So, how would someone who knows extremely little about options know that chapters entitled "Stock Options: What you need to know right off the bat", Exercising your stock options", and "Finding stock option information online" are not what they are looking for?
   While this book may be very useful for someone wanting information about EMPLOYEE stock options, it was completely worthless to me. Make sure it's what you're looking for before you purchase.



5. This book is a review of employee options. I was hoping for a more comprehensive review that would explain options buying , trading etc.
   It is adequate for the topic of employee options , but nothing else.

5 comments about The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner: A Powerful Plan to Finish Rich in Real Estate.

1. This book is a 5 star book if you are looking for a book to inspire you to be a first time home owner. 80% of this book explains the entire process of how to become a homeowner, it would have been very helpful to me before I bought my first home 16 years ago. He explains mortgages and how they work, what kind of real estate agent to use and what to look for in making your choices. 20% of this book explains why it is important financially to own your own home. For example: Homes rise in value on average 6% a year. So if your home is valued at $100,000 it will grow in value by $6,000 a year. This can add up quickly in equity and will turn out to be one of the greatest investments you have ever made. David Bach believes that home ownership is essential to becoming an automatic millionaire. This book briefly discusses how wealthy you can become by keeping your homes as rental properties as you trade up to larger homes. This book is not about "flipping" properties it is about owning them for the long term. I would highly recommend a beginner in real estate or personal finance to read this book it will be very useful, however this is not for current home owners or real estate investors. I will be giving this book as a gift to my children when they turn 18. Owning a home is essential to financial success, even though I am uncomfortable with Mr. Bach's advice to leverage debt for multiple houses.My first starter home made me $40,000 in 10 years when I sold it.



2. David Bach couldn't be more right on with the "Automatic" part of his book. I am a real estate agent and for years when someone bought a house from me I would give them a fruit basket or gift card. Now I send them something of great value. I send them this book and only this book. They look a little strange at me at first but after they've read it they become excited and can't wait to begin their journey to be millionaires as homeowners and I got to be a part of it. The return to them will be great. The return to me will be great too.



3. I bought the book not knowing what to expect , however it had so many good tips that are relevant to buying a home for the first time. It also extends great advice about real estate as an investment. I recommend it to anyone looking for good sound, structured advice about investing in a home.



4. This product is well worth it's money. It has many pointers, directions, and links to better your knowledge. Remember, knowledge is power.



5. The title of this book may be a bit over-reaching but this is a good primer for those who are looking to leave renting behind and embark on home ownership. Author Bach offers a thorough primer into the wisdom of getting into the real estate market and buying a home. This is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme, but rather an approach for a patient person.
   
   One caveat is that many of Bach's principles work better in a rising real estate market. In some markets, this advice could render you An Automatic Bankruptcy Case.
   
   Since the book's publication, the residential real estate market has cooled or tanked in many areas. This may make it tougher in the short run to recoup on some of Bach's advice. In fairness, he recognizes in the book the cyclical nature of real estate markets and recommends a long term discipline in holding real estate in up markets and down cycles.

4 comments about The Credit Default Swap Basis.

1. Choudhry lays out the relationship between cash and synthetic fixed income instruments: 1) for cash bonds, the different ways to measure the cash flows, swapping fixed to floating, using ASW, I spread, Z spread, etc., and the pro's and con's of each measurement. 2) For CDS, there is a brief primer on the CDS product structure, and discussion of CDS pricing methodology (both mathematically and in layman's terms). He then lays out techniques for hedging and basis trading and presents examples. There is discussion of market supply/demand influences.
   
   The emphasis is hands-on usability for the practitioner. He presents examples using the Bloomberg & some spreadsheets. Although several approaches to CDS pricing theory are presented (including some math that I'm not knowledgable enough to evaluate), CDS theory is not explored or debated in great detail. This level of theory is not the primary focus of the book. The book is NOT targeted to heavy duty quants or theoreticians.
   
   There are a couple areas where I would have appreciated a bit more diligence. Choudhry himself points out one example where the values in the printed Bloomberg screen differ slightly from the book's text (couldn't they have updated one or the other before going to print?). In another case, I was unsure about the consistency of treatment in different parts of the book regarding one of the spread measurements. In this case I will probably buy one of his other books where the issue is examined in greater detail.
   
   Overall, I found this book VERY useful and well worth reading.



2. The book is 195 pages total. The first 60 pages explain what CDS, z-spread, and asset swap spread are. While this is useful information, chances are, if you are buying a book about CDS basis, you will already know this stuff. And if you dont, wikipedia or any other online source can concisely explain it.
   
   The last 50 pages includes definitions and appendicies. In between, you get a lot of repetitive information. Every chapter starts out with a 2-3 page summary of what you just read.
   
   Chapter 3 is really the only useful part of the book - it outlines the 10 or so factors that drive basis. I certainly learned a lot here but it was in the course of 10 pages or so.
   
   The final chapter talks about "trading the basis." I was disappointed to read that they are simply telling you how to execute the trade...ie, buy $10MM notional, sell X, hedge with futures. It really doesnt help with idea generation which is what I was hoping to see.



3. In all honesty, I bought this book without fully realizing what I was purchasing. I had intended to buy a very basic intro to credit default swaps. With that being said, I'm glad I made the decision to purchase the book. There was more than enough material covering how a CDS works to get anyone familiar with finance up to speed.
   
   Once Choudhry gets into the basis itself, it's very easy to understand and apply. I almost felt ready to go out and trade the basis myself, but not working on a trade desk, that just wasn't an option!
   
   At the end of the day, one of the most valuable takeaways is that you really have a much better understanding of the difference between the cash and synthetic market. I've personally used what I've learned in this book to help people make sense of what CDS and asset-swap spreads mean.



4. I am usually a big fan of what Moorad Choudry writes, because of his very accessible way of writing on bonds and structured finance theory. But in this book, I had the feeling that the topic was not covered as deeply as others topics he has written about.
   
   1. This is not a book about CDS theory and pricing, so if you are looking to get a grip on CDS, this book is not for you. However, quite a number of pages are devoted on CDS, ASW, z-spreads. It is interesting, but this is not the topic of the book and people buying it are certainly all familiar with thoses concepts.
   2. The part covering CDS basis is not really deep covered. Moorad Choodry gives some explaination of the factors driving the basis (which was what I was expecting in getting this book) but it could have been done in an article rather than a book.
   3. On how to trade the basis, the author gives some trades examples, but he remains very high level on the rationale of the trades and how to identify opportunities. It seems that there is a missing part.
   
   In conclusion, I would still recommend it because of it gives some useful information on the CDS basis and its price is very accessible. Overall, I continue to enjoy what Moorad Choodry writes, but just a little disappointed on this one.

No comments about A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing.

5 comments about Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips.

1. A very practical book for those wanting to start an online bookselling
   business. Details from A-Z on how to establish yourself as an online bookseller with great resource info and tips and how to avoid pitfalls.
   I would have liked to have seen more info in the way of what types of books to buy (categories of books) that might sell well. There are a few remarks about which ones to try to avoid, but not enough on which types to look for. Otherwise a very detailed and useful book.



2. I probably purchased every book on selling books online. The book by Michael E. Mould, if purchased first, would have saved me a lot of money and frustration. He has answered every question I could have asked about selling books online in a concise easy to understand format. I have used many of his suggestions from scheduling my time to pricing and grading my inventory and much more in-between. His impressions of where to sell my books was useful since I was already signed up with Amazon but had not begun to sell anything. He gave me the confidence to know I had made the right decision in choosing Amazon. His knowledge of the proper tools and procedures for saving me from wasting a lot of time has been very helpful.
   I am a senior citizen and the less I have to handle the inventory the better. That's one of the best suggestions I took away from the book. Thank you, Mr. Mould
   Ila J.



3. Michael Mould covers every detail for those who are interested in online bookselling (as a hobby or a business). I keep this book on my desk and refer to it frequently. Personally, I found the photographs on packaging and shipping to be very interesting (and vital, considering some of his own USPS experiences and insights). He even provides an informative "A Day in the Business" section detailing his own daily bookselling procedures. Very helpful. I have yet to see another bookselling guide to offer such detailed information or step-by-step illustration.



4. Michael Mould deserves serious kudos from the world of used booksellers. This book is extremely thorough and gives fantastic nuts and bolts advice. Mike is both rational and encouraging--he avoids the hype of "start-ups" which allows his book to be genuine and open-minded. His "day in the life" anticipates the "basic" questions and his lists of services and weblinks are very helpful. I also highly recommend buying copies that come with the CD "Bookkeeping for Booksellers". That Mike shares all the work he has done is generosity on a karmic scale. Not only is the book helpful, but Mike has created and inspired a large and collaborative community of booksellers through his work. Thanks, Mike, for pointing the way.



5. This is an overall good book to own filled with practical advice about how to run an on line book store. Very indepth, sometimes too much so, like the bit about how to package a book for shipping, but you also do not get that level of detail in anyone elses book either. This is one of the quartet of books you should get when you decide you want to open up your own on line book store.
   
   There are a lot of things sellers need to know and lots of support for this need for knowledge in the book from customer service, what to pay for books, how to grade and price books, as well as tons of other great information that you will need.
   
   Overall 5 of 5 books, enjoyed reading this and learning how to apply the well thought out advice presented in this book.

5 comments about Gold Trading Boot Camp: How to Master the Basics and Become a Successful Commodities Investor.

1. A lot of people don't know anything about precious metals investing and tranding. I know, since I work at Capital Gold Group, and everyday I have to educate clients about the basics of commodities investment. I wish I could give everyone who walks intot he office a copy of this book. It is easy to understand, clear, and factual. It has everything you need to know to become your own gold, capital and precious metals investor.



2. This book combines personal reminiscences, economic analyses and trading know-how. Gregory T. Weldon tries with some success to balance these three important elements, but readers are likely to be most interested in his trading advice. To convey it in detail, the book relies heavily on charts. One appears on almost every page, along with commentary and an explanation of why it is relevant to trading. This approach has its strengths, particularly in conveying information about trends and statistics, but as time passes, the utility of the charts may dim. Weldon could have softened this impact by providing instructions to readers on how to extrapolate more timely charts. He could also have proofread more painstakingly, as minor errors undermine his authority, but the depth of his knowledge shines through. getAbstract recommends this ambitious book to visual learners who aspire to trade in gold.



3. I was very disappointed reading this book.
   The use of the word bootcamp is misleading. The author throws on you a bunch of trivia style information but fails to arrange it in a textbook like manner. It sounds more like a memoire than a how to book.
   
   There is also a tendenccy, to create fillers as technical trading how to, commitment of traders report and so on.
   
   Two thumbs down!



4. I don't know why this guy seems to think that if you sign up for his "NEWS LETTER" that you'll NEVER want to be taken off. After many attempts to "unsubscribe" I still everyday get his letter in my mail box. There is no unsubscribe option and after many requests to be removed nothing happens.
   So I can only assume that this "BOOK IS SPAM" his "WEB SITE IS SPAM" and "HE IS SPAM"
   
   Don't buy his book and don't ever subscribe to his newsletter.



5. There are better books on trading commodities. This book is loaded with charts and examples, but I believe practical information on trading gold is better presented in other books on the subject. Although some may like this author's writing style, it was a bit dry and rambling for my taste.

2 comments about Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements.

1. There aren't many good books that show you how to practially implement lean in the office. Most are based on theories, or just tell you the principles are the same. They are of course, but this book is very useful especially if you are trying to convince reluctant people. Both lean leaders, facilitators, and those trying to learn about lean can learn from this excellent resource. Looking forward to more work by this author.



2. Nothing is more soul crushing than being crammed into a small tiny area to work for eight hours. "Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements" is a complete and comprehensive guide to improving working conditions and in turn, the mental conditions of employees leading them to be happier, more alert, and most importantly, more productive each day. Focusing on the concepts of 'Lean' and 'Kaizen', "Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements" is top pick for anyone looking to make their office a better place in more ways than one - highly recommended for community library business collections.

2 comments about Attract Clients: A Financial Advisor's Guide to Building and Running A Practice.

1. Excellent book. Lloyd writes things that everyone involved in a professional atmosphere can comprehend. You'll find yourself agreeing with the things he says and you'll want to put his recommendations into play.



2. I've read a lot of books that claim to help you to succeed but this book by Lloyd Williams actually does.It is the best book to help Financial Adviors accomplish their goals that I have ever read.
   He makes our business seem so simple.
   Just follow his instructions!
   Buy this book!

5 comments about Billionaire In Training (Instant Success).

1. This book is nothing but superfluous stuff that you can easily find on your own. No real world specific examples. He uses his books to sell you his "coaching services" and nothing more. This guy is a BS artist....save your money. Do a search on Brad sugars books on Amazon; they all have "5" star ratings....hmmm, what a coincidence! IMO, the ratings are fake, and put there by his own people.



2. Recently heard Brad Sugars do a workshop on wealth creation. Having read the book several times already the workshop, his 'billionaire in training' global series really cemented many of the concepts for me. For example what type of business to buy first (a franchise vs. starting something from scratch), the math on how much you can take out of a profitbable business to invest in real estate and other investments, and on and on. Simple,\ and straight forward making it very possible for just about anyone to execute. Some had said that it's so basic that you can find the information anywhere. Then why aren't they all wealthy?



3. This book obviously caught my attention because of the title. The author of the book has many great strategies for individuals in business; strategies that will help aspiring entrepreneurs climb to the top financially. It was also interesting to learn that there are five levels of entrepreneurs I always thought entrepreneur defined anyone owning their own business. Brad waste no time distinguishing between all 5 levels and the impact each level has on the way you think about business and finances is astronomical. I am a new start up company and I am glad I read this book before opening the doors to my new business. I will have an advantage over many who have not read this book and those who are unaware of these concepts.



4. Have not had time to start reading it yet, so any review at this stage would be made up! There,.... my good deed of the day is done. Now, leave me alone! :)



5. Bradley's business books are some of the most pragmatic. But don't get the idea that growing a business or, worse yet, turning one around, is an easy proposition. There are a lot of variables. Some are in your control. Some are not. Witness the US's current economic crisis and plans to increases taxes on small business. You can read another one of Bradley's books to learn that cash is king: cash flow, profit for cash reserves, etc. If you can't muster enough cash, then you won't have money for new systems or equipment. You won't have money to be owner-absentee. Owners working in the business instead of on it is one of the biggest reasons that businesses don't grow. Are these owners lazy or stupid? No. But they now know that not everything is within their knowledge or control. And they know that a business is nowhere close to a guarantee of billionaire status.

5 comments about Financial Freedom Through Electronic Day Trading.

1. My trading coach recommended this book to me so I could better write my trading and business plan for my trading business. After studying and applying the books material I was able to format a proven and tested plan. I later met with my trading coach to review my plan and he said it was one of the best plans he has seen. Thanks to this book I am able to sucessfully maintain a trading career.



2. In his follow up to his first book 'Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom' Van K Tharp expands on some of the ideas presented specifically in the realm of trading electronically.
   
   Though not as revolutionary as his first book, this one is still packed with 'not found elsewhere' useful information for both beginning and experienced traders. Treat it as a supplement to his first book and you will learn something useful.



3. I would recommend the book to stock traders,but also if you're trading futures -as in my case- the book is worthwhile as a blueprint for devising business and trading plans. Mind you, the advice given in the book about equipment, software and hardware is already obsolete since the book was written a few years ago.



4. This book was a great addition to the other books I have read about trading for a living. While Gary Smith's book was his actual trading process and Alexander Elder's covered the psychological dynamics of creating a system, this book really got into the technical dynamics of risk and expectancy with formulas and excellent explanations of how to be profitable based on your amount of trades/risk/expectancy.
   
   The six key elements you will understand for making money in the market from this book are:
   1. System reliability
   2. reward to risk ratio
   3. cost of trading
   4. Your trading opportunity level
   5. What you can do based on the size of your equity
   6. Your position sizing algorithm
   
   This is a more technical read than other books and comes across very tedious at times, but I found it well worth the effort for the added insights I received.



5. This book contains a wealth of information - I strongly recommend it! The content is excellent, and the writing style is understandable and candid. Brian June not only discusses the nuts-and-bolts of day-trading (Level II screens, time-and-sales data, 'ax' market makers, direct-access systems, trading strategies) but covers in detail how one should prepare prior to the market opening and how one needs to debrief trading after the close. Dr. Van Tharp covers two of the most important concepts of trading: risk management (i.e., capital preservation) and money management (i.e., position sizing). If you have not internalized these concepts into your belief system already read these chapters, memorize them. They are key disciplines as they will keep you in the game.