5 comments about The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need.

1. Great book to have on the shelf as a reference. Easy to understand and full of pertinent information. My daughter will graduate from college next month and she will receive a copy of this book as a graduation present.
   rich berman



2. I'll admit it. I'm pretty much a cynic. I've read a few finance books, and they often make me feel more daunted. Everyone comes across as all-knowing, that their advice is the best. The thing that makes this book different than many of the others, is because (as I believe he says in the intro) other books tell you how to play the game, but not whether or not you should be playing it at all. In this book, Tobias gives you perspective as to what kinds of investments you should be making, if at all. I really appreciate that aspect of the book. He really takes a birds-eye view of investing and personal finance. It was so good I thought I would buy a few copies and give them to my family and friends. This is the first review I've ever written on Amazon, and wouldn't spend my time otherwise, but it's a first-rate book. I wish he wrote some more books that followed up on this to go into more detail on related topics. I felt like I could trust his advice, which perhaps sounds dangerous, but at least that's how I felt. Great book, hope you learn something form it if you purchase it.



3. This is a good read for those of us looking to improve our financial health and know only a little about investing. No magic solutions here: save money and invest wisely. But what does investing wisely mean exactly? Read this book for more. The author reviews concepts we know about the benefits of compound interest and the wisdom of index funds, and he does this by using his own stories to make this dry subject a bit more fun. The version I read didn't have a section on ETFs so you'll have to look elsewhere for that information.



4. I found this book very readable and full of excellent information. Although not all the latest vehicles are included, the information is useful for the typical investor. It is easy to read and understand by the beginning investor.



5. It is funny how several reviewers criticize the author's recommendation to "not lose money", while that is the number one rule from the richest person on the planet, Warren Buffett.
   They miss the fact that there is more to that statement that its simple basic message.
   I too have read a number of investment books and I found this one to shine above the rest for a simple reason: It covers a wide range of basic investment options, without equivocating, and goes into just enough detail to explain the investment without bogging down the reader with unnecessary details. If the reader wants more info, they can certainly continue researching.
   I really like the fact that the author gives definite thumbs-up or thumbs-down to certain investment vehicles (and gives good reasons why), where other advisors hem and haw about even the most ridiculous ideas such as annuities.
   Some reviewers claim this book is for beginners while others say that it's NOT for amateurs. I think it requires some basic knowledge but overall is a great reference and guide to get the average investor on track to a good solid foundation in investing and well on their way to a respectable portfolio. Any expectations beyond that are totally misguided.

5 comments about The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition.

1. es uno de los peores libros que he leido, no esta ni cerca de ser interesante, de hecho lei 10 libros desde que empece a leer este y aun no lo termino. Si necesitan saber algo mas de Warren busquen otras opciones.



2. Warren Buffet, the world's richest man, without a doubt, is the greatest investor today. Buffet's the only investor using fundamental analysis who can beat market indices. Unlike the vast majority of money and mutual fund managers who charge high management fees and consistently lag their respective market indices, Buffet has beaten the market for decades. The one lesson this wise investor imparts is to invest in only what you understand. By following this discipline, Buffet bypassed nascent companies such as Microsoft, as well as, the dot.com mania in 1999 and 2000. This is when the RMC Q Trader [...] makes sense, picking up where Buffet and fundamental analysis stops. With a Q Trader program you benefit from diversified investment techniques.



3. I ordered this book and never got it. I inquired about not getting it twice. I think I got bored with chasing it down after that.



4. 
   
   I think it is a very good book to understand how the guys thinks about the whole game of investing. You can clearly see the signs of a seasoned investor throughout the book. But how much useful will it be for people like you and me, that's questionable. Imagine if Tiger Woods tells you how he plays golf or Mozart tells you how he composed those lyrics. It is kind of that. I think it is just a knack of things that either you have or you don't have. But do read the book just to get some idea about the financial market and its potholes that you need to be aware of.



5. Invest in solid businesses that are undervalued, don't invest in 'stocks' or try to play the market. For non-investors who can't study business fundamentals, just invest in a low-cost index fund and leave the money there.
   Warren Buffett is an interesting character and the best part is that he keeps it simple and lo-fi. The book basically uses everything written about Buffett and all his annual letters to create a portrait. Brings new meaning to defining a man by his actions, in this case Buffett's top investments over the years are used to build a philosophy in lieu of talking to the man.
   Good book, interesting to get persepective on a business mind, not necessarily the investing mind.

5 comments about The Intelligent Portfolio: Practical Wisdom on Personal Investing from Financial Engines.

1. This is a great book for anyone who wants to gain confidence in making their own investment decisions or anyone who just wants to be able to have a smarter discussion with their financial planner.
   
   Jones very effectively demystifies the rules of investing and stays focused on "what you need to know" to manage a retirement account or other personal investment account for the long term. He avoids chapters full of finance terms and discussion of investments that most of us shouldn't be investing in anyway. Instead, you get an engaging, smart book that you can read in a weekend that almost feels like sitting across the table and getting advice. He covers the subjects in just the right amount of depth-- you won't be left scratching your head, or feeling like you've once again been told "the rules" about things like diversification, but still don't know exactly what to do.
   
   You'll finish this book and feel a lot more confident about your money and have a much better perspective on market headlines. Would highly recommend this read.



2. In the crowded space of personal investment books, this one distinguishes itself with some unconventional and intriguing advice. Here are some highlights I found eye-opening:
   
   - Rebalancing is a bad idea! Rebalancing back to your 'target allocations' is effectively making a contrarian 'bet' that some assets have become overvalued and others undervalued. Such a bet against the market doesn't fit with the EMH.
   - Small/value tilt isn't worth it; Midcap growth may be better! This was a shocker, as almost every asset allocation book out there advises tilting toward small/value, in keeping with the Fama/French research. But if you believe that overall market risk is the only kind worth taking, then the only 'tilt' worth making is toward asset classes with high correlation to the market and higher volatility than the market (e.g., higher 'beta'). Which, as it turns out, is Midcap growth! (and smallcap growth too, to a lesser extent)
   - REITS, emerging markets, commodities -- not worth it. Again, some surprising advice. Emerging markets aren't well correlated with the overall market, so why bother with higher expenses when you can get your beta elsewhere? Ditto for REITs, which are really 1) a sector bet 2) a sector which is implicitly included in equities (all companies own real estate) and 3) a sector you're already overexposed to if you own a home. Finally, commodities -- I hardly need convincing there -- they're not a return-generating asset class at all.
   
   So what should you focus on? Expenses, for one! The author makes a powerful case for choosing your asset classes with full awareness of the expenses of each. Again, get your beta the cheapest way you can, even if it means dropping an asset class. The foregone diversification benefit pales in comparison to the difference in expenses, in most cases. The author demonstrates this numerically.
   
   Bottom line: this is probably the smartest book I've read in personal investing space. Although it's left me with plenty of questions to ponder, the final advice given is hard to beat.



3. We have used Financial Engines for tracking and planning since the initial article about it in Wall Street Journal many years ago. This book explains very clearly about how their data-based system actually works and the statistical information they use to make their recommendations. Very clear writing style and easy to read in several gulps. I have bought extra copies for my kids to use.



4. This book was well written and easy to read.
   
   The author makes the case that we would need about 1500 years of stock market return data to be able to predict stock market returns within +/- 1% with high confidence. Since we only have about 100 years of reliable data, we can predict within +/- 4% of the long term historical average. Over long 25 year time periods, stock market returns can vary by a factor of 6X or 6 times.
   
   The author discusses the current world asset allocation of about 63:37 stocks:bonds. Interestingly enough, this is not far from the age old pension plan asset allocation of 60:40. The ratio of U.S. to foreign stocks is also about 60:40.
   
   This author has a different opinion about periodically rebalancing a portfolio. He says rebalancing is really a market timing bet.........because you are betting against the consensus of market participants when the market asset allocation changes. He recommends rebalancing to changes in the over-all market allocation versus to a fixed stock:bond asset allocation ratio.
   
   While conducting research for Financial Engines, they found that investors preferred having risk expressed in dollars versus percentages or sigma.
   
   The author correctly focuses on using funds with low expenses, and he says most mutual funds have total expenses over 2% per year. He recommends adjusting your asset allocation around low expense funds...........if you are in a 401K with very limited choices. His work suggests that not investing in an asset class only costs you about 0.5% in return. If it costs you more than 1% in additional fees to get into a new asset class, then skip this asset class.
   
   The author suggests having a maximum of 10% invested in REITs. He argues that if you own your home, you probably have no need for REITs as a separate investment.
   
   The author also argues that commodities have a 0% expected return, so skip this asset class.
   
   Over-all, this book is easy to read with very sound advice for investors.
   
   
   Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
   The Richest Man in Babylon
   Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor
   The Millionaire Next Door
   The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
   A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
   The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
   The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing



5. This book does a number of things well.
   
   1) it offers a great overview of the basics of personal investing (historical and future market performance factors, the roles of risk attitudes and time horizon when determining one's asset allocation, the value of diversification, tax issues, etc.)
   
   2) it shows, mathematically, the perils of individual stock picking, and the negative impact this will likely have on your portfolio
   
   3) most importantly, in my view, is the detailed examination of how and why a passive indexed approach will likely beat an active managed approach, unless the managers get lucky. No wonder John Bogle likes this book!
   
   The book is heavy on concepts and examples, light on tough math. Not a super-light read, but far from a technical manual. Good for most readers, I would think.
   
   In conclusion, if you implement what this author suggests, you can't go wrong.

5 comments about Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom.

1. To be an excellent trader you need to understand each trade's risk and reward. This book helps you calculate share sizing based on risk. It is a very important work that needs to be incorporated in everyone's trading plan. If you don't have a written trading plan then you must have this book. Then write your plan. Use the risk calculation and you will be a much more profitable trader.



2. I had not read the reviews here before i bought the book at a local bookstore. But after reading the first couple of chapters i started wondering if it's me or the author. I could not make any sense of his writing. He is laborious, verbose, with too many references to elusive hints. The book tries to be ponderous but in my opinion is a cover up for light weight information. He seems to oversimply the complicated and complicate the simple things, as another reviewer mentioned. Save your money.



3. This book is a must to be read for everyone struggling with trading. Well written, very practical and useful.



4. This is the best book I've ever read about trading. The position sizing topics alone are gold and can be the difference of being successful or not. but there's much more. Excellent to guide you to create your own system. This book is gold. You won't be disappointed.



5. I'm of the opinion that reviews on stock trading books depend more on degree on the experience and outlook of the reviewer more than the book. At times this makes it difficult to figure whether a book is going to be relevant to me. So I'll describe myself a bit.
   
   I have been investing in stocks for many years using the stock picks from one or two good sources. It's been a way to build retirement income in my spare time. I've been moderately successful, but nothing to brag about. In the past few years I've been gradually becoming more active in trading, making many trades a month and recently many per week. I'm considering trading as a living or at least a part-time income.
   
   I've studied fundamental and technical analysis through literature, webs sites, some books, newsletters, and my broker's courses, though I don't pretend to be even close to being any sort of expert. Tharp's book is the first time I've seen what I would consider a fundamental "text book" on trading. It's not a book on how to pick stocks or entry points though the subjects are discussed in the context of an overall system.
   
   Tharp has created a paradigm shift in my thinking. He walks you through all the elements of a successful trading system, including how to define and measure one and how to think about trading. He asks questions and gives practical examples so you get the ideas and the importance of the issues. He's careful to work through examples and explain himself better than any financial book I've read so far, though he does not explain some technical analysis terms. But they aren't necessary to getting the value of the book (and give you some good topics for your own research). I've been at it long enough to realize that he's pretty thorough in the issues he wants you to consider. He also dispels commonly accepted thinking that leads to poor performance (read "loosing money").
   
   If you are looking for fast answers, a get rich scheme, or an algorithm that will tell you how to find winners, what to buy and when to buy it, then you will probably be disappointed - but in fact you may need the book more than you realize.
   
   I wish I had read this book years ago. It would have corrected my understandings of what investment trading is all about and how to go about it. I particularly appreciated the detailed explanations of risk verses reward and position sizing. I have heard "risk vs reward" talked about in many places, but never had it explained in a way that I could use it.
   
   His examples may seem belabored to some, but they helped cement the concepts into my mind. I found Tharp's personable style and stories made the book easy to read and helpful.
   
   If you have been trading for years and are comfortable with it and make money, then you may not gain much from the book. To everyone else I recommend it.

5 comments about The Intelligent Investor: The Classic Text on Value Investing.

1. I suppose that this edition--released after Jason Zweig released in 2003, the revised 1973 edition with his commentary jammed in between the chapters--was released to show people what Graham really wrote in his first 1949 text who might have not wanted a book with commentary inserted in it, and in its pure and unadulterated form. I might say, however, that I'm reading the 2006 edition by Jason Zweig right now, and I find it far more readable. The examples are more up to date there and the language is a little more modern.
   
   However, I must admit the merits of the 1949 edition: Graham himself said people need a better sense of financial history, and what better way to see the past than to read his original edition, and it's kind of neat to see what he was thinking when he wrote the book in the first place. It allows the book to speak for itself, rather than telling you what it means in between each chapter, and I guess that's a positive in some ways. It was written in the heyday of Graham's career on Wall Street. Also, he warns on the first chapter that things mostly relating to specific securities would become completely outdated with time, but those precepts relating to human nature would remain the same.
   
   Boy was he ever right!!! Wall Street acts no more intelligently in 2008 than it did sixty years ago. Just like a herd of frikking lemmings, all jumping off a cliff together!
   
   I recommend reading the 1949 edition first, to give you a sense of historical-financial perspective. Then pick up a copy of the 2006 revised edition with Jason Zweig's commentary, and read that.
   
   What I don't understand is, WHOM did Graham write this book for in 1949 of all times, when only 2 million Americans, mostly upper-class, owned stock? Maybe he was prescient and saw ahead to now, when 90 million Americans of all walks of life own stock (and stock mutual funds). If that's the case, this man is a prophet.



2. I am a brazilian investor and this classic text helped me the change my attitude when the subject is the capital market.



3. If you are not a better investor after reading the first 2 chapters, you'd better give your money to someone else to invest for you. I will never be a speculator again. No wonder Warren is so filthy rich. This is the man he learned from.



4. This book is hailed, and with strong reason, as one of the cornerstone pieces of investment literature. The ideas surrounding valuation and the like are as valid now as they were when the pen first touched this masterpiece.
   
   It is not one of those over-hyped, over-produced get rich quick in the stock market type pieces, but rather a solidified educational fundamental foundation to theory of value investing.
   
   A warning to the novice: This book is written in a very technical language that will be hard to grasp without an understanding of the market in general. This should not be a first investment book, but rather a compliment to your growing collection.



5. Since reading Graham, I keep running into his name everywhere -- and for good reason. Graham (and his disciple Warren Buffet) does not talk about -- or believe in -- get-rich-quick schemes (those are speculation), but in sound principles of looking for solid, well-run companies, and buying their stock when the price dips. (The market gets hysterical and goes up or down in ways that have nothing to do with the intrinsic value of the company.) If other people are foolish enough to sell off a good company at a bargain price, there's nothing wrong with being smart enough to go against the market and buy a bargain. If you want to invest but don't know how to do it intelligently, read Ben Graham for starters.

5 comments about What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know about Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures.

1. I got this book to learn more about due diligence. I found that most authors keep the math portion( or true investing) dumbed down to a chimp level. This book is some serious stuff. Frank gives a ton of good examples to use yourself. It will keep you from coming off half cocked on your next deal.
   I used this book to purchase several quadplexs in Killeen, Tx. I compared and contrasted properties like the author recommended and saved $20,000.00 that I otherwise would have spent needlessly.
   Now, truthfully, this is a great book. I feel that most investors will probably not like it's straight up impersonal approach. There's not any fluff in here. If you need someone to hold your hand and spoon feed you...this ain't it. If you're the type of investor who wants that slight edge in their market, then buy, read, and then re-read this book.
   "Tip" Read this book, then go onto www.loopnet.com, find a couple of properties, and practice as though you're serious about buying them, using the techniques outlined here.



2. I got this book for a grounding in some of the calculations that a landlord needs to understand. This book is a good and thorough reference that satisfied me. It may be more detailed than most people want, but I found it good that it is so thorough and deep. I also like the access to the spreadsheets, which are very helpful and useful.
   
   I thank the author for sharing his experience and knowledge.



3. I was not sure if this book would work for me. I bought several other books on financial analysis, but I always found them either to be too dry or too complex. Gallinelli has the ability to get the scary formulas and maths and break it down to a level that can be understood.
   His style of writing is fun too. He puts in the occasional joke at the right moments when things start getting a bit complex. This helped me a lot to understand and follow his line of thinking.
   In addition, the book is very well planned as it builds up slowly from very basic material to more advanced material.
   Good book to have.



4. Wow, now this is a great reference book for investment calculations. Not only does he provide formulas, but Frank also explains the use and the Rules of Thumbs are great. There is no magic calculation that will tell you if it's a good deal or not and Frank says that several times. It's a matter of looking at the opportunity from several angles that will give you that indication.
   
   My only warning is that this book is really geared to multi-family or commercial investments. Some of the calculations are not applicable to the residential single family units that some beginner investors start with.
   
   Having a MBA, I'll tell you this, learning this ratios and calculations were much easier to learn from this book than I did in the classroom. Good job Frank, a definite must have for the serious investor.



5. This book goes over many methods to make an informed decision. I would reccomend this to a person that really wants to know different ways to analyze your deals. Very informative.

5 comments about Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably in the World's Best Market.

1. I recommend this book to anyone who has never traded commodities/futures and want to learn background information about what commodities are, why they are traded, and why they are key to having a well diversified portfolio. I also recommend this book to traders (like myself) who have previously traded futures on one or two commodities, and are looking to expand their trading book to include other commodities.
   
   For those who are looking for a book on how to trade commodities, this is not it. This book only goes into the backgrounds of various commodities, what drives their supply and demand relationship, and what Jim Rogers sees occurring in the future. Finally, the book includes several charts and indexes that show various commodity's relationships when compared to things like equity market prices when adjusted for inflation, and how index's like the GSCI are calculated and weighted.



2. as always, Jim Rogers did it.
   I am writing down all the tips in this book. It is very useful for investment purpose. Thank you, Jim.



3. As a successful fundamentalist retired at 37 and traveled the world, Jim Rogers gives a solid recapitulation of commodities with enough facts to practically turn speculation into prescience. With charts and graphs he translates price movements through time and turns them ahead in the future with sense. The bullish rises and bearish declines are nicely justified in terms of supply and demand without neglecting China, Brazil and other large powers. Jim Rogers offers fresh economonic insight that cannot be passed.



4. An interesting read giving insight of a master investor in the domain he understands best. Many logical reasons for his argument for several commodities mentioned that has been a guide for my investments in the Indonesian stock market. Though not many mortals would have access nor capacity to have direct investment in the minerals and commodities mines and plantations as he advocates.



5. I almost gave this book 5 stars for the mere fact that Rogers' predictions have come true since the time the book was published. For example, gas and gold prices have increased dramatically, as predicted, since 2004. S&P has been mostly going sideways and Rogers' prediction of the housing meltdown was right on. From an investment standpoint, the book would have been more helpful 4 years ago than today. Nevertheless there is still a lot of value here. First, Rogers' writing is engaging and interesting. Second, he offers readers a different way of looking at the world which is valuable regardless of your investments. Finally, he claims that his ideas and predictions of rising commodity prices will continue at least to 2015, so there is plenty of time left to profit from his wisdom.
   
   This book is an introduction and individual investors will have to do a lot more research and thinking before they can actually implement Rogers' ideas. The author admits that point, himself. Furthermore he does not really tell readers a logical way of even trying to profit from rising commodities. He claims the best way is to buy commodities directly, but after reading the book I have little idea how to go about buying commodities for the long term. Futures allow investors to profit in the short term but if you believe that lead prices will peak in 2015 or so, how can you profit from that prediction? After all, prices are not predictable in the short term and an investor can get burned badly speculating in the commodities' futures. Oil has been rising in value steadily since the Iraq invasion but an investor could have still managed to lose money investing in oil futures. Need to research and read a lot more on the topic if your goal is to actually invest in commodities.

5 comments about The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing.

1. The Bogleheads' Guide To Investing is a easy reading book on investing with no-load mutual funds. Whether saving for retirement,college or handling money in general, this book would be a good place to start learning the fundamentals on how to keep more money in your pocket and out of your advisor's or broker's. While some may need some financial help through a pro, if one has the desire to read and learn about investments and how they work, one can save themselves thousands of dollars in fees and other costs associated with investing. Learn about index funds,diversification,asset allocation and rebalancing. The authors show you how to tune out the noise of the media and stay the course! Been with Vanguard since the early 90's and have not regretted since.If you want to be a winner in investing,Vanguard is the place to be!!



2. I considered myself somewhere between beginner and intermediate in terms of investing knowledge before reading this book. I feel it does a good job of highlighting most of the major investment principles and vehicles available and manages to get detailed without being too drawn out. It goes well beyond the typical cliches of 'max out your employer matched 401K' or 'fund a Roth IRA'. I found the areas of portfolio allocation and portfolio tax efficiency most beneficial to me. This book isn't going to help you get rich quick, but I feel it will help you increase your wealth and investing knowledge for the long haul.



3. This book is a gem and eye opener for novice investors or people planning begin investing. Inherently it is biased as the title suggests for making a case about Vanguard and its product offerings though a bias that is useful, credible and most of all truthful. The essence of the investment advice is that you have an 80% chance of loosing your investment in the market if you are looking for a short-term bullish miracle and you have a 80% chance of growing your investment if you are looking for a long-term investment strategy and willing to stay immune from bad advice and impulse investing or as the books puts it Ivestment Pornography. It explains the different investment products offered on the market with the Pro's and Con's of each. Most advice is based on research studies of the market. Patterns that prove one investment strategy against another. If you are a novice investor you should feel confident about making your first investment after swimming through this book. Naturally you will make the conservative yet lucrative choice but thats exactly what the book teaches. If you cannot find enough detail about any one product, the book definitely leaves trails for further study and learning. It also discussed briefly about insurance and investment planning in the case of your death, absolutely read this information as it is just as important to know besides your investments because you could loose a great portion of your investments if not handled properly. It provided some very useful insight and left the ground open for more research. The book also covers tax implications of your investments, though a little more research to supplement what the book says should fill in gaps in understanding it.
   
   One of the best capital gains you will come out with by having started your investment journey with this book is the Bogleheads forum.
   
   What this book doesn't do is promote too many investment styles. For those people who buy this book, surely read all of it.



4. If you are going to read one investment book, I hope you are lucky enough to read this one. Its the only investment book that you need. One of the thing I like about the book is the authors give actual advise and tell you a great approach to investing. They don't claim to be #1 but give time tested strategies to make smart investment descions and spend the rest of your time where you need to.
   
   Also trying to beat there strategy may only work for a small lucky percentage. So read this book and you really do not need to read any further.



5. This book gives excellent advice primarily about mutual fund investing and retiring. It is basically a primer on retirement planning and leans heavily toward Vanguard funds. It is easy to read and has lots of common sense advice and examples proving the authors' suggestions.
   
   I would suggest it to anyone needing a basic primer on retirement plan investing.

5 comments about Five Minds for the Future.

1. Summarizing the history of learning methods and techniques, this read is a complex one, with the purpose of renovating the way we think and prepare our minds for the real life.



2. There is no doubt that Howard Gardner is highly intelligent and a deep thinker. He has done a considerable amount of research, study, contemplation and reflection on what sort of thinking will be necessary for the future of man. It does not take much study or research to come to the conclusion that our current lifestyle is not sustainable. But as noble an effort as Gardner has undertaken, he did not write this book for the average reader. In fact, his style of writing almost guarantees that the average reader will not put it on their reading list.
   
   I picked one page at random and typed it into a word processing program and then had the program measure the readability using the Flesch readability scale. That page scored a 29%. For the average reader to comprehend what they are reading, it should score above 60%. This style of writing, with the long and often complex sentence structure makes for slow reading.
   
   Gardner, like most highly educated professors, writes in the language that his peers will understand and accept. Unfortunately, the average person will spend too much time looking up obscure words or simply give up.
   
   I believe Gardner is correct in that our educational policy is doing a poor job at present and unless some changes are made will fall farther behind in the task of developing students who are capable of developing the five minds of the future.
   
   The five minds which Gardner advances are: the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creative mind, the respectful mind and the ethical mind. He does a good job of pointing out the recent cost to society of failure to develop and maintain disciplined and ethical mind in business. He cites the examples of Enron and Arthur Andersen.
   
   There is no doubt that the message is vitally important. My problem with the book is not the value of the content but what I see as the failure to communicate in a way that will make the ideas and information useful to a larger audience.



3. The author gives his excellent perception of today's requirements for good functioning in the world.



4. Howard Gardner is a man of many minds. The Harvard psychologist, MacArthur "genius grant" recipient and prolific author started a revolution when he claimed that human capability couldn't be reduced to a single metric. Rather than accepting IQ as the whole story of cognitive capacity, Gardner said people have "multiple intelligences," a notion he popularized in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Twenty-five years later, Gardner is still producing influential work on human mental skills and capabilities. In this clear, eminently useful book, Gardner describes five cognitive capacities that he predicts will be in most demand in the future and which everyone should practice. While he describes them metaphorically as "minds," these forms of thought are neither wholly innate nor immutable. All people can, through diligent practice, cultivate their disciplined mind, their synthesizing mind, their creative mind, their respectful mind and their ethical mind - and they should. Given accelerating technological change and vast increases in the flow of information and the necessity of working closely with many different kinds of people worldwide, getAbstract is of a mind to recommend this book to managers who are trying to think ahead.



5. Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a psychologist and author known for his theory of multiple intelligences. Application of his theory, especially for education, has been controversial. But I think his latest book, Five Minds for the Future, is a must read for technology professionals.
   
   His thesis is that, "...vast changes that include accelerating globalization, mounting quantities of information, the growing hegemony of science and technology, and the clash of civilizations," requires, "capabilities that, until now, have been mere options." He describes "Five Minds," or cognitive abilities that will command a premium in the years ahead:
   
   1. The Disciplinary Mind -- the mastery of major schools of thought (including science, mathematics, and history) and of at least one professional craft.
   
   2. The Synthesizing Mind -- the ability to integrate ideas from different disciplines or spheres into a coherent whole and to communicate that integration to others.
   
   3. The Creating Mind -- the capacity to uncover and clarify new problems, questions and phenomena.
   
   4. The Respectful Mind -- awareness of and appreciation for differences among human beings and human groups.
   
   5. The Ethical Mind -- fulfillment of one's responsibilities as a worker and as a citizen.
   
   While the book is not directed specifically at technology professionals, I found much of what he said echoed characteristics of the most effective people I know: deep domain expertise, intellectual curiosity, creativity, global perspective, knowledge of and respect for diverse cultures, and teamwork. It is and will continue to be possible for anyone with a few of these characteristics to succeed in technology, but I believe those who excel and assume positions of leadership will exhibit all of these abilities.

5 comments about The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor's Kit: How to Make Money Buying Distressed Real Estate -- Before the Public Auction.

1. Very informative kit. Many people hear the word foreclosure or pre-foreclosure and automatically think, bargain or a steal or buying a home for dirt cheap; but there's a lot more to it than that and this book gives you a very good insight of how the process works. Buying distressed Real Estate can be time consuming, costly and a real challenge, as you will find out after reading this book.



2. I spent a weekend reading the book. Loved it. The author knows what he is talking about. He also has a good website where you can download the proper letter you should send out to people in distress.
   
   I own a foreclosure company and have adapted some of his techniques, nevertheless (not to take away any merit from the authorm but instead to enhance the next version of his book) our company principals felt like the letters were a little bit to hard on the person that is loosing their homes. And sometimes talking this hard to people could have negative consequences. We have to understand that these are individuals that when loosing their homes, can go into denial and sometimes enter into very heavy depression.
   
   If you do decide to get into this process of sending out letters the only thing you should try and add to them, is to let the people know that you are there because you really care to help them out and you are not there to make a quick buck! People will give you their homes if you are upfront, honest and ethic about what you are trying to do.
   
   Don't forget to add a little note written by hand thats tells the reader that you: "really care to help them!"
   
   Other than that, you should buy the book if you are into the business of Real Estate.



3. The information included in this book has made my job much easier and has expanded my knowledge base and expertise. The organization I have derived from it is most valuable.



4. The author claims that he is "[u]nlike 99 percent of all real estate authors in America . . .", because you can contact him directly via his personal business line and e-mail address. Neither is true!! The phone number,(813) 237-6267, listed in the book is no longer in service, and he does not answer e-mails(tjlucier@thomaslucier.com). Very tacky and unprofessional!!! Also, the the author will direct you to websites that do not provide the information he claims can be found there. It makes me wonder how reliable and credible the rest of the information in this book is.



5. This is an excellent book by Thomas as he thoroughly takes you through the process of purchasing an investment property. He provides a wealth of resources on nearly every aspect of investing by listing websites and addresses.
   
   His forms are great for providing you with an idea for approaching home owners. However, the tone of the letters are some what dismissive--but that's just my opinion.
   
   The only area that needs enhancing is providing one with an idea as to estimate value in the property. He does not provide as much detail as others (i.e., Steve Berges "The Complete Guide to Real Estate Finance for Investment Properties"). With that said, it is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it.