3 comments about The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party with a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause - 2nd Edition.

1. Now in an expanded edition with new examples, The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party With a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause lives up to its title as a concise, no-nonsense guide to organizing a successful fundraising houseparty. Chapters cover how to compose a tasteful invitation, the all-important task of selecting an "Ask" (the person who will ask party guests for money), how to tastefully make follow-up calls, the role of refreshments, setting a target fundraising goal for the party, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and a wealth of sample documents, especially sample invitations, round out this easy-to-follow guide useful for corporations, charities, and even private individuals (such as struggling artists). "Follow-up calls to confirm that people are in fact coming are absolutely vital. You don't want to hound, but you also want people to realize that this is not a casual party... Two weeks before your house party, start calling everyone on your list... If someone says they cannot attend, then ask them to make a contribution." Highly recommended.



2. I just finished The Fundraising Houseparty and I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and quality of content that Morrie presents.
   
   No goofy gimmics or weird tactics to make money off of houseparties.
   
   Morrie presents a lot of quality ideas, tips, and principles to make your fundraising houseparty a success.
   
   Highly recommended for the nonprofit professional.



3. Morrie Warshawki's second edition of "The Fundraising Houseparty" is as informative and eye-opening as its predecessor. At a slim 58 pages, Warshawki's conciseness is a welcome alternative to wordier books that say much less. The cost may seem a bit steep but not when weighed against the cost of hiring a fundraising house party consultant. Because that's what this book is: your own houseparty guide.
   
   Warshawski is quick to admit that not all houseparties are financially successful. Care must be taken. But it's hard to imagine losing money if following his detailed advice. Someone brand new to personal asks will find this work helpful.
   
   Warshawski's work is eminently practical. He tells you:
   * how much time to allow for the people to mingle (30-45 minutes),
   * how to position the food table (pulled away from the wall), and
   * which type of video presentation works best (one that makes people cry).
   
   The Fundraising House Party is packed with checklists, annotated outlines, attractive and informative samples of invitations, and even a script for the peer solicitor. Most of the invitations can be done on something as easy as Microsoft Word.
   
   "The Fundraising House Party" is easy to read in 30 minutes but you'll be refering to it for months to come!
   
   
   Chapters include:
   *Introduction
   *Key Elements
   *Pre-Party Checklist
   *The Party
   *Some Last Notes
   *Appendix

5 comments about Riding the Bear: How to Prosper in the Coming Bear Market.

1. This book is all about avoiding bearish turns in bull markets, and not, as the title claims, about profiting from bear markets.
   
   While the first half of the book is full of substantial and enlightening advice about reducing risk in bull markets, Harding offers only a meager 10 pages or so of light commentary on tools for profiting in down markets, namely short-selling and put options.
   
   Having introduced short-selling and put options, he quickly abandons the subject, with barely a word of advice on how long to hold a short position, and not one word of guidance on executing an options trade.
   
   If you want to learn how to avoid bear turns in bull markets, this book is worth the price.
   
   But if you want to learn how to execute profitable options trades and short sales in a bear market, you won't find this book helpful.



2. While it might be nice if markets always went up, the truth is, there is a 'Bear Market" every three to four years on average. If you don't understand what bear markets are and how they can impact your investments, you should read this book. Using the old "Buy & Hold" mentality is great when stocks go up 50%. But, it is a lousy method when bear markets take 20% or 50% or 85% of your hard-earned gains away.
   
   Even if you are not comfortable 'shorting' the market during downturns, knowing how to watch for bear markets so you can watch from the sidelines will definitely improve your investment returns. Sy Harding has been around long enough to have seen a number of bear markets, thus he has firsthand knowledge that is worth knowing. Just get the book and read it. It will make you a better investor.



3. I really enjoyed this book. As an investor, I've never been through a bear market. So I bought this and several other books on the subject. The data in this book is through 1998 and the book appears to have been published in the first part of 1999. Mr. Harding clearly shows that a big bear market is coming and that it's just around the corner (which it was, starting in 2000). He presents fact after fact to show this. His evidence is so compelling that anyone who read the book and didn't take some action to protect their portfolio really had their head in the sand. In the course of his comments, he presents a lot of statistics on bear markets, which I also found interesting. One of his major themes is to buy at the beginning of the "seasonally favorable season" (which begins about Nov 1) and to sell at the end of it (about May 1 of the next year). While I've heard this strategy before and find it quite interesting, one should note that on page 220 of the book, the author indicates that a lot of the work in developing his ideas for this segment was formed, not based on years of experience with it, but during the research for the book. It's unclear whether the author uses it himself or recommends it to clients. However, I like the idea and this presentation of it is excellent.



4. This is one of the unique books on investing that teaches you not only how to not lose money during a bear market, but to actually make money. What I was most impressed with was the fact that this book was written in 1998 and published in 1999 months before the brutal bear market of 2000-2002. The author was proven correct on what the book says about market trends and cycles and the dangers of the market being over valued based on historic price to earnings ratios. He explains that markets are like a river and that all stocks eventually are swept up in its current whether it is a bear or bull market. I agree with him completely about the dangers of buy and hold investing. The professionals do not do this, even Peter Lynch would put in sale orders daily on certain stocks based on where they were in valuation based on price while he was managing the Magellen Fund. I actively trade inside my 401k and it has enabled me to return 25% a year in returns from 2003-2006, 10% in 20007. He also discusses the value in seasonal trading and gives you mechanical systems to follow for great profits. The book will show you how to identify and profit from a bear market. Read it to balance out your trading. Trade both ways by learning to go short stocks in addition to going long.



5. This is the best book on the subject I read so far!
   Written in 99, it predicted not only the bear market ahead but warned of its severity. Such a contrast with many books that teach you to recognize trends in the middle of a chart.
   Thanks, Sy!

3 comments about Using Technical Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Applying Stock Market Charting Techniques, Revised Edition.

1. I really like this book as it covers the basics and has examples where you have to use what you've learned to do the exercises. The reading is pretty dry but I still refer back to the book often when I'm trying to remember what a "double bottom" means or what an "ascending triangle" helps you predict.



2. This is a practical book about Technical Analysis written by an investor with over 30 years of experience who has "been there and done it". The book has a section with exercises. If I had a complaint, it would be that the patterns shown in the example charts are too clear; things are not that crystal clear in real life. Anyone who reads this book should also read "Trading The Plan" by Robert Deel. Both are very practical.



3. If you have never read a technical analysis book then I highly recommend this above everything else. For startes it's barely over 200 pages short, with more than half those pages dedicated to charts. Simply put you only read about 100 pages.

   The beauty is those 100 pages are powerful and geared perfectly for the beginner. After reading this book I was bitting at the bit to apply my new knowledge, and no longer regard picking stocks as a crap-shoot.

   You CAN educate yourself to financial freedom, and this book will help you do that.

5 comments about The Short Book on Options: A Conservative Strategy for the Buy and Hold Investor.

1. Enjoyed this book! It delivers as promised. I picked it up hoping to get a clear understanding of options and how they work. I was more than pleased, as this book provided all I was looking for, and more. The author presents material in pleasant, easy to grasp language. I now have a very clear understanding of options. The covered call writing strategy sounds good to me. I never knew it was so easy to obtain some safety for my stocks. I have already opened my options account and my broker is offering encouragement.



2. I found this book to be just what I was looking for. After a complete introduction to the topic, Mr. Wolfinger helps the novice options investor clearly understand one conservative strategy. The author is very dedicated and thorough in explaining the concepts. He makes no assumptions that the reader has previous knowledge of what he teaches, yet he is never condescending. I also appreciate the easy to read font size. The text is large enough that I can read it without my glasses! Many thanks to the author for having the patience and know-how to start a beginner from "square one". I look forward to other books on the subject by this author.



3. This book delivers, I did not know about options prior reading, the simple and yet comprehensive presentation allows to develop a good grasp of how to use options on a conservative and solid fashion.
   What he advocates (protection and enhancement) of a portfolio is well presented and plan to use his advice.
   More likely will now seek more information and knowledge with more elaborated books (not sure is really needed) but the basics are here.
   thank you Wolfinger



4. The book is unquestionably the best book on writing covered calls available. The writer is efficient without bias and without the use of puffery to make a point.



5. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but it was recommended to me by a friend so I ordered it. When I got it, my first thought was
   "Wow. Short book is right." But don't let its length fool you. It is for people new to options and it's a very condensed volume of information that focuses on covered calls and touches on a few variations of them. It starts out with an overview of options and gives good easy to understand examples. It then moves into buying and selling options and finally focuses on covered call writing. It gives very good examples of various trades and the affects of yields and volatility.
   
   You can use this book to get started on covered call writing with good confidence. I really liked this book a lot because it was very focused on teaching one very effective and conservative options strategy instead of trying to teach several confusing strategies all at once.

3 comments about Investing in Nature: Case Studies of Land Conservation in Collaboration with Business.

1. This is a book for people who are ready to get very creative! Prepare to learn how to braid industry, energy, and conservation into a plan for America's future. Bill GInn begins the converstation with a great and very practical story about his own inability to grow food on his own farm in Maine because his soil was too acidic. Lookiing for solutions led him to his discovery that the " cheap miracle" he needed was in the waste product the paper mill in his own backyard was spending millions of dollars trucking out of the state. From this beginning, he saw a new life for waste materials, and an industry growing from it. Realizing he could do as much as an " eco-business man" than he could as the head of Maine's prestiges Audubon Society, he launched on an odessy which will inspire and ignite the interest of others looking for a new way to move ahead in our quest for a future for America's Conservation Movement.
   Hooray for Mr. Ginn's documentation and careful focus. I look forward to his future and his next book!



2. William J. Ginn's Investing In Nature: Case Studies Of Land Conservation In Collaboration With Business is a valuable discussion linking business interests to environmental concerns to show how conservation investment banking can work. Ginn's background in both business and land conservation issues at The Nature Conservancy allows him to reveal collaborative efforts which work for both in this inspirational guide of real-life achievements.



3. By describing TNC actions involving large tracts of land, the author illustrates the industry -- NGO cooperation that is required if we wish to take land protection beyond the token tracts that are are the norm for actions using only conservation funding.

3 comments about Investing from Scratch: A Handbook for the Young Investor.

1. I liked it, and it was helpful, except it wasn't geared to COMPLETE beginers who have had zero experience to investing... I would have liked there to be a section telling you exactly what all the numbers (like in a wall st. journal) mean, and how they relate to a company... The glossary was very thin...



2. Lowell's writing voice is engaging, intelligent, and refreshingly free of finance jargon. This is a primer for people who have more on their minds than their mutual fund returns. One of the very few books of this genre I could actually relate to, as someone with a healthy skepticism towards the American dream of riches and retirement. Written uncondescendingly and with attention to the often ignored but important issues of investors' social responsibilities, and if it is in fact possible to do well and do good at the same time. One of the few books of this genre that doesn't alienate me.



3. The author writes very well, but all too often the advice is a little thin. I liked his approach to handling money but for real practical advice I found another book more useful: "How To Invest $50 to $5,000" by Dunnan. However, both make excellent presents for young and/or inexperienced investors and savers.

1 comments about The Lean Business Management System; Lean Accounting Principles & Practices Toolkit.

1. The Lean Business Management System; Lean Accounting Principles & Practices Toolkit
   
   This book is a very handy reference and "how to" book for everyone that is working with or towards a Lean Enterprise. Lots of pictures and examples combined with an excellent organization so that you can find exactly the material you are looking for very rapidly.
   
   For the advanced practioner of Lean I recommend Maskell's and Baggely's ground-breaking text "Practical Lean Accounting" (the disk alone is worth the price)it is a scholarly read best suited for the Accounting professional and does not have as many pictures as this LBMS book has. "The Lean Business Management System" is a great next step after I capture someone's attention with "Life's Little Lean Accounting Book" to get them some practical examples and detailed answers.
   
   I keep this book on top of my credenza for quick reference and recommend everyone in the Lean, Finance, and Accounting communities do also.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Living Trust: A Step-by-step Plan to Protect Your Assets, Limit Your Taxes, and Ensure Your Wishes Are Fulfilled.

1. No matter what financial situation you are in today, or the size of your portfolio, this book provides all kinds of essential information to help you protect your interests and assets so they can be passed down to family members or favorite charities.
   
   Examples are sprinkled throughout many chapters to give the reader a better understanding of complex terms and legal situations.
   
   There are interesting historical facts regarding how living trusts evolved as well as the origins of probate court.
   
   The example forms located in the appendix of the book, was a feature I found particularly valuable. Form topics ranged from, a revocable living trust, to a health care power of attorney and advanced health care directive. The latter can be used to ensure your final medical wishes are carried out with minimal controversy.
   
   The subject matter is displayed in very simple to understand terms and the book can be used by anyone who is trying to determine if the living trust is the right tool for them, based on their individual needs.
   
   I liked this book because it not only presented an array of information on such important topics as related tax issues and types of available trusts, but it also explained the pros and cons of going the route of the living trust.
   
   The book also touches on two other unique items including same-sex partners and the division of assets, as well as what steps you should take if you are ever charged with administering a living trust.



2. The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Living Trust is an excellent resource for anyone considering creating a living trust. It delineates which individuals would benefit from having such an instrument as part of their estate plan. The book thoughtfully explains both the why and the how-to of the living trust as well as alternative options to safeguarding your estate. It describes how to reduce taxes on the estate as well as create a simpler, quicker transfer of wealth to your intended heirs. Sample forms are included for ease of creating the trust yourself, if you so desire. Mr. Fisher even walks the reader through the process of settling a living trust for the future trustee.
   
   This book rates five out of five stars for taking complicated subject matter and making it very easy to understand. I consider it a must-have for anyone with an estate to leave for their heirs.



3. Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
   
   Steven D. Fisher has expertly written about the need to creating your own living trust with great insight. With the amount of in-depth information covered, this book is appropriately called a "Guide to creating your own Living Trust".
   
   Steven D. Fisher has elaborated every factor involved in creating a living trust. He has comprehensively explained aspects such as the types of trusts, the need for a will and what type, how to make it easier for the trustees and heirs, the types of laws relating to living trusts and more. The sample forms he has provided are especially helpful.
   
   I liked the guidance and advice he presented from the trustee's point of view. I especially like the warning about scams involving living trusts, which I didn't even know existed.
   
   I felt I had to read some parts in the book a few times before I fully understood some aspects he was trying to explain but this could be because there are a lot of legalities involved in the process of creating a living trust to start with.
   
   Overall, "The Complete Guide to creating your own Living Trust" enriches the reader's knowledge about living trusts by expansively covering all the aspects and issues related to it.



4. "The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Living Trust," written by Steven D. Fisher, is thorough and helpful to read when you are thinking about setting up a living will or a trust. The book is especially nice because it is fitting for all readers-- a novice like myself could pick up the book and easily understand the world of trusts by the end of the introduction. An estate planning lawyer could use the book as a handy reference. I enjoyed the book because it wasn't pressuring its readers to set up a trust. It was an unbiased point of view, telling the negatives and positives about trusts. It was honest about price and necessity of having a living trust, as they aren't for everyone. It even dedicates a chapter giving readers information to avoid probate besides living trusts.In an organized manner it shows the different parties to a trust, what types of trusts are available and the beneficiaries of a living trust. I also found several little chapters at the end helpful. Fisher went out of his way answer specific questions, like what happens after the grantor dies?, and how do you leave property to minor children?As a living trust beginner, I found the book very helpful because it explained things simply. The table of contents was also nice because it broke chapters into subcategories to make it easier to quickly find information you want. I give this book five stars out of five.



5. In economic times such as these, securing your assets is quickly turning from a good idea to absolutely crucial, as the odds are growing it can all go away between the taxman and rising expenses. One of the more viable options, aptly covered by Steven D. Fisher in his book "The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Living Trust" is to set that property into a living trust - a legal arrangement that sets property aside to be managed for another's benefit, with a good share of tax benefits connected.
   
   Trusts can be complex issues, so Fisher keeps the book in order by dividing the sections into concise and readable chapters that answer the main questions you may have if you want to open a trust. He gives the rundown on trusts for (among others) single people, couples, families, the especially wealthy and those who would like to give to charity, setting each one up so the relevant information is easy to find. The book concludes with genuinely practical information, such as a rundown on living trust scams and sample forms to give you a more personal picture of what a living trust agreement will look like.
   
   The strongest part of this book is its accessibility. He lets you know right away if this book is for you (for example, someone young and unmarried like me shouldn't consider a trust) and walks you through each of the appropriate terms with the acceptance that you may not know any of this to begin with. None of the text is bogged down in enough legalese to be inaccessible, and while some of the information seems excessive- an early section on taxes slows the book considerably - but none of it is ever beyond understanding.
   
   I would certainly not advise anyone to set up a trust without consulting an attorney, but "The Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Living Trust" ensures you will know what you are talking about when you begin the process. Anyone who has a large amount of property and wants to make sure the government doesn't take the lion's share of it would be wise to review it, at the very least to see if a trust is the right idea.

1 comments about My Little Black Book to Success.

1. My Little Black Book to Success: Reach, Teach, and Send
   
   This Black Book To Success is Dedicated And Directed To 99% Of The 26.8 Million U.S. Businesses Nationwide And Offers Proven Solutions That Future Business Owners And Associates Want And Need Right Now With Answers To Be Successful In This Downward Economy!
   
   There Is At Least One Take Away That You Will, No Matter Your Demographics, Receive By Reading This Book To Change Your Life And Career/Business Future.
   
   This Book Is Very User Friendly(you do not need to be in the business world very long or not at all), With Easy To Understand Examples/Analogies And Over 50, Rock Solid Time Tested Solutions in Operations, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources and Accounting.
   
   This Book Is A Must Read If You Own And/Or Work For A Small And Mid-Sized Company Or Would Like To One Day!

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.