Economic-income Books

Here is a commercial real estate investment book that doesn't require a degree in finance to keep up with. At the same time it is not too simplistic for experienced investors. I found this a little surprising, considering Randel is a real estate attorney. It doesn't take long to understand what he means by real estate entrepreneur vs. investor. The entrepreneur gets creative and is willing to try things in his market that haven't been tried before. Having no money doesn't stop him, it just encourages more creativity. He isn't satisfied with institutional type returns, but looks to hit the ball out of the park, while still managing his risk.

Each major technique is illustrated with a story that describes a transaction in detail. In the more complex examples, Randel slows down and defines his terms to help us "get it." His deals range from half a million dollars on up to near 50 million. These stories make the book entertaining. I could hardly put it down. Now I have a idea (Randel's) for a commercial office building that could double its value within two to three years, even if the market is flat.

The principles stay the same, it is the applications that change. Learn these principles to apply this year in your market to create returns worthy of a real estate entrepreneur.

Jim Randel shares his 30+ years of real estate experience in this outstanding book. You might not know that he leased Bed, Bath and Beyond space in one of his buildings and they tried to hire him to expand nationwide. He turned down the job. Also, he leased Martha Stewart her first store in the 1980s in Westport, CT. He has closed more than 5,000 transactions as an attorney and is one of the brightest real estate investors in the country. His self-deprecating writing style is refreshing. He once made almost $1,000,000 for an hour long meeting that resulted in a 50/50 split of a brokerage commission. You'll learn more about these stories and much more in "Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur".

You simply must buy this book!

This book is absolutely excellent. Jim's writing is straightforward and easy to understand even when he is discussing fairly complex ideas. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in any aspect of commercial Real Estate!

Finally a book for someone in the NE to read and understand NE real estate numbers, both insightful and inspirational.

If you are looking for a step by step buy a house, rehab it, and get rich, please find another book. If you are looking for a dull textbook type presentation you should also pass.

If you are looking for clear explanations of concepts and illustrated with some small case studies to kick start your brain, then this might be just the thing to get you from dreaming to doing.

Although I knew almost all the concepts presented, this book made them much more concrete. I have already begun the process of actually doing instead of sitting on my butt thinking about doing!

Thank You!!

After reading this book, I realized that I was utilizing many of the authors techniques, however he gave me great ideas to continue to explore other ways to generate more business from my current clients, as well as new ones.

I am a big believer that sales courses or a Sales Major should be offered at colleges and Universities...and this would be required reading!

The book does give you methods on how to "take control" of YOUR sales career and not allow others to influence you in a negative way.

This book presents a great overall picture of what you need to do in sales. Told in anecdotal format, with references to popular movies, it clearly points out the attitude and steps you need to take to succeed in sales.

Mastering sales is tremendously hard work-equal or greater than in any profession. The prestige may or may not be there (unless you are counting money), but it is a trade off type of thing- lots of rejection but limited politics on the job, variations in income but no income ceiling. The author refreshes a sale person's memories of all that's good in the profession, while giving specific tips on organization and taking steps to reach your goals.

- A must for every beginner in sales~

I read books, participate in webinars and am constantly looking for "gems" that will provide new insights and/or remind me of the right things to do in the sales process.

This book cut through all the BS (pardon my French), and provided concrete steps in the sales process to enhance and expedite the sale of profitable business.

I would highly recommend this to anyone in sales ... no matter what your level of expertise or tenure.

This book gave me some insights into a few ways to think differently about sales. As a recent "Accidental Salesperson," I found this book to be truly insightful and very relevant for people willing to think a bit about how these ideas may or may not apply to their line of work.

It's an easy read, filled with pop culture references for easy application, and several interesting gimmicks and tactics about how to improve your sales process, but more importantly it's about truth in sales making it easier to sell a worthwhile product. It's about being a consultant, rather than a salesperson. The charts and scripts are certianly helpful and articulate, but you have to go beyond that in order to really make it work. It has started a continuing conversation with my colleagues and friends who found themselves in sales "accidentally," and that's all I can ask for in a book.

Anyone who claims there is a one-stop shop (or book) to the secret of success in sales, is also likely to think that there's a magic diet pill to solve our problems of obesity in America. For the rest of us, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Bernie.

I read this book and can attest that this book is NOT what it seems to be. The reviews claim this to be the best sales book of all time, but these reviews lack capacity in what is acutally contianed in this book.

The book shows you gimmicks and silly methods used for prospecting. The real world deals with professionals. I am a stock broker and would not want to be associated with these type of methods or have them by any means reflect my line of business.

I would recommend two books: 1. "How to Master the Art of Selling" by Tom Hopkins 2. "Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere" by Brian Tracy. These are real books with so much information to be absorbed under one read.

I won't lie to you and tell you that one single book outhere is the best. But these two books combined is the best sales modus you will develop.

Terry writes in a way that is easy to understand and provides advice that you can put into action. Money can be stressful for many people - The Savage Number will show you how to plan and reduce the fear around retirement planning. I appreciated all the resources and practical guidance in this book. This is a book that everyone should have in their financial planning library -

I have found this book to be very helpful for me and friends concerning retirement planning. It is easy to read, factual and provides good information. I have given several copies of this book to friends who are nearing retirement and I have yet to hear anything negative about the book. It doesn't answer all the questions about a very tough topic but it is a very good retirement planning tool to have.

I have purchased and read more than a dozen books resently on personal finance. Almost everyone will get something helpful out of this book. I would say for at least 80% of the Baby Boomers this should be a must read book. The link to Financial Engines is worth more that ten times the price of the book.

I also like All About Asset Allocation by Richard Ferri, and all of Ben Stein's books!

Book publishers know a good thing when they see it. That explains why there is yet another book on Baby Boomer retirement planning. But, fear not, "Savage" isn't the description of a fierce retirement savings program that will bite you in the wallet; it's the name of the author: Terry Savage, a personal finance newspaper columnist. In this case, she seems to have linked many of her columns together to form a basic book for novice investors who are planning for retirement. While much of the content may seem very familiar to anyone who reads mainstream financial publications, having it in book form is convenient. We recommend Savage's nuts-and-bolts information to people who are just entering the workforce, novice investors, financial planners and human resource people concerned about issues affecting retirees. It is also a handy quick reference for questions about Medicare, reverse mortgages, long-term health insurance or estate planning. If you are on the verge of retirement, it's a good refresher, although you needed to know most of this some time ago.

My plan is to retire in five years. I have been reading and studying several books to make sure that I am on the right track. I would recommend this book because it gives you a pretty clear picture of what you need to be considering prior to your actual retirement.

This truly was a fantastic book. What I thought would be complicated was made incredibly clear by Mr. Haft. I came away with a greater understanding of investing. I recommend it to everyone - even to those who think they know the market. Mr. Haft knows his stuff.

EXCELLANT BOOK. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO BOTH THE NOVICE AND ADVANCED INVESTOR.HAFT CLEARLY EXPLAINS NOT ONLY TIMELESS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES,BUT SOME ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES THAT ARE "OUT OF THE BOX"THINKING. A SOLID READ, AJOB WELL DONE,YOU WONT BE DISAPOINTED.

As the President of a nationwide finance company I have read countless books on "Investing".........This book is not only a very easy and entertaining read but opened my eyes to some very new and lucrative ideas that I will no doubt take advantage of in my financial planning.

Haft writes in a style that is not only informative but amusing and keeps me totally awake and alert while reading him. His thoughts and concepts and better yet explanations as to why the prudent investor should avoid mutual funds and get better returns by just following a few basic rules, make me wonder why I have been listening to Brokers for years. I have attended one of his seminars, and the book is even better because it spells out in detail, how I should be investing for both safety and good returns, and I plan to follow his advice very closely in the future. He also gets into the Insurance game and IRA protection in methods I was never aware of.
Great Read. Al S. Laguna Beach Ca.

Easy to read and understand. Especially liked the part on purchasing the different types of Life Insurance. Very educational.

If there ever was a time to read Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck, it's now. Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck: A Conversation About Income, Wealth, and the Steps in Between (Total Candor)is a clear and concise conversation about personal finance that empowers you to take charge of your finances with confidence. The chapter Take This Book and Use It! has become my indispensable resource as I get my financial act together. There are a lot of personal finance books on the market, but I found Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck to be the most effective for me.

Michael Rubin has provided and delivered an effective roadmap to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of personal financial security. Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck disperses uncommonly good sense in an interesting and easily understandable way. Bravo!

Have questions about money, finances, wealth (or the absence of it!!) This is the book you'll wish you read a long time ago. I went from not even knowing I didn't know, through to moving in an excellent direction in comparatively no time at all (especially considering the years it took me to get as far wrong as I was!!) The Authors use of conversational writing coupled with enough humor to keep us non-financial types interested is nothing short of amazing. This book is not only an easy read but also an excellent gift. Again, THANK YOU Mr. Rubin

I'm a 29 y/o -- I point that out because while I did not really take anything away from this book, someone 21/22 years old straight out of college may get a thing or two from it. It covers the basics of saving money, retirement plans, etc...

Having read both Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" and this book, I must highly recommend "Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck" to you.

It covers, in detail, many different aspects of personal finance (insurance, taxes, paychecks and 401(k) considerations, investing, debt, etc.) while maintaining a sense of humor throughout. Although "Total Money Makeover" does get one motivated to get out of debt, it does not supply the thorough education and background, which "Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck" does so well.

If you are looking for a basic/intermediate personal finance education- this is the book to start with. It is very practical and no-nonsense, without angrily clubbing you over the head with words like "stupid" and "idiotic" (as Mr. Ramsey likes to do in "Total Money Makeover"). Also, this book has a useful appendix with helpful websites and a glossary of terms.

A great read! Thank you Mr. Rubin!

I have been a widow for many years and timid about anything but the most conservative investments. A friend recommended this book to me. As I proceeded from chapter to chapter I gained a resolve not to be so intimidated by the world of real estate investing. I have contacted an agency to find me appropriate investment properties that fit : The Big Six Formula for Achieving Wealth in Real Estate as outlined by Mr Rosen.
I am excited about my prospects and thankful to have read this book.

Excellent book for commercial Real Estate.
I suggest you to read it for a better understanding of how a market works.

I am currently looking for a position in commercial Real Estate.
I have a bachelor degree in Real Estate and Finance.
[...]

Kenneth D. Rosen has constructed a concise yet thorough digest of investing in commercial real estate. He has reinforced previously learned concepts and opened my eyes to other pathways. The book is extremely well written and logically guides one's search for successful endeavors in investing. The language is clear, simple, and follows a natural sequence. It lends itself to the syllabus of a M.B.A. business school in its scope.

With nearly 30 years in commercial real estate, I continue to learn from seasoned veterans like Ken Rosen. Ken is an accomplished real estate professional, investor and educator. I am honored to be a part of this book which provides easy to understand and down to earth advice for anyone who needs to learn about commercial real estate or wants to invest in real estate. I have read many "how to succeed" books over the years; and none have been as complete and informative as "The Big Six". This is real; a methodical approach to wealth and security. Ken's book teaches how to build a successful real estate portfolio one step at a time. Readers need to bear in mind that the right investment demands determination, patience, diligence and perseverence. Do your homework and let "others" help build your wealth and pay your mortgage as they pay their rent.

Ken Rosen shares with the reader his vast experience in his latest book, Investing in Income Properties. The book covers all facets of the process of searching for, purchasing and maintaining an Income Property. His grasp of the subject stems from his many years of hands-on experience in real estate, and he presents all the information in a clear, concise and accessible narration that readers will find pleasant to read. His Big Six Formula, combined with his use of real-life stories and hypothetical examples allows the reader to participate in the process instead of just reading about the process. If you own or are interested in owning income properties, Ken Rosen's "Investing In Income Properties" is a must-read!

This is a very good book, I've read several real estate books in the past and this one is one of the better ones. Content is more down to the real world and has a lot of number crunching which is great. Recommended reading.

This is a book that turns conventional wisdom on it's ear. This book was eye-opening for me in much the same way that "Rich Dad Poor Dad" was years ago. This book is a great starting point for anyone interested in real estate investing. I also recommend looking up their podcast on I-tunes called "The Real Estate Guys".

I learned of the book through a weekly podcast of Real Estate Guys Radio, which is hosted by the authors. I have read many books on real estate investing, but this one really challenged my thinking on several philosophies. (I hate to admit this, but I had some similar ideals to the fictitious Conrad Soomer in the introductory section).

Since finishing the book, I have created a written plan and made an offer on a six unit apartment building. I have also re-evaluated my previous guiding principle of paying down loans faster and am planning to pull some equity out of existing properties.

I strongly recommend this to any reader who understands that real estate investing is a proven way to build net worth, but needs a kick in the pants to get started.

I gained so much from reading (and re-reading sections) of the book, I bought copies for all my RE partners. I read A LOT of real estate books and was very impressed with the ideas and the presentation. A must for newbies to help you get the concepts down and experienced people to reflect and review and learn some new things.

These guys have a great and entertaining way of writing about real estate. They are also honest, there's none of this "make a million overnight with real estate" garbage. Instead they lay out the foundations for changing your mindset, which a lot of books dont even mention. How are you going to win at the real estate game if you have the wrong mental attitude and work ethic going in? After they change your attude, they lay the foundation for getting started in real estate, and telling you realistically that there will be ups and downs, but over the long haul, like a 15 year or more period, you will make substantial wealth with real estate. Loved the tone of the book as well, funny and frank with their information. They have a home study course, which I'm sure goes into more detail than this book does, and I'm going to order it. But this book is a great place to start.

Mike Brook's book is a quick and simple read. This book is a helpful reminder of what action you can do to earn a spot in the top 20% sales ranking. He offers great phone scripts and helpful objection statements. I highly recommend his book to new and seasoned sales professionals everywhere.

Patricia Thomson

This is a short sweet book and it gives you the low down on cold calling. The bottom line in sales is that most of the time the information out there is fluff. The meat and potatoes of selling is that you have to be always prospecting - that's the bottom line. You have to get out there and get the business. If you are serious you only need this one book. How do I know? I've bought most of them. This is a no nonsense approach and it works. Get this book - do what it says and you'll make money.

Mike Brooks is a master at success when it comes to teaching the Secrets of the Top 20%. After reading his book, The Real Secrets of the Top 20%, I was thrilled with the results and understanding that I gained! As a consistent top performer, trained by many well-known sales coaches, I always thought that staying in the Top 20% occurred with efficient action items, and a positive attitude. I could never explain to others why or how I had become a top performer, other than by doing certain activities consistently, and then the results were inevitable.

What I learned from The Real Secrets of the Top 20%, however, was how to turn my action items into predictable and repeatable results and how to STAY in the Top 20%, especially during difficult times. To start with, I learned a new skill each week, practiced the skill, and then watched how this new skill transformed me into a more successful sale professional. Over time, this new skill became a habit, and as the habits multiplied, so did my results! Success was no longer a mystery and I could begin to share my techniques with others.

I highly recommend this book as well as Mike's Boot Camp to anyone in sales, as I learned how to refine my sales skills using leading edge sales strategies that only the most successful sales coaches understand. If you are serious about being in the Top 20%, or moving into the Top 5%, do not hesitate to purchase this book. Buy it for yourself and your sales teams and believe me, you'll be happy you did.

Andrea Samadi, author of The Secret for Teens Revealed: How Parents, Teachers, and Teenagers Can Inspire Leadership and Transform Lives

About six months ago our company hired Mike to come in and train our Inside Sales team and help with our cold calling scripts. We had a difficult time finding someone like Mike who truly understands cold calling and the unique challenges associated with it. When Mike came in to meet with us we immediately knew that Mike "got it". Our sales team is seeing great results because of implementing many of Mike's techniques and using his scripts.

Mike's newest book, The Real Secrets of the Top 20%, encompasses many of these techniques and scripts. There are plenty of sales books out there, but few that focus on cold calling like this book does. You'll learn everything from how to overcome reflex responses to closing techniques that really work. All of the scripts Mike presents are easily adaptable to any type of business. Whether you are a sales rep or a Sales Manager, you'll learn something new.

If you consider yourself a sales professional and ARE NOT in the Top 20% of your game then read this book to get there. If you ARE in the Top 20% then read this book to move yourself into the Top 1%.

After reading the book you'll want to keep it on your desk to reference the quick summary page at the end of each chapter.

This book is not about sales theory but filled with solid how-to advice complete with scripts you can adapt to your own selling process.

Read the book now and start reaping the rewards of the Top 20%.

This book is great. I found it to be written so that anyone could understand retirement planning and immediately use the information to change the way you see retirement planning.
I've read dozens of books and this is one of my top pic's!

This is a GREAT book on retirement investing that readers can actually use. It takes the "mystery" out of retirement plans and investing. I walked away with a better understanding of my retirement plan options and a good strategy for investing the money. I was able to take what I learned and change my 401k investments with confidence.

The book includes discussions of the types of retirement accounts (401k, IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, etc) and how they work. The author includes information for all income levels ("do you earn too much for an IRA"; "advice for low-income people").

The best part of the book explains how to create a diversified portfolio of retirement investments. The book explains different types of mutual funds (large-cap, mid-cap, etc) and how to pick a good balance. Then the author shows how this can be applied to pretty much any 401k plan. There are discussions on "dollar-cost-averaging" (which she recommends) and "timing the market" (which she doesn't recommend).

Besides being full of great information, the book is also very readable (not too dry and boring). This is a book that even the novice investor can use to get started and I highly recommend it.

This the best investing book that i have read.Clearly explained and to the point.Buy this book, the advise that you get will be worth it bigtime.

I have learned so much about retirement funds! I am recommending it to my children,colleagues and friends.

What I like best about this book is that it offers specific, detailed advice about how to divide up your retirement portfolio amongst different types of assets - and explains why you should divide it that way, and how to adjust the proportions over time. The author provides historical trends and an explanation of the global stock markets so that you can understand for yourself why she offers her advice, meaning that you're not just taking her at her word. Best of all, after you read this book, you really just need to implement her advice and then rebalance your portfolio every year. I loved it and have recommended it to everyone I know.

The book is Very Good. However, I received a 2005 edition. The current edition is 2008. The later is edition has research that is more current. I returned the book and kept the new one I had purchased at B & N.

When I read the title to this book, the first thing I thought was "sounds to good to be true". But to my surprise, the book has a tremendous amount of actionable information. I've read 10+ books on asset allocations and investing during retirement and this is by far the most complete. My only complaint is the hardsell on mutual funds by one particular company. But this was only done in a couple of chapters and does not diminish the vast majority of the books contents.

The most complete book for understanding the whats and hows of retirement planning and investing for retirement. Complete with data to support the ideas the author presents.

I found Merriman's writing style easy to read. He does an excellent job of covering the basics of investing including asset allocation.

Merriman's suggestion of holding 50% foreign stocks and 50% U.S. stocks was a little surprising to me. I was not expecting such a high allocation to foreign stocks. Vanguard, for example, suggests no more than 20% foreign stocks. Merriman makes a compelling case for holding 50% foreign stocks, but past performance of foreign stocks relative to U.S. stocks does not necessarily mean future performance will be the same.

Another surprise was no mention of REITs. For a book published in 2005, I expected to see at least a 10% allocation to U.S. REITs.

The last surprise was his recommendation of DFA funds compared to Vanguard funds. He tries to make the case the 1% of assets fee per year to a DFA advisor is more than offset by the superior performance of a DFA fund portofolio compared to a Vanguard portfolio. Most of the extra return is not due to lower DFA expense ratios, but the fact that DFA offers more asset class choices than Vanguard. I'm a big Vanguard fan, plus manage my own portfolio.....so I'm not sold on the DFA approach.

Over-all an excellent book.

I would suggest companion books to supplement this book including:
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
Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It
All About Asset Allocation.

One of the best references on the subject of retirement & Investing I have read so far. Step by step method for securing income during retirement. Intruduces a number of strategies Investors don't want you to know about. I have recommended this book to several of my friends who are also close to retirement. For those close to retirement, it should be front and center in their libraries. A lot of facts backing up recommendations. Short read.