Fund-of-funds Books

This is a very well structured book. it not only focuses on how to invest in latin america but also develops a plan for investing in the united states as well.

Ideal for the investor who wants to venture into this part of the world

The author Michael Molinski makes complicated materials easy for the individual investor to understand. Written in plain, everyday English for the common man. Very insightful and informative. This book is not just about investing overseas, but overall, it is about investing wisely. It touches upon a lot of investing issues, such as diversifying a portfolio, risks aversion, time span and horizon, etc. Specifically, however, Molinski makes a strong and convincing argument for investing in Latin America and shows readers how to go about doing so. Finally, he examines 35 Latin American companies that he sees as having good potential growth in the future. Molinski seems like an authority in Latin America investing because his insights could only have come from someone who's lived in the region and worked there for some time. Having read the book, I will definitely invest money in the Latin American region.

The best book I have read on investing in Latin America. Many interesting insights and valuable wisdom. The author has made use of considerable first-hand experience and serious analysis. An invaluable book for anyone involved with Latin American finance. I highly recommend the book.

This is incredible book, guides you through your entrepreneurship ideas!
And the author Asheesh Advani, is the Founder and CEO of CircleLending, a loan administration company now partner with VIRGIN MONEY!!

INVESTORS IN YOUR BACKYARD: HOW TO RAISE BUSINESS CAPITAL FROM THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW goes beyond most investment or small business guides to tell how to tap into resources of those you know - with respect for all parties and the business under construction. Very few books focus on this aspect of capital and fundraising: INVESTORS IN YOUR BACKYARD offers strategies, insights, tools and secrets to obtaining financing without threatening personal relationships. From preparing a business to attract private financing to developing a loan proposal and documenting agreements and money exchanges, financial calculators and advice provides many options and insights to widen the pool of options and address common issues.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I am so thankful to have found this book. The way the author distills down information that I would have otherwise had absolutely no knowledge about is helpful beyond words. It's also nice to pick up a 450 page resource and not be afraid to dive in and use it. Having little icons and images to guide you through the book was also helpful.
It is so packed full of information you might clall it an investors bible. And if seeing all the forms first hand wasn't enough, it also comes with a cd rom with everything you need to make money work for you.

I don't get motivated to write reviews very easily, but this book is definitely, as the proverb goes, worth its weight in gold!

This book is an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs dealing with the age old challenge of raising capital to form or grow a business enterprise. It is very clearly written and is filled with useful, practical and pertinent information and suggestions. The author does an excellent job of framing the issues and exhaustively reviewing the alternatives available to entrepreneurs. I would certainly recommend this book to those considering launching a business - it is sure to open their eyes to ideas and opportunities they had not envisioned.

I have been a development professional for over twenty years, but Mr. Poderis' book has been, and continues to be, right at reach on my desk as his insights and encouragement have been key to my success as a developmen director of a large arts organization.

A more than handy, practical, reference tool which is timeless and always relevant.

Often fund-raising experts understand an organisation's structure well enough to keep it
a float. Tony Poderis, understands the passion and personalities behind the story of each of his non-profit clients / institutions. Tony's insight positions him to get inside their mission as well as the motivations of prospective funders. It helps FUNDERS to GIVE in a way that catapults the financial futures and visibility of non-profits.

"It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise" is utterly brilliant in several ways:

A manual for Trustees.

A companion to non-profit directors.

A crucial first step for prospective board members.

A guide for current board members.

A conclusive resource for FUNDERS helping them to identify non-profits in key areas mentioned in this book.

"It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise" helps non-profits raise more than funds, they gain and raise genuine friends, who will love and care for them through thick and thin.

Wendy Cheltenham

Tony Poderis reminds all of us who have ever been development officers that it's not rocket science. In his words, "It's just hard work." He's right.

Poderis's "Nine Basic Truths of Fundraising" are worth the price of the book alone. But then he goes on to tell us chapter and verse just how to organize a development department, run a fundraising campaign, and work with volunteer leadership.

With over 30 years of fundraising experience, Poderis knows what he writes about. He's done it all and run a major operation as development director for the Cleveland Orchestra.

Newcomers and old hands alike will derive tremendous benefit from this book, and every board member should read the Nine Basic Truths.

This just could be the best book ever written on fundraising.

The problem with Tony Poderis is that he is terribly tardy in writing "It's a Great Day to Fund-Raise!" If I had read it 20 or so years ago, when he should have written it, I would have avoided some of the blunders he warns against. I wouldn't have taken nearly so long to become effective as a fund raiser. And I wouldn't have quite so many gray hairs today, each earned in the hard school of "experience." But (sigh) he wrote it only recently. Of course, there is a good reason for the interminable wait: Tony first had to rack up an incredible 20 years as director of development for The Cleveland Orchestra, where he was responsible for the largest annual institutional fund-raising campaign in Cleveland. Oh, and toss in another four or five years subsequent consulting experience, as well. I note, with some satisfaction, that the author has even more gray hairs than do I -- each one earned, no doubt, in the same "school." As evidence, I present Exhibit A: the picture on the cover (there's Tony standing before, of all things, an open bank vault!). That experience shines through in the book. His simple, pragmatic writing style patiently mentors the reader in the art of effective fund raising. The reader may be new to the field, where a book like this is invaluable and where I suspect Tony directed his focus. Or the reader may be well-experienced, where the book reaffirms lessons learned and truths well tested. Did I use the word "pragmatic"? "It doesn't take a genius to raise money," he states early on. "The process is a combination of common sense, hard work, preparation, courtesy, commitment, enthusiasm, understanding, and a belief in what you are selling." See? As expected, the book starts with goal setting and leadership (Chapter 2). But this is not an academic "text." Rather, the author reaches into his bag of experiences and pulls out the time a board trustee got up and announced, "What we need is more endowment. We ought to have a $50 million endowment campaign." Gulp. Wasn't his hair dark brown just before that? This guy has been there. Done that. That's where mentors come from. Well, actually, Tony starts even sooner than goal setting and leadership. Chapter 1 covers the Nine Basic Truths of Fund-Raising. Here's one: "You don't wait for the 'right' moment to ask; you ask now." I loved that one. How many fund raisers are captivated by the word "cultivation," so much so that they don't seem to understand that fund raising also requires "reaping," too? I often wonder how many fund raisers, were they farmers, would leave their carefully cultivated crop to wilt in the field, season after season? Tony's "Nine Truths" are as close to "theory" as he gets. After Chapter 1, he moves methodically through what it takes to succeed. Chapter 2, on goal setting and leadership, is quickly followed by an admonition to "know your organization" (Chapter 3); creation of a general development plan (Chapter 4); funding sources (Chapter 5); prospecting for donors (Chapter 6); rating and evaluating prospects (Chapter 7); annual campaigns (Chapter 8); endowment campaigns (Chapter 9); capital campaigns (Chapter 10); sponsorships and underwriting campaigns (Chapter 11); developing a campaign plan (Chapter 12); preparing for a campaign (Chapter 13); managing a campaign (Chapter 14); assessing and reviewing a campaign once it's over (Chapter 15); and developing the development team (Chapter 16). Clearly, this is a useful book that I'd wholeheartedly recommend for the fund raising professional -- new or seasoned. But it is also ideal for any other person involved with an organization's fund raising. Tony's simple, straight-forward, no-nonsense style will be welcomed by board members, volunteers, and others who will appreciate being able to get through it over a couple of evenings or a weekend.

Liberty is at the heart of the Enlightenment experiment and the greatest question of our modern age (post-modernism not yet showing any lasting ability to transform societies). Humboldt was one of those men who championed the continuation of that experiment, to bring reason into human affairs, at a time when Europe began to move sideways into a love affair with Romanticism and folk culture. He also lived prior to the mass overturning of traditions that arose with the industrial revolution. Yet his well reasoned words still hold value in our materialistic, bureaucratic, and corporate world. This is a relatively faithful and accessible rendering of those words. They are worth savoring again and again, whether we love liberty from a left or right perspective, in order to understand that this yearning is part of the human condition. The desire to live one's life free of coercion, whether from majoritarian governments or quasi-private corporations or criminal enterprises masquerading as governments, is there inside our minds and hearts. If lovers of liberty keep that in mind, then the categories of left and right will seem less important and common ground seem more available. For in the end, as those thinkers of the past have pointed out, all lovers of liberty must ultimately stand together on the battlements and fight the good fight side by side, or they will find that liberty stolen from them.

In "The Limits of State Action" Enlightenment thinker Wilhelm von Humboldt describes the leading principle of his thought as being the essential importance of human development in its richest diversity - a principle that is not only undermined by the narrow search for efficiency through division of labour, but by wage labour itself.

Humboldt espouses the libertarian view that whatever labour "does not spring from a man's free choice, or is only the result of instruction and guidance, does not enter into his very nature; he does not perform it with truly human energies, but merely with mechanical exactness"; when the labourer works under external control, "we may admire what he does, but we despise what he is."

Essentially anticapitalist in its nature,"The Limits of State Action" provides insight into the philosophy of libertarian socialism, anarchy and educational reform. Fascinating reading.

I feel a sense of responsibility and urgency to write this review in regards to what the only other reviewer of the Liberty edition has submitted: Wilhelm von Humboldt has nothing to do with "Libertarian socialism" - that statement is simply oxymoronic. Here is what Humboldt speaks to in this particular volume:

1.) The development of classical liberalism in Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century.
2.) The role of liberty in the development of the individual.
3.) The necessary criteria to be met in allowing the state to limit individual actions.
4.) The manner in which it is prudent to confine the state to its proper role.

F.A. Hayek, who utterly rejected socialism, considered Humboldt to be Germany's greatest philosopher of freedom. Humboldt's purpose was to juxtapose the ancient ideals of a pursuit for excellence with the concept of negative liberty - which was later elucidated by Isaiah Berlin. If you are interested in the foundations of classical liberalism, I would suggest reading the works of Hayek, Humboldt, Hobhouse, Collingwood, Berlin, Oakeshott, and Mill. However, if you are interested in socialism I would recommend reading Marx, Proudhon, Feuerbach, Hegel, Rousseau, Richard Pipes' "Property and Freedom," Joshua Muravchik's "Heaven on Earth," and especially, "News from Nowhere," by William Morris.

First off, if you are not sure what libertarian socialism is it is the left wing view that extends from left wing marxism through anarchism, and this book has a lot to do with the footholds of these views. With his speaking of "when work is external from the worker" and so on. and just his overall speaking of the need to strongly decrease the power of the state. He is not over concerned with "private rights", but writing this soo long ago he had no conception of what "private person" would be reinterpreted as. I think he would have agreed to limit these powers too, so it seems to me that he has a lot to do with libertarian socialism in a very indirect way

This book is still remarkably very actual. It is a follow-up on Susan Strange's previous book `Casino Capitalism', which analyzed the financial situation in the 1970s and 1980s.

no international legislation
Susan Strange remarks astutely that there is still no international legislation to fight (and certainly not to solve) an eventual global financial crisis. More, she makes of the international bureaucracies (IMF, BIS, BIRD, OECD) cynically (not as profoundly as J. Stiglitz) a laughing stock.
Prophetically, she observes an explosion of the derivatives market, because banks have to take more and more risks to stay profitable.
For sure, the world needs sound international authorities. The nation States cannot `manage mad international money, yet its leaders are instinctively reluctant to entrust that job to unelected, unaccountable (and often arrogant and myopic) bureaucrats.'
Ultimately, the choice between Keynesianism and monetarism is a political one: `more equity and stability or maximization of wealth creation, quantity or quality of economic growth.'

Aid, drugs, tax havens
Aid for developing countries has minimal or no effect. As an example she cites Bangladesh: `after years of generous foreign grants the economic situation was worse than before. The political and social consequences had been highly corrupting.'
She pleaded for the legalization of drugs, but didn't understand that secret services use drugs money to finance illegal activities (Peter Dale Scott, Gary Webb).
Tax havens are not attacked, notwithstanding the fact that their only goal is `to minimize liability for corporate taxation and their use by heads of State to rob their own people.'

Crime pays
`Robber barons, pirates, thieves and confidence tricksters all ended up wanting to become pillars of society. They married their sons and daughters in the aristocracy. Three generations on and no one knew or cared about how they had got there.'

Susan Strange's book should have been a must read for all economists all over the world.
It is still essential literature for all those wanting to understand the world we live in.

I would like to know if that book is going to be translate in french. Thank you.

Please me know if this book will be tranlsated into Korean, in a few year

The global economy, especially those aspects dealing with global finance, often appear to be intimidating in their complexity. Susan Strange decodes processes of finance and monetary policy and puts them in terms that just about anyone can understand. There is, in fact, nothing that complex about these processes at all. The metaphor of "casino capitalism" still holds...and they are playing with your money. One would do well to read this in combination with a book by George Soros. Comprehensive, but readable. A great book.

I have been buying Morningstar books for mutual funds since 2006. There are a lot of books about how/what mutual funds are, but this is the only kind available for evaluating PAST mutual funds performance. (The other one is from Lipper, which is only available from the web).

Morningstar has a long history to keep track of mutual funds and ETFs data. This gives them an advantage to publish their views on various mutual funds. However, readers must be aware that the ratings are based on historical performance. Nobody can predict the market, but if a fund manager performs well over a long time, it is very likely he/she will perform well in the future.

This book also provide some insight info such as the manager has his/her own money in, and risk data. A plus of the book is that it provides 50 free mutual fund reports downloadable from Moringstar website.

A must have for mutual fund selectors.

I really enjoyed the analysis provided, it seemed to cover most of the bases I wanted to learn about, expenses, tax efficiency, volatility, returns.
Obviously it gets dated. It appears to be published early in the year. Be sure to get the latest.

Great book very informative,a must have if looking to invest in mutual funds

While many people buy mutual funds because they find them easier than building their own portfolio of individual stocks, in fact buying into these funds is in some ways more complex than buying individual company stocks. How do you know what the fund in invested in (companies and sectors), fees, turnover, who the manager is, what their performance has been, how the fund has performed relative to its peers, and much more? It is not an easy task. This handy book provides you with loads of great information for 500 funds picked by Morningstar.

This isn't to say that you should necessarily buy the funds listed here. Morningstar also includes funds you should probably avoid (you have to make your own choices as to what is right for you). One of the interesting things I notices is that simply because something has a four or five star rating doesn't mean that you should buy the fund. This is due to the past performance versus future return probability. It might well be that a well performing fund is now trading at a high price and that the likely future return cannot justify the price. So, the analyst rating also has to be balanced.

The editors have packed a huge amount of information onto each of these pages. You get a snapshot of governance and management (with a stewardship score), a chart of performance, a graph with an historical profile, a star rating including risk for several periods, a portfolio analysis, and a few paragraphs providing Morningstar's take on the fund, and contact information. In the back of the book are several lists that slice and dice the various funds different ways according to specific criteria.

Since funds do not remain static for the entire year, another nice feature of the book is that you can download up to 50 fresh charts during the calendar year. One word of caution that I learned by hard experience is that if you block pop-ups, you need to make an exception for Morningstar. You will try to download the new chart, your count will decrement, but you won't get the chart because you browser will have blocked the pop-up containing the new chart! That was a tad frustrating.

Terrific and interesting information.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

This book is fabulous! Clear and precise, it answered all my questions. Since I am just getting in the investment game, I was pleasantly surprised to find a book so easy to follow for the novice. Kudos to the author! I am really looking forward to Dr. Jones's next book!

I really don't know much about investing. I even avoided those type of courses in college (majored in the life sciences). But I realize that now that I'm a home-owner and making money I need to do something about my future. I'm not a big fan (at all) of the "For Dummies" series of books, so I wanted something a little more informative but personal. While browsing the books I came across this book and found the layout appealing. With chapter names like "Understanding Mutual Funds: The Nitty-Gritty Details" and "Seduced by the Dark Side" I thought this would hold my attention. Upon browsing the first few pages of some of the chapters I also realized that the author took care to write for a varied audience, which I appreciate since this subject somewhat scares me. All in all: job well done! I have read the book from cover to cover and I even made notes in the margins and bookmarked some of the pages. I'm ready to start investing, and I'm much more confident now! Thanks!!

I was asked to review an early draft of this book. I'm really glad I did! Like many other people, I'm recently retired, need to stay tuned to the stcok market so that I can keep my "nest egg" wisely invested, but would much rather be outside playing golf, tennis, etc. I want to enjoy every minute of of each day, and the last thing I want to do is study and play the stock market! So, I don't, or at least not nearly as much as I should.

This book was exactly what I needed. I learned a lot more about mutual funds than I had expected to learn and it was written so that I could easily understand it. Subsequently, I'm making changes that will simplify and improve my investment strategies and will allow me to play golf without that little voice in the back of my head telling me that instead, I should be sitting at my desk studying the "market"!

If this all sounds familiar and you can relate to what I'm saying, then read it! You'll be glad you did!

This book is great and I felt that Dr. Jones had written it just for me. He is right, it is my money and my choice to make good investment decisions. After reading the book, I feel like I am ready to avoid the pitfalls and invest in mutual funds. Thank you Dr. Jones for writing a book that even I can understand.

I have been reading quite a few introductory books in Mutual Fund Investing, and I found this book gave the most comprehensive coverage with minimum reading. Besides, it also gave a lot of good tips and useful references (books, magazines and web sites). If you want to get a good overview on mutual fund investment, then this book is certainly a good start.

this book has to be the simplest and easiest to read investing book ever written. Because of its brevity and straightforward manner, it can be read by any neophyte investor in a short period of time. GOOD LUCK!

Reading this book is the easiest and most time-saving way to learn about mutual funds. If you want a quick introduction to mutual funds which is funny and to the point this book is definitely for you.

I had read many investment books prior to Mr. Kelly's and only gained a modicum of diverse knowledge regarding the structure and function of mutual funds. Because of his suggestions, I literally fired my broker--I know as much as the broker does regarding betas, alphas, deviations, etc. Indeed, a scary feeling. For those whose broker is making the profits, I highly recommend this book

I found this book chock full of REAL content for both pastors and lay people alike. You'll appreciate the "church related language" and the way it's organized for a simple or all-out effort in fund raising/stewardship. You can tell that the author has extensive field experience and comes from "being there, doing that" activity. As a professional fund raising consultant I recommend this work highly. Very readable, to the point, accurate and carefully researched. Highly recommended reading for the noviced or experienced pastor, or layperson, for that matter.

My church recently completed a capital campaign to pay off the mortgage and raise funds to expand our parking lot and begin work on a new sanctuary. I found the book to be a very informative and a useful resource for those of us who are not professional fund raisers. How to plan, organize, and implement a campaign are all laid out in easy to read terms which lead to success when followed. The lists and glossary at the back of the book are most helpful. A great book--definitely 5 stars.

Fundraising is not easy, but it is essential and can be learned if you are committed to be guided step by step through this well-designed resource.

If you are a pastor you must accept your significant role--not an exclusive one--but one that clearly supports the entire funding team.

The tables and appendices are wonderful reference tools!

Read Chapter 7 first and last and between all other chapters as well. It answers the WHY question that puts into perspective the importance of this book. It clearly hits the point of how stewardship and funding are related. They are---of course---not the same.

Use the Checklists and Celebrate Success sections at the end of each chapter. They will make THE difference.

The authors never lose sight of the fact that each word, paragraph, section and chapter clearly reminds us that this a book that deals with MINISTRY.

After purchasing this book, and looking for more information that could help me improve my churches financial base, I was very pleased to find very practical and usable information rather than just a series of suggestions. This hands-on info is also complete with checklists, pledge cards, and year by year planning guides to help the busy pastor and save him time. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. By using this book you'll find a practical, easy to use approach for all types of fundraising. The book also uses tried and proven techniques that have worked across all denominational lines. I believe it will work if you are willing to work it. The book is a very practical approach if you are looking to help improve your churches donor program.

Reads more like a novel than a how-to guide on a topic that could be considered boring. Very up-to-date resource suggestions. Very conversational writing style--not at all like a textbook. Highly recommended for anyone in fundraising.

One of America's most experienced prospect researchers has written the mother-lode on research in fundraising.

Cecelia Hogan's new book is 390 pages of pure value - for fundraisers, researchers, managers and suppliers. Although written primarily for an American audience, its value lies in its cool, concise, cautious approach to research, from day one to the end of your campaign.

Cecelia makes her mark early in the book with a 20-page treatise on the ethics of research. This moral (but not moralizing) tone pervades the book, reminding us to respect our donors and to focus on using "the first philanthropic dollar raised to efficiently identify the next."

The heart of the book is a series of chapters about research techniques. Covering "research math," building a pool of prospects, screening, tracking and managing research, these sections will be of value to researchers from Belfast to Bologna and from Alaska to Adelaide. The techniques that Cecelia describes are applicable in all of these places, even if the sources cited may be American. And experienced researchers will find plenty of value; I found new techniques, new sources, and, new ways of looking at research in this book.

Included in the book is a series of useful appendices including a glossary and models for the paperwork associated with research, as well as more US sources of information and help.

The book is well edited and produced, leaving me with just one gripe - Cecelia's over-use of the first person plural. We don't need to write like that all the time, Cecelia. Good writing can include a passive tense or two.

Whether you are a fundraiser, a researcher or a manager, buy this book and learn all about prospecting from an expert.

Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits is one of the best resources available for those who are new to prospect research, for those who need a refresher or for development officers looking for research guidance. It provides the basics (who, what, when, why, where & how)in easy-to-understand terms and format as well as sample forms. In addition, it takes the process one step further with explanations and ideas for prospect management and tracking. All the information you need to build and/or improve your organization's prospect research department operation.

After a 7 year absence, I reentered the field of prospect research in 2003 just when this book came out. I can't say enough how much it helped me reacquaint myself with traditional research methods as well as introducing me to the many new information research, management, and analysis processes that technology has inspired.

Not sure if I'll stay in prospect research, but will definitely keep the book!