Fund-of-funds Books

Warwick has been raising by mail for years. This easy to read book offers charts, graphs, and systematic approaches to this successful, albeit investment-heavy, form of fund raising. This is an excellent book to get started or to review systems already in place.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

I have seen him speak and then got this book. It is very entertaining but most of all it addresses the subject very methodically. Every reader will recognize the mediocre and unmoving writing that he is fixing and cleaning and transforming. If you are new to fund raising and need a primer on writing the annual letter (often the only fund raising small organizations do) look no further. The Expression "he wrote the book..." may just have been coined to describe this.

I used the basic approach he advocates and turned a dismal campaign around 180 degrees: from break even/loss to real money from a very tired (of the organization) list.

Mal has done it again. This book takes you through every step to incorporate the power of direct mail into your fundraising plans. Whether you're a large established organization or just starting out there are important tips that can help you understand the direct mail business and implement them. It is written in an easy to read style and was quite enjoyable. The techniques will greatly impact our fundraising plan this year!

This book should be required reading for every non-profit organization using direct marketing. Whether you are using a direct marketing agency or doing it all in-house, this book explains not just "how" but "why" and is an invaluable reference that you will turn to again and again. Most of the questions your board has ever asked about direct marketing are answered here. Plus, the author uses real client examples with supporting spread sheets as illustrations. You can't help but be a better fundraiser after reading this book.

Mal has done it again. This book takes you through every step to incorporate the power of direct mail into your fundraising plans. Whether you're a large established organization or just starting out there are important tips that can help you understand the direct mail business and implement them. It is written in an easy to read style and was quite enjoyable. The techniques will greatly impact our fundraising plan this year!

Sometimes I wonder if Mal Warwick ever sleeps. He is the most productive author in the fundraising field and he turns out wonderful books - full of sage advice.

Readers will be happy to see that this completely revised edition of his classic has many examples and hundreds of ideas that will help raise more money. Moreover, it is extremely well-written, unlike many fundraising books!

If your nonprofit has a direct mail program - or you need to convince your executive director to use the mail - this book is valuable.

Revolution in the Mailbox goes on my staff list of "must-read" books - half of which Mal has written or edited. If I could give this book six stars I would.

Lisa Merritt is a great grant writer, as such she makes this book/CD-ROM an easy tool to follow when writing for a grant application.
Concise and easy to follow instructions. This book is a MUST to have at your fingertips !
Ruby Issaev,
Marketing Director
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida

After looking for a grant writer for several months, I decided to take matters into my own hands. If not for the help of this wonderfully concise, clear, and intelligent book, I would have been totally daunted by the task. Lisa Merritt's book is ideal for the novice grantwriter who wishes to take matters into her own hands. Because of this book, I am now actively pursuing my own grants without having to depend on the timeframe of others and without excessive out-of-pocket fees.

As a director of a not-for-profit studio and company I found Lisa Merritt's e-book to be an invaluable tool for tackling the massive field of grant writing. It is simple and concise in an electronic format that suits contemporary submissions.
I have worked with Lisa for many years and can attest to her capabilities as a grant writer. Do yourself a favor and buy this ebook.
Brigid Baker dir. Whole Project/6th Street Dance Studio

The Florida Film Institute has been a client of Lisa Merritt for the past year. She has helped FFI achieve its fundraising goals for 2005/2006 and we are very confident that Lisa will again help our organization raise the bar even higher for 2006/2007. You will find her book simple and a very valuable educational tool.

Stephanie Martino-Rizzi
President/ Dir. of Development

As a guide for either the complete novice or the long-time investment industry professional, this book is hard to beat. It is a veritable step-by-step "cookbook" with detailed explanations of all the areas which must be dealt with in the process. The book covers the process of creating, registering, marketing, and operating an independent mutual fund (it does NOT deal with the issue of running the actual fund's investment portfolio). In particular, the inclusion of very specific timelines/steps for planning both up to, and after, the launch of a fund should be a big help to interested readers. As a long time mutual fund portfolio manager, I would highly recommended this book to any investment professional who ever wondered "what if...." when it came to the notion of setting up their own fund.

If you are really interested by making your own mutual fund, this is an essential book to have. It gives you the require amount of work, the required capital value, the minimum costs, what to do, what to expect, how to team up (you can't do it alone), common mistakes, and good other advices.
However you won't find a line on how to set-up your mutual fund in another country than the USA, but it will give you the general idea of what this industry is like (even if you are not creating your fund in the US, what makes your fund a good mutual fund? Find the answer in the book). Since the US has the tightest regulations, making your mutual fund in another country will be easier. Having this book will help you compare the USA with other jurisdictions.
Warning: it is illegal to set-up a foreign mutual fund targeted for US-investors.

If you ever wanted to start your own mutual fund, or think you have what it takes to be a portfolio manager, this is the book for you.

Melinda Gerber leaves no stone left unturned in her detailing the steps it takes to start your own mutual fund! Attention Wall Street Hot Shots: It takes a lot more to running a mutual fund than simply picking stocks.

This book should be the new bible to the money management industry!

I'm currently in the process of starting a mutual fund and have been amazed at what little information there is out there. Finding this book was a godsend.

I'm reading it for the 2nd time now and HIGHLY recommend it!

Lovers of good political writing will enjoy this. I was greatly inspired by the first edition of this while I was a college student in the 1980s (when Mr. Mandela was still imprisoned).

Among the highlights are "Bantu Education" (1950s), a look at how the educational system for Black South Africans was designed to produce a class of cheap labor (as a Black South Carolinian, I can relate). Mandela's court speech prior to his imprisonment in 1964 reads like a South African "I Have A Dream" as he eloquently states the case of Black S/Africans and his willingness to be a martyr for that cause. (Check the actual sound recording of this on the CD "The Voice of Nelson Mandela" for the full effect).

Later, we see the level of principle of Mr. Mandela as he spurns offers for freedom under the conditions set by the S/A government in the 80s. We also read his post-release speech as well as his calls for peace among warring factions in S/A.

Makes you wish for eloquent, principled, and effective leaders like this in America. At least it can inspire future generations toward that direction. By all means, read it.

What a bottomless well of encouragement and inspiration one gets from its reading! Nelson Mandela, basing himself on the mass of Black, Colored and Indian, workers, peasants and other democrats of South Africa, was unbreakable at the hands of the horrific, murderous and terrorist system of aparthied. Akin to Nazis Germany, the Jim Crow USA South and Zionist Israel, South Africa enjoyed the backing of the US and British and Israeli governments until it was overthrown.

Joining the African National Congress in 1944 at age 26, he and other youth would lead its transformation from and organization of " gentlemen with clean hands" to the mass revolutionary democratic movement that would lead the revolution over apartheid. Doing so even while in prison for nearly 30 years. He was finally released in 1990 at age 72 and was soon after elected South Africa's president.

For decades, a popular demand in South Africa and around the world was: Free Nelson Mandela! This book does an excellent job of showing just why Mandela was so popular among the masses in his country and so feared and hated by apartheid's rulers. He was a first-class revolutionary who fought for decades for his country's freedom and always believed in the power of the masses of people to make change. This book is so inspiring because you read Mandela in his own words, starting as a student leader in the 1940s to a leader of the African National Congress's armed wing in the 1960s to an internationally known political prisoner in the 1980s. He never gave up and he outlasted the vicious apartheid system. The photos in the book also do a great job of showing what the struggle against apartheid was like.

What a wonderful experience-- reading and studying speeches and documents prepared by Nelson Mandela during five decades of struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa! Here are key documents of the African National Congress, including the Freedom Charter that became the central document of the mass movement that brought down apartheid. Also Mandela's speeches at different stages of the struggle, including historic courtroom addresses when he was on trial for his life; documents Mandela prepared as the apartheid regime was forced to negotiate with him and the ANC in the late 1980s; and his first speeches after he was released from prison in 1990.
These speeches give a vivid reminder of the brutal, racist regime that was apartheid (and we should never forget that the South African regime was a pillar of U.S. domination in Africa from the 1940s on.) Mandela gives us a real feel for the determined, difficult, and courageous struggle of millions of people who never accepted submission to apartheid and the world-wide importance of the fight for a democratic, nonracial South Africa. And you see truly inspiring leadership in the persons of Mandela and his fellow leaders in the ANC.
Don't miss the 32-pages of photos that really help bring this rich struggle to life as well!

A captivating book that will hold your interest and keep you guessing from when the first body falls to the final curtain!

Great mystery! Couldn't put it down, a must read for any vacation.

As a fan of Lawrence Sander's Archie McNally series I really enjoyed Trust Fund Babies. The writer gives the reader an insider look at Palm Beach Society in the same style Sanders did.

The plot is decent for a first timer and the dialouge is fun and fast moving.

This is a great book for anyone who felt disappointed by the new, post-Sanders McNally books. The book isn't a true replacement for the old Archy books, but it is a fun read.

This book reminds me of old times! It a realistic and lively "tour de force" through the Palm Beach Jungle!
Well-written and great fun!

After reading this most insightful book, I invited Prof Kreml to address my Law & Society class. He held them spellbound for 90 minutes, describing his new theory of constitutional interpretation. Kreml helped us understand why understanding forms of cognitions makes a big difference in understanding "original intent". He also provides some hope in recovering the Constitution.

This is a book on the Constitution like none you've ever read. Kreml reminds us of the other Founders, the Anti-Federalists, and how their concerns shaped the Bill of Rights. He demonstrates that: 1) the restrictive covenant case of Shelley v. Kraemer(1948) means the opposite of what the disputants, the judges, and subsequent citers say it means, 2) the Shelley case is of the analytic cognitive form, and begins the only significant American legal dialectic, played out in the Warren Court, 3) Shelley mirrors the contractually based cognitive forms of both the 19th century folly of Dredd Scott (1857) and the 20th century folly of Buckley v. Valeo (1976) (a case I must read for my Administrative Law class on Monday, should be a fun discussion). He shows how the Buckley case privatized American elections in violation of the intent and underlying cognitive form of the Bill of Rights. (If you are intrigued by the writing Prof. Akhil Reed Amar of Yale, you'll especially appreciate this part of the book.) After all, a $100,000 contribution to a campaign (or 527 nakedly supporting a candidate) is not a contribution, its an unencumbered contract. Art 1, Sec. 10's "Obligation of Contract" and the 7th Amendment's preservation of jury findings of proper contract encumbrance (the anti-Federalists hoped to mitigate the demands of creditors at a time of almost universal debt, and believed a jury of one's peers would look more favorably at the downtrodden debtor than an unelected judge) are the core balance of the Constitution. With this book, the Supreme Court overturns Buckley.

As the pre-publication review said, this is the most extraordinary theoretical perspective ever lent to the Constitution. It is a twenty-first century quality x-ray of the founding document, demonstrating that the right-wingers are wrong about the Bill of Rights' protecting only individual rights and restricting the citizenry in its attempt to regain control of America's electoral processes. Most specifically, this is the best book on why Buckley v. Valeo was wrong and how the campaign financing mess can be fixed. The three parallels of Buckley with Dred Scott are persuasive.

Although the general reader may find Kreml's philosophical discussion of the cognitive differences underlying constitutional debates a bit difficult, the payoff is of great importance. His critical comparison of the malign influences of Buckley v Valeo (the decision that undermines campaign reform) with the Dred Scott decision upholding slavery is devastating. He points a way past this constitutional obstacle to genuine campaign reform and offers some hope that we can reverse the trend toward oligarchy. He argues that the Bill of Rights was intended to secure a public space for political opposition to emerge as opposed to an arena to bought and controlled by wealthy interests.

Volume 1 of "The Collected Works of Arthur Seldon" series, The Virtues Of Capitalism offers the in-depth wisdom of classical liberal economist Arthur Seldon, who penned his theories from the 1930's to the late 1950's. The Virtues Of Capitalism is divided into two parts; the first is "Corrigible Capitalism; Incorrigible Socialism", in which Seldon explains why he feels capitalism is more open to correction and improvement while socialism resists adjustments to help it fit economic reality, and "Capitalism", a longer work that takes an in-depth accounting of capitalism's positive qualities. An excellent basic resource and foundation of insight into basic liberal economic and capitalist philosophy, The Virtues Of Capitalism is especially recommended for academic library "Economic Studies" collections and is essential reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest in economic theory.

What Ayn Rand does for philosophical reasoning, Arthur Seldon does for economical reasoning. Provides the reader with a firm foundation for arguing the free market proposition. Extremely reader friendly.

British libertarian economist Arthur Seldon exposes the failings of socialism in general and of Britain's welfare state in particular. The author's antidote for the welfare state is to reduce the scope of government to only those functions that the free market can't duplicate. He considers and rebuts all criticisms -- economic, political, moral -- of the free market. This book has its shortcomings: It's directed towards a British audience, so it requires some familiarity with British history. Written in 1989, the book is a bit dated; e.g., the Soviet Union (which the author repeatedly considers) is extinct. Also, the author often repeats his basic argument; namely, the market is directed by a price system, which is controlled by individual consumers (hence market economies are prosperous and democratic), whereas the welfare state is directed by politicians, producers and interest groups (hence welfare states are poor and authoritarian). Finally, the author's syntax is often awkward. Nevertheless, friends of the free market will find in this book both an armory of rebuttals to capitalism's critics and abundant useful references.

Arthur Seldon is little known in his home country, the United Kingdon or abroad except among classical liberals, libertarians and those who inhabit the strange world of think tanks. Yet this little known figure is one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and will one day be acknowledged as such.

Liberty Fund is publishing a seven volume Collected Works of which is the first and which presents two works: Corrigible Capitalism, Incorrigible Socialism and Seldon's magnum opus, Capitalism. The first of the two was originally published by the London based free-market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs of which Seldon was the first Editorial Director.

Corrigible Capitalism, Incorrigible Socialism is a reprint of a 1980 paper entitled 'A Credo for private Enterprise' which the author presented to the New Zealand Employer's Federation. This is a vigorous defence of the liberal market order in the face of a continued onslaught by the proponents of the socialist or mixed economy. Whilst Seldon's case is inspired by the Classical liberal case of the 19th Century, this paper can be seen as a further development from the Planning Debate from the 1920s and 30s. Seldon incorporates in his structure the post-war so-called Keynesian developments introduced the various socialist governments under the guise of Conservative or Labour and also takes a broader world perspective. Interestingly, Seldon makes the following comment about China:

"But increasing coercion will be required to suppress the trend to initiative stimulated by knowledge of the West, and it is hardly likely to survive the century. Forty years later in China, where the individualist trading tradition is stronger and markets are a Chinese cultural inheritance, the regime is less self-concious (or guilt-ridden) about the use of 'capitalist' devices, and the return to official recognition of markets is easier. For this reason alone China is likely to emerge economically stronger than Russia in the coming decades"

Yet who could tell in those early days of the Thatcher government who would heed Seldon and the liberals clarion call to the return to markets. While individual politicians may lay claim to the collapse of Communism, none of them have anywhere near the power of individuals to truck, barter and exchange. It is that power which brought about the demise. No more, no less.

In Capitalism Seldon celebrates the economic organisation. Writing from the perspective of one who began life in poverty and enjoyed a modicum of success through his own efforts in the marketplace despite many great adversities Seldon highlights the improvements of mankind which came about not through some central plan or social organisation but through individuals recognising an opportunity to produce goods and services which met a need expressed by the demand in the market. The unintended consequences of human action indeed. Seldon holds that as the textbook understanding of the economy suggests there may be market failure, then correspondingly it should be recognised that there is an equivalence government failure. Whether that failure is inherent such as destroying or altering the price signals which reflect consumer demand or which comes about from the involvement of politicians in the process who corrupt the market for their own ends (the economics of politics or public choice approach) Seldon recognises that there is no perfect system. Using an analytical approach much grounded in the Austrian School of Economics, Seldon sets out a case where private is at least as good as if not mostly better than public. He develops this approach by pointing out the natural tendency of markets to flexibility and therefore creating new structures such as property rights to overcome such failures whils the political processes set in stone many of the rules which become obsolete very quickly. To Seldon's credit it is his credibility which comes about through being no stranger to poverty which gives his case the authority it carries in contrast to the well meaning middle and upper classes who adopt top down approaches to resolving these issues rather than leaving it to the creativity and ingenuity of the people (the market) themselves.

All in all this is an excellent addition to the Liberty Fund library. To top it all off there is an excellent scholarly and succint preface by Colin Robinson who succeeded Seldon as Editorial Director of the IEA and who did sterling work in that regard.

This book is a must read for socialists and liberals (and conservatives) everywhere. There never has been such a heartfelt exposition of the case for Capitalism which has done so much to help so many throughout the world.

The Winning Portfolio: Choosing Your 10 Best Mutual Funds is an excellent guide to mutual find investing and ideally suited to the informational and strategic planning needs of the novice investor. Written by CBS MarketWatch's dean of funds Paul Farrell, The Winning Portfolio aptly presents how best to choose between the top 100 mutual funds and create a diversified, solid portfolio that will effectively put your money to work for you. Written in clear, easily understandable language for new investors and long-time market veterans alike, The Winning Portfolio is a must-read for everyone putting a sizeable chunk of their financial well-being into the mutual fund market.

This book is an ideal starting point for those who are trying to figure out how to start saving. Dr. Farrell is a comforting voice to anyone who might be overwhelmed at the thousands of mutual funds on the market today and the other countless investment options avaialable these days. Dr. Farrell's message is simple - make a plan, then stick to it. Then, and this is where other columnists, writers fall down, he tells you HOW to do it. He outlines what a model portfolio would look like and gives a long list of funds that might be good choices. Dr. Farrell's other message is, it's not hard to invest - most of the gains in your portfolio come from the allocations you pick - not the individual funds. The book is simple, well-written, and interesting. This shouldn't be the last investment book you read, but if you haven't read one yet, it should be the first!

There are so many books on investing right now, that it is difficult to know where to turn. "The Winning Portfolio" is a gem that stands out from the rest of the crowd. This book is easy to understand, even for a novice, yet is not beneath those who have already been investing.

He explains how to build a winning portfolio using mutual funds with emphasis on asset allocations. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. He helps the reader determine how to build a portfolio based on their needs, then offers examples of how to meet financial goals. Yes, it takes a bit of work, but it doesn't require the diligence (and the stomach) of a day-trader to maintain. This system will work for the average person.

After reading this book, I have a solid plan in place and an idea of where I'm headed and why I'm going there. I agree with the previous reviewer... Dr. Paul's column at cbs.marketwatch.com is also required reading.

If you have not yet read Paul Farrell's internet column on the CBS Marketwatch page, you are missing out on a lot! This book, and his daily column on SuperStar Funds, are a must for anyone planning their future.

As an excellent review of index fund investing, I give this book an A.

Tweddell and Pierce's book was one of the first books about index fund investing. They published this book in 1997, prior to the index fund 1999 peak in popularity.

They do an excellent job of explaining index mutual funds and why they are advantageous for most investors.

They point out the paradox that a person is better off seeking the help of an expert for most things including medical doctors, car mechanics, and plumbers. Financial advice is one area where seeking out experts is not necessarily the right way to increase your net worth.

The key point of their book is that most active fund managers can not beat the indexes due to higher costs. Another key point is that by adopting a buy-and-hold index fund strategy, investors will reap the returns of the stock market because they will quit their futile efforts at market timing. They point out that indexing is even more important in bonds because expenses of actively managed bond funds eat up a lower starting return for bonds than stocks.

They point out the importance of asset allocation and demonstrate how an indexing strategy can be used to implement your desired asset allocation strategy.

I would suggest companion books to supplement this book including The Richest Man in Babylon, Bogle on Mutual Funds, The Millionaire Next Door, The 4 Pillars of Investing, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Wealth of Experience: Real Investors on what Works and What Doesn't, Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Life and Beat the Pros, The Coffeehouse Investor, and the Armchair Millionaire.

I liked this book on its readability. I scanned a few other books on indexing; they were too dry for me.

Great book--readable, troubling, eye-opening. I wish that I had read something like this ten years ago

A great introduction to index funds. Two other texts that complement this book are John Bogle's "Bogle on Mutual Funds" and the seminal "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" by Burton Malkiel. The case against actively managed mutual (or pension) funds is persuasively presented by any of these three but the Tweddell/Pierce treatment is more practical. The only criticism is that its list of index funds is already out of date. Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, etc. have recently joined the fray and some funds have closed