Fund-of-funds Books

shipped within 3 days, packaged very well, product as expected, and I would buy from again.

The Foxfire Project is momentious and if you notice you are missing one or three in the set, having loaned them, it's wise to replace these missing gems of mountain pioneering and lossed skills. Mighty fine reading next to the bed.

This work, Volume VI, is like the others. A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. This is a good thing. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, from shoemaking to toys, to games and musical instruments, this addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

The firefox series continues to amaze me with it's simplicity and beautiful documentation of the Mountain life style. The other lesson is that we all need to pass forward what we have learned and loved to the next generation and the next and the next ... Picking up the earlier FF books is well worthwhile, every one a jewel.

These books are very interesting and full of knoweledge from our past history. My relatives were from the deep south especialy around the Roam Mountain area;this is where my grandmother and grandfather were from. This information let me know what they went thru doing their life. The Garlands and The Hughes. Thanks again.Gettysburg,Pa.

As its tagline suggests, the FOR DUMMIES series is "a reference for the rest of us". Each introductory book has been designed to teach dilettantes as much as possible, in the shortest amount of time. A word of caution though, the FOR DUMMIES series is only `for dummies' in a relative sense. While the author, Ann Logue, laments the simplicity of the series, she also explains that Hedge Funds FOR DUMMIES is intended for an inquisitive, yet intelligent audience. The significance of this became increasingly apparent as I progressed further through this book.

Logue appears aptly qualified to author this text with more than 12 years experience as an investment analyst. Her qualifications include the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification and an MBA from the University of Chicago. In terms of her approach, she refreshingly engages the audience with a combination of colloquial wit and academic rigour. The only significant fault I could find is that she excessively repeats the basics, though this may be fitting for readers without a diverse investment background. Overall however, I believe Logue's unique style and objective opinions would make this book a worthwhile addition to any investor's collection.

The book begins with an ever-present question: what is a hedge fund? While the answer may be obvious to some, a lot of detail regarding the genesis and advancement of hedge funds is presented. One of the more interesting stories is that of a hedge fund operated by two of the US's most acclaimed and eminent finance professors; Robert Merton and Myron Scholes. Their fund profited from arbitrage trades in the bond market and ultimately collapsed due to a default on Russian treasury bonds. Was this collapse testament to the `random walk' of equity markets, or just the impropriety of the Russian Government? This is a question raised by only one of the many chronicles that Logue uses in her definition of hedge funds.

Prima facie, Logue's definition is more than adequate, but the early and repeated use of the term `investment partnership' piqued my curiosity. Worldly readers may know that while a partnership is a legitimate Australian business structure, it is more common as an American managed fund structure. The somewhat unfortunate implication of this is that the book is actually intended for an American readership. For Australian readers, this becomes increasingly obvious with US-specific discussions regarding taxation, superannuation, regulation and legal structure. Although this is confined to very few chapters, I did find myself skimming entire pages. However, all is not lost; this book still repeatedly surprises.

The major source of surprise is the depth of detail; this aspiring tome relinquishes its `introductory text' classification and rigorously investigates a range of investment topics (albeit in the context of hedge funds). The latter sections may begin with trivialities, such as the definition of alpha, but they promptly turn to challenge the reader by uniting academic theory, popular belief and the author's personal views. It was in these latter parts that I began to put the `for dummies' moniker into true context. Logue strives to `keep it simple', but at times she had me reaching for my university texts to revise Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). I suggest that readers without a finance background at least engage a primer on managed funds (or mutual funds, as per the American lexicon).

As I became more comfortable with Logue's unique style and progressed further through the book, I found myself forgetting its American context and really enjoying the flow of information. After the formalities of defining a hedge fund, Logue presents a range of topics that get `under the hood' of these mysterious investment vehicles. One of Logue's more practical arguments discusses hedge funds as a unique asset class. She asks if we should place hedge funds in the same context as equities, fixed-income and property. In her true style, she presents the options, explains her opinion and then qualifies these with a discussion of Markowitz's portfolio theory. After this, the topics get quite technical for the layperson; ranging from the 11 possible ways to arbitrage equity markets, through to considering how hedge funds profit from the corporate lifecycle. Logue's constant quest to investigate all options while referring to academic theory kept me interested, even amongst unwanted references to US-specific details.

To answer whether this book achieves its purpose really depends on the locale of the reader. For the typical Australian investor, this book does not adequately educate on investment into local hedge funds. The funds in Australia are based on a different legal structure and must comply with dissimilar tax legislation and financial regulation. Despite this obvious downfall, the use of US-specific information is not nearly as ubiquitous as Logue's insightful annotations. While it does take some effort to decide what to dismiss and accept, my memories of this book are still described more by superlatives than shortcomings.

In summary, I sincerely enjoyed Hedge Funds FOR DUMMIES, especially its depth of content, the author's style, and her meticulous approach to forming arguments. Essentially, it is based on this experience that I recommend this book to budding investors worldwide.

I just finished the book. For the beginner, I think it's a good investment. For me personally, I would have liked more depth in certain areas'. There's alot of "filler", and when you're finished you still won't actually know enough to make serious money on your own.

Hedge Funds for Dummies seeks to create a "reference for the rest of us" on how to use hedge funds to improve portfolio performance. However, as a founder of a Private Investment Fund, this book really makes one think about all of the elements that you need to consider when potential investors are kicking your fund's tires. My copy is dog-eared and has writing throughout the margins. Regardless of whether you are thinking of starting a fund or thinking about investing in a fund, this book will be an excellent resource.

This book covers all the bases that an investor should consider before deciding to invest. They are too numerous to mention here, but in this 342-page primer, the author clearly explains the critical information necessary to make an informed decision as to whether a hedge fund is for you.

Hedge funds have been in the news lately, but not necessarily for their supposed out performance characteristics. Nine hedge funds (for example, Amaranth Advisors) have closed their doors in the past year, some because of outsized bets by traders on the wrong side of the markets they were trading. This is not the way to increase performance. In 1998, Long-Term Capital Management blew up, even with two Noble-prize winning economists on the staff. All hedge funds are not alike and there risks that need to be taken into account.

Hedge fund assets are estimated to be $1.2 trillion with over 9000 funds in existence. For most investors, due to the stringent entry requirements, hedge funds are not an option. Wealthy individuals who may be interested in hedge funds are urged to read this book (as well as others interested in learning about the subject) before placing their hard-earned money at risk. This suggestion may save them millions of dollars in potential losses, if they decide not to invest in certain hedge funds because of their due diligence learned from this book.

Additionally, the author provides insight on setting up your own hedge fund portfolio by selecting different categories of investments. Surprisingly though, she spends a miniscule amount of time discussing exchange traded funds (ETFs) to build the hedge fund portfolio. Now that there over 425 ETFs offering all types of investment alternatives, this is one area that deserves more attention.

Overall, the author provides a credible and detailed look at the hedge fund industry. An investor needs to know the basics before committing any money to these funds. This book provides useful information to help in making the decision to invest in hedge funds.

Wow! This book sets a new standard for the "...For Dummies" series. It goes well beyond what you would expect from a book with such a whimsical title. Ann Logue is smart, her research is solid, and her writing is perfectly colloquial. No BS, no jargon. If you don't have an MBA, or if you earned it before hedge funds entered the scene, take Logue's corporate finance tutorial, meaning start from the beginning. If you don't need the background, then jump to Part III, beginning on page 165, dealing with hedge fund strategies. This book covers the history of hedge funds, their regulatory aspects, asset allocation, risk management, the Greeks, transparency, due diligence, and perhaps the most important aspect, where does the alpha come from? Read it for fun; read it for self-defense, or prep yourself for an interview, but do read it.

I've read indexing books by John Bogle, Charles Ellis and Larry Swedroe but this is the book I bought for my niece and nephew. It's concise yet informative and appropriate for anyone with at least a high school education looking for a good explanation of the benefits of indexing.

3 years ago I invested a bunch of money in load funds selected by a financial planner. I also put some of the money into stocks I picked. After reading this book, if I had only put my money in index funds! If I had invested in index mutual funds I would have made tens of thousands more money over the last 3 years. Book was great because it explained investing in language I could understand!

I was a total dummy when it came to investing. I wanted a book to teach me the basics of investing. This book more than met my needs. It only took a couple of hours to read, but it covered the basics of mutual funds, index funds, and asset allocation. The book was very easy to read and was not filled with terminology I did not understand. After reading the book, I am ready to start investing in index funds, and I have already started to learn more about asset allocation. A must read book for people new to mutual fund investing!

I have been investing in mutual funds for over 10 years. I was selecting my funds based on how well they did compared to other funds. Through this book, I learned to compare the performance of my funds to the S&P 500 Index. I'm now a believer in using Index Funds for most of my investments!!

This book is written for the total newbie to mutual fund investing. It does not offer specific advice on indicies or asset allocation, but it does make a clear argument for why to use a broad market index as the foundation for one's investment strategy. This is a one hour read.

Even if you are not a real estate investor you can understand these clear and structured techniques. You will learn strategies to take advantage of a good or "bad" market... and then, become an investor.

If you think books on real estate investments are dull and hard to understand, read MAKING HARD CASH IN A SOFT REAL ESTATE MARKET by Wendy Patton and Justin Ryan.

Their "let's sit down together and we'll talk you through it" approach will inspire readers to get involved in real estate investing and will give them the necessary information needed to take that first step.

Jewel P. Arata

My profession has lead me to read many, many real estate investing books and truth be told, most are mediocre at best -- this book is not one of those! I don't know either Ms. Patton, or Mr. Ryan, but I have read Ms. Patton's previous book and I think that this one is even better. In my opinion, Ms. Patton and Mr. Ryan have managed to put together a very timely, readable and informative book. Not just a rehash of the basics, this book offers information that actually advances the base of knowledge available to the average investor.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am an attorney, real estate broker, investor, trainer, and author of another unique and highly readable book on real estate investing that can also be found here on Amazon -- The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording.

"Hard Cash In A Soft Real Estate Market," is a very good book that will jump you light years ahead of the average investor. I would suggest that you buy it if you are serious about making a success of real estate investing.

Well done. And great timing. The only thing missing from this book is what most others lack - a detailed treatment of the evidence and extent of the real estate bubble, and guidance how to read changing market conditions. For this, I strongly recommend "Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble" as a companion book. Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble Together, both books should be all you need.

This was not what I had hoped for. The real estate market is in a "Soft time" and I had expected some good advise for the current investment market. There is really none in this book. There are a couple of chapters on how not to be afraid to invest. One on seller financing and one on the subdivision development process. Nothing new or interesting or relevant for the individual investor.

I learned a lot from reading this book. And I'm sure others can,too.

I think that this is a very good book is you are looking to use newsletters to market your business. I thought that this book was extremely helpful and interesting to read. The book is laid out nicely and it is very easy to understand and put to use. It could have used more resources.

After reading half this book, I was able to create a first-rate company newsletter. After finishing it, I was able to put together a direct mail program that made sense to my customers AND to my managers.  Clear, simple, practical.  It works.  Very few wasted words in Floyd's book.

This book is good with helping with the basics of newsletter publishing. It does not go deep into designing a newletter and writing but is a very helpful book non the less. The resource list could be longer buts its a start.

     The newsletter is one of the most popular forms of information sharing today. Every day thousands companies, organizations, and individual people publish newsletters to share important information with their clients, potential customers, and other reading audiences. This style of publication can also be effectively reproduced on the Internet. In fact, many Websites today follow this popular format. Elaine Floyd has written Marketing With Newsletters to provide readers with the insight they need to produce powerful printed, faxed, and Website newsletters.

     Following on the heels of another great publication, Newsletter Sourcebook, the author continues to offer top-notch instruction to help people create quality newsletters. This book features guidance from one end of the spectrum to the other. Everything is here. Brainstorming, setting goals, finding resources, finding help, researching, legal considerations, generating content, creative use of graphics, effective layout and design, distribution, marketing, follow-up, and more. Learn how to catch reader attention and bring them back again. Plenty of marketing tips here!

     To add a powerful punch to the impact of this book the author calls upon the advice of a panel of experts. Each one makes an important contribution to the overall effectiveness of the book. Their advice covers topics such as producing a high class image, organizational newsletters, design tips, and e-mail newsletters. According to one expert, factors that contribute to top-notch newsletters include using good paper, extra colors, professional photographs, quality graphics and illustrations, and insisting upon high resolution and print quality. Much the same could be said for designing quality online newsletters!

     The author provides an excellent listing of resources that will assist readers, including other publications, clip art and graphics image suppliers, newsletter printers, newsletter seminars, and professional organizations. Website designers will be helped by the use of this book. Budding newsletter publishers should have no trouble at all finding the help they need when they need it. Those desiring to set up a newsletter publishing business need look no further as well. Highly recommended!

Cheryl Clark inspires the potential grant seeker with a thoughtful and innovative process for fundraising.

A fundraising consultant, trainer and short story author, Clark argues persuasively that fundraising -- and specifically proposal writing -- should incorporate the techniques of storytelling. A story sets a scene, has characters, and builds tension. A good proposal does the same.

Most people recognize a great story. Grant makers are not unique. By crafting your proposal as an opportunity to tell your story, the process becomes more enjoyable for both the writer and the reader. By allowing your passion to pervade the proposal's prose, becomes more enjoyable for the reader. It becomes more likely to be funded.

Story telling is powerful. Grant seekers need every edge. Cheryl Clarke does both grant writers and grant makers a favor by sharing the power of this age-old technique with them in this well-written and effective book.

Sarah S. Brophy

Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising is a solid basic proposal-writing book with a twist on how to develop a compelling narrative. Clarke writes in the Preface "I believe that grant seekers will be more enthusiastic about writing proposals, and that their proposals will be more passionate and consequently more effective, when grant seekers begin using the storytelling techniques described in this book."

Sometimes the author works a bit hard at her storytelling metaphor (with attendant heroes, antagonists and main characters), but she is careful not to lead you into the land of superheroes. For many readers a story-like style is preferable to a legal document, but take care that your proposal reads like a good New York Times piece, not fluff.

For those new to proposal-writing, the first three chapters address how to collect necessary information for a solid proposal; screen funders for a good donor-project match; and manage your relationship with a potential funder. The final three chapters cover budget description and the basics of how to format and package the proposal. Each is thorough, easy to understand and helpful.

The four middle chapters address storytelling in the narrative. They are great advice for beginning writers yet speak to next-level professionals hoping to coax their own style away from creeping grantese. Sample proposal text is very often excellent.

The author makes good points about an environmental scan to place your project in context for the reader and to strengthen your case; that the key need must be your clients' not your institution's; and how to make good use of data for reinforcement.

Storytelling for Grantseekers is a fine book to keep in your library for training new writers and for coaching colleagues in the proposal process. Anyone in a larger institution could very well make this book required reading for colleagues who say "I need a grant to do this". It is a comfortable read that will train them to give you good information for doing your job.

I've been involved with fundraising for over 25 years (from
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to the Bermuda Biological
Station
for Research in Bermuda) and this is, without a doubt THE
BEST BOOK on nonprofit grantwriting I have ever had the
pleasure
of reading! It has everything - it's intelligently written
with clear concise, step by step directions on how to bring
passion,
creativity and success to any fundraising/grantwriting effort! It is
"short" - just a little over 100 pages - so it can be read,
digested and put to
use by everyone - from the director on down to volunteers
and staff. It's entertaining, practical and, I would think,
an absolute
must for anyone involved in raising money. They say everyone
loves a good story - well I not only love a good story, BUT
also
- a great book on how to effectively and enjoyably write grants that will bring in the funds!
Bravo Cheryl Clarke!

Most grantwriting books cover the basics which, if you know how to read and apply grant application guidelines, you already have down.

Imagine yourself, for a moment, on the other side of the table, sifting through tens of hundreds of grant proposals to determine which ones your foundation will fund - and every proposal as tedious as the last.

BUT, if you want to craft truly compelling FUNDED proposals that ENGAGE the reader, "Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising" is a mighty fine start. In an enjoyable read, author Clarke shows the reader how to bring passion to their writing - an often missing, yet crucial element to the most successful writers.

Highly recommended!

An approach to grantseeking that can lead anyone with a good idea through the often complex process of putting a grant together. Storytelling is an innovative approach sure to achieve results!

Strategic Index Investing

This text by Richard Romey is worth the read if you would like to find out more about constructing a well balanced portfolio (for your level of risk tolerance) using only index funds. This type of portfolio has an excellent chance of beating 80% of money managers and mutual funds in the long run. Romey has worked for many years in the financial world and this is reflected in the level of detail in the description of the stock market and the complex processes involved. The use of asset allocation and the construction of your own index portfolio is explained in clear language.

While this book is less than two years old there is improved index research (by Research Affiliates in 2006) on fundamental indexes, which is not covered in the text. In a communication with the author, I understand there will be an updated version to include other indexes which are not cap-weighted.

Having recently completed a Ph.D in a very similar topic, I was excited that maybe somebody was taking the evolving beauty of index investing to the masses. I was disappointed.

The book sets out a good case for index investing, specifically the use of ETFs'. For this the book must be commended. The author points out the shortcomings of a buy-and-hold strategy, as well as the pitfalls of active investment management, using traditional approaches. This sets the reader up to think there a panacea in store, which there is not.

He specifically goes to length to tell the reader that picking stocks and timing markets are futile attempts at building a portfolio, and yet his solution for an indexed portfolio? Pick ETFs' and time markets, neatly disguised as "tactical asset allocation" and "stop loss" strategies.

He states that strategic asset allocations are rigid, and therefore tactical asset allocations need to be applied, namely over/under weighting a portfolio according to what YOU think MIGHT happen in the market. This is nonsense. My research indicates that strategic asset allocations need not be rigid, and in fact I have found that by scientifically evaluating the strategic asset allocation periodically as much as 90 percent of a portfolio's expected return can be realised. No guesswork.

Surely the author knows that guesswork is subject to being correct a large part of the time. In fact research indicates at leat 80 percent of the time to match the market, so I find it bizarre that the entire buildup is deflated by offering nothing more than tired, useless strategies. To wit, he suggests applying tactical asset allocations to take advantage of the January effect. Has he not heard of the efficient market theory which is a fundamental part of index investing?

As for compiling a portfolio, he makes no mention of how this should be done, or explains modern portfolio theory. He indicates the futility of trying to find the next Microsoft, and yet shows how choosing the "right" indexes would yield higher returns than the market. A very confusing approach.

As for risk management, he espouses the use of stop losses. How bizarre. This is a market timing technique that could lead to excessive trading costs, and leaves one in a dilemma as to when to re-enter the market. A far more prudent approach is what is known as value averaging. If a required return has been breached on the upside remove money from the market. On the down side reinvest the surplus money. This technique yields a significantly higher IRR than a buy-and-hold strategy.

He proclaims that markets always move up in the long term. If you are Japanese I wonder how you feel about that.

The author does offer insights in the form of indexing, ETFs', asset allocation, rebalancing and other tidbits, but the book does not deliver any "revolutionary" approaches. A pity since he is on the right track. The work is sorely lacking in research and new insights.

This book will convert you from a traditional mutual fund investor immediately. Even if you currently own stocks you will find that investing in exchange-traded index funds makes more sense. The book describes in detail the reasons why a portfolio of ETFs is more cost effective, more tax efficient and much more flexible than other investments previously used. It is easy to read for anyone and describes how to implement strategies using ETFs to maximize your performance while minimizing your risk. I have over 20 years in the financial services industry and know too many people who try to pick stocks hoping to hit it big or mutual funds, only to find most don't outperform the indexes. Too many people have a buy and hold philosophy or try to chase last year's winners. After reading this book, you will be more knowledgeable about ETFs and why they make more sense. A must-read for all investors!

This book describes in detail why most investors who own traditional mutual funds and common stocks should be investing in Exchange Traded Index Funds instead. It gives detail about the lower costs, the flexibility and tax advantages associated with ETFs. Strategies are discussed on how to effectively utilize ETFs. After having been in the financial services business for many years, I would highly recommend this book to investors.

I had the opportunity to interview the author on my Internet Radio show, EverydayWealth Radio, about this book and his approach to investing using EFTs. Like many investors, I don't know much about EFTs and found his advice and explanations to be very helpful in understanding and evaluating them as an investment vehicle. I especially appreciated his advice for saving money using EFTs.

This is a useful book for anyone interested in government programs that
affect society. Gillon gives us an evenhanded history of several such
attempts. I'm not an expert about any of the areas, but I found nothing
that I recalled differently, and nothing that smelled like distortion.

Liberal politicians should read it to learn how far their results can be
from their desires. Perhaps they can learn to be more careful. Conservative
politicians should read it to realize how much worse things can get when
anyone tries to manage society.

Bureaucrats and regulators should read it to learn how far and how fast
and how successfully they can use a law to do exactly the opposite of
what the law says and advance their own power.

This is interesting history. The cases call on you to do something.
The author has an opinion, but the action to take, if any, is up to you.

This book should be required reading for all politicians (and would be politicians). A thoughtful, exceptionally well-written, and balanced look at how legislation often strays from original intent. A great read. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about American government and politics.

It's a shame that most politicans haven't read this book because if they did, many of the same mistakes so astutely pointed out in it would not have been repeated (to the tee) during this new 'push' for Homeland Security (with a capital H and S.)

All modern references aside, Mr. Gillon has done us a service in writing a book that even-handedly deals with unintended consequences of certain past legislation in the hopes that we may avoid them in the future. Looking at failed welfare, immigration, affirmative action, mental health and campaign finance legislation, Gillon presents us with an educational (and mildly entertaining) lesson: LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!!!

But here's the problem; Gillon never quite sums it up. Reading through each chapter examining its respective reform, Gillon tells these tales AS tales without ever writing "and the moral of the story is..." The underlying problems leading to unintended consequences, although many in truth, boil down to a few basics. The problem of legislation 'modification' by special interest, the problem of congressional group-think (we should all be worried when a bill passes by a huge margin), the problem of new legislation clashing with old legislation not thought of or any varying social factor that was not accounted for, and poor implementation due to open-ended, sticky language in the bill leading to multiple 'interpretations.' Indeed, all of these are present in the book, but Gillon gives us history ONLY, at the expense of the book containing a thesis and possible argument.

Of course, if one wants to explore unintended consequences, one could read Thomas Sowell's "Vision of the Annointed" and "Knowledge and Decisions" or any one of Friedrich Hayek's books. Still, despite Gillons minor (and I guess it is rather minor) flaw, this book is an excellent presentation of how legislation fails; just not why it fails.

This author really knows his legislative history - and how to make it readable to the novice. His tracing of a number of the "great reforms" - welfare, community based mental health care, equal oppotunity, etc. and where the best intentions of legislation actually took us is a real eye-opener.

He also manages to be notably even-handed, although it is noticeable where his sympathies lie. Both my father and I (at opposite ends of the political spectrum) enjoyed it greatly.

Excerpts from book review by Robert Heinemen in The Independent Review (Fall 2001)

The achievement of the Founding Fathers continues to confound social reformers. In That's Not What We Meant to Do, Seven M. Gillon, an established historian of American liberalism now at the University of Oklahoma, provides ample evidence of the unintended consequences and hardships that reformers can engender by insisting that government implement their vision of the good. Gillon does a thorough, readable job of navigating the intricacies of the American policy process, and there is much to be gained from reading his analyses of the twists and turns of the policies emanating from congressional legislation in five major areas.

Throughout, however, he assumed that with the proper planning and tinkering, institutions originally designed primarily to limit government and to promote individual liberty can be adapted to engineer major social reform. The need, in his mind, is to "try to plot better and wiser courses". Of course, some basic government programs work reasonably well and generally as intended, but many readers of Gillon's case studies may conclude that when social reform is the goal, such successes will always be the exception.

When examined closely, Gillon's case studies suggest alternative expanations for the frequency of unintended consequences. For example, it appears typical for those in Washington both to define the problem and then to offer government as the instrument of solution. Moreover, Gillon amply demonstrates that major reform initiatives, however well intentioned, are easily distorted beyond recognition by the very policy process in which they are initiated. At the various stages of the implementation, rival bureaucratic goals, diverse interest-group claims,the judiciary, competing state priorities, and changing conditions weak havoc on the most carefully formulated plans. Even more discouraging, many programs are authorized on the basis of faulty and unexamined assumptions. Too often, the bitter fruits of well-meaning projects originating from a government-knows-best attitude have been social disruption and human tragedy. For many readers, the most important consequence of Gillon's effort, whther intended or not, will be a greater appreciation of the political acumen of the Founding Fathers and of the virtuesof limited government.

This is a great book for anyone who is in charge of either annual fundraising activities or an upcoming capital campaign. Capital Campaign planning requires a diverse skill set which involves planning, relationship building and conveying a compelling story that resonates with all different personality types. This book helps provide tips, stories and guidance on many areas which can help both the novice and expert fundraiser.

Written from his decades of experience, Thomas D. Wilson leads the field of non-profit fundaraising. Designed and written to engage all readers, Mr. Wilson has found the key in turning his award-winning methods into a format that can apply to fundraisers and donors alike. I currently and will continue to personally reccomend this book to all of my clients.

Fund raising is all about relationships and Winning Gifts provides an insight in both the art and the science of fund raising. The book is an easy and fun read with comprehensive detail on the critical aspects of bringing the donor home. It's also a good reminder of the strategy needed in not only securing the gift but also the importance of laying the ground work for future support.

For those who have made development their career it is clear that the ask is a small percentage of the overall strategy. Winning Gifts helps bring into perspective the importance of all the activities and planning that go into securing support. This book provides a good overview for seasoned professionals and all the other good folks who support campaigns. This is not a quick read book in one day but rather an excellent presentation of the importance of working with and treating donors as a treasured resource.

I found this book an upbeat guide to a field that can seem offputting and depressing to the inexperienced. While not necessarily a step-by-step recipe for every stage of the fundraising process, it nevertheless made dozens of salient points and offered a way to get into the mindset of success. It leaves many of the details to the individual reader to apply to her own situation. This book helped often through "case studies," or examples of specific situations.

Winning Gifts is a great book on major gifts fundraising. Wilson incorporates humor and his personal experience to create an excellent guide to successful fundraising. Winning Gifts covers all stages of securing a donation from finding potential qualified donors to keeping up with the donor after receiving the gift. He explains text-book basics of fundraising, of gracefully approaching a donor for a major gift and making an appealing, memorable case. But Wilson goes beyond this institutional approach to a customer focused approach and nails it. Wilson has obviously perfected the art of building a relationship with donors, and his emphasis on "people centered fundraising" shows that he really cares about making people happy. He writes of satisfying the donor first, straying away from institutional fundraising to really care and understand the donor. He hammers in the concept of listening to donors with a comprehensive lesson in becoming a better listener with helpful tips and exercises. I especially enjoyed this section and my listening ability has dramatically improved from this book. It is rare to see fundraising professionals focusing so much on what the donor wants, without the underlying financial incentive. This book offers a unique perspective on the subject, focusing on the donor first, everything else is secondary. Winning Gifts is informative and enjoyable, a must have for any fundraising professional.

The Ages of Gaia is not just the story of Gaia and how she was discovered, but also the adventures of an individual scientist vs. the scientific establishment and the adventures of a British land-lover vs. the political establishment. It also is a gentle warning to the passengers on spaceship Earth, a.k.a. Gaia, that the spaceship is not in danger, the passengers are!

Gaia is not a living creature. Gaia is a self regulating habitat that favors denizens that manage to get along harmoniously and hinders those that don't. There are no reasons or theologies given for this behavior. As Ayn Rand might have said: it is the nature of Gaia to be like she is. Gaia is what our senses perceive and what our reason understands. Gaia does not play favorites.

The only chapter that put me to sleep was the one about god and Gaia. Maybe you'll find it interesting. I tried twice to read it but to no avail.

Lovelock's adventure into the theory of Gaia is an interesting experience that is worth the read. I found his ideas to be well constructed and factually backed up. It definently helps in providing a new way of looking at not only the earth, but also science in general. The only drawback was that sometimes he seemed to be more concerned with trying to denounce his critics than actually providing interesting and constructive opinions.

Imagine living in Europe during the Dark Ages, when everyone thought the world was flat, and having someone demonstrate to you that the world is a sphere. In our modern version of the Dark Ages of the environment we are under the delusion that our Earth is lump of rock inhabited by life. Lovelock shows that the Earth is a living, self-regulating system comprised of all of life tightly coupled with its environment. He traces the 3.5 billion year life of the Earth as a living entity in an easy and enjoyable to read fashion. If we as a species are fortunate enough to survive the next 1000 years it will be because this book was recognized as the most important ever written in the 20th century. For you Gaia theory buffs out there: The Gaia theory dawned on Lovelock when he was having a conversation with Carl Sagan and some other colleagues.

A fabulous look at why the planet Earth is alive and how she helps sustain life. Without Life existing on Earth Gaia would not exist, and if Gaia did not present the proper conditions, nothing on planet earth would be alive. Mr Lovelock does a great job of presenting the information to us and gives us a great deal about which to comtemplate!

"The Ages of Gaia" by James Lovelock

What is the Gaia Hypothesis? Stated simply, the idea is that we may have discovered a living being bigger, more ancient, and more complex than anything from our wildest dreams. That being, called Gaia, is the Earth.

More precisely: that about one billion years after it's formation, our planet was occupied by a meta-life form which began an ongoing process of transforming this planet into its own substance. All the life forms of the planet are part of Gaia. In a way analogous to the myriad different cell colonies which make up our organs and bodies, the life forms of earth in their diversity coevolve and contribute interactively to produce and sustain the optimal conditions for the growth and prosperity not of themselves, but of the larger whole, Gaia. That the very makeup of the atmosphere, seas, and terrestrial crust is the result of radical interventions carried out by Gaia through the evolving diversity of living creatures.

Encountering the Earth from space, a witness would know immediately that the planet was alive. The atmosphere would give it away. The atmospheric compositions of our sister planets, venus and mars, are: 95-96% carbon dioxide, 3-4% nitrogen, with traces of oxygen, argon and methane. The earth's atmosphere at present is 79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen with traces of carbon dioxide, methane and argon. The difference is Gaia, which transforms the outer layer of the planet into environments suitable to its further growth. For example, bacteria and photosynthetic algae began some 2.8 billions of years ago extracting the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, setting the stage for larger and more energetic creatures powered by combustion, including, ultimately, ourselves.

That is how James Lovelock discovered Gaia; from outer space.In the 1960's, during the space race which followed the launching of Sputnik, he was asked by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Nasa to help design experiments to detect life on Mars.The Viking lander gathered and tested some Martian soil for life with no results. Lovelock had predicted as much, by analyzing the atmosphere of Mars: it is in a dead equilibrium. By contrast, the atmosphere of Earth is in a "far from equilib rium" state- meaning that there was some other complex process going on which maintained such an unlikely balance. It occurred to him that if the Viking lander had landed on the frozen waste of antarctica, it might not have found any trace of life on Earth either. But a sure giveaway would be a complete atmospheric analysis... which the Viking lander was not equipped to do. Lovelock's approach was not popular at Nasa because Nasa needed a good reason to land on Mars, and the best was to look for life. Viking found nothing on Mars, but Lovelock had seen the Earth from the perspective of an ET looking for evidence of life. And he began thinking that what he was seeing was not so much a planet adorned with diverse life forms, but a planet transfigured and transformed by a self-evolving and self-regulating living system.By the nature of its activity it seemed to qualify as a living being. He named that being Gaia, after the Greek goddess which drew the living world forth from Chaos.

"The name of the living planet, Gaia, is not a synonym for the biosphere-that part of the Earth where living things are seen normally to exist. Still less is Gaia the same as the biota, which is simply the collection of all individual living organisms. The biota and the biosphere taken together form a part but not all of Gaia. Just as the shell is part of the snail, so the rocks, the air, and the oceans are part of Gaia. Gaia, as we shall see, has continuity with the past back to the origins of life, and in the future as long as life persists. Gaia, as a total planetary being, has properties that are not necesarily discernable by just knowing individual species or populations of organisms living together...Specifically, the Gaia hypothesis says that the temperature,oxidation, state, acidity, and certain aspects of the rocks and waters are kept constant, and that this homeostasis is maintained by active feedback processes operated automatically and unconsciously by the biota."

Even the shifting of the tectonic plates, resulting in the changing shapes of the continents, may result from the massive limestone deposits left in the earth by bioforms eons ago.

"You may find it hard to swallow the notion that anything as large and apparently inanimate as the Earth is alive. Surely, you may say, the Earth is almost wholly rock, and nearly all incandescent with heat. The difficulty can be lessened if you let the image of a giant redwood tree enter your mind.The tree undoubtedly is alive, yet 99% of it is dead.The great tree is an ancient spire of dead wood,made of lignin and cellulose by the ancestors of the thin layer of living cells which constitute its bark. How like the Earth, and more so when we realize that many of the atoms of the rocks far down into the magma were once part of the ancestral life of which we all have come."

The root question of Gaia's critics, and a central point in his theory concerns the difference between a planetary environment which might only be the aggregate result of myriad independent life forms coevolving and sharing the same host, and one which is ultimately created by life forms deployed, so to speak, to accomplish the purpose of the larger being. Is the idea of Gaia only a romantic and dramatized description of the terrestrial biosphere and its effects, or is there a planetary being, whose life cycle must be counted in the billions of years, which spawns these evolving life forms to suit the purpose of its being. Do our kidney cells ask each other these sorts of questions? While your white blood cells thrive and reproduce, going about their business,they are indisputably serving the life of the larger body which you use, though whatever consciousness they experience in their realm is certainly far from that which you, the larger being, the whole, experience.

Recent scientific work, such as in the field of complex systems, have begun to give us the impression that this opposition of terms, the larger caused by its constituents, or the costituents created by the larger, may be one of those oppositions which are the constructs of our own minds, and must be dropped if we are to understand the truth, which is neither the one nor the other, but more difficult to comprehend and more fascinating to behold. Perhaps there is awareness appropriate at every level.Perhaps that is a property of life.

And what might be the nature of its evolution, this planetary being called Gaia? Anthropocentrists to the last, we might assume that the production of the human species is a great step upward for Gaia, a sort of rapidly evolving brain tissue. Or that she prepares the earth as a cradle and crucible of consciousness evolving. Other analogies come to mind: are we part of her arsenal of interplanetary spores?

And what might constitute a life cycle for such a being- might it be as strange as that of the slime mold? What stage would Gaia be in now? Is our species part of her maturity or an incubation period? Is Gaia herself somehow part of a larger living being, perhaps on a galactic scale? If so how do the cells of this larger being remain in communication? Will we eventually be able to experience something of the awareness which Gaia has?

Lovelock points out that Gaia, being ancient and resourceful enough to have carried out these successive changes of the planet in spite of asteroid collisions and other setbacks, is herself probably not endangered by the relatively momentary depradations of the human species, as it befouls and cripples the bio-dynamics of its environment. Rather,the danger is to the human rac