Money

The first time I saw the cover of Master Your Money (in Nairobi, Kenya, at my fiancee's place of work), my heart went cold. Financial management was a topic that scared me. I skimmed through the book and, for some reason, I started reading the first chapter. Before I knew it I had borrowed the book, read and reread it, made notes and outlined my financial present and future.

I presume the three key questions did the trick: Will I have enough money? How much is enough? Or possibly the graphic on the overall financial goals gave me a simple and clear picture on personal financial management. These clarified the issue on managing money in such a simple, easy way that I saw myself achieving my financial and non-financial goals. I had determined early in life to keep out of debt and the lessons I learned in MYM reinforced my resolution.

Needless to say, I recommended the book to friends, nay, I bought the remaining copies from the local bookstore that had them and ordered for some ten more to distribute to friends. They were excited and agreed with me that this was the book! I want more copies from friends. Five stars did you say? I would say it's a 6-Star book. It is excellent.

My husband and I worked through this book together. It is straight forward and really makes you think through the concepts of managing your money and resources. The book challenged us to take a step of faith and follow the biblical principles of money management. By applying those principles we were debt free (except for our house!) within one year - plus we actually saved money. We opened a general savings account, repair account and a Christmas account. I encourage anyone struggling with debt, or poor money management to read this book.

Many books on financial planning focus on "how to do it." But for most people, those "how to" stuff remain as dreams that are not implemented. Ron Blue and Chuck Swindoll explain the inner problem why we get stuck in financial hole, dealing with the roots of financial problems that are true to human beings. Then they lead their readers to a series of life-transforming actions that are applicable immediately. These heart-and-mind actions will translate into powerful, inner motivations that will energize you to apply the practical, well-researched, up-to-date, realistic "how tos" they provide in this book. I use this book in my work as a leadership development consultant. My wife, an investment funds adviser, includes this book in her seminars and personal financial counselling.

This book saved [me]so many times in my Monetary Theory Class. I would have to say that this book is a little more advanced than your typical intermediate economics book. One should have a fairly good understanding of algebra and calculus (derivatives and integrals) to understand this book as there are a lot of equations. But that is also what makes it so cool! What I found particularly interesting was the chapter on Episodes in U.S. Monetary History. Although it was not required that we read this book for our class, my professor had said that anyone considering attending graduate school should read this book because they would benefit immensely from it. He said a lot of what this book covers will set up the framework to understanding more advanced level courses in economics at the graduate level.

I wish that this book were still in print. I am an economics student and have found it most useful in my study of monetary economics. It has clear explanations and discussions. It is much more useful and comprehendable than either Walsh, "monetary Theory and Policy" or Goodhart's "money, information, and uncertainty." While one may prefer another book for covering open economy monetary this book is fantastic for the rest of monetary.

This book covers the basics of monetary economics very well

This book might well become the standard (mainstream) graduate text in monetary economics.

This is the best book length treatment of the state of the art in academic thinking about inflation and central banking, a lot of what economics is about to lay people and politicians. While this is a graduate text in macroeconomics, in no way is it unnecessarily abtruse. You'll need to be comfortable with little more than algebra, linear difference equations, and the sort of elementary statistics practical economists do. Amazingly, this book has no obvious competitors because first rate economists wrongly disdain writing books.

This book provides a good grounding on monetary theory and the questions it wants to answer. It is easy to follow whilst providing covering most recent development. Its only drawback is that it uses the HP filter as the benchmark which any model should replicate, without accounting for the fact that there are several problems with that filter.

This book is a winner in my book. The book provides a whimsical approach to money that is funny, and informative. It lets you know that nothing you do is 'all wrong,' there are strengths in everyone. I really liked this book and would highly recommend it to others.

In Money: A Woman's Perspective, accredited financial counselor Gayle Martinez provides the reader with an effective, light-hearted way to identify six common money beliefs by exploring the minds of six familiar money management character types: Frugal Fern, Powerful Paula, Generous Georgia, Kool Katy, Avoiding Amy, and Masterful Mona. Readers will learn how their beliefs affect their money behavior as they discover how they can maximize the skills and minimize the challenges inherent with each of their money beliefs and proclivities. Abstract and theoretical concepts are demonstrating by how all six characters would approach buying a house. This is followed by a quiz illustrating how these differing behavior traits play out in various aspect of life. Money: A Woman's Perspective is highly recommended, insightful, rewarding reading for anyone seeking to enhance their money management skills and attitudes.

I thought this book provided a wonderful, fun, creative way to look at how one relates to their money. I appreciated that there was no judgement written in regards to how one behaves with their money management. This book is a wonderful tool to use for gaining insight and ideas on how to be with your money.The characters that Gayle Rose brings into this book are wonderful! They helped me to better relate to how I am with my own money management. Thank you.

Best book ever! Buy the book, begin your adventure and pass it on...

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Sending copies to sister and a friend. A real adventure.

Four Centuries of Anger. Remember me?

Sukop is a fine chap to have lead us into such common sense. (Calm N Sense)

He has provoked me enough to ....

"The most beautiful thing we can express is the Mysterious" -- Einstein.

MB.

Fred McChesney's book "Money For Nothing" builds upon public choice economist Gordon Tullock's work on how lobbyists obtain economic benefits from politicians. While Tullock's theory - known as "rent-seeking" - is gaining mainstream appeal, many economists now offer similar explanations for other aspects of legislative behavior that aids some interest groups while harming others. McChesney's theory of "rent-extraction" breaks new ground not yet covered by these economists.

McChesney defines rent extraction as "the political practice of extorting payments from private parties by making threats to expropriate wealth." In other words, he claims that politicians can take money from citizens by threatening to harm them and accepting bribes in the form of campaign contributions to leave them alone. He points out that if individuals have accumulated wealth and wish to keep it away from the government, they will be willing to pay politicians to leave them alone until the costs of doing so exceed the benefits of doing so.

Therefore, while Tullock's theory involves politicians accepting payments to create political favors in the form of rents, McChesney's involves politicians accepting payments to avoid destroying existing private rents. He explains the differences between the two by stating: "With the former (rent-creation/bribery), the beneficiaries of political action compensate the politician for increasing their welfare. With the latter (rent extraction/extortion), persons whose welfare would otherwise be diminished by political action compensate the politician for not effectuating that diminution."

He does point out that constitutional protection of private property and freedom of contract can prevent politicians from acting upon their threats. However, he claims the erosion of these protections has made the problem much more severe during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

To support his view that rent extraction imposes enormous costs on the economy, McChesney provides a wealth of evidence from recent policy debates. For example, he cites the United States Federal Trade Commission's efforts - at the request of Congress - to impose warranty and defect disclosure requirements on used car dealers as an attempt by individual members of Congress to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for voiding the rules. In this instance, he provides statistics on contributions made by the National Auto Dealers' Association to members of Congress who voted to repeal the regulations. In discussing the Supreme Court's response to the wheeling and dealing, he points out that the dealers were essentially tricked into paying to repeal legislation that Congress never intended to enact anyway.

On the Clinton health care plan, he states that stock prices of pharmaceutical firms began to fall before the policy was formally proposed. He emphasizes that investors knew that once price controls became an issue, the firms involved would have to spend money fighting the legislation by making campaign contributions. Thus, the firms were expected to lose enormous sums of money whether or not the bill was actually passed. Most importantly, he points out that the firms were never able to recover any of the money they lost in the process.

In addition to legislative threats to impose price caps, he cites situations in which politicians threaten to repeal existing price caps to obtain contributions. For example, he states that proposals to raise admission fees at Yellowstone National Park have met with resistance from local merchants and users who benefit from lower prices. In other words, politicians can even threaten regulatory systems that they inherited from previous regimes in order to extract contributions from the firms that benefit from those systems.

McChesney relates his theory to law and economics by applying the Coase Theorem to his logic. He claims that, in a world without transaction costs, there would be no regulation because markets would allocate goods to their highest bidders. Therefore, in his model, the existence of regulation is treated as a political market failure in which private individuals fail to accurately appraise the credibility of threats made by politicians.

McChesney offers a simple, straightforward way to make sense of much of the regulatory excess observed throughout the economy. Although his treatment of tax code reform may require some clarification, his model will eventually enjoy the same mainstream appeal that has been afforded to Tullock's over time.

Fred McChesney here develops his original idea of rent extraction -- and it's an idea that renders understandable much of what the government does. (Want to know why the NRA and politicians perform a perpetual, public dance with each other? Read this book. McChesney's explanation will surprise you.) This book is a marvelous example of the best in public-choice scholarship: clearly written and cogent.

What motivates politicians? How do they act? If you are interested in those questions your should read this. The author starts from earlier work in the area by Stigler and Posner - but then extends their models in a number of areas. McChesney has a remarkable ability to take a complex area of economics (public choice) and write in an interesting and understandable fashion. This book is probably going to be read mostly by academics but deserves a wider audience.

What a great find! This gorgeously illustrated book is truly a work of art. The story will captivate the young reader, and enchant the adult, as well. The Money in The Honey will be welcomed in any young library.

I loved this well-written book. The story approaches the Biblical characters from a unique vantage point, which is entirely refreshing. The illustrations are rich, bold, and detailed - each page is worth pondering.

The Money in the Honey will appeal to young children of all faiths, especially as its prose is so graceful and easy to follow. It's a story with a moral, yet avoids preaching. Rather, it entertains. This is what you always hope to find in a great children's book. The Money in the Honey is superb!

With its breathtaking and vivid pictures, this book brings a classical tale of King David to life.

This book is easy an easy 'kid read' which even parents will enjoy.

A must have!

Illustrated and adapted for young readers by Aidel Backman, The Money In The Honey is a Midrash-based picture book, showcasing a classical Biblical tale of King David's childhood. Thoughtful color illustrations, and a straightforward narrative text bring this timeless parable alive. Enthusiastically recommended reading for children of all faiths and backgrounds who are almost ready to make the transition from picture books to tales that require more reading comprehension, The Money In The Honey is an exceptional picture book and would grace any family, school, or community library collection.

I'm not a self-help kind of a person, but this book has helped inspire me to pursue a meaningful career that is based on what makes my soul feel good, not just my bank account. This book has practical information on making a positive change that is so important now, as people are remaining in careers that bring them absolutely no gratification or inner peace, but a nice paycheck. This book helped me realize that at 40, I want the last half of my working years to be fruitful on a personal note, not just financially. If you enjoy what you're doing, the money will follow, or the lack of it won't be an issue. This book has helped me begin the process.

I greatly enjoyed the book The Money is the Gravy. I have struggled with the question of career versus self-actualization for more than twenty years. For most of that time I have been in the real estate business. I became proficient in my business yet never found joy in it.

Sometimes I felt like I had been working on a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle without the box lid that has the picture of the finished puzzle-The Money is the Gravy was the box lid with the picture on top of it. The picture of the puzzle was on page 68. X marks the spot where skill, meaning, and enjoyment converge.

I have finally accepted there will be little joy as long as I am in an ill-fitting occupation.

You will enjoy Clarks "voice" and the way he uses subtle humor, cartoons, pull quotes and many historical references. This is a style I enjoy reading.

I highly recommend this book. Don't wait twenty years to figure it out like I did. Books about making money are plentiful--this one tells you how to be happy and make money.

I've been saying for years that I would rather be doing something else. But here I am, still a lawyer. I haven't actually made any changes because something has always held me back.

I've read some career change books. They've either overwhelmed me with their length or turned me off with simplistic new age messages. The other problem is that most careers books seem to be written by ex-theologians or life coaches who have had little experience of the business world.

"The Money Is The Gravy" is unlike any of these. John Clark is from the business world. I get the feeling he has experienced what I'm going through. He unites ideas drawn from many different fields, and gets across very profound themes, often using humour, cartoons, etc. So this is a career change book, but a lot more too. It's a whole approach to life.

Basically what the book has done is give me an intellectually credible framework for moving forward and making changes in my career. Plus the book has engaged me at an emotional and spiritual level.

My guess is that this book is destined to become a classic among professionals who don't like their careers much. There is wisdom and inspiration on every page. If you're like me, you'll read it in one sitting, then want to read it again, slowly.

When I first started reading romance novels, I read the Harlequin Superromances. After a while I stopped reading them (The reason at this time totally escapes me) Well, this week I got the chance to read "The Money Man" by Carolyn McSparren. And I really enjoyed it! This book was a great read and I can't wait to the other books in the "Creatures Confort" series.

She fled Minnesota for what promised to be the veterinary job of a lifetime to Dr. Sarah Marsdon in Tennessee at the Creature Comfort Veterinary Clinic. However, underestimated budgeting especially on buying of state of the art equipment causes a fiscal crunch on the new clinic. Sarah wants only the best for her patients so she prepares to go to war with the bottom line accountant, Mark Scott to obtain what was promised to her when she accepted the position.

Mark sees no added value to adding debt by purchasing equipment that he believes the clinic cannot afford or absolutely need. However, he must deal with the spunky Sarah who refuses to take no for an answer as well a nearly drowned puppy. Now the bottom line wizard finds two beings reaching into his heart as no one human or animal has ever done before.

THE MONEY MAN is a delightful contemporary romance that showcases the health cost issue by substituting animals for humans to paint the full treatment/care vs. cost debate though the same dilemma applies to pets. Though an underlying seriousness sifts through the plot, the story line retains humor mostly through the deep characterizations of the secondary cast mostly four legged in nature. Carolyn McSparren provides the audience with a powerful tale that will evoke feelings from the hard core reader yet does it through humor rarely seen in a sub-genre novel. This one deserves awards for entertainment and relevance.

Harriet Klausner

Dr. Sarah Marson forsakes the wretched Minnesota cold and men who wish to run her life for the warmer climates of Memphis Tennessee where she's been promised a veterinarian position at a state of the art clinic Creature Comforts. But cost overruns at the new clinic, wet weather, and vandalism cut deeply in the budget. Now if Sarah wants all the perks she's been promised, she's going to have to take on the money man, Mark Scott.

Mark doesn't know much about animals, but he does know how to keep a budget. Unfortunately, the equipment promised to Sarah doesn't fit the budget, and he doesn't see the value of running the clinic any further in the red to obtain equipment he believes they can do without. But with the arrival of Sarah, which he finds disconcerting enough, also comes the unconnected arrival of a ragamuffin puppy during a downpour. As Mark coaxes the nearly drowned puppy out from under his car, little does he suspect how either the woman or the dog will open his heart.

Filled with typical events of a large animal veterinarian's life, THE MONEY MAN is a must read. From Egg Roll, the Vietnamese pot belly pig, to the tennis ball swallowing Ball's python, THE MONEY MAN creates marvelous characterizations of both the two legged, four legged, and even no legged variety. Author Carolyn McSparren effectively stirs the emotions, whether it is tears at a needless death, giggles at the puppy that steals the hero's heart, or laughter at the unusual wedding. Filled with compelling incidents easily drawn from my own experience with pets, I couldn't put THE MONEY MAN down. Winner of the WordWeaving Award of Excellence. Very highly recommended.

Camp tailors financial advice specifically to the medical profession with a regular column that appears in Physician's Money Digest and Dentist's Money Digest. He is also the author of MONEY: 127 Answers To Your Most Asked Financial Questions (1995). He now answers 338 new questions in this compilation of queries sent to him by readers of his columns and by those who have heard or seen him on the financial talk-show circuit. His simple, straightforward question and answer format is arranged into 10 categories: evaluating investments, economic influences, understanding stocks and bonds, planning for retirement, IRA's, reducing taxes, paying for college, estate planning, insurance and home ownership and personal and family matters. Included are interviews with eight leading financial experts, such as Harry Dent and Jeremy Siegel. Although much of the advice targets doctors who have medical practices, there are also plenty of tips for anyone concerned about his or her financial health.-

This same author published "Money Matters Made Easy" some years ago, and it did more than most financial books do, it gave both the beginner and the oldtime investor an overview of how to plan, execute, and follow through with investment ideas, through questions and answers. Now this new book adressed to doctors, in the same format, but also just as revelant to the average person, covers many more subjects,and has excellent interviews with 2 of the most astute and knowledgeable persons in the financial field. This book is a must for very household.

This is an example of a well-targeted book: the 750,000 doctors in the United States. It is a book doctors will identify with. But much of the advice, tips and insight will benefit anyone who wishes to build wealth.

The chapters cover evaluating investments, economic influences, understanding stocks and bonds, planning for retirement, IRAs, reducing taxes, paying for college, estate planning, insurance/home ownership, and personal/family matters. The book is an interview with answers to 338 financial questions categorized into chapters. The busy physician will find the book easy to read between patients, as most questions/answers are less than a page long.

Steven Camp is a certified financial planner, columnist, the author of two other financial books and the vice-president of a major brokerage firm.

As a publisher, author of 113 nonfiction books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I recognize the value of targeting your reading audience. Steven Camp is delivering his vital financial message to a group of professionals in a time of change: doctors. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.