economics-times

I have read two or three of Levinson's books and they got me through a period when I was self employed. However, as good and useful as the ideas are, not enough is mentioned about having to do the actual work. It's easy (for me at least, and obviously for Levinson) to think up good ideas but one has to actually do the work and many ideas sound good and like they should work but when you get to working, the work to payoff ratio isn't enough or there are serious mental blocks to doing the volume of work necessary. Sure, write a book and get royalties forever sounds wonderful but how many people actually write that book, market it aggressively, etc.?

As a person who is mentally done with working for other people and on other people's timelines, I find this book very inspirational and helpful. While obviously not every idea in this book will work for you, several of them should get your mind open at least a crack as to how creatively you can manipulate your own talents and interests into ways to earn money independently of someone else. However, the book is merely a starting point. Mr. Levinson provides ideas for work, basic ways to market your offerings, and some potential pitfalls just to keep you in reality. The rest of the details will have to come from yourself. So if you are looking for a comprehensive guide to starting your own business,the hows and the wherefores, this isn't it. But it's a great tool for lifting your mind out of the corporate gutter and realizing there are may other opportunities out there for you as long as you have enough spirit, determination and belief in your own sense of entrepreneurship.

This book was wonderful. I enjoyed Levinson's philosophy regarding "jobless earning" and feel that anyone who is unhappy working in a typical 9-5, is looking for more freedom regarding work and the type of work they do, or is simply interested in earning extra money will do well to read this book. It contains numerous and wonderful ideas about ways to earn extra income, and the philosophy behind these "earnways" is a wonderful gospel that should be preached from the "mountain-tops". I loved this book. I really did.

If you're going to be introduced to Derivatives pricing and Quantitative finance in continuous time, you need some basics in probability theory, an elementary introduction to stochastic calculus and you need "bjork". It tells you the equation and how to understand it.

It's the best source for a complete understanding of the basics of arbitrage free pricing in continuous time; whether it's in complete or incomplete markets.

The best feature of this book is how the author invariably provides an "intuitive interpretation or explanation" to convey critical concepts. {Things like market price of risk in the context of interest rate modelling, change of measure etc...}

Why I rated the book 4 instead of 5?
I will not forgive "Tomas bjork" not to have covered the Libor Market Model; it's "THE" model and therefore should be covered in great details by any book of this calibre. A new edition of this book with the libor market model is needed.
Having said that, the coverage he gives to the popular short rate models is worth every read!

Guy,
Msc Financial Engineering at ISMA Center, Reading - UK.

It is a good book to read as an introduction to the field. The author is successful in conveying the intuition behind the models instead of striving for complete mathematical rigor. I recommend this book if you want to quickly get acquainted with derivatives pricing but are a bit afraid of the higher math seen in other books.

The central text for IOE 552(financial Engineering I) at the University of Michigan. Halfway through the course and I really understand the application of Ito's Lemma and the Feynman-Kac stochastic representation theorem. This book has just the right mixture of narative story telling, and mathematical rigor. The derivations are accessible to those with a semester of advanced calculus and a semester of probability. Over and over, Bjork shows that the secret of success in Financial Engineering is "RAIL" which stands for the "Relentless Application of Ito's Lemma".

I have known Eddie Gilbert personally for over a decade, and I find that at 80 years old he continues to work as hard as most people in their 30's. He is a driven man, whose ambition is boundless.

This recent book is a swift read and covers the major events in Eddie's life in a well researched and balanced way. From the heights of two separate fortunes to the depths of two jail stints, it is really an amazing story. The most amazing part is that it is true. Eddie Gilbert is still making history today as a very, very successful real estate investor. Everything he touches turns to gold. He is a very loyal family man, who values friendships and would do everything to follow through on his word.

I recommend reading the book, not for its literary merits, which are very modest, but for the truly extraordinary story of the many lives of Eddie Gilbert.

Pick it up and you won't be able to put it down!

Richard Whittingham has always produced exciting and important books (in military history, police novels, sports history, etc.). So it shouldn't have come as a surprise when I picked up his latest, "Boy Wonder of Wall Street" (biography), and had trouble putting it down. But I was surprised. After all, what's to admire about another financier (yawn), especially one who has been labeled an "embezzler" and a "crook"(ugh)? Well, Whittingham has produced again. "Boy Wonder" is spellbinding. It's a consistently surprising, revealing and ultimately heart-warming tale of a truly unforgettable character. Rarely in biography (and fiction, for that matter) is an ending of sweet redemption so winningly delivered --- and I have given away nothing with that statement except that this is a terrific read that will stay with you a long time. Need a new hero in your life? Eddie Gilbert's your man. Five stars!

The title of this book should read "An Economic History of Europe," because 90% of the material focuses on the economic development of Europe. This is understandable considering that the industrial revolution first occured in Europe, and pulsated outwards. However, the amount of time given towards explaining the economies of the middle east, Asia, Oceania, Australasia, Africa, Latin America, and even the USA are so minute that the title is decieving and for all intensive purposes incorrect.

Nevertheless, the book is quite interesting, as it progresses from the dawn of human civilization with very concise and brief summaries well in to the twentieth century becoming more desciptive and detailed. If you are interested in how the world economy arrived to its current level, then I would suggest that this book is a good read and worth your while. Since this edition was published in 1997, it is excusable for the author to omit the economic consequences of the Euro, the rise of China and the rest of Asia, and the economic implications of Septemer 11. The author also refuses to offer his speculative view on the future of the world economies, thereby leaving the reader to do his or her on guess work. Although the introduction of the book, on the current inequality of world economies, is quite interesting, it is not elaborated upon towards the end of the book, and causes a lack of continuity. If you wish to understand better the world economy, you would be better off reading the encyclopedia, Lonely Planet travel guides, or perhaps even better, (what I have done) which is to travel and see these countries for yourself with your own eyes.

Don't expect "A concise economic history of the world" from Cameron's work. Do expect, however, an excellent account of Europe's economic history. If you want a more global, less "economic" account of the pre-modern world, try Janet Abu-Lughod. As for the modern world, a synthesis of Cameron and Asian experts would provide the comprehensive picture Cameron's title implies.

Rondo Cameron certainly explains the hold economic history of the world. Rondo takes you from the ages before Christ to the twenthieth century. Why did the Roman Empire went down?, Why Spain was not able to achieve higher levels of economical well-being despite their big colonies overseas?: Questions like these are answered in Rondo's excellent book. If a man wants to forsee the future, he has to go back and learn where he comes from. Economics and History were successfully married in the book, so historians, economists and financiers will find it helpfull.

Skillfully written; shrewdly argued, but the premise just doesn't hold up. A few businesses could economically cut greenhouse gas emissions and will learn this sooner or later. This reduction, however, is a trickle in the ocean. Kyoto is only marginally more valuable. The only way to prevent global warming is to remove greenhouse gases from the air or otherwise cool the Earth; a multibillion dollar decades long research project is needed. The really interesting topic for Dr. Romm's next book could be why the conferences and media coverage about global warming never seem to mention this fact.

The book should enlighten those equating the green movement with adverse economic impact. It simply doesnt have to be the case. Companies like Shell and Dow are realizing, the early birds will gain serious competitive advantages when adopting "cooler" operating philosophies including: lower operating costs in general, increased productivity, and lower carbon costs when they ultimately get implemented. Numerous verified examples are provided that cement what should be a common sense belief that reduction of waste (all types) lead to leaner more competitive companies.

I approached my own boss with these ideas and received a chuckle in response. Its an uphill fight out there, hopefully the more people become informed, the easier it will be. This book is a great one to hand to a nay sayer. (I plan on sending a copy to both my boss and President Bush for Christmas)

By Stephen Corrick Reprinted with permission...Joseph J. Romm was an Assistant Secretary of theUS Department of Energy. He obviously learned his lessons well. Hisbook, Cool Companies, makes an overwhelming case: Not only willreducing greenhouse gases not hurt companies' ability to compete, the action of reducing greenhouse gases (and industrial energy waste generally) offers the single easiest productivity booster, and among the shortest payback periods of any available to American industry today.

Cool Companies offers insights into the detailed processes by which all company sites-from industrial giants like DuPont and 3M all the way down to individual apartment owners-have used greenhouse gas emission reduction to drive many more dollars to their bottom line.

The only question one is left with after Romm so effectively makes his case is why the coal and oil companies are playing Chicken Little and screaming that reducing greenhouse gases will hurt American business. Obviously, the only American businesses they are referring to must be their own. The Wall Street Journal and the American Chamber of Commerce would be well served to get the true picture and start representing the needs and interests of the majority of their customers-whose interests, at this point, are often diametrically opposed to those of the fossil fuel industry.

Clear and concise. take you to the point with a plain english explanation.
An excellent investment!

This book contains a somewhat eclectic mix of project planning tips, motivational quotes and anecdotes, and genuine get-your-ass organized tips.

The way this is written, you can read it in one of two ways. You can skim this quickly and extract a good dozen tips for implementation at work tomorrow, or you can take your time, fill out all of the worksheets contained inside, and really examine your work habits thoroughly. Many of the tips inside are really great for simply getting organized at work: the tickler-file concept, the two different methods for to-do lists, to name just a couple.

The writing isn't superb but it does a good job of servicing a wide audience. Whether you're a seasoned manager with some bad habits to examine or a recent college graduate with a procrastination streak to kick, this book will help you.

How To Make The Most Of Your Workday appears in its second edition to provide an updated set of considerations to making the most of one's workday, from reducing stress and increasing efficiency to creating more leisure time and learning how to allocate time. From meetings and phone calls to priorities and goals, How To Make The Most Of Your Workday covers a range of strategies.

Overall this book will achieve its intended purpose of helping me remember names; however, this book has many weaknesses. First and foremost, the first 3 or 4 chapters were 100% worthless. He states how important it is to remember names 50 different ways and using quotes from many different people. My response to that is: "I know it is important to remember names... that's why I bought the book." A short simple introduction would have been adequate. My next criticism is that 90% of the book is fluff. This book could be summarized in a page and be just as effective in 10 pages. If I knew which pages to skip, I could have read the book and gotten the same result out of it in 1 hour. To summarize this whole book up for those of you out there, he recommends two methods. FACE (focus, ask, comment, and employ). To remember someones name you focus on them and ask them a question about their name (ie. How do you spell it), comment to them or yourself about the name and cross reference it in your head (I have a sister named amy), and then employ the name (ie. Goodbye Amy). I will admit that this method works; however, It's not very impressive and not worth wasting an hour to read what I just wrote in one sentence. The second method (advanced method) is where the book adds value. He calls this method the NAME method where you Nominate a facial feature, Articulate about it (it is big, hairy, etc), Morph the name (ie. Turn Amy into Aim or a target) and then Entwine (you picture this Target on her body part such as a mole). He does have some examples and some practice photos to help master this method. Overall, I have just summarized the entire book. I hope I can save some people some money and tell the author that he needs to learn something about brevity.

I'm a chronic name forgetter, so I've read other books about memory hoping for help. This is the first one I've found that offers advice that's clear and effective (I've already had some luck with it). Maybe it works so well because the book's a great motivator: the opening chapters demonstrate how the ability to remember names has had a big impact on the author's career, and they show how highly prized the ability is by leaders in corporate America. I wish the photos had been bigger, but they work pretty well as practice material. In the long run, I'll bet "Remember Every Name, Every Time" turns out to be more valuable than the last 10 business books I've read because it's not about theory, it's about a practical skill that can result in real benefits.

For many years I've studied memory and related subjects. I have even demonstrated memory by memorising a magazne. I have over 50 books on memory in my library and none equal this book for teaching how to remember names. It does not necessarily break new ground but it really teaches you how to remember names in an interesting and easy way. I think you shoud buy the book. You should know that I have no finacial interest in this book.

Bill Tadlock

When I first read this book, I thought it was kind of like a souped up version of what you can find in virtually every "how to get organized" article in any woman's magazine. But, it has some redeeming qualities - especially if you are totally disorganized and don't know where to start. It will walk you through a process pretty much step by step. I think it would make a nice shower gift or something for a young adult starting out on their own because they can start out with the methods discussed in the book right from the get-go.

This is a pretty tiny book. At least you will not waste too much time reading it. It actually is full of I-could-have-thought-about-it-myself advice that are worth reading even if you think that you are already pretty smart about organizing your home and your family.
The 15 minutes thing is the greatest advice ! Even my mother (can't find anyone more organized than her !) never gave it to me ! I gave it to her !

First I must say that this book is geared toward women, not saying men could not find very valuable information and tips here - because they can. Again, this book is easy to read, you don't have to read the whole thing at once you can read a little at a time and feel like you are getting something accomplished. For example: There is a chapter on your pocketbook which is only 4 pages long but gives very helpful and informative tips you can work on right away.(And this book is small enough to keep in your average sized pocketbook.) I found the book to be very informative in an upbeat fashion.

There are just so many neat areas from a file card system for chores, divided daily, weekly, monthly and so on. You could tailor it very easily to work in your own time frames. I had heard about a file card system on the internet but didn't totally understand it, in a few pages I finally get it. There are suggestions for list or sheets from shopping guides and important numbers sheets you could easily type up on your computer, save on a file and print as needed.

The ideas are simple and you might have heard a few of them before - but for some reason this book gives me the confidence to try and start in at least one area. I think the size of the book could be part of the reason, it's doable. I've bought some other books that are great with lots of great information, but they are large and I don't always have the time to read it and then get moving. I can read 3-4 pages while I'm waiting for my kids somewhere and feel that I might actually accomplish that goal that day, and if it's a bigger project, maybe that week. I can carry this book with me and refer back to it. From kids, to cooking to cleaning and organizing this book touches on so many areas with so many workable solutions. I am very glad I bought it - it is definitely worth the price - very affordable - to me.

It takes time but going through the process outlined for filing information has helped. I have organized my files, both paper and computer, so I can find things in seconds instead of hours or days.

I would have given the book 5 stars but I thought there was a little "fluff" added that wasn't neccesary.

Overall a great book for those who tend to need some help getting organized at work.

I have read at least a dozen books on how to get organized, at work or in general. As a professional with a private office, I have found this book the most helpful, inspirational, and practical among those. The language is neither condescending nor folksy; the principles are clearly stated and summarized; and all advice is eminently applicable. Now I have all my office files in half a drawer and I can produce any document within seconds. The author does not require you to clean up your office in one day: you are allowed to start from today's paper piles and work backwards as needed. We procrastinators are now officially out of excuses.

I was not near as bad as some of the cases Barbara describes in her books, but I was pretty pathetic! I was over a year behind reconciling my checkbook, paid bills late and my finances were in a mess, because my home papers were in such disarray! I felt so out of control, I didn't know where to start. I finally spent a weekend going through 7 boxes of papers I'd moved around for years, set up files, etc. Then I found Taming the Paper Tiger. Barbara covered things from setting up a workable space to how to organize action and storage files. I now have a terrific credit rating, run the family budget, have NO stacks of unidentifiable papers, mail greeting cards timely, and even get photos mailed out to the inlaws. I have recommended this book to several friends and family members. You simply cannot run your life successfully without managing your papers. God bless Barbara Hemphill!

Sciulla's book avoids policy conclusions, and other theoretical certainties as other books like Fogels' 4th Awakening. She notes the interesting point that "Today, clock time measures events" in the past events measured time. For example, in Magadascar a half hour was measured by the time it took to cook rice. She became interested in the nature of work when she subsidised one job teaching philosophy with another as a waitress in a restaurant. Ms. Ciulla is particularly struck by the fact thatt wealth has not brought happiness. People continue to want to earn a living. Even when people have enough to live on, many of them continue to want to work, remaining perplexed at the fact that while life is supposed to be easier, many continue to seek meaning through employment. However, she notes, employment provides a schedule and a rythm for daily life and serves as an outlet ofr greater forms of community participation.

Joanne Ciulla presents a very well organized, philosophically grounded overview of work -- its varying meanings, its historical evolution, and its paradoxes as found in modern institutions. She is very up front with the reader in her introduction, admitting that this book is not a scientific investigation, but rather a broad interpretation of the meaning of work and how it has come to both bless and curse us in present times. Accordingly, there are succint summaries of some of the major interpretations of work -- from the early Greek philosophers to contemporary management schools.

But this is more than just an overview, too. Ciulla has a way of getting her readers to look at work with unexpected insights every step of the way. She peels away the common sense and taken-for-granted interpretations of work (which are often based on promising the worker some sort of fulfillment, but at the price of surrenduring autonomy). She does a nice job of deflating recent management theories that tout "new" approaches (management theory is woefully a-historical, she asserts, and is always looking at recycled approaches as though they are breakthroughs). There is a tone of leariness here, rooted in a skepticism over those who apply new management theories in order to exert greater control over individuals, and encourage them to shift their focus more and more away from families, community, and individually expressed forms of self-worth.

Overall, if you're skeptical of the latest management promises of creating "fulfilling work" (or if you really think the "Dilbert" cartoon series is right on the mark), you'll like this book. If you are looking for something that offers a new twist to management technique, you will likely find this book impractical and overly alarmist.

Ciulla places great importance on personal autonomy. She is suspicious of any connection outside of thepersonal that infringrs on that autonomy. She finds difficulty in the fact that people draw at least some of their identity from the world around them and in particular for this book from their occupation or job. Ciulla constantly stresses the implicit danger of betrayal and exploitation in this trust in others for life meaning. She repeatedly draws comparison between this fidning of identity in one's job with that of slavery in which the slaves identity is submerged to the personal interests of teh master.

Ciulla's book is a strong advocacy of her point of view written with an evident extensive background in the subject. It is well worth reading but one must keep in mind that this book is a brief to support one point of view.

As a side note. Ciulla deplores the needs of some people to find their identity in their relationships with others. She calls these people 'other-directed.' This is just the standard extroversion that is highly prized in current culture. It is nice to read a book in which introversion is praised as an ideal rather than being regarded as an ailment to be treated.