fainancial

"Born at a time when capital accumulation for the peasantry was nearly unthinkable, [Godric] was nonetheless a model of modern wealth creation: an up-from-the-bootstraps capitalist who transformed the hand fate had dealt him."

"Cosimo helped to create a world that revolved not around God but around a society with man at the center. After five hundred years, power was shifting from the men of the Church to the men of business."

"Gifted with unprecedented mineral wealth, [Philip} had set out to reverse the flow of history rather than look forward and embrace growth, and history has judged him accordingly."

"James Watt is known to us as the father of the Industrial Revolution, and indeed the steam engine he brought to such perfection is the [italics] defining invention of the movement....He needed a partner [Boulton] to transform his genius into a product and to bring the product to a market where fortunes were waiting to be made....The steam engine [developed by Watt and promoted by Boulton] that would power the first locomotive would radically alter transportation across England and throughout Europe. Across the ocean, it would even pull a continent together. But its invention and manufacture would be left to other minds and hands."

"Throughout the last millennium, it was control that created fortunes: control over the oceans or railroads, the highways or the airwaves. At the start of the new millennium, it's still control -- this time over cyberspace, the new wealth machine. Some things never change but here's the difference: This road to riches is open to everyone."

I include these brief excerpts to suggest both the style and thrust of Means's presentation of material. As Grubin correctly points out in the Foreword, "Scientists and politicians, artists and scholars, all contributed to the millennium of change, but the world's businessmen -- its bankers and industrialists, merchants and entrepreneurs -- were a powerful driving force behind the stunning transformation." Means is to be commended for so skillfully guiding his reader through this immensely interesting process. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Mokyr's The Lever of Riches.

This book is organized around 12 chapters. Each chapter highlights one person or event in business history. The book presents an inside view of the step-by-step history of business and its development over the years as history of liberation from ideological dogmata, superstition and prejudice. The story begins from the 12th century monk St. Godric. A final chapter on Bill Gates and Microsoft heralds the current age, in which "the road to riches is open to everyone." And everybody, who wants, must be rich. Now it is available for everyone. It is obvious today that entrepreneur is the most creative person making the most creative work in the world.

Sure, I especially enjoyed the sections on JP Morgan and Bill Gates. The book was recently translated into Russian.

Recommend this book!

Pulls no punches. Wish that I had read it 10 years ago and saved myself thousands of dollars and much heartache.

Because addiction is so destructive, and can be difficult to detect, subtle behavioral clues are important to identify potential problem relationships. The author has developed an indicator to identify likely addicts. Sixty symptoms and behaviors are listed which are seen in addicts. This information allows the reader to organize their observations and intuitions into concrete conclusions about problem relationships. It is then easier to escape, avoid, or change the relationship before severe damage is incurred.

As a manager, I have found the book helpful in identifying potential addiction problems among employees. After reading the book, the extent and destructiveness of addiction becomes apparent. The book will allow managers to identify addiction early and possibly even screen out employees in the hiring process. If the addict is not hired in the first place, the high cost of dealing with addiction problems can be avoided entirely.

The book is well written and enjoyable to read. I recommend it highly to everyone who deals with people.

Ok, that was the good part about the book. What about the rest? Don't we all know how to try to get lower interest from issuer and high interest rate induces high interest on top of your balance in every billing cycle? We know what a transfer balance with promotional rate is etc. and how to use it in our advantage. If you don't, Read this book.

Do you know what is the magical trick behind all of this credit card debt reduction techniques! I'll tell you that. PAY YOUR BALANCES. From no book you cannot get any information about how to reduce your debt without paying money. So, don't spend much, but try to pay as much as you can. Booom, you reduce your credit card debt. That simple.

Last words, this book covers some useful info you might not have known at all. Maybe it should be called "credit cards for dummies". Aren't we all little bit dummy in this field?

So I was very pleasantly surprised when I picked up this book. Blustein does a really impressive job of examining in detail the crisis of 1997-1998 and the role of the IMF. The economics is impeccable and he explains it clearly. And he's tremendously effective at bringing to life the "drama" of the crisis and the very difficult decisions that policy-makers face during a crisis like this one.

I also appreciated the fact that, while being quite critical of the IMF, Blustein is also balanced in his assessment, and careful about avoiding gratuitous "IMF bashing" and about making it clear that there are a lot of very smart people at the IMF who work very hard to do their job well.

This is a great book for anybody who wants to gain a greater understanding of the international financial system and of the role of the IMF. Lively, accurate, never boring, it's one of the best non-technical books about an economic event that I've ever read.

While the book is not hawking a political slant, it is very honest about the fact that the IMF's solutions were at best partly successful. It addresses the very real concern that attempts to bail out countries in crises is really bailing Wall Street investors who took foolish risks with taxpayer money.

For a subject that has little coverage outside of technical studies this is a very good book.

He explores many topics, such as being able to buy a car or house; as well as is it wrong to borrow large amounts of cash. He also explores credit cards and life insurance, as well as the standards, such as budgets, teaching your children about financial principles, and seeing ahead towards economic trends and dangers.

For a good and practical read which can be applied to any situation, a great resource!!!

He provides practical advice to perplexing questions. As stated in his Stewart Report dated March, 1996, "For every problem, there is a corresponding opportunity. Given the enormity of the computer date-change problem, there will be an equally large investment opportunity." These opportunities are summarized in the later chapters but reading between the lines he offers hints about companies poised to benefit from Y2K. As they say, "there is gold in them thar hills," but you've got to dig deep for the real nuggets.

He raises a good question about who "they" are - the proverbial fixers of Y2K. Mainstream thinking is that "they" will fix Y2K. Not so, according to Mr. Stewart, in spite of the assurances we hear in the media, et al.

Overall, a thorough, intelligent review of Y2K, specific industries, how prepared/unprepared they are along with investment quidelines for those who are concerned about themselves and their families. A Strong Buy!

David Stewart then makes a bold and highly convincing foray into the implications of Y2K. Practical suggestions for personal preparedness are discussed but without the hyperventilation of the more extreme alarmists. There is even a touch of humor which elevates the tone and inspires the reader to prepare for the coming difficult time with hope. Also provided are investment ideas to protect one's assets from Y2K as well as aggressive investment moves that put one in a position to profit from Y2K rather than be victimized by it.

David Stewart has made Y2K the focus of his research for the past three years, and this book is the culmination of that effort. A must read for everyone who wants to make up their own mind about Y2K and isn't afraid to confront the difficult questions surrounding it.