financial-education Books

This book is fabulous! Clear and precise, it answered all my questions. Since I am just getting in the investment game, I was pleasantly surprised to find a book so easy to follow for the novice. Kudos to the author! I am really looking forward to Dr. Jones's next book!

I really don't know much about investing. I even avoided those type of courses in college (majored in the life sciences). But I realize that now that I'm a home-owner and making money I need to do something about my future. I'm not a big fan (at all) of the "For Dummies" series of books, so I wanted something a little more informative but personal. While browsing the books I came across this book and found the layout appealing. With chapter names like "Understanding Mutual Funds: The Nitty-Gritty Details" and "Seduced by the Dark Side" I thought this would hold my attention. Upon browsing the first few pages of some of the chapters I also realized that the author took care to write for a varied audience, which I appreciate since this subject somewhat scares me. All in all: job well done! I have read the book from cover to cover and I even made notes in the margins and bookmarked some of the pages. I'm ready to start investing, and I'm much more confident now! Thanks!!

I was asked to review an early draft of this book. I'm really glad I did! Like many other people, I'm recently retired, need to stay tuned to the stcok market so that I can keep my "nest egg" wisely invested, but would much rather be outside playing golf, tennis, etc. I want to enjoy every minute of of each day, and the last thing I want to do is study and play the stock market! So, I don't, or at least not nearly as much as I should.

This book was exactly what I needed. I learned a lot more about mutual funds than I had expected to learn and it was written so that I could easily understand it. Subsequently, I'm making changes that will simplify and improve my investment strategies and will allow me to play golf without that little voice in the back of my head telling me that instead, I should be sitting at my desk studying the "market"!

If this all sounds familiar and you can relate to what I'm saying, then read it! You'll be glad you did!

This book is great and I felt that Dr. Jones had written it just for me. He is right, it is my money and my choice to make good investment decisions. After reading the book, I feel like I am ready to avoid the pitfalls and invest in mutual funds. Thank you Dr. Jones for writing a book that even I can understand.

Having previously been disappointed by the irrelevance of other personal finance books (e.g. Personal Finance for Dummies) to the particular circumstances of a graduating medical student -- such as very high loan debt, relatively low immediate earnings, and relatively high long-term earnings -- this books is refreshingly specific. Unlike most personal finance books I've seen, which seem to be aimed at those too clueless to keep track of a personal budget or avoid credit card debt, this book clearly explains topics such as when and how to defer payment on loans, choosing retirement accounts, and taking out extra loans just before and during residency. Unfortunately, Dr. Lefebvre allows his (leftist) political views color his advice on choosing medical insurance or discussions of tax brackets, but these are relatively minor issues. Also, I was disappointed that, although he repeats the well-worn, general advice that one should begin saving for retirement as early as possible, he provides no clear financial breakdown of just why a young physician earning $45K per year should set aside a significant amount of scarce money for retirement now rather than waiting for a few years when that same physician may be earning over $300K per year.
Overall, it's a quick, easy, and highly relevant read for those about to graduate from medical school, and this would be an excellent gift for a gruaduting medical student. I'm surprised that other reviews view it as so applicable to "young professionals" in general, but be aware that it is written on the assumption that you are a physician, or about to become one; the more your financial circumstances diverge from this, the less value the book will have for you.

I think the title should read "for the Young Professional," because the book really discusses topics that are relevant to everyone, like student debt, insurance, real estate, retirement investing, etc. It's quick and easy to read and really explains things well. Highly recommended.

I have read Dr. Lefebvre's book, and must admit that it was very well written, and more importantly very informative. In fact, my only critique for this book is that the title should be corrected to read, "Personal Finance for the Young Professional" as the information contained within is applicable to anyone.

I have put into practice some of the values that are preached in the text, and I am already noticing some positive changes in my overall financial health. I highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely curious about personal finance-you should be if your not already.

Finally, I just wanted to say that authors Lefebvre, and Hungerford should be commended for their efforts in producing this much needed master-piece of how-to-books.

This book was just what I was looking for. It covers everything from buying a car, insurance, student loans, and investing for retirement, etc.. For once I actually understand this stuff! Plus, it's a relatively quick read that gets the job done fast. I have looked at other books that looked like they would have taken forever to read. I'm a medical student, and I don't have a lot of free time. I felt like this was the perfect starting point for learning about personal finance. The glossary at the back is a nice feature, too.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, and thought it was great. It's well organized, so readers can read it cover to cover, or just skim through for relevant sections. It's a must have for students in any type of program.

Finally a book with actual real tips and usefull info on how to lessen that debt load. I think that every high school student should have one of these along with their parents, it sure would make everyones life a little easier. I love all of the real life stories it made it alot easier to relate than some of the other how to books out there.

Sink or Swim, shows how to survive in life whether as a student or as an average-joe everyday worker, by making wise and responsible financial decisions. Sarah Deveau, uses both her experience as a University student, as well as someone who married young to demonstrate that it is possible to get a top-notch education without drowning in needless debt. Deveau's book is written in a practical and easy to understand format that is applicable to everyone, no matter what the situation. Sink or Swim is a must have for simple and effective budgeting and making responsible and tolerable fiscal decisions to better your life. Deveau's Sink or Swim is a pratical and easy approach to a difficult topic that is very prominent today for just about everyone, she provides useful and easy to understand tools to gain financial independance as well as a good credit rating.

A Great book filled with ideas on how to get through University or College without drowning in debt from student loans or other debts. Perfect gift for High School graduates - even better for Grade 11 students (time to prepare). Funny stories - real life circumstances make it easy to read and enjoyable. Timely advice from someone who has "been there" and "done it!". Sarah Deveau has a remarkable way of sharing insight on finances like no other - she's 24 and young enough to relate to her audience. Very, very good!!! Parents should buy this book to help their kids get through the expensive maze of post-secondary education.

This book is packed with information that is key to getting in front of the right people. College coaches are busy and competing to get their mind share is very difficult. This book has great insider information that clears up the mysterious "hot to" of getting the attention your athlete needs when they need it. As a parent of an athlete, I found there wasn't a source to go to for clear information on what to do. Mr. Brown has put together a much needed source of valuable information. Every coach should be passing this book out to their teams!

If you want to play sports in college, this is the book you need. The book raises so many issues that you might never think of such as what to do if a coach reneges on an offer, how to make a strong impression on a coach from the moment he or she steps on your school's campus and when you can and can't communicate with a coach. The author does a great job of weaving in examples of what to do and what not to do in the recruiting process.

This book provides helpful instruction on the ins and outs of maneuvering through the complexities of college scholarships in a concise and easy to read format. This is a great guide for any athlete preparing for college.

I use to work in the recruiting office of a Major BIG XII university. From that first hand experience, I understand the things that can get the attention of the sports staff for future recruits. One top of all that, I have a cousin who is a D1 (FBS) player in soccer at a ACC school. This book provides fact, that is invaluable. It is a shame that I did not have this idea, or have this book for my cousin's parents. A must read.

One of the biggest complaints about scholarship books is that you won't find enough scholarships. It is true that not every scholarship in this book will be applicable to you, but there are several reasons why I think this is the best of the bunch. First, you WILL find many, many scholarships that fit you. It will take some time, but it's definitely worth the effort and the way that this book is organized makes it as easy as it could be. Second, what this book has that others don't is information on what to do once you find the scholarships--tips on how to win the awards. I highly recommend this book to any student who is looking for money to pay for school.

I bought this book to look for scholarships for my high school child who will be going to college. Well, come to realize after reading through and scanning all the scholarships offered, only a small percentage are for high school students trying to raise money for college. Out of the 2043 scholarships they offer in this book by categories such as: General, Humanities/Arts, Social Sciences, Sciences, State of Residence, Membership, Ethnicity and Disability, I could only find 73 scholarships that she "might" be eligible for. They are almost all for small amounts- $1,000 or less also. It is a lot of work, for very little reward. There are less than 5 scholarships that are over $10,000 and the competition is fierce. A very large majority of the scholarships offered in this book are for college students, grad students, and adult students. I liked the book because it gives me a good "starting point", but I would say look for something geared more toward high school if that's what you need.

This guide has hundreds of scholarahip opportunities as well as ideas and suggestions for finding some on your own.

I love this book. The information is up to date and complete and you get everything you need in one place to apply for scholarships. What I don't like about some of the other scholarship books is that they have scholarships that are only applicable if you attend a specific college. This book doesn't waste space on those types of limiting scholarships. Instead it has scholarships that are open no matter which college you attend. I think it's probably the best $20 you can spend to find scholarships you can win!

This is an excellent beginner's law book. This is also helpful for accountants preparing to take their CPA exam. This book has side references on questions and parts that have been used on the CPA exam. I highly recommend keeping this book as a basic easy to read and follow reference tool for legal issues concerning corporate entities.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in learning more about Business Law. The book utilizes real life cases, giving you perspective into the every changing world of law. I give this book 5 stars. It's a must have.

This is an excellent compendium of the major subject areas
taught in a business law course. The book has a fair coverage
of legal rights, government regulatory processes,contracts,
personal property, sales, commercial paper, creditor rights,
agency and employment, partnerships, corporations, real property,
the Uniform Commercial Code and an index. The work presents
typical case studies utilizing the classic factual patterns and
the decision. There are important case studies contained
for student homework assignments and class participation.
The work is edited by some important CPA Review giants like
Dr. Fox -famous for his rendition of the CPA law review.
It is a worthy purchase for anyone studying business law or
sitting for the CPA Examination.

The work is easy to read considering the complexity of some
of the topics discussed. i.e. HDC (holder in due course)
The grammar and sentence structure are very readable for students.

I highly recommend this study guide. I studied for the financial accounting CLEP over the winter break using the REA prep book. I spent about 2-3 weeks reading a little every night, doing the practice questions, and reviewing concepts or whole chapters as necessary based on my practice results. I got a 61 and a 62 on the sample tests included with the book, and a 63 on the real test. I am planning to use REA to help me CLEP out of three more classes.

I don't know how I would have made it through without this book. It makes the CLEP feel like a breeze!

I used this book for the CLEP financial accounting test. I only studied three days and took the test and passed! This book is no nonsense and is easier to understand than most accounting books. The examples are easy to follow. Overall great study guide for the test.

I had to purchase this text for a class...it is phenominal! I actually like reading all the cases and examples that bring the law back down to earth. It isn't hard to complete reading assignments and actually understand what you should be retaining as concepts.

C

We used this textbook in our MBA level Business Law course. This book is an excellent resource for understanding business law from a corporate finance angle. The book is well organized and very useful as reference to any corporate manager or executive. I highly recommend it.

Dr. Cheesemen's thorough and direct explanations into the world of business law is phenomenal. He breaks down the wall and makes the law a whole lot easier to understand.

Book Review:

Capital Campaigns: Strategies That Work
By: Andrea Kihlstedt and Catherine P. Schwartz
Edited by: James P. Gelatt
Aspen Publishers, Inc. Gaithersburg, Maryland 1997

Reviewed by: Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.
...

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this "how to" book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a "how to" book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

I loved this book! It does an excellent job of covering A to Z about capital campaigns. The book is large. It's pages are 8.5xll. The type is somewhat small. And the pages are formatted so as to include two columns of text. I read the paperback edition and it's definitely not a light book at 253 pages.

Probably my only complaint about this book is that a good amount of the terminology used between its covers was not defined in the Glossary of Common Campaign Terms (Appendix B). Nor were the terms I wanted defined included in the book's index. For example, Exhibit 1-2 makes reference to a "kitchen cabinet." That term is not defined anywhere that I could see in Chapter 1. But later in the book at page 82 the kitchen cabinet is defined as being the "core committee." Great! But the definition of kitchen cabinet is not included in either Appendix B nor is the term included in the book's index.

The book is so rich in content that having an incomplete Appendix B and less than book index hurts it. One other shortcoming I found (and I didn't find many) was when the number of interviews for a feasibility study was capped at 25-35. I'm used to many more people being interviewed during a feasibility study. And the cost for having a consultant do the study is a bit higher than this book indicates. Such studies usually last between 6 to 8 weeks. At least the ones I am used to.

But what a book. I worked for two years as an associate consultant to nonprofits that provided campaign direction. I would have loved to have had this book at my fingertips when learning the ropes of the trade. Just about everything I learned through observation and experience is written about eloquently in this book.

There are a number of people who can benefit greatly from getting a copy of this book. The first that comes to mind is any executive director of a nonprofit that is considering a capital campaign. If she doesn't know the ins and outs of embarking on a capital campaign, then she better get a copy of this book and study it. By getting this book she will know what she has to do to prepare her organization to be able to successfully have a capital campaign. And she will be an educated consumer when she has to hire a consultant that will provide her organization with campaign direction.

The second person that comes to mind is a successful development director who wants to become self employed as a consultant to nonprofits that provides capital campaign direction. When writing his business plan for his startup consulting practice this book will be instrumental in what and how he will provide his services. This book is truly a goldmine of information regarding capital campaigns in the nonprofit sector.

Other people who should read this book are members of nonprofit Boards. And the campaign chairman of a capital campaign will get a lot out of this book. 5 stars!

PS. Two other books that closely relate to the subject matter of this book are: The Ask (ISBN: 0787978566), and Major Gifts (ISBN: 0471738379). I have written book reviews for both these books and posted them on Amazon.

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this how to book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a how to book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

"Climbing the Money Mountain" covers those issues that Mom and Dad never talked about and you probably won't hear in any classroom. Randy has definitely filled in the gaps when it comes to essential knowledge for today's young adult. If you're a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, buy this book for the teenagers in your life.

I have just completed reading Climbing The Money Mountain, which
I enjoyed immensely. Being a very successful businessman I feel
it covers the overall financial concepts young adults should be
equiped with to move forward successfully in life. I have sent
copies to my nephews and neices as a must read. You owe it to
your family and relatives to read this book. The return on
investment is enormous.

I've read this book. I'm 75 years old and have basically followed the advise given in this book throughout my life. I'm relatively financially stable which is a great benefit to living a happy and comfortable life. I recommend this as an absolute read for all young people from high school age and up. The book can be a valuable guide to a rewarding future.