market-economics

If you've never read a book about investing in the stock market, this is a great book to start with. Having read many of the authors that Jason cites, I found his distillation of their concepts quite good. Jason first teaches one how to evaluate stocks, and then what the Master Investors (e.g., Buffett, Fisher) can teach us about investing and stock selection. Jason also focuses on a book entitled "What Works on Wall Street." This book by James O'Shaughessy revolves around his study of 43 years of results from 1952-1995 contained in Standard & Poor's Compustat database. Jason's book ends with chapters to help you set up your own core portfolio utilizing the methodology he has set forth.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a thorough discussion of the Capital Asset Pricing Model or the Equity Premium, then I would look at more academic texts, but if you want a clear, user-friendly, well-researched discussion of the stock market, I would buy this book. The average 5 star review from 25 people (as of this review) is substantial evidence to this book's value.

Kelly has put together an excellent book here. In 7 chapters, he covers a breadth of knowledge that every serious or potential stock investor should be familiar with. I learned more in the week I spent reading this book, than in 6 months of listening to tips from co-workers, on-line discussions, and self-directed research.

In chapter 1, he defines all the terminology you'll encounter in stocks. In a very readable manner, he quickly covers EPS, P/E, PSR, ROE, Beta, and numerous other concepts that are useful.

In chapter 2, he describes the methods of 6 all-time top investors (including: Buffett, Lynch, O'Neil, etc.) comparing and contrasting there methods.

In chapter 3, he explores what some historic evaluations of stock growth show. This is great stuff, especially during a down market.

In chapter 4, he explains in detail the Dow Dividend Strategy. Anyone can understand this and with only 30 minutes of work per year have a relatively successful investment plan.

In chapter 5, he covers the process of choosing a broker and placing orders.

In chapter 6, he covers some of the many methods you can use to research stocks. With a ton of web-sites, newsletters, and books, Kelly's advice can save you countless hours wasting time looking for information from the wrong source.

In chapter 7, he explains his own strategy. With easy to understand worksheets and using the knowledge gained earlier in the book, he guides you into an investment plan that will suit you.

Not only is this book full of good information, but it's written in a very readable manner. I highly recommend reading this book BEFORE making another investment decision. Even if you have a broker that you like, you owe it to yourself to educate yourself with this book.

"The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing" is a great book for all investors.

This book will teach you how to analyze individual stocks. You will learn which information is important and where to go to find it.

It makes the vagaries of investing clear. It concisely covers areas such as Valuation Ratios, Growth Strategies, and Value Strategies.

No only does this book cover a wide variety of information, but it then distills it down into the best strategies for investment success.

Essentially, this is a must have book for anyone new to investing.

This book should be mandatory reading for anyone tired of the hype and "free lunch" philosophy of most MLM ventures. A judge in this province has ordered several young offenders to read this book and write a book report as "punishment" for their crimes. Art's message that you can overcome obstacles and achieve all of your dreams without compromising your integrity and values impressed me so much that I joined the company!

The book starts the way hundreds of motivational books do. I almost gave up - how many times can you read the same phrases and ideas. But reading on I discovered that this one is different: it's just wise and very practical... Archie said few thinhgs you can't find in other books but he said it in such a way that I really believe him. He is just an honest and wise man, in my opinion. What a contrast to Brian Tracy or Anthony Robbins which I used to like.

This story is a true American story. How a small band of "average, middle-Americans" upset an entire industry, with nothing but a "crusade" - as Art calls it.

This is entrepreneurism at its best! Not only is this a great read, but it is chock-full of "unwritten laws" than can help any would-be-entrepreneur.

I have read many books on investing and would have to say Sy has covered many topics that you don't see in most. Sy gives you a good look at how the securities industry works and a system for investing that is easy to implement. He addresses the fact that there is risk in the market, something most investors don't seem to respect. It is written very clearly making it an easy read. If you are looking too learn more about investing, do yourself a favor and read this book. Not only could it make you money, it could save you money as well.

Sy Harding's book contains stock market strategies that will prevent you from being a victim (and about 80% of investors do poorly in the market). Many investing books are written by successful and well-known market mavens yet they are often hard to read and their major points murky (Tom Dorsey's 1995 "Point and Figure Charting" is essentially unreadable ...). Not so here. Hardings book is very well-written and complete. It was written in 1999, he warned of a huge bear market coming. Historical perspective is given to show how old man Kennedy and others financially raped the small investor on repeated occasions ... Hardings clearcut explanation of the seasonal effect (buy around Nov 1 and sell around May 1)is noteworthy. Stockcharts dot com provides the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line info for free, that Sy wrote about. Every small investor needs this book. Sy has a site in his own name that is worthy of your viewing. Can't think of a better gift for an investor than this book.

Written for the average investor (those with IRA, 401K, and perhaps some free cash for individual stocks), this is by far the best book I've ever read on investing. It is not only very entertaining, but is full of practical information. This book was published in 1999 and accurately foretold the stock market crash. (Those who followed his advice saved a lot of money).

After reading this book, you'll realize that most of the "experts" that you see on tv or read about in the paper are just shills for Wall Street. Their interest is in getting you to buy and sell stocks so that THEY can make money.

From a practical point, the author argues convincingly against the "buy and hold" approach, demonstrating with simple graphs and language how devastating this can be to your wealth. For example, the Nasdaq was at 5000 in March of 2000. It's now at 1500. While it may recover to 5000 one day, do you want to wait another 10 or 15 years merely to get back to even?

Finally, and most importantly, his research shows the average investor how to triple the returns of the S&P 500 by following the "seasonal" tendency of the stock market to rise strongly in the November to late April period and then to fall in the May through October period. The data is very, very convincing.

In a word, if you want a clear, simple, and straightforward understanding of the stock market and how to use that information to dramatically increase your returns while lowering your risk, this is the book for you. Those who read the book and follow his advice can look forward to a very comfortable retirement. Those who don't, well, good luck to you.

In these tough economic times, this book is more important than ever. I liked the Tightwad Gazette better, but only because it was closer to where I was in my Frugal Jorney. This is a guide for those who never thought about thrift. Those who never set foot in Goodwill before and are living the American Dream...conspicuous consumption and debt up to their eyebrows! Mrs. Hunt is candid and opens her life to the reader. She tells how to get off the crazy, spendaholic merry-go-round and examines the reasons why people spend too much. Then, she shows how to fix it. Thank God we weren't in as much debt as she was, but she showed us how to fix the debt we had. For that, I am forever in her "debt." =) This is advice I never could have gleaned from the Tightwad Gazette, as Amy D. and her family did it right from the start. Defintiely a great read!

Mary Hunt's book is great. I read it quickly. I understood all the concepts and have been able to actually apply them. The thing I loved most is that is she was once like the rest of us - working, creating debt and figuring out how to manage it. She made her mistakes and learned from them and I admire that too. SHe lays her experiences on the line for us to learn from and hopefully not to repeat them. I am still using the concepts today.

Has worrying about money or paying your bills ever kept you up at night?

Me, too. Until I found this book.

About 7 years ago, our family was suffering from unbelievable money problems. Depressed and confused, I decided to stop by the bookstore and browse the personal finance section. There was only one problem. I didn't have twenty or thirty dollars to buy money management advice. I decided to get Mary's book and could not believe how many great examples and strategies she gave for reducing debt.
By following Mary's instructions, our family quickly began reducing our debt and wiped out almost $ 20,000 of credit card bills within a few years.
Her book is my money "Bible" and like scriptures in a holy work, I have highlighted paragraphs on almost every page that give insights into a subject that had always been beyond my control.

This book saved my marriage and brought me peace.
I highly recommend it. . . to everyone.

I love Ringer's books. Though I've never met the man, over the years I have come to regard him as a kind of trusted advisor.

When I screw up (and that happens a lot) I can always pick up "Looking Out For #1", Ringer's previous book, and see why. Invariably, the cause of my failures can be easily traced to my lack of adherence to the "Universal Truths" found in Ringer's books.

These "Universal Truths", however, are found in just about every other book on success ever written. What makes Ringer special, then, is his humorous, no b.s. style of writing. He goes out of his way to relate his own failures in life--something few success authors do--with such self-effacing humor that you won't mind when he slaps you in the face to point out where you need improvement.

With "Million Dollar Habits" Ringer somewhat rehashes his earlier material--thus the four stars. He uses the time-tested technique of all successful authors in fluffing up a spin-off to his earlier works. Indeed, you will find that "Million Dollar Habits" feels surprisingly familiar to "Looking Out For #1", and it is.

Nevertheless, I will likely buy and read just about anything Ringer publishes. I need to hear what he has to say from time to time. We all do.

I've read a lot of books on success, and they all say basically the same thing: Have a goal, keep a good attitude, work hard. But reading it isn't enough. Some fundamentals have to be constantly reinforced. Ringer presents ten basic principles for success and presents them well. He adds a couple of important principles many writers neglect, like how to deal with people who drain you of your enthusiasm.

It is easy reading, and will reinforce your commitment to doing the fundamentals. Sometimes you just have to hear something one more time to make it stick. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on effective self-help material. Million Dollar Habits fits the bill. Definitely worth reading.

I love all of Ringer's books, but this is his best. Much of his previous books were an offshoot of Ayn Rand's objectivist ethics, an attractive, but not always viable worldview. Ringer seemed to have written this book as an addendum to his previous works, when he was a hard-core Ayn Rand disciple. In Million Dollar Habits, he admits that Ayn Rand is great stuff- for people who live on a planet of Howard Roarks and Dagney Taggerts. Million Dollar Habits isn't for people who live on that planet- it's for the people of planet earth! In this book, he takes a more flexible, positive world view. The advice here is much more practical a real-world. Those who found Ringer's previous works good but impracticle should read this.

The Richest Books On Shelves

In George S. Clason's "The Richest Man in Babylon," vital ancient secrets are told on how to get rich. This book represents the valuable information in a series of stories, which in turn make the book more interesting and easier to follow. As an example, one of the most useful tactics about money in this book is "The Seven Curses for a Lean Purse" (22). These seven curses become more evident to one once read through their daily lives, as they are not so common sense traps that everyone falls into.
Along with the great secrets and stories, is the choice of words presented in the text. A clever mix of modern English and biblical style make the book an easier read while adding onto the stories. On a scale from 1-10, this book would definitely receive an 8 if not better, due to its secrets told and guidelines presented in it such as "The Seven Curses for a Lean Purse" (22) and "The Five Laws of Gold" (57). If one liked "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki or other books similar to it, one will enjoy this book. Once taught and told the secrets of this book, one's financial ways will differ and improve. Recommendations for this book go out to anyone and everyone who wants to get out of financial debt, and learn more about how to manage their money.

I often give this book out as a gift whenever a person younger than me asks for my advice on money. I always present this book to them saying "if you read it and do as it says, it will work magic." It really contains excellent, time tested advice, and would make a good gift for someone in their early 20s who is on their own for the first time, and struggling.

The book is a series of parables about money written in the 1920s by George Clason. They were written as individual essays of a few thousand words, but the theme throughout them is consistent -- save 10% of your money, give 10% away, use 10% to reduce your debt load, and live on the remaining 70%.

The stories in the book are entertaining; they are reminiscent of some of the parables in the Bible, such as the Prodigal Son or the story of the Workers in the Vineyard. I think this is intentional on the part of the author; certainly readers in the 1920s had an appreciation for "old fashioned stories with a moral" that people today seem to have lost. I enjoy the book greatly, though, and any thoughtful person who reads the book should find it interesting, especially if they are trying to get their finances in order.

George Clason makes use of a Babylonian metaphor to tell a tale that could very well have been valid back 5000 years ago, as well as in 1926 (when the book was written) and today. Having read a few of the books of the "Rich Dad" series, I can't avoid thinking that a lot of the ideas in those books most likely came out of this one. Here is a brief summary of what this title has to offer:

-Save 10 percent of what you earn, regardless.
-Control your expenses.
-Make your money multiply (work for you).
-Invest wisely and look for the advice of wise persons.
-Own your home.
-Make sure you have provisions for when the time to retire comes.
-Countinue to learn about how to make money.

The book really comes down to these few learnings, which by no means is little. In fact, the way the story is told, it's very easy to grasp, and very likely you will feel identified with several of the characters throughout it. It's such an inexpensive book and such a quick read that it's a crime not to read it. It will pay off for itself millions of times... hopefully.

Although at first I didn't really need this book, my friend recommended it to me. From the first reading, it surprised me, how good and interesting the book is! Glad I read this book.

The book explains many concepts in corporate finance, from the usual stuffs like DCF, cost of capital, risk, to much more difficult issues like business restructuring, in a very interesting, practical and readable way. Coupled with real world examples like the Time-Warner case, this book is clearly a must for those who want to built a strong foundation in finance.

This book is required at Harvard Business School and is used at top B-schools and bank management trainee programs around the country.
I used the book during my MBA program, even though it was not required. My study group members always requested that I bring it to group meetings. I even had a classmate approach the author (who happens to be my father) at my graduation and ask for his autograph.
The book introduces complex finance concepts like net present value in non-academese language and the real-world examples reinforce the concepts.
I strongly recommend this textbook to anyone preparing to enter business school or embarking on a job in financial analysis.
Professor Higgins is a beloved teacher at his home institution, the University of Washington. You can share in a little of his vast expertise and gift for teaching by reading his book, Analysis for Financial Management.

A book that every prospective MBA should have, as it is very clear and gives a lot of resource listings and examples. Recommended for anyone that need to deal with financial issues.

What makes it even better, is that it lives up to its back cover: it turns Finance into Management, or at least tries very hard to show what a CFOs life is really about, in practical examples.

Very strongly recommended for people that need to understand what being a CFO is about (all prospective MBAs) or people that need to understand what choices sometimes have to be made in finance.

This book shows the absolute validity of Napoleon Hill's classic success book "Think and Grow Rich." W. Clement Stone seems to have put all of what Hill wrote about, which made him successful beyond belief.

Napoleon Hill's books have been a treasured part of my library. I've recommended this one to others countless times. I consider Napoleon Hill to be one of the earliest "proactive thinkers" in the world. As the father of the science of personal achievement, he has been one of my success mentors.

If you haven't read this book before, get ready for profound wisdom. Napoleon Hill makes it easy to understand that our thoughts are things and have God given powers, far beyond what is commonly taught by others. I can tell you from my own astonishing situations experiences that, your success really is most definitely determined by what and how you think and having a positive mental attitude is key.

You will find that this exciting book becomes a part of you. Don't hold back - let it happen. In fact, you should spend 10 to 15 minutes every morning focusing your thoughts on the truths of this book, thereby allowing them to seep deep into your subconscious mind. If you do this I guarantee this wisdom will most assuredly bring you the success and abundance you deserve.

Enjoy the book and your new proactive success life!

"Whatever the mind of man can concieve and believe, it can achieve." True, oh so true words as stated by Napolean Hill in Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude a great sequel to Think and Grow Rich. Many people feel that Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is even better than Think and Grow Rich.I believe you need both.Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude has positvely influenced the lives of many high powered people.Dr. Denis Waitly credits this book as helping him move from an also ran to a front runner and arguably, oneof the best trainers in the business.Rev. Robert Schuller rates Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude as one of the top 10 book he has ever read.Co-written by Napolean Hill and Clement Stone, Success Through A Positve Mental Attitude is actually 5 parts, 22 chapters and over 300 pages of powerful information.Referring to Stone and Hill, Norman Vicent Peale states; "These two men have the rare gift of inspiring and helping people...In fact, I owe them both a personal debt of gratitude for the helpful guidance I have recieved from their writings."Success Through A Positive Mental Attitde made a profound difference in my life and will in yours as well. Get this book and use it.

The idea is to have a positive cash flow and not to have the fear of buying short on the deal. It's so easy!

This book heavily emphasizes planning and prioritizing and also offers tips on how to stave off procrastination. There are a few anecdotes about business managers and housewives that, for me, just fill pages, but overall, this is a clearly-written, useful book that offers effective techniques.

I believe that it is very hard to find a book which is more important than this book. This book is a must for anyone in any field who wants to achieve much more than s/he did before reading it. It may be not but is very close to the bible of time and life management. Being too far away from ideas inside this book, you will be very hard to achieve anything in your life. The time you read it will be paid off several times. Its ideas are worth reviewing several times.

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life is, perhaps, the best book on time management ever written. It does not waste your time but gets right to the point. You must establish SMART (specific, measurable, achieveable, related/relevant, and time framed) goals for yourself and then prioritize them using Lakein's A/C system. "A" goals are the most important to you and you must plan on spending 80% of your time to achieve them. "C" goals (TV, lawn care, shopping, etc.) are the place where most people "waste" their lives and spend 80% of their time. This ratio must be reversed, according to Lakein.

He would agree with e.e. cummings that "To be nobody but yourself in a world that is night and day trying to make you just like everybody else means to fight the hardest fight any human being can fight, and never stop fighting." Once we have set goals that utilize our unique talents and abilities, we will have the will power and determination to do the work necessary to achieve them.

To accomplish our goals Lakein recommends that we make a daily "to do" list and always start with "A's," not "C's." Most of our time is spent working harder on things that don't matter. We may be efficient, but Lakein suggests that our goal is to do what matters most and become effective. "Work smarter, not harder" is the mantra he wants us to repeat and couple that saying with his last piece of advice --"Do it now."

Stick your finger into this small book and any page you hit will have wise words to put into action. Learning comes from daily practice and developing habits that "put first things first," taken from Stephen Covey's best seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People -- also recommended is Covey's fine book on effective living appropriately titled First Things First.

Rarely has a book that costs so little paid such rich dividends. You won't be disappointed.

I bought this book because of the high ratings in Amazon. I must say that I fail to see why it deserves such high ratings.

The book introduced one central theme - look for a big volume jump when the price crosses the 150-day moving average - and was repetitive after that. The book tried to discuss chart patterns (e.g. head-shoulders) but was pretty lame. The book did not mention anything about other market indicators such as MACD, RSI, etc. Were these indicators unimportant? Were these indicators not in fashion back in 1990? I was perplexed.

If you are looking for an introduction to technical analysis, there are better tutorials out on the web than this book (just google "technical analysis"). Save your money for your next investment.

In the past 6 months, I have bought and read over 15 books on trading and investment (Van Tharp, LeBeau, Nison, Oz, O'Neill, Murphy) and this is by far one of the best books out there. At first, I was reluctant to purchase this book based on the date of publication (Pre 1990). But, as other great trading books, this one is a classic that should be in every library of technical investors/traders at an extremely affordable price.

Key points:
- Very practical, systematic and clear. Excellent communication. You don't get bored reading it.
- Sound trading system.
- Stan's stage analysis is a tremendous help to separate the stock price movement in stages. Very valuable insight.
- His stop loss explanation on both and long are extremely valuable and clear. He explained it in a step-by-step fashion. This alone can save you $$$ by locking-in your profit.
- Other excellent explanation: important chart patterns to be considered (he only selects the best ones), volume analysis, importance of Relative Strength and moving averages. What to buy, When to Buy, When to Sell, How to Short....And he separated those key processes between Traders and Investors. So, you will have a clear understanding of what to do. A step by step explanation on how you can find the A+ stocks using his "Forest to Trees" approach.
- Excellent Quiz & Answers and the end of each chapter that tremendously re-test you understanding of the important concepts.

If you're a beginner or intermediate, this book will certainly give you a huge boost in mastering chart reading as well as execution. Unlike any books that sort of short in explaining one critical area, I find Stan's book very clear and entertaining as well. It opens your eyes on what to look for in a chart.

Highly recommended!

To anyone who wants to beat the market and improve their success rate by learning and using Technical Analysis this book is a gauranteed way to get started. Its written in simple terms, has excelent examples and offers advice based on time-proven methods. Compared to other similar tomes on this subject it uses no math or formulas but relies on actual charts of stocks. The method teaches how to view price, volume and trend data so that stock picks yield winners 60 to 80% of the time and with gains (for me) 2x to 10x! It also provides lessons on the how to cut losses and how to learn the discipline of selling for maximum profit. This is a book which can (and must) be reread over and over as one gains expertise at Technical Analysis. The methods learned provide logical procedures which eliminate the hype of the stock market and turns the hype into profits. Weinstein's motto of the "Tape Tells All" is the foundation for success because it places stock action as the primary source of information over OPINION.