market-economics

As the title says strategies and tools to unlock the power of the bond market. It delivers in that it covers the strategies and tools needed to make intelligent decisions on bonds. Before you look into this book I must warn you that this is not a quantitative book. This book covers such things as qoute depth, yeild curves, credit ratings and so on. The content of this book goes deeply into the determination of interest rates. From watching the Fed to reading what the market might be heading. There is a chapter dedicated to watching the Fed. One of the points that stuck me in this book is how not to follow dumb money (e.i. speculators, Anthony Crescenzi's advice is to follow the smart money.
This book is for is not for advanced for people. I'am aware that there are other books comparable to this one but this is the only book I have read and not planning to read another book comparable to this one. There are a lot of resources of in this book that make "The Strategic Bond Investor : Strategies and Tools to Unlock the Power of the Bond Market" worthwhile to read. I have to agree with one of the reviewers about his writing style, it is in fact engaging.

This book is the type of book that reminds you that stocks are not the only investment around. In plain language he discusses yield curves and backs up his information with solid charts and graphs.

Mr.Cescenzi opens your eyes to the psycology of those that sell bonds and the importance of bonds in your own personal portfolio.

Since I am an author of Futures/Commodities books and an investor in Bond Futures, I read this book to enhance my knowledge of bonds and to take advantage of the bond trading pits in Chicago.

I believe that's the only failure of the book. He discusses that there are no centralized exchanges for bonds and grossly neglects that many bonds have a futures component and are traded for only a fraction of their face value.

All in all this is a great resource book and should be seriously considered for those investors that are tired of being abused by the stock market.

Unlike books addressing stock market investing, there are relatively few investor-oriented Bond books, probably due to several reasons - (i) bond concepts are somewhat more quantitative compared to stocks, (ii) bonds have no central "bond exchanges" with readily available price quotes, (iii) bonds can't be sold and bought as easily as stocks, (iv) perception is people can't "swing for the fences" with bonds.
However, as the "Strategic Bond Investor" makes clear, it is imperative to become familiar with bond market dynamics to understand how and why interest rates are set, which in turn affects the economy and the stock market. The book does a wonderful job of laying bare the intricacies of the bond market, at the same time stays away from the more technical aspects. The writing style is very engaging, and the content is very organized. The discussion on Bond Types - how big various types of bond markets are and how they got that way, is fascinating. So are practioner-oriented "rules of thumb" permeating several chapters. Chapter on "real yields" was a bit confusing (when inflation is expected to go up or down, why do real yields move as opposed to "expected inflation"?) I initially felt the visual presentation (charts, graphs, tables etc) was somewhat limited, but as the book progressed, it seemed to be just the right amount, and contained a lot of high impact information. There is a good appendix containing a primer on economic indicators. With this, you'd be better able to judge the reaction of the market to CPI, employment, consumer sentiment, etc., etc.
The book seemed somewhat repetitive at places, but still read well. With this book, one should be able to answer: (1) How can bonds be expected to perform given the current economic information, market sentiment, etc. (2) what types of bonds can be expected to do better? I highly recommend the book for purchase. Another great book for the bond investor would be William Gross's "Everything You've Heard About Investing is Wrong!"

I'm a practicing daytrader in MN, and felt that this material can help teach anyone daytrading. It teaches the market basics, strategies for investing, analysis techniques, trader discipline and using Level II. The video format is much easier to learn and understand then other books I've read on the subject. I found the strategies in the live trading segment to be especially helpful in understanding how to trade for profit. I actually learned things from this video that were not taught in a $5000 full week class. I feel that this video is a great tool for beginning and intermediate students who want real experience using a Level II system.

If you plan on daytrading and are serious about it, this series is an absolute must to have. David Thoroughman's live trading session on tape 2 is extremely insightful, and the visual clarity of the tape is outstanding. Many other firms charge $5000 or more for far less information than is available in this package. Watching these tapes over and over again (especially tape 2) will give you the confidence to enter and exit trades with an excellent understanding of what to expect and how to minimize your losses if your stock heads in the wrong direction. Get it and use it!

EXCELLENT CONCEPTS, VERY GOOD FOR THE BEGINNER AS WELL AS THE ADVANCED TRADER.

Meticuously researched and documented essays detail the obvious conservative bias of the media as they continue to do the dirty work of the elites. Good for those misguided individuals who continue to believe the nonsense that the media is dominated by liberals (the same media that refuses to cover NAFTA, GATT, WTO, the racist War on Drugs, health care for the rich, the death penalty, etc., but lived for the last 6 years off the political "scandals" of the most effective Republican president in the last 50 years- Mr. Clinton). A must for the open-minded and progressive of this country.

Edward Herman deserves equal ranking with other great debunkers of our day. His style is more academic than say, Chomsky or Parenti, but he achieves genuine depth even in the short space compiled in the book. This is done by locating pivotal points in the topic and developing them with insight and fact, as exemplified in a devastating analysis of Milton Friedman and the Chicago school of economics, a chief source of neo-liberal theory.

Though many topical issues are discussed, most center around globalism and the emerging world of unrestrained capital. Though all sections have merit, those adressing economics, and media are strongest. Not only are the likes of a Friedman debunked, but so are major defects in the work of such lesser lights as Peter Passell and his Limbaugh-like anti-environmentalism. Particularly useful is the author's discussion of how the science of economics has been politicized, with the Nobel prize as a prime example. Also noteworthy: A model of development for Third World countries, i.e. basic needs/ independence model, that would prioritize domestic investment over the dependency brand required by western interests. Apologists for the global power grab like to pretend neo-liberalism is the only framework left to choose from. Seldom mentioned are those killer technologies from the sky that make sure no alternatives challenge "free trade" and the dominant class lurking behind it.

The sections on media's role in carrying out state propaganda are noteworthy for a balanced and nimble approach. Herman shrewdly points out the face-saving features that make a democratic media appear credible in the eyes of many. Yet, as he shows too, this is only a facade. For behind it a very effective system of decentralized censorship operates, the major mechanisms of which the book spells out. It should be added that this current system - and system it is - has evolved over time, without central direction or guiding blueprint, into perhaps the most effective form of public manipulation in history. Despite all, a general public that is aware of vested interests, senses this same media is not to be trusted. But the complex mechanisms which would validate such cynicism are rarely spelled out or popularly understood, so the disconnect continues. Compounding this is a political rightwing that deflects popular doubts onto a supposed liberal bias in reporting, a truly Orwellian twist. Herman's hope for the future lies in a burgeoning civic sector media, free from private and public sector warps.

All in all, this is an excellent purchase for the serious reader, particularly for those inclined by years of indoctrination into supposing that America and America Inc. are the same thing.

Gives amazing insight into the reality of America from the educational institutions to foreign policy. The analysis and examples in the book are amazing. A must have for anyone intersted in humanity. Herman at his best.

A few years ago, I read a New York Times bestseller, The Discipline of the Market Leaders, by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Since its publication, I have heard a lot of managers quoting from it. In this bestseller, authors Treacy and Wiersema describe three strategies: product leadership, operational excellence, and customer intimacy. My fellow executives translate these as product, price, and service, and we all generally agree that to compete, "You have to be good at two, and be excellent at the third."

Last week I read ValueSpace by Mittal & Sheth. It changed my interpretation of Treacy and Wiersema's book. I realized how wrong every manager's understanding of Treacy and Wiersema's book had been. The confusion is between the Marketspace and Valuespace. Treacy/Wiersema's book tells us WHAT market to compete in (Marketspace); Mittal/Sheth's book tells us HOW to compete in the chosen market (ValueSpace). Their discussion of this distinction in Chapter 12 was an eye-opener. They also do a great job of tying up the theme of their book with the themes of other business bestsellers, such as Tom Peter's In Search of Excellence and Collins and Porras' Built to Last.

I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned with business strategy. If you have read other bestsellers on business strategy, you can't afford to miss this one. I only wish the authors had made Chapter 12 as their first chapter. . My suggestion would be to read Chapter 12 first. Then the rest of the book would be doubly meaningful.

I read the book purely out of curiosity. I co-manage a high tech company so at first I was disappointed since none of the high tech companies are included in the book. But I started reading it anyway because I wanted to read what some of the famous companies like Caterpillar and UPS are doing to gain market-leadership. Although some of the company stories get to be tedious, most are useful and fun to read. And even though none is from a high tech company, it gave me ideas for my own business. Now whenever I am faced with a customer problem, I would be thinking of one or the other story to come up with my own innovative ways of solving the customer's problem and to meet his or her value requirements. Beyond the stories, what I found useful is the customer value framework the authors offer. At first, it looks deceptively basic and simple; but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed valuable. Its simplicity is a good thing. Authors claim that it is comprehensive - I am not sure yet, but so far every value creation activity I could think I could fit into the framework. And I could apply it to my company. Indeed the framework is applicable to any company in any industry. The book offers nothing in the way of quick-fix. And when you finish reading it, don't expect to run with excitement, eager to implement something. Rather, the book's framework gives you a template to use in long term, cool-headed, planning. It does not matter if you are a small business or a large business, and if you are a established company or a start up, the book's framework will be a handy tool for constantly thinking about various avenues of creating "unusual and complete" customer value.

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ValueSpace? What is it? What does it do for my business?

We are constantly asked these questions since the book's release. They are best answered by us in the preface, excerpted below.

PREFACE

ValueSpace -we hold it in utmost admiration.

ValueSpace-it is to us the be-all and the end-all of all business activity; the only purpose of all businesses. It is the only justifiable goal of all reengineering, organizational renewal, entrepreneurship and corporate innovation. And it is the only path for sustained growth; for winning the battle for market leadership. It is the space where true market value is created. For shareholders; for employees; and, most of all, for customers. We present in this book a blueprint on how companies can build enduring ValueSpace for their customers.

This book is at the intersection of our two long-held obsessions: As university professors, we view ourselves as lifelong learners; and for decades, we have been students of customer behavior on the one hand and business organizations on the other. We have studied theories of customer behavior-indeed created some of them ourselves--, and for decades, we have observed, analyzed, and written about business processes, precepts, and practices. In this book, we bring these two streams together-our knowledge of customers and our knowledge of businesses. This is our ValueSpace for you, the reader: Uniquely in the current sea of business advice books, we combine the customer and business perspectives.

We set out to understand what constitutes value for the customer and how companies can create it. With financial support from the Marketing Science Institute (a Cambridge-based nonprofit research organization), .. we studied 11 Fortune's Most Admired Companies. ... Our framework, comprising the components of ValueSpace and its drivers, is quintessential-no matter what else you do or do not do, you must create these value components. Our framework is enduring-it is not the "project of the month"; long after the current fads have vanished, you must still build the value components we describe. Our framework is universal-it applies to all companies: manufacturing and service; small business or global enterprises, business-to-business or business-to-consumer; physical or digital; dot-com or not-com.

We intend this book to be a blueprint for thought as well as practice. We present conceptual framework to help you plan; we provide a self-audit form that you can use to assess your company's current standing in the ValueSpace; and we present case histories, stories of the most admired companies, and insights from executive interviews that you would find both inspirational and actionable. It is a hands-on guide to launching your journey into the customer ValueSpace.

Our own journey has been fascinating; we have learned a lot-from the Most Admired Companies we studied; from the executive interviews we did specifically for this research; and from thousands of conversations over the years with consumers, mangers, and corporate leaders just like yourselves. It is a pleasure and privilege to share with you our view of Customer ValueSpace, and our total fascination with it.

(End of Preface) * * *

VALUESPACE FOR BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

How You Can Use the Book:

Knowledge is the foundation for all strategy and sound executive action. This book will give you:

a. A Perspective: A framework for thinking about your customers' ValueSpace, and indeed about your business itself.

b. A Strategic Planning Tool. The book contains an Audit self-survey both for nine ValueSpace components and 40 driver processes. You can use this tool to assess your company's current standing and then plan action to move forward in the ValueSpace.

c. As an Account Planning Tool. For each major customer, you can identify the gaps in the ValueSpace you can fill.

d. As an Executive Training Tool. As a platform for Executive Training, the book can inform, guide, and frame the continuing education experiences in corporate universities and in-house Executive training centers.

Once you adopt the ValueSpace thinking, the potential to explore avenues of value creation are limited only by your creativity and vision.

*******

SELECTED EXCERPTS

Value, not money, is the basic currency of all human interaction. When we meet someone, we try to quickly assess how long would it be worth our while to be talking to that person. If an incoming phone call shows up on our called ID, we promptly decide if we would gain anything by taking the call at that time. If we get 10 letters in the mail, we look through them and choose to open only those that we expect to contain some information of value to us. This is even more true for marketplace exchanges.... ...

Companies that invent new values such as these possess certain traits. They observe customers real close. They dig customer need to its essential core. And they keep their eyes on a singular target: creating far fetched new ValueSpace for the customer. These traits indeed lead a business to mold its own self-concept in the customer's image. Rosenbluth redefines the very nature of its business as "business interaction management." And 3M comes to view itself, instead of being a maker of masking tapes, abrasive papers, and adhesives, as a provider of bonding, protection, and masking solutions.....

This reinvention of oneself as a corporate being, this customer-centered adoption of a new self-identity, the constant contemplation of the customer desires -this is what it takes to invent unparalleled ValueSpace for the customer. This is what it takes to win the battle for market leadership. This is what it takes to thrive.

*******

IN CONCLUSION

We hope you enjoy the book. We will certainly be grateful for your feedback. You can send it to us at BanMittal@MyValueSpace.com.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

This guide was really helpful in giving me ideas about what I can do in marketing. I was always kind of interested but only had a general sense of what marketing is. I especially liked the real people profiles that describe in detail some of the different career paths that you can take. I give this guide a thumbs up!

I'm one of those lost souls who never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, and have been in the exploratory phase for a long time now. My friends have often suggested marketing as a potential career path because of its combination of creativity and practical analysis, both strengths of mine. I liked this idea and began my search, but found that most of the career books out there were flashy and gimicky, or too specific for what I had in mind. I just wanted somewhere to start that would give me a general picture of what Marketing is all about and what opportunities are to be had in the industry. This WetFeet Insider Guide provided just that--a general view of the different careers in Marketing and a breakdown of the industry itself. The descriptions of different sectors of industry and the profiles of real jobs have given me a lot of ideas as to where I want to go next. And the upbeat writing style got me really charged up. I've gone from being confused and unfocused to really excited and ready to make the next step towards a marketing career. This is a great starting point for lost souls like I was. I highly recommend it.

i really had a good time reading this guide. it's written in a fun, snappy tone, and yet the information included is valuable and serious. i'm definitely interested in getting involved in brand management, and the in-depth day in the life of a brand manager helped me see what i thought was a good role for me and know that my hunch/assumptions were right! of course, now that I've read the day in the life of a creative specialist, i'm tempted to go that way too. thanks for giving me the full range of possibilities in this industry. oh yeah, and i really found the "stealth marketing tips" to be helpful. cheers!

The title of Michael Sedge's book says "Guide to Global Markets," and about 60% of the book is dedicated to rather extensive listings of magazine, newspaper and book publishing houses from such diverse markets as Fair Lady in Capetown, South Africa and Modern Boating in Australia. Yet the key to this 275-page guide is a concept that has made, or broken, many freelance writers' careers - reselling.

Sedge makes suggestions that I still have trouble with, mostly things that reflect his many years at the work, and his level of success. He says to send originals or color copies of clips rather than B&W copies - an expensive proposal for a struggling freelancer. He says it is always best to query rather than send complete articles, while many other equally successful writers have said just the opposite is true.

And then there is what he calls "The Return Envelope Illusion."

His attitude is this: if they're interested, they call you. Sedge says, "Because I consider myself a business dealing with another business, I stopped sending SASEs fifteen years ago." He sends out queries, either email or regular mail, and waits. If 90 days go by without a reply, he sends the idea to someone else. And judging by his success rate, it may very well work. But I have yet to try it.

But regardless of your own success rate, "Global Markets" is an education in the business of freelancing, and well worth the effort to find it.

"You should alter your business style to fit your personality." With this innovative admonition, in fewer than 300 pages, Michael Sedge launches his writer- and photographer- friendly guide to international publishing. It's a small book, easily tucked into carry-on luggage for a quick and valuable read when travelling, and teeming with more essential information than its size suggests.

To those of us who juggle queries, IRC's, and rejection slips, ad infinitum, Sedge's book presents a path that leads without effort to the production and marketing of one's work, successfully, and over and over again.

We discover the benefits of circling the global marketplace on the World Wide Web and of expediting the query process electronically, thereby diminishing the need for IRC's. Sedge uses the concept of lists extensively, not only to ease the proposal process, but also to provide detailed and direct routes to publishers around the world, their various imprints and contact persons, as well as the e-dresses for most of them.

The book tackles the maze of multiple submissions to the advantage of writer and photographer. It provides a clear understanding of the pros and cons of allowing agencies to handle international marketing.

By far, the most important and unique feature of the book is Sedge's fail-safe method for assuring that writer and photographer keep a tight hold of the rights they want to keep. This feature, alone, mandates the book's place on any creator's bookshelf.

If you are interested in increasing your writing income - and who's not - then this book must be in your marketing reference library.

It tells you how and where you can share in the money you're missing by not selling to the overseas markets.

The information is new and current and not just a rehash of the old information you've long been accustomed to - buy it and increase your sales.

Joel Jacobs Writer, Editor, Photojournalist

As a parent of two teenagers, I came to realize that I had nurtured every aspect of their development, except in the area of employability. YOUR KIDS-THEIR FUTURE guides parents in working with their children to pursue the best matched career for their financial future. Easy-to-follow steps and humour add to the enjoyment of this valuable book. I am sure that you will find going through this process with your teenager a very rewarding experience indeed!

YOUR KIDS - THEIR FUTURE should be at the top of the "Required Reading List" for parents. Written in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand language, this witty little treasure covers everything from financial aid for college, hot careers, military training, apprenticeships, salaries, and job requirements to vital questions for the college tour, employer, or military recruiter. The book provides an outline and employment data which make the overwhelming task of choosing a career as easy and simple as 1, 2, 3. If you have a teenager or if you work with young people, this book is a MUST!

This book is a practical and easy to use resource for parents of students beginning in grade nine. Parents wishing to became acively involved in helping their children make wise decisions regarding career choices will be able to positively affect this process. I plan to use this book when dealing with parents and students in career planning.

Here's a book that should be on the desk of every person in marketing or advertising any place on the globe. Ms. Moses has penned a fascinating first-person account, describing the burgeoning teen market. The future for all multinationals will be trying to market into the Third World's teen market. Elissa Moses shows you how.

teenagers need to read this to find out just how stupid they are. we all go through this moronic period in life, when market forces prey on our immature and unsuspecting minds. it usually starts at 15, but for some it finishes at 30. we are preyed upon by a constant bombardment of commercials which subliminally discourage us from investing in our future. MTV warps our brains and we forgo our savings on overvalued and hyped up trinkets that help us conform to nonconformity. we end up with racks of CDs and a cuboard full of designer shoes, but no downpayment for our apartment when we realize that life is serious. there aught to be a law against this!

Personal experience "accepting" positions in this bracket, and an interesting session with Bernard Haldane Associates career management firm (e.g. scripted meetings, poor website, no reviews for "methodology" books, poor listening skills) led to picking this & another couple of career management books.

Concise, unreferenced, well-written (after first chapter) thoughtful chapters span: today's 100k (US) market, competition methods, new options, new directions, marketability, interviews, new leads, recruiters, answering adverts, direct mail, use of telephone, personal contacts, networking, creating a solution job, resume tricks, interviewing strategies, handling objections, negotiation, losing a job, and professional help.

Some key advice: takes an average of 12 months to find a suitable position; create a 2 page achievements/introduction letter (rather than resume); sort out all professional "marketing materials" (a 3 day effort); mailshot 300 recruiters (yet top 12 control 80%+ of US market); mailshot 1500 firms (best to named positions); be nice to gatekeepers; and look at alternatives like multiple board positions and lecturing circuit on top of book.

Despite ignoring the Web as a channel for marketing and research (by 95 was mainstream for most technologically-savvy professionals, today more-so) and being US-focused (not "culturally robust"), this book reads well, offers much useful information (concisely), and will be used for my next foray into the job market. A good buy.

The market for job hunt books is filled with those who promise to know something but actually haven't looked for a job in 20 years. Take "what Color is Your Parachute?" The job market is well beyond parachute. This book was recommended to me by a head hunter.It tells you what questions they are really asking and it prepares you to negoiate in today's market. A very useful book. It's not sexy, but it works. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed the book. It is a a no-nonsense, common sense approach to leadership, time management, communication skills, strategic planning, etc. When I was studying for my 6th year in Administration and Supervision (a required education degree for CT administrators), many of these topics were discussed.

This book applies to ALL who desire refining their leadership, business, and professional skills. The market expands well beyond the medical profession. Perhaps The 12-Minute MBA for Doctors should have been called The 12-Minute MBA for Professionals. Actually, when Charles Johnson and Andy Thibault write the sequels, they can be entitled The 12-Minute MBA for ________. Educators, Engineers, Attorneys, etc. There is a market for those books. I am sending this review and my personal recommendation to all members of the CT Council of Language Teachers for their dissemination to World Language teachers in CT. I look forward to reading the sequels myself!

Carol A. Kearns
Vice-President / President-Elect CT Council of Language Teachers
National Vice-President La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica

Self-help manuals rarely impact professions other than their targeted audiences. "The 12-Minute MBA for Doctors," however, shatters that myth by providing practical skills for any novice trying to survive in today's chaotic business world.

You don't have to be a medical professional to benefit from this fluent and provocative book. Anyone who doesn't know how to negotiate a lease, hire staff or deal with an insurance company will learn how to build a successful business.

Written by two Litchfield, Connecticut friends and neighbors, "The 12-Minute MBA for Doctors" is a lively collaboration between Charles Johnson and Andy Thibault. Johnson's firm, Medical Education Training Associates of Woodbury, Connecticut, helps doctors, bankers and other professionals run their businesses.

A couple of years ago, Johnson delivered a 12-minute talk before the Society for University Surgeons in New Orleans. After several colleagues asked for help running their businesses, one of them suggested Johnson call his program "The 12-Minute MBA for Doctors." A book was born.

Thibault, a columnist for The Connecticut Law Tribune, is an award-winning feature writer and nationally known investigative reporter.

Together, Johnson and Thibault provide punchy insights in eight chapters on such practical business skills as persuasive communication, team building and conflict resolution. One section in the chapter on communication is applicable to the home front as well as the business world.

Johnson asks: "What are the first three answers you hear from your significant other when you get home. For most people, it's three words - fine, fine, chicken. Why is that? Simple. The questions you asked were probably: How was your day? How are the kids? What's for dinner?" Not exactly great conversation starters.

"After I spent a day with one of my sales managers," Johnson continues, "I was invited to his house for dinner. We talked about a strategy before we went home. We walked in the door and he says hello to his wife. He says, 'Tell me about your day.' She started to say, "Fine," but then she heard his question.'Well, the kids and I went shopping and we went to the park and we played on the swing, and.' He could actually hear information she was imparting and was able to give her positive feedback."

This is just one communication example of trying to persuade people with your people power instead of your position power. Communication, the book notes, is one of the five components of a successful team, along with leadership, defined roles, clear objectives and trust. Specific chapters deal with negotiating skills, interviewing and hiring skills, understanding financial issues, strategic and tactical planning, teamwork and leadership.

As Johnson and Thibault detail, surgeons are still trained like blacksmiths. Although they are at the pinnacle of their profession, they tend to know little about business - after four years of college, four years of medical school and then five more years of residency and fellowship education. They are turned loose in their early to mid-30s and expected to run a business that is not run by their peers.

Today, health care is run more and more by business people - not doctors. Hospital administrators tend to be business people. Insurance companies have everything to do with the running of health care today. Yet the highly skilled physician, untrained in management and economic matters, has to deal on an everyday basis with people who run business. How does he get his business started and survive?

The answers are in this book. But readers from many other disciplines will benefit significantly from any 12-minute helping of this management primer.

(Richard McGowan, former White House correspondent for the New York Daily News, retired from government service after
serving as spokesman for the federal Office of Personnel Management. He resides in Wicomico, Va. and lectures on the
modern presidency at universities.)