Reviews (64)

Technical Analysis Made Easy
This is an easy guide to technical analysis of the markets. It could be compared to the Edwards and Magee book on technical analysis. It has lots of illustrations showing many examples of all the items that are covered in this book and there are a lot.
TA's "Must have" Book
A "must have" book to those who will venture in Technical Analysis.Considered to be the "Bible"...You cant go wrong with this one!!! an A+++

Basic Introduction to Technical Analysis
I am not going to write a review defending or attacking the practice of technical analysis, which is roughly defined as the use of historic trading data, especially prices, volume, and open interest, usually visually displayed as charts, in order to predict future prices of securities, currencies, and commodities.If you believe in pure market efficiency or fundamental analysis only, you're not interested in technical analysis and should stop reading right here.If you are interested in technical analysis, this is an excellent place to start.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Commodities And Commodity Exchanges    5. Commodity exchanges    6. Finance    7. Futures market    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Banking    10. Business & Economics / Finance    11. Investment & securities   

Editorial Review

It began with a simple $27 loan. After witnessing the cycle of poverty that kept many poor women enslaved to high-interest loan sharks in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus lent money to 42 women so they could purchase bamboo to make and sell stools. In a short time, the women were able to repay the loans while continuing to support themselves and their families. With that initial eye-opening success, the seeds of the Grameen Bank, and the concept of microcredit, were planted.Read more

Reviews (20)

Straight from the Founder
If you are interested in microfinance, this book is a prerequisite.Dr. Yunus gives a historical account of the rise of micro-credit and the Grameen Bank.Of course, he is also the biggest advocate of the program.Therefore, most of his arguments are pro-expansion of micro-credit.In spite of this, he manages to show a clear and compelling picture of the micro-finance industry.But, make sure you balance the information with other microfinance books that does not proselytize as much.A good example is "Beyond Micro-Credit" by Thomas Fisher.
Great book!
Yunus tells a great story about his bank and its battle against poverty.Outstanding business model for someone interested in micro lending.

a must read
This was an absolutely amazing book.It has given me renewed hope that poverty can be eliminated from this earth and will redirect my contribution dollars.I am heartened by what one man could accomplish through his own initiatives.A must read for all economists and humanitarians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Business    4. Development - Economic Development    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Public Policy - Economic Policy    8. Biography: general    9. Development economics   

Reviews (5)

Very good for first exposure to financial markets
This book is not an advanced book on financial markets, but it is a good introductory book. I use this book for my undergraduate teaching. Both I and students are happy about the coverage of the book. It is well organized and well written. Improvements will be valuable in the derivatives markets and risk management areas.

Good start
I've used some version of this book for many years now, and I've seen it evolve.I think, as other reviewers have said, that there are some simplified portions of the book, especially those parts dealing with monetary economics.There are other portions which lay out the principles as only these authors can, and those parts are extremely helpful and valuable.This book allows me to teach my notes and thoughts with a textbook serving as a reference and an introduction -- it doesn't get in my way, in other words.I use it along with several other texts, and I think it gets the job done.Students seem to like it as well, mainly for its clarity.For someone wanting to learn the basics, this is an excellent choice.

This book insults the intelligence of all but newcomers
Although this might be a perfect book for those looking for simplicity, I would not advise it to anybody with previous exposure to finance.Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Banks and banking    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Finance    7. Financial institutions    8. Money    9. Money market    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities   

Reviews (16)

Entertaining, Realistic, Sarcastic
If you want to get a peek at the investment banking world, then this book is the one.I found the book to be entertaining and insightful.It is difficult to find detailed, objective accounts of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, and Jonathan provides that here.
Stay on Story
As an I-Banker at a regional firm I always enjoy reading books such as this.This is a mixed bag.Knee starts the book discussing his internship in London, what a "rookie" does, what he did well, what he did not do well, and why he didn't want to do this forever.But, after an MBA and a short career with an airline, he's back at it again, and with success.He "accidentally" fell into a role and used his wit to carve out a successful niche.This is where this book is at its best and an excellent, fast read.
Entertaining and Insightful
The Accidental Investment Banker is an excellent and entertaining history of investment banking.Mr. Knee uses his experience and knowledge to accurately describe both the intricacies of the job and the role investment bankers actually play.Most importantly, he provides thoughtful insight on trends in the industry over the past ten years witnessing firsthand the decline of relationship banking and the impact of the internet bubble.
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Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business    3. Economic History    4. Economics | Business   

Reviews (8)

Good guide, but can be confusing sometimes
This is a good book. It is crammed with lots of information that is specific to the loan industry. It is a comprehensive guide covering most of the aspects of the loan industry. I turn to this guide every now and then to check up on problems and questions that I run into with my loans.
A Must Have for the new mortgage broker!
I wish I had found this book the very day I passed my state exam.It would have saved me much frustration and my confidence could have been boosted a lot sooner, which is key to succeeding in this business.This book is putting me equal to, if not ahead of many people who have been in the business for years.I'm shocked at how little people know and I'm pleased at how much I've learned from this book.Absolutely the best money I've spent on my new career!

Jameson Thottam (worked with The Loan Page, IndyMac Bank, Homestore)
Hi, my name is Jameson Thottam and as a mortgage industry participant (VP with various firms such as The Loan Page, IndyMac Bank, Homestore), I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about how the mortgage industry works (soup to nuts: Mortgage Value Chain, Secondary Mortgage Loan Insider Trading, Marketing, and issues related to OCC / OTS / SEC / FDIC, RESPA legal issues & litigation, Operations and other significant issues).
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Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking    4. Business & Economics / Real Estate    5. Business & Economics / Training    6. Business / Economics / Finance    7. Business/Economics    8. Finance    9. Loan officers    10. Mortgage loans    11. Real Estate    12. Real Estate - General    13. Real Estate - Investments    14. Real Estate Finance    15. Residential real estate    16. Training   

Reviews (162)

Shady Advertising
Had I known about the holy roller content throughout this book (especially in one chapter, but sprinkled throughout), I wouldn't have bought it. I wouldn't have a problem with it at all...except for the fact that such religiously-based content was concealed in the title, description (on the back), & introduction (in the front & back flaps). There was no mention of God, Jesus, Bible, etc. in any of these places. If this author is so keen on using his religious beliefs (inner-mingled with an extremely secular, materialistic topic) to turn a profit...fine. But at least be honest about it. Isn't that one of the tenets of Christianity? If the author is so devoted to his faith, perhaps he shouldn't be shy (shamed?) about shouting from the rooftops that his book is about money and Jesus.
Repair
I bought this book in 1998 after my Chapter 7 bankruptcy.I give this book the credit for me now having a credit score of over 700.I was told by Mr. Synder of a great secured credit card at that time "FCNB" (not available anymore) that was one of the best to help repair credit.I have always paid low interest rates on cars (1.9% thru Honda) and purchased a brand new (just built) home in 2002.I have purchased boats and four wheelers all financed thru reputable lenders.I loved this book!!!I really liked the part where it explained how you need to get a copy of your credit report after discharge and make sure all the outstanding balances are changed to zero.I believe that was the best tip ever.I had a finance manager at a auto dealer tell me I had the best looking bankruptcy credit report ever.

Excellent Resource
This step by step resource has proven to worth it's weight in Gold! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bankruptcy    2. Bankruptcy & Insolvency    3. Banks & Banking    4. Business & Economics    5. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / General    6. Business/Economics    7. Consumer Finance    8. Consumer credit    9. Finance    10. Finance, Personal    11. Personal Finance - Money Management    12. United States    13. Credit    14. Debt    15. Debtor and creditor    16. Personal Finance - General    17. Personal finance   

Reviews (33)

Limited Good Info. Maybe Usabale
I have to tell you.... this author is really not a writer, BUT he has something to say. It's true about the poor presentation, grammar issues, etc. BUT, like I said the author does have something to say - moreso in everyday layman's language. I believe he could have spent a little money on having it properly published - nicer layout, proofing, etc., BUT even I got the message. Trust me you have more to gain than lose.
This book in very helpful
I was impressed with the writing in this book. I think that this book should be used as a teaching guide.

Good for people thinking about starting in the industry, terrible for everyone else
I've been in the mortgage industry for a very short time (about 7 months), but I am always looking for new ways to sharpen my client interaction techniques.I was very excited to see this book, but once I read through it, I've got to say I'm very disappointed.Anyone whose been in the industry for more than 3 months could have written the content inside this book; it's more of an overview of how the mortgage industry works.That, plus the second half of the book is a marketing tool for more expensive training programs (up to $500 for something you can find at loantoolbox) give this book 1 paltry star. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking    4. Business & Economics / Careers    5. Business & Economics / Real Estate    6. Business/Economics    7. Real Estate - Mortgages    8. Bankers    9. Careers - General    10. Mortgage banks    11. Mortgage loans    12. Mortgages    13. Training    14. United States   

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Financial institutions    6. Insurance - Risk Assessment & Management    7. Management    8. Management - General    9. Risk management    10. Business & Economics / Insurance / General    11. Insurance    12. Risk assessment & analysis for business   

Reviews (4)

Good book for undergrads
We used this book in our international finance class in univ of chicago. what i have is the 2nd edition but i have to admit this is a really comprehensive and clearly organized book, it is an ideal book for people who are interested in getting a general picture of money, banking and basic exchange rates. one drawback i can think of is the price.

About the MyEconLab attachment to this book
If you're an independent learner; that is, not enrolled as a student in a course at a school, OR IF YOU ARE, BUT THE INSTRUCTOR IS NOT PARTICIPATING (Using the MyEconLab software for course materials), and thus can't provide you with a COURSEID, a warning about the MyEconLab study aid attachment to this textbook; the instructions for registering to use MyEconLab are less than candid.
Wow, an Econ book that is actually easy to understand!
I'm on Chapter 4 of this book, and I'm surprised at how clear and concise the author is. The sections are broken up very well and provide side titles in case you ever need to flip back to a certain topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Banks and banking    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Finance    7. Money    8. Economics    9. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (1)

This book is great, very educational!
I use this textbook for my Financial Markets class and I learn so much from it.Fabozzi does a wonderful job of transfering his ideas to students so they can comprehend them and learn.Because of this book, I willdefinately get an 'A' in my class.I recommend this book to anybody. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Finance    6. Financial institutions    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking   

Reviews (2)

Most Appropriate for Basel II
If you are Banker/Banking Consultant then this book is the closest you will get to understanding Credit Risk from a Basel II perspective. Its clear & lucid style helped me understand the gamut of techniques used in Credit Risk Measurement. Unfortunately the Book does not get into the details of bulinding models so if your looking for a model building cookbook, look elsewhere.

a complete, robust and comprehensive valuable resource!
In Measuring and Managing Credit Risk, the authors provided a robust, complete and comprehensive treatment of several aspects of modern credit risk measurement and management. Written by two high talented practitioners, this book will become certainly a reference both for academics and practitioners thanks to its careful treatment of several not so known empirical issues which practitioners have to face everyday. At the same time, do not consider the book as a new recipes book for managing credit risk. Both authors already proved their deep knowledges of financial theory and establish once again, through this book, how advanced knowledges of theory combined with significant practical experience make leading researches. As a PhD candidate in Finance, actually writing on credit risk, I definitively adopted this book and higly recommend it for anyone dealing with credit risk issues either through a practical experience or through a theoritical work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Applied    3. Banks & Banking    4. Business & Economics    5. Business / Economics / Finance    6. Business/Economics    7. Credit    8. Credit ratings    9. Finance    10. Management    11. Mathematical Models    12. Money & Monetary Policy    13. Risk management    14. Business & Economics / Corporate Finance    15. Credit & credit institutions   

Reviews (15)

Comprehensive and easy to read
I am an MBA student at USC looking to get into the I Banking field and this book has really been helpful.It has been consistent with the terms and concepts I've learned in school and through networking with people.
Fantastic, easy to understand overview of the business...
This book is very well written and very easy to understand. It touches on most of the various aspects of the business without over-focusing or under-focusing on any particular area. A definate business school quality textbook, or an excellent reference source. Real life examples are given to further your hands-on understanding. I emailed the author, and my email was quickly responded to in a very friendly manner. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn the business of investment banking.

good overview but expensive
This book is a good overview of the investment banking business, but it is quite expensive.I would strongly recommend instead or in addition the Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking....The Vault guide includes more detailed overviews of all the departments and functions of an investment bank including corporate finance, M&A, sales, trading, private client services, credit, etc.If you are a job seeker in investment banking also try the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews, which contains actual investment banking finance interview questions and answers and which I found to be enormously valuable in my Wall Street job search. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Finance    6. Investment banking    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Banking    9. Business & Economics / Finance    10. Investment & securities   

Reviews (1)

Poorly written
Principles of Money, Banking, and Financial Markets contains a great deal of information regarding economics in the United States. As a student, I find it to be poorly written. The authors/editors make constant reference throughout the text to other sections of the text. For example, we will discuss this in depth in chapter seven, but for now, lets reflect our continued study from chapter two and three. By doing so, we will be better prepared to read chapter eleven when we get to it. If the authors / editors left out the references and just left the actual information needed to learn the material, the student would be able to follow the material and perhaps understand the topic better. I am strongly encouraging our economics department to seek another text for future semesters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Electronic Commerce    6. Applications of Computing    7. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking    8. Business & Management    9. Computing and Information Technology   

Reviews (16)

great book!
This is the best book on structured equity products so far, it is fun to read but never trivial.

Great introduction & overview
This is still a great introduction to the subject. Being familiar with the majority of current financial 'engineering' texts, I can honestly say this is still a very good book. It does what it claims to do -and sticks to the intended audience.
A nice book for starters...
This is definitely a very useful book for students taking financial engineering courses or complete newcomers in the aera of structuring. The book's written in a very clear and approachable manner and the author doesn't bother you with obscur mathematics. However, being myself a structurer of derivative products, I must unfortunately say that this book didn't really improve my knowledge in the field of structuring. But since I believe that Dr. Kat's main objective was to primarily target newcomers in the area of structured products, and not any professionals working in the business, I still think that the book is a respectable achievement. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Derivative securities    5. Exotic options (Finance)    6. Finance    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Structured notes (Securities)    9. Banking    10. Business & Economics / Finance    11. Corporate finance    12. Investment & securities    13. Risk assessment & analysis for business   

Reviews (14)

Entertaining but Lacking Any True Gems
This book has a particular appeal for two reasons: 1) Citigroup is the world's largest financial institution 2) it describes in some detail, the conflict between two storied CEO's - John Reed and Sandy Weill.Coming from the school of thought that says analyzing great business leaders may lead to my own success, I considered this book a must.
Disappointing...
I love and admire sandy weill.i purchased this book to learn more about the man and his deal making prowess.although this book was well research,its presentation was what turned me off.i have never read a book so disjointed and dull.it doesnt follow the conventional chronological sequence that most biographies does but skips back and forth from one event to another i.e 60's-to-the-80's-to-the-70's-to 60's again...this goes on and on and on.this can be very very very frustrating.Also i dont think the authors did a good job in capturing the readers since the paragraphs come and go in that fasion throughout the entire book!
A recommended read
I liked the way Stone and Brewster broke the book into small, interesting chapters.It made for an easy read.I felt like I had a good sense of Weill's character and business style by the end of the book.The only criticism I would make is that the book seemed like an "authorized" biography in that it was overly flattering of Weill at times - like commending him for his restraint in only having three large mansions.Also, like all biographies written during the person life, there needs to be more chapters for events that take place after the book stops.In spite of that, I recommend the book to anyone who likes good biographies of business leaders. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bankers    2. Banks & Banking    3. Banks And Banking    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Business    8. Business / Economics / Finance    9. Citigroup (Firm)    10. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    11. Finance    12. Financial Economics (General)    13. Financial services industry    14. United States    15. Weill, Sandy    16. Banking    17. Biography & Autobiography / Business    18. Biography: general   

Reviews (7)

Don't waste your money
This is a terrible manual. I hope it stays out of print. Poorly-written, unedited, slapped together, it is a mishmosh of outdated, compiled, swiped material that will be of no use to anyone looking to learn about residential mortgage loan origination. There are a lot of good manuals out there, and this sure ain't one of them.

Highly recommended
I wish I had this book 25 years ago when I first got in the business. Instead, I got it for my daughter when she joined my company. She picked up the concepts and jargon within a week! I now keep this book in the office and it is required reading for all new loan officers.

A Great Help
This manual was a great help in helping me understand the mortgage business. After my divorce I was left with little money and no prospects. So I turned to the mortgage business. After months of being in over my head, I found this book and things have never been the same. By learning actually how to properly take a loan and how it gets processed I was able to answer my customer's questions that before I had to get the answer from someone else. My confidence shot up through the roof and so did my income.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics / Real Estate    3. Handbooks & Manuals    4. Real Estate - Mortgages    5. Reference    6. Bank loans    7. Bankers    8. Banks & Banking    9. Business & Economics    10. Mortgage banks    11. Mortgage loans    12. Real Estate    13. Training    14. United States   

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive and updated
This book has been thought as a course manual, but it reads like a divulgative work on modern international and multinational banking. The numerous examples come from some of the big issues faced by different banks in different countries, and the open-minded approach of the author gives you the chance to easily grasp the big picture.

Great introduction into international banking
This book is an overview of the international banking industry. Instead of focusing on banking in a particular country, the author discussed general types of banks, banking services, banking regulations in different countries, ways how the regulations influence banking in countries with various types of economy and financial systems (USA, Britain, EU countries, Japan, emerging economies of Russia, China, Latin America and Islamic countries). The large part of the book is devoted to analysis of bank failures and survival of banks in financial crises. The book contains enormous amount of compressed material and real-world examples.
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Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Banks and banking    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Finance    7. Banking    8. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking   

Reviews (5)

good combination of math and finance
As indicated on the back of the book, the authors are aiming at audience who have some knowledge in both math and finance but may be weak in one and strong in another. Either way, this is a good book to read on credit risk.

Clear and comprehensive
This book clearly articulates basic concepts of credit risk modeling. At the same time it is mathematically rigorous. This book enables non mathematician with some (basic) knowledge in probability statistic to better understand and develop his risk management skills.

A good read!
Easy to understand with not a tremendous amount of complicated math to dicipher.Just what the doctor ordered. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Credit    4. General    5. Management    6. Marketing - General    7. Mathematical models    8. Mathematics    9. Probability & Statistics - General    10. Risk management    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Applied mathematics    13. Credit & credit institutions    14. Mathematics / General   

Reviews (4)

Awful Fraud
This book and the author are ridiculous. It's almost a fraud that Mr. Bilardillo wrote a book on corporate credit analysis - he never followed industrial companies as an analyst at Standard & Poor's. He did however, have customers such as Enron and Worldcom that he was glad to take money from. The material itself is pretty useless - but what can you expect from a marketing person who attempts to comment on credit theory?

damaged
unfortunately was the cover of my new book a bit damaged. I really did not like this because I especially ordered a hard cover.

A Definitive Book On Setting Corporate Analysis Policy
I had the pleasure of working with one of the authors 15 years ago. But don't let that sway you. I truly appreciate the scope and effort put into this book. We will use it as an outline for how our analysts should approach analyzing a credit. Chapter 3 alone is worth the price of admission as the authors list the elusive "qualitative" factors that go into a credit rating, beyond what the ratios tell you it should be. While the book barely scratches the surface of certain analytical methods (the Merton Model got 1/2 a page), and it is written more for the layman or student, I still learned many things. And I've been in the business 20+ years. The prior reviewer, and many others will say they wished they wrote this book. I will too. I even briefly started my own version recently. But I first turned to S&P's ratings criteria as an outline. As such, the right people wrote this book. The authors fully used the vast resources and data mining of S&P. This certainly feels like a team effort. The telecom analyst wrote a piece on the rapid decline of telecom credits in 2000-2002, and other professionals added real life examples. The book organizes itself in the top down approach to analysis. It starts with sovereign risk, then moves to industry, then company business/competitive risk. It then highlights the ratios to look for, and also gives data on seniority and recovery values for specific levels of debt. It then uses these tools to analyze a fictional company. It ends with case studies that cover M&A, sovereign risk and other topical reviews that act as a real life summary to what you just learned. Highly recommended. Well done. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bankruptcy    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Corporate debt    7. Corporations    8. Credit    9. Credit analysis    10. Finance    11. Money & Monetary Policy    12. Business & Economics / Corporate Finance    13. Credit & credit institutions   

Reviews (4)

A mostly complete bridge across a chasm
In future editions it'd be helpful to have a stronger discussion of imperfect markets. Hubbard's neo-classicism is what made G W Bush pick him to lead the Council of Economic Advisors. But to get a more full picture of finance (especially on the international scale) one should read this side by side with Stiglitz's "Globalization and its Discontents".
nah don't buy it
Please do yourself another favour this year by not buying this textbook. The writter had a difficult time explain the meaning of money and frequency confuse what he was wrtiing in chappeters.

Well written survey
Having taken only a few basic econ courses in college I waslooking for a book that would explain the workings of the fed in detail. My main interest is in trading. I found this book to be perfect.It was neither too simplenor too complex.Everything was cogently written and accessible to alayman.I found answers to all my questions and it's organized in a mannerthat chapters can be read independently of one another.It will serve asan excellent reference manual. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Banks & Banking    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Finance    6. Business & Economics / Banks & Banking    7. Economics