Reviews (9)

Well, it's almost okay
Murphy's books are great.The information in this book SHOULD work, but it doesn't.I've checked the data going back 20 years and it just doesn't hold up... although, again, I'll be the first one to say that it SHOULD hold up.Oh, well, guess that I'll have to stick with what Murphy REALLY does with his own money which is... ahh, shucks, I'll never tell, even though I really do know.

A MUST READ FOR ANY SERIOUS INVESTOR/TRADER
Are you still trading with a narrow vision? We live in a world beyond our imagination. The impact of the Asian markets on the US, relationship between crude oil and transports, impact of Taiwanese semi-conductors on the $SOX, etc... All these are crucial information that can help anticipate market direction. I highly recommend this book to any serious investor/trader.
A must read for any serious investor
If you ever wondered why you zigged when the market zagged, this book is for you. Understand how to identify which market and/or sector is peaking and which will be growing ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Futures And Options Trading    6. Investment analysis    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Stocks    9. Business & Economics / Finance    10. Corporate finance    11. International economics   

Editorial Review

Whether from business-focused cable TV channels, newspapers, magazines, Web sites, or friends and family, investment advice comes these days from every corner. The nagging question for conscientious investors remains, though: how to separate good advice from bad? In a world of squawking television commentators and garish headlines, who and what should we trust? With Read more

Reviews (29)

Good Chapters - Edited by a good thinker
I confess I'm a weekly reader who appreciates the author's take on all things investing.Some excellent chapters in this book, some just pretty good. overall very much worth the read

12 diverse essays with even more diverse value/quality
If you compare this book directly with Market Wizards I & II, you will definitely be very disappointed. However, if the presence of 2 or 3 very bright ideas in one single book can already satisfy you well, you may still give it a try. IMHO, the chapters by Andy Kessler (lower cost creates its own huge market), Dennis Gartman (12 trading rules) and Gary Shilling (the long bull market of long bonds) are outstanding, whilst the rest are just so so or even substandard. Sorry to say that there are many better alternatives in the market of the "various authors" genre. On the other hand, "Wall Street Meat" and "Running Money", two books by Andy Kessler alone, are much better and interesting than this. In short, not recommended.
Just One Thing:Twelve of the World's Best Investors . . .
A good follow on to Mauldin's first book on Bullseye Investing.In that book, he passed along his ideas.Knowing that he doesn't have all of the answers, in this second book, he passes along the ideas of some of the top traders and investment advisors.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Investments    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Business & Economics / Finance    9. Investment & securities   

Editorial Review

Investors -- be they aggressive or conservative, self-directed or professionally managed -- are always on the lookout for an edge. And in James O'Shaughnessy's Read more

Reviews (63)

The best stock tactics of all time:with proof
This is the rare 5 star ***** book. It is no nonsense and gives you exactly what its title suggests. It shows what has really worked on Wall Street from 1951 to 1996 by using the Standard and Poors compustat data base to simulate what would have happened if an investor (or mutual fund) would have bought the top 50 stocks meeting the criteria measurement. Example: Highest P/E ratios, top 50 price increases, top 50 price decreases, best dividends, high or low book to price value, etc.He goes further by breaking the top 50 into only the large cap meeting this criteria and if he bought out of all stocks available. He measures stocks and their performance from almost every imaginable angle. It is fascinating and educational to see what the final dollar amount is for each investment approach. He also shows how each style performed in each decade and how each percentile of stock did in each category.(Example: how the top 5 stocks did with low P/E's versus the bottom 5 in the top 50 stock group, this helps the individual stock investor focus his investments).
Disappointed- a small investor review
I was disappointed with the book. It was not as helpful for the small, individual investor as I wanted it to be. $10,000 spread over 50 stocks means investing $200 per stock without even talking about any fees for buying and selling 50 different stocks. So from this book I can narrow down my indivual selection of stocks to 25 or 50, but if I only want to purchase 3-5 stocks how do I decide which 3-5 of the 50 to buy?
FINALLY!!!
Finally a book that offers you true wisdom and insight into the inner-workings of the equity markets.. No more nonsense or "pseudo-guru" thinking on how to become rich overnight!
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consumer Finance    5. Investment analysis    6. Investments    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Personal Finance - Investing    9. United States    10. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    11. Business & Management   

Reviews (90)

The Darvas trading technique is simple and powerful
The Darvas trading technique was designed as a simple method for identifying the strength of a trend. Buy signals are created on new bullish strength and managed by a volatility range with a stop loss. This approach is built around long term trend trading and is most suited for trending stocks. All in all, the book is an easy and fun read and highly recommended for beginners and experienced traders alike!

Information is still adaptable 40 years later
I read the 1960 version 40 years ago and just found the paperback.This is the only person I have read who has stop-loss plan. Great book for an individual investor.

A great true story aboutstock trading to wealth
I rarely give 5 star reviews but this book was truly an enjoyable read that taught me alot. Here are the key lessons:
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Investments & Securities - Stocks    4. Speculation    5. Stocks    6. Investment & securities   

Reviews (7)

Very informative
I am an owner of a few rental properties which I kind of stumbled upon but which have provided me with some steady income.I was intrigued and decided to pick up Mr. Loftis' book.
Everything I expected and more
After owning 3 condos I decided it was time to move into multi-unit properties. I had some basic knowledge, but wanted to know what I didn't know and some tactics and strategies as I moved into this new realm. Mr. Loftis took a very structured look at the subject from beginning to end and refreshingly also gave credit to other authors and acknowledged there is more than one way to skin this particular cat. The one thing I would say is the appreciation numbers are likely a bit optimistic for most areas considering where the real estate market appears to be heading(8/2006), but if you can't modify them for your area you shouldn't get into the business. In short, an excellent book - both informative and well written.

Great Resource
I purchased this book last week and have not been able to put it down. It is full of great information and has been really helpful in teaching me how to go about investing in these types of properties. I would definately reccommend this book to beginners or advanced real estate investors who want to recharge thier batteries! A++ ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Apartment houses    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Investments & Securities - General    6. Purchasing    7. Real Estate - Buying/Selling Homes    8. Real Estate - General    9. Real Estate - Investments    10. Real Estate Investment    11. Residential real estate    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / Real Estate    14. Property & real estate   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economics - General    5. Finance    6. Futures And Options Trading    7. Interest rate futures    8. Investments & Securities - Futures    9. Investments & Securities - General    10. Investments & Securities - Options    11. Mathematical Models In Economics    12. Mathematical models    13. Options (Finance)    14. Prices    15. Securities    16. Business & Economics / Finance    17. Investment & securities   

Reviews (11)

Implementing a PMO
Overall a good book, with lots of good advice for those starting or improving a PMO.
A must-read for project-based organizations
A very complete book on the subject of project management offices (PMO).It presents a complete and practical how-to guide to selling, establishing, running, and controlling PMOs in organizations, with a constant eye on the business value (ROI).
how to make your projects work for your business
This book is great.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Project Management    4. Strategic planning    5. Investment & securities   

Reviews (5)

Excellent Introduction to Personal Finance
For someone just getting their feet wet with personal finance, this book is an excellent introduction. It is a concise and engaging read that all high school students ought to read, as well as those wanting a refresher on money matters.

Worth the $9.75!
I read this entire book in two sittings. I found it fascinating and easy to comprehend. My husband only recently aquired a 401(k) and we were lost. Neither of us has parents in the "investor class" (financial vocabulary is not something we grew up with). It would have taken me years to figure out all this information on my own. Logically, I realized that we needed to be strategic about the early investments that would generate the capital we will continue to invest as we age, but I didn't know exactly how to do this. The book clarified almost everything for me. The book justified with evidence a lot of things I held uneducated hunches about. I now understand what a P/E ratio is! How cool is that?!In addition to clarifying most of the 401(k) issues, there were also good tips on personal finance. One reviewer said these are obvious. They are not obvious to a lot of people because they go against how most people use their money. My parents were anxious about carrying debt, and I am too as a consequence. But many people are not raised that way. This book does more than say "have a budget, don't carry credit card debt, buy inexpensive cars, etc." It explains the consequences of not doing this in financial terms that are eye-opening.If you want to learn the logic behind common financial advice this is a great place to start. It isn't a "do this, do that" kind of book. Rather, it gives you the overall picture, and the knowledge you need to take control of your own finances. Each person's financial situation is unique. Be wary of one-size-fits-all financial advice, and don't be at the mercy of others' advice because they are mostly out to make their money with your money! Not that you need to be paranoid, but knowing some basics will help you avoid putting your money in places that may look good but are really all wrong for you.

Very basic
This book is not for anyone with even a basic understanding of personal finance.There were some decent ideas (a handful or so) but laborious in reading so much basic information to get to them.Very surprised for a book with the WSJ name on it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Consumer Finance    3. Finance, Personal    4. Investments    5. Personal Finance    6. Personal Finance - General    7. Personal Finance - Investing    8. Business & Economics / General   

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

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Investment Finance    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Personal Finance - Investing    9. Rate of return    10. Venture capital    11. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    12. Investment & securities   

Reviews (6)

Must read for those who want to make money
Great book. Covers all the bases, including fundamental and technicals. I have read a few of the other Dummies books on investing and all were well written. This book is for those who want to make money, not just buy and hold and hope for the best. I learned more about trading/investing with the Dummies series than 4 years of college majoring in finance. And yes, I have made money.

Great Introduction
IMHO The reason the "for dummies" brand has been successfull aside from the catchy name, is the actual content and material of the books themselves.
Good book + Free trading
This book is especially good for the person who wants a broad overview of investing. It will give you a solid foundation to begin growing your money from. After reading, I opened a Scottrade account because they had the lowest rates ($7), and no inactivity fee. [...] to get a referral for 3 free trades. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. E-Commerce - Online Trading    5. Electronic trading of securiti    6. Finance    7. Futures And Options Trading    8. Investment analysis    9. Investments    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Portfolio management    12. Stocks    13. Business & Economics / Finance    14. Finance & Accounting   

Reviews (14)

VERY HANDS ON AND INFORMATIVE
If you can get past the format of the book, which is a fictional tale of a retiired professor teaching a Floridacommunity about option investing, and apprecite the actual easy to apply formulas he gives you, then this is a must read.
Conservative option
A good read..the story-line is cute if you dont take it too seriously...Its like reading a novel from a mathematician...it had some very good conservative ways of investing...very good for a novice/intermediate investor with options...

Don't waste your money
Please don't buy this book based on the title.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    3. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Investing    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Finance    6. Personal Finance    7. Personal Finance - General    8. Investments & Securities    9. Options (Finance)    10. Personal Finance - Investing    11. Put and call transactions   

Editorial Review

Finish rich in real estate! Bestselling author David Bach is back with Read more

Reviews (35)

Repackaged Garbage
The information in this book is nothing new.Nothing you couldn't get from "How to buy a Home for Dummies" (I made the title up).I was bored.

Excellent for first time buyers
My wife and I got this book at the Wells Fargo event.True that Bach is now taking money from them and that probably biases things a bit, but generally speaking we found this book to be tremendously helpful in explaining the home buying process.It explains in easy to understand terms the steps needed and the options available.It does mention options that won't be right for everyone, but I thought it also touched on the down sides of these options as well.Overall this book answered a lot of our questions and we are now happy homeowners in part because of it.

You can build your wealth just by buying and living in a home every five years
You can build your wealth just by buying and living in a home every five years - and then retire rich. This fact will be reality for any who chose to do so for the next few decades - and in order to bring it to life, follow the step-by-step directions of David Bach in his AUTOMATIC MILLIONAIRE HOMEOWNER: A POWERFUL PLAN TO FINISH RICH IN REAL ESTATE. Renters and owners like will find if they adopt this attitude, and follow the guidelines herein, they will at the minimum understand quite a bit of how real estate investments work - and most likely will become millionaires themselves, with relatively little effort.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Consumer Finance    4. Financial security    5. Home ownership    6. Personal Finance    7. Personal Finance - Investing    8. Real Estate - General    9. Real Estate - Investments    10. Real Estate Administration    11. United States    12. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Investing   

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 (9)

good points but overly simplistic
Dolf brings good points about property
It felt good the first time --and still good for the firstimer
There is nothing detailed or even intellectually satisfying in this book. But I think the one thing that it does do is, (as another reviewer put it,) is to cheerlead. This book was exciting as it was the first book that I had ready on the subject. But now that I have done numerous transactions in real estate and handled millions of dollars worth of real estate and having experienced the ups and downs, DON"T DO REAL ESTATE AFTER READING THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! This book is so simplistic one does not know where to begin. For instance, Mr. Dolf, doesn't delve into possible set-backs seriously enough. He assumes that as long as you buy in a densely populated area, it is a safe bet. And he gives an example of "California" as one such place. There are many contingencies too numerous to list that destroys such a simplistic theory. Markets do have their time and in real estate, if you are stuck in a loan and a property you can't move, you are illiquid and repositioning is not as easy as it might seem. Therefore, being incapable of averting financial ruin is mmore difficult.
Good Common Sense, Practical Advice
Real Estate Riches: How to Become Rich Using your Bankers Money, by Rolf De Ross
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Mortgage loans    6. Real Estate - General    7. Real Estate - Investments    8. Real estate investment    9. Business & Economics / Real Estate    10. Investment & securities    11. Property & real estate   

Reviews (49)

best investment book ever
very helpful explaining "news" being by definition unpredictable and a problem for the short-term investor.

Out of date....You can do better
The problem with the EMH guys is that have never run there own money!They have a "belief system" that gives them comfort...it's ok to accept average performance.I will agree that large mutual funds are fighting an uphill battle and that most "common folk" aren't interested or even psychologically able to run their own money.There are however individuals that are looking at the right set of factors and they follow their own advice rather than their brokers. The individual investor has an incredible advantage over the mutual fund.I have personally averagedaround 33% for the last 18 years.There are clearly factors to screen for that put the odds in your favor when selecting stocks.I won't get into exactly what factors I use but I'll say I'm in the Greenblatt, Lynch camp as opposed to the O'neil GAP types. The individual has the ability to be rational when others are not.Countless individuals are beating the market year after year.There are and always will be inefficienies in the market.Smaller companies that aren't well followed and thinly traded give the individual unbelievable opportunities.I would highly recommend both of Joel Greenblatts books,and any books on behavioral finance(Richard Thaler, Hersh Shefrin and many others).I suppose that the "average person" would be better off in an index fund but it is incredibly offensive to suggest that people can't beat the market over a long period....they are doing it all the time.The AAII guys(shadow stock) have done 20% for the last 10 years.Motley Fool has done well.There are different approaches, some resulting in higher turnover than others.I tend to side with the small value camp(I'm really more GARP'y), but I know growth guys that compound at high rates year after year.... it is very doable.

Definitely random, but unobvious blockage
There is some valuable information on how to invest your money wisely, and gives you a few options whether you are conservative, moderate, or a risk-taker.Basically the book suggests not to go extreme with risk taking unless you really like doing it and have extra money to possibly blow off or hit really big.The big key is patience, and it explains why eventually.What was prickly about this book was how especially at the beginning, it tells stories of how it was "so obvious" that certain stocks would plummet and how ideas just didn't make sense.I don't think anything is so obvious as he makes it seem such as stock for a movie internet database not working out because casting directors would not want more candidates to choose from than they already do.The reasoning is too simplified.For instance, maybe the website gave details and what actors have done in the past etc.The idea is just like imdb (Internet Movie Database), except that imdb is still going and I do not think it's based on stocks, but rather advertising, subscribers, and to a point, viewers.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Consumer Finance    4. Investment Finance    5. Investments & Securities - General    6. Personal Finance - General    7. Personal Finance - Investing    8. Investment & securities    9. Personal finance   

Reviews (14)

Appropriate for beginners
While I wasn't expecting much, from reading the mediocre reviews posted here, I was surprised to find fairly decent amount of valuable information in the book, albeit for a novice in the hedge fund world.
Who's this book for?
I share the view that if you're searching for investing techniques you're really looking in the wrong place (and maybe you should learn to use the "search inside" feature on top of the page...); my point however is that I can't see who's this book targeted for: if you're an experienced professional looking to strike out on you're own you won't discover anything you didn't already know, if you're so naive that you'll be learning something new then, as another reviewer put it so well, you shouldn't be managing money in the first place.
Where's the beef?
I'm not sure what Stuart was attempting to do with this book, but certainly the title was misleading. I found the book to be largely useless and I'm surprised he has authored another book on the topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Commodities And Commodity Exchanges    5. Finance    6. Hedge funds    7. Investments & Securities - Futures    8. Securities    9. Business & Economics / Finance    10. Investment & securities   

Reviews (20)

It was the "bible" for me
As the author of a similar book entitled, "When Can I Tell My Boss, I Quit!," I offer the highest compliment to Mr. Slott:I used his book in the research for my book.He has written the "bible" of IRAs that explains with a combination of easy prose and good examples, the ins and outs of this topic.Mr. Slott warns of pitfalls and encourages the reader to take action.I go back to his book often for all the answers!

The retirement savings time bomb
It is time not to procastinate and to get your financial house in order.This book is great.

What you don't know CAN hurt you!
Failure to learn and implement the strategies presented will result in a Time Bomb becoming a Land Mine! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Consumer Finance    4. Personal Finance    5. Personal Finance - Financial Planning    6. Personal Finance - Retirement Planning    7. Tax Accounting    8. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Investing   

Reviews (32)

Very good read, more intellectual rigor perhaps
I thoroughly enjoyed the book.Almost 2 years before the fact, it was pretty predictive of what might happen to the housing bubble.Actually I am thinking about making career moves in the direction of Behavioral Finance/Economics so was happy to see a 'popular" book in this area. But this is also the problem, I am looking for more scholarly accounts too!

Almost 5 stars; and a very enjoyable read.
A great read; appeals to the counter-intuitive insights of successful investors and explains a lot of human nature and how destructive it can be from an investment standpoint.
Insightful and Fun!
I found my time well spent reading this book. For would be readers - it seemed to me that there really were two parts to this book:
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Finance, Personal    6. Forecasting    7. Industrial Psychology    8. Investment Finance    9. Investments    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Self-management (Psychology)    12. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    13. Finance & Accounting   

Reviews (13)

Building Wealth One House at a Time: Making it Big on Little Deals
Very good read. Author is a very informative real estate investor and shares his experiences throughout the book. Well worth the money and a must to keep in your personal library
An excellent book on the qualitative aspects of real estate investing.
John Schaub has written an excellent book on the qualitative aspects of real estate investing. It doesn't deal much with the important mathematical aspects of estimating your projected return on investment. Instead, it deals with what types of real estate investments provide the best return with the least amount of work, what type of investing strategy to use, and how to find good deals. He advocates a long-term buy-and-hold approach instead of short-term flipping.
An excellent read for anyone wanting to/ already investing in real estate!
I bought this book about a year ago, after having purchased my first home.Since then, I have purchased a second home, and discovered what it means to be a landlord. This book inspired me to become a landlord, and has helped me through the process, tremendously.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Personal Finance - Investing    5. Real Estate - General    6. Real Estate - Investments    7. Real Estate Administration    8. Real Estate Investment    9. Business & Economics / Real Estate    10. Business & Management