5 comments about High Probability trading.

1. Very good book. Alot of info to digest. I wish the featured charts were larger and in color. The writer is a bit self aggrandizing and writes in a condescending manner. If you can get pass that, you can learn from him.



2. Because since Option Trading is a zero sum game(I believe), I want to sell my profitable premiums to novice and ignorant traders who don't use the author's methodology which is simple but brilliant. I bought around 20 books on trading and I use 80% of his methodology and I have to say,though not spectacular,his methodology gives me consistent profits and minimal losses. Never have I had any regrets lingering in my mind after completing this book and applying it.=) So traders out there,please don't buy this book,so that trading will be less competitive.lol =)



3. Just finished reading "High Probability Trading" and have to say that it is a must have book for any serious trader. Marcel Link writes with simplicity and clarity and conveys much information needed to be successful in trading. The book covers technical analysis, money management (my favorite topic) and trading with a plan. It is this book's ability to cover complicated topics in a conversational way (not overly technical) that brings home the concepts needed to be profitable consistently.
   
   Love his passage about Charles Dickens's "David Copperfield" excerpt where Link writes that Dickens "...is saying, Make more than you spend (lose) and you will do fine, but if you spend (lose) more than you make, you are ruined...". Very true - simple on the surface - but an essential lesson to getting profitable in trading or any life endeavor. The Dickens analogy is an example of how Link is able to draw you away from the traditional "trading" jargon long enough to think on another mental plane so that you can come back to your trading with new understanding.
   
   Another book that may be useful in addition to Link's is "The ART of Trading" by Bennett McDowell The ART of Trading: Combining the Science of Technical Analysis with the Art of Reality-Based Trading (Wiley Trading) since it offers you a chance to take a 30-day trial of the ART trading software, and I've found it to be a very useful tool in my trading.



4. As an advanced beginner trader, this is one of my favorite books. It does not fill up pages with self-serving marketing, quick get rich schemes, or fluff. It gives you the basic no-nonsense tools relevant for whatever market you trade: creation of a concrete trading plan, importance of specific types of discipline (not just generalities), specific tips on system trading, backtesting, managing your risk, and handling your trading money. It also contains specifics on entries, exits, and technical indicators-not an encyclopedia, but a discussion relevant to an advanced beginner. This is very quickly grown to be my favorite book-complex enough that many sections need a re-read, but not overly academic, and full of realism. Highly recommend it for traders in any market.



5. I didn't like this book. Clearly it is aimed at beginners and it tries to cover technical analysis, money management, trading psychology, and system testing. Just too much to be able to cover anything in depth. However, the author seems honest in his approach of trying to tell the reader a bit about everything he has learnt himself.
   
   This book would have been much better by cutting down the amount of text, especially the sections that state the obvious, for instance the 30 odd bullet points that end each (!) chapter.
   
   For the beginner I would rather recommend Robert Miner's book with an almost identical title. That book doesn't tire the intelligent beginner with loads of different things.
   
   I have written several short reviews on trading books. The best way is to compare the score on the books I've read. Many reviews on amazon.com are just glorious 5 star reviews. I use all five categories; sorry but everything isn't "great". Books rated 5 are very good. Books rated 4 are good solid books well worth reading. Books rated 3 can be bought by some people who read a lot or have very specific needs. Books rated 1 or 2 I would not recommend buying or reading. Naturally all in my humble opinion.

5 comments about The Little Book That Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits).

1. I read every chapter of this book while at Borders except the last one, so I cannot vouch for the effectiveness of the "Magic Formula" website that seems to generate so much controversy. I can, however, clarify a glaring misconception in what Goldblatt wrote in his book.
   
   Contrary to what many of the reviewers wrote (especially the negative reviewers), Goldblatt was not insisting that people focus only on Return on Assets and P/E ratio. Goldblatt was also not insisting on a definition of "capital" (within his concept of "return on capital")that leads to an over-emphasis on services over manufacturing. He illustrated perfectly his two pieces of investment data in the following ways:
   
   First, Return on Capital can be best interpreted as a return on invested capital. If it costs $1 million to build a retail store and that store, within a year, generates $2 million, then the ROC is 100%.
   
   Second, his other measure is really a profit-yield per share. You get this measure by taking the amount of profit generated by a firm, dividing it by the number of shares outstanding, and then dividing that by the share price times 100. So, if a company has a $1 million profit and it's selling a million shares for $10 a share, then the profit-yield per share is 10%.
   
   These two concepts seem to form the core of value investing in that they discipline a person to invest in the market as if they were buying a business or a partnership share in the business. The relevant question in any such investment is always "how much will my partnership share make?"
   All other factors are just risk management.
   
   The trick is finding data to generate these statistics. I don't know how well Goldblatt's website does that.



2. This brief text is a good read for the novice investor who wants to learn more about equity valuation. Basically, it distills the drivers of stock values into two components: return on assets and earnings yield. Buy stocks with strong numbers in both of these categories and, over time, you will outperform the market. Only problem with this approach is that stock values are based on expectations of FUTURE performance. Stocks often have high earnings yields today because professional stock pickers expect their finances to degrade in the future. Forecasting future performance is what is most important. The author fails to stress this concept.
   
   For the novice investor, the author is able to explain some of the more fundamental concepts of equity valuation in a straightforward manner. Yet, this text would be only one of a several books someone should read before trading individual stocks instead of purchasing mutual funds.



3. Great info with a humorous touch and a link to data to use in applying what you learn. I am not going to apply it until a more normal market comes along though.



4. First book I ever read about the market. Very simple and to the point. Great place to start your reading about investing.



5. This book can be read by teenagers, as well as people with little education. It explains everything with a simple example, and it repeats the main message across the sections to help you memorize. Because of these same reasons, it reads very slowly and may make you tired of its pace.
   However, it provides a summary section in the end of every chapter that allows you to quickly get a gist. Later chapters actually have more detailed contents.
   I recommend it if you know nothing about investing, as well as to give to your kids.

5 comments about The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing.

1. This book gives excellent advice primarily about mutual fund investing and retiring. It is basically a primer on retirement planning and leans heavily toward Vanguard funds. It is easy to read and has lots of common sense advice and examples proving the authors' suggestions.
   
   I would suggest it to anyone needing a basic primer on retirement plan investing.



2. I received the 3 copies of this book I ordered in a very timely manner. These are for the 3 children we have, who we feel will learn from reading the book or if they have questions can quickly look them up. Good for reference.



3. This is absolutely wonderful. Bogle goes through everything to do with mutual funds and index investing. He points out that its a no-brainer to invest in an index fund if you don't actively invest yourself. One of the best books on stock investing i have ever read.



4. There is nothing like a Bear Market to get you to question a lot of things about the wonderful world of investing. Having said that, this book which focuses on the ideas of John Bogle is just the ticket to set you straight on a number of critically important investment concerns. Asset allocation, the importance of having the lowest costs, how the mutual fund businss really works, it's all here and it all makes perfect sense. I wish now that I had heard more of the wisdom that this man has been passing along for so many years while inventing index funds at Vanguard Investments. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest with greater confidence and success for the long term. It may well change the way you think about the world of Wall Street and investing. It did for me.



5. This book establishes a set of basic principles for investing and, to a lesser degree, personal finance. The authors propose the principles, explain them, illustrate them and show you how to apply them.
   
   The book glances on non-investment personal finance topics including adopting a net worth mindset, emergency funds, estate planning, and insurance. The insurance chapter was very valuable and exposed several fallacious rationalizations people apply to insurance purchase decisions.
   
   The meat of the book is investing. Investing is covered in great detail, including in-depth descriptions of various investments, how they work, and how (or if) you should use them. The coverage of the effect of taxes on your investments is detailed and invaluable. The costs of investing are examined, and when you know where to look, you may find some nasty surprises in your current investments, especially your 401k plan!
   
   The entire book is highly opinionated, and I found that refreshing. The authors know what they're talking about, have a good idea of what the average person saving for retirement needs to do, and never fail to call it the way they see it. The writing style is fact-based advice, with humorous sayings sprinkled about, and is best described as "grandfatherly."
   
   The chapter on behavioral economics was an eye-opener. I thought that I was smart enough not to fall for any of those traps. I smugly read through the first half of them, then recognized myself in "Paralysis by Analysis." Oh my. That gave me some food for thought, and a new outlook.
   
   I did find the chapter on Asset Allocation to be lacking in practical advice. It only glanced on how to make an asset allocation for yourself, and didn't address the difficulties of balancing an asset allocation over multiple tax-advantaged accounts that have contribution limits and withdrawal penalties. (But there's a list of recommended reading in the back, and maybe one of those books will have more information on this topic.)
   
   Having just finished the book, I'm going back through it and making a list of information I need and actions to take. I finally have a direction to go in, and not just more conflicting details!

5 comments about Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment.

1. Swensen provides a excellent analysis of different asset classes and the roles they play (or fail to play) in diversifying portfolios. For example, he clarifies the different diversifying roles of conventional Treasury bonds and TIPS, and explains why corporate, municipal and foreign bonds cannot be substituted. He also demonstrates the advantages of periodic portfolio rebalancing for the disciplined investor.
   
   In what almost amounts to a book within a book, Swensen forcefully chronicles the failure of the mutual fund industry and its regulators to serve the interests of individual investors. This discussion is a must-read for anyone concerned about the implications of the shift towards investor managed defined contribution pension plans as the primary vehicle for retirement savings.
   
   Swensen has not written a practical how-to guide to personal investing or asset allocation; rather, he argues for an approach to personal investing built around core principles. Intellectually-oriented investors will be well served by this book as preparation for developing a personalized investment program.



2. Let's face it, I'm a 30 something Stay At Home Mother with two kids, a husband, a mortgage and a dog.
   
   I heard the book referenced on NPR and thought it would be a worthwhile read. Now I'm asking better questions.
   
   Mostly though I found it frighting.
   
   If you'll excuse me I'm going to resume my ostrich pose.



3. This book outlines very fundamental concepts, and explains investment vehicles in detail, although it's not necessary to read all of it to 'get it'. Swensen's discussion of not only appropriate risk and diversification techniques, but the emotional discipline and practices that it takes to be successful over spans of years are extremely insightful and practical. The introduction, chapter 1, and chapter 3 are worth the price alone.



4. I really like this book. It lays out the argument for a diversified portfolio in a way that I have not seen in other similar books. He analyzes each asset class and explains its plusses and minuses. He arrives at the conventional diversified portfolio, but with some unconventional flourishes - for example, no corporate bonds. But the real strength of this book is that the reader will come away with a strong understanding of why each asset class is important to have in a diversified portfolio.
   
   The second half of the book is a diatribe against the mutual fund industry. I found it eye opening.
   
   The book is not technical, but it does assume a certain level of familiarity with the jargon of the investment world. I wouldn't recommend it for a complete beginner, but rather for someone who wants to go a little deeper beyond the usual discussion of asset allocation.



5. David Swensen has done a magnificant service to the individual investor by writing this book. He explains all of the undisclosed charges that are hidden within actively managed mutual funds and gives two examples of not-for-profit mutual fund families who are investor friendly. One happens to be The Vanguard Group with its index funds that he recommends because of their low fees. David Swensen's reputation as a premier money manager is due to his excellent record at Yale managing their endowment for over twenty years with an average return of better than 16 percent. After reading this book you will not want to trust your money to another for-profit mutual fund company but instead invest in index funds or ETFs for the next 20-30 years. As for ETFs, he also explains how most have drifted off course through the years and no longer deliver good value. He suggests sticking with the core ETF's and he explains which ones those are along with their expenses.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who values his or her money and wants to retain the most of it when investing it in the "MARKET".

5 comments about Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management.

1. The first audience that will find this book useful consists of those new to trading. Elder provides a good overview of technical analysis, with chapters on charting, trendlines, patterns, and some well-known indicators such as MACD, momentum, Stochastics, RSI, etc. He doesn't overwhelm the reader with information and he also provides trading rules.
   The second audience, people who have been trading a while and who have survived long enough to know they need to find out some more about psychology, probably won't find those chapters as interesting. But his chapters on psychology, both individual and mass psychology, are very helpful. He identifies what makes a winning versus losing trader and his chapter on risk management is outstanding. He discusses emotion and probabilities, money management, and how the professional trader must look for quality before money. One thing he stresses is that you must learn from your trades--the trade isn't over when the position is closed out. This constant study is what will help you change and improve. He also writes in an easy to understand manner. The only reason I gave this four stars and not five is that this information is that the book is very expensive for what it contains.



2. The book has 3 parts, psychologie, technical analyses and moneymanagement. This is a great book for beginners with technical analyses, but an even better book for the parts on psychologie and money management witch are the basics for every trader. No matter how good youre system is, if youre mind and money management are not in balance you will loose anyway. A must reed for every trader imho.



3. I found this book very interesting. Author is a psychologist and analyses the market crowd's behavior from a psychological point of view. I read only 65 pages yet, but already have many interesting advices to use in my trading.



4. Want to know what's going on when you turn on your television and you hear them talking about the markets and all that stuff. Well look no further, I've personally made it my duty to learn about the financial world and everything that's involved in it. Trading for a living as provided me with such an insight that now I am confident i can take part in trading. This book is also for beginners who wants to make or lose money. Take it seriously and look at what it says with an open mind.



5. This book covers technical analysis and money management for novice traders. If you are a novice you might want to buy this book. Alternatively you might want to buy a couple of books with more focused content. Books that take you to a higher level of understanding. I provide a list of such books in some other reviews. Click through to my other reviews if you're interested. If you are not a novice this books won't give you much.
   
   I have written several short reviews on trading books. The best way is to compare the score on the books I've read. Many reviews on amazon.com are just glorious 5 star reviews. I use all five categories; sorry but everything isn't "great". Books rated 1 or 2 I would not recommend buying. Books rated 4 are good solid books. Books rated 5 are very good. Naturally all in my humble opinion.

5 comments about The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism).

1. Finest book published on the subject and a must read for anyone voteing this November!!!!!!



2. This is a shrill and near-libelous diatribe against greens, environmentalists, the media in general, and Al Gore in particular.
   Its only redeeming feature is the last two chapters that actually give some reasoned information about why the Kyoto Protocol might be counterproductive.
   
   If you can get that far without going postal, I salute you. These two chapters are the only reason I give this book two stars instead of one.
   
   Charles Madden



3. Let's see, should we believe the 95% of climate scientists and the IPCC reports on global warming? Or should we believe a man who works for the "Competitive Enterprise Institute", a conservative think tank funded by oil companies like Amoco and Texaco?
   
   Wake up people--global warming naysayers paid by oil companies are hardly credible sources of information.
   
   If thousands of astronomers from around the world said that an asteroid would hit Earth in 30 years, would you believe them? Or would you believe a handful of pseudo-astronomers (paid for by special interests) who claim otherwise?



4. Another example of how, as the saying attributed to Benjamin Disraeli goes, there's "Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics". Like many things ( or I should say most things ) when one "follows the money" it often leads to the perpetrator. I remember when my children were small and had all those "why" questions they always do. Other than "why is the sky blue" type questions, the answer, as any good detective will tell you, is usually because of money. Make no mistake, "Global Warming" is about two things, politics and money.
   
   The liberal scare mongering left would want us all to believe that without more government intervention ( which always translates into higher taxes and costs ) we will never survive the latest world ending tragedy upon us. Or as the author humorously notes, their publications about the end of the world always seem to have an annual renewal card enclosed ! The author develops a great case how the Kyoto Protocol is really about controlling Energy Policy. It was rejected by the US and 155 other countries, representing the majority of the world's economic activity and its population. It is a European treaty with one dozen others of which NONE are in fact currently reducing their emissions. How do the BRIC countries feel, Brazil, Russia, India and China ? They are all for having these major countries sign on. Why ? The cost to meet these impossible standards are of such staggering proportions that they gleefully declare "you, but not us". We would only become even more non-competitive with these countries as we are forced to raise our prices astronomically to adhere to the treaty. If you think you have seen jobs lost to overseas countries recently, just wait. "Cap and Trade" is a direct result of this policy, showing us once again how great sums of capital can be realized by producing nothing. I give credit to the people who dream these schemes up though, enriching themselves greatly while impoverishing others. Hey, just another day in the boardroom. OK I admit it, I'm jealous, I actually have to work and produce to earn a paycheck.
   
   And of course, let's not forget, George Bush, who is evil incarnate. He is solely to blame for all the world's problems ( I know this because my liberal friends tell me so, he was even responsible for hurricane Katrina ! ) but none of the positives that may have come about, such as the recent handing over of Iraq's Anbar province to its people, or the successful foiling of terrorists activity within our country's borders. Just a minute while I count up how many attacks since 9/11. Oh, that was easy, it would be NONE. Then we have Nancy Pelosi ( the failed author now ) who is "Trying to save the planet " by refusing to act in the interests of the American people( I thought that was her job )and allow any drilling which would go a long way in helping America become more energy independent. Just as a side note, why haven't any more of those annoying actors and other celebs left the country yet anyway ? They did promise if Bush won a few years back didn't they ? OK, there was Johnny Depp, now living in France. But other than J.D. could it be the simple fact that because it is better here than anywhere else ?
   
   Now, how are the statistics used to prejudice facts you may ask. On page 40 the author explains- "A combination of the absurdities occurred when President Bush introduced his 'Clear Skies Initiative'. This set of regulations aimed to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by a projected 73 percent, mercury by 69 percent, and nitrogen oxides by 67 percent. Natural Resources Defense Council and their cohorts decried this policy as an increase in pollution. They charged that Bush's policy would triple mercury emissions and increase sulphur by 50 percent. You see, the greens were advocating even stricter rules promising even larger emission reductions, enabling them to characterize 'Clear Skies' as an 'increase,' if only relative to the plans they had drawn up in their fancy offices".
   
   Now I am weak in math but I believe their logic goes something like this - I ( the greenie ) ask for a 60% reduction, and you ( the evil Bush ) want to give me ONLY 40%. Therefore you are giving me an increase of 50% ( add 50% of 40, or 20, to the number 40 and it is now 60 and VOILA - since I wanted 60% and I only got 40%, so you have given me an increase of 50%, not a decrease. This is ENRON type math at the very best. Apparently the facts don't matter when dealing with these people.
   
   Statistical Example #2- the greens would have you believe that based on weather station reporting that the earth's mean temperature is warming. The definition of mean will play no factor in their number. Why ? Because they fail to include the fact that reporting weather stations that were once included were in very cold areas of Russia. As the country began falling apart economically, they took those stations offline, thereby removing those LOW numbers that used to be included, thereby leading to higher overall numbers. Using my weak math skills again, I believe it's like this. I have a series of 20 numbers - 10 are 10 and 10 are 6. The average is 100+60 = 160, now divided by 20 = 8. I introduce the new weather readings( excuse me, numbers ) and have the following after taking the lower reporting stations offline ( sorry, I mean lower numbers out ). I now have the following set of numbers - 10 are still 10 but now only 6 are now 6. This gives me a total of 100+36 = 136. Divide 136 by 16 and the number is 8.5. Oh my word, the temperature of the earth has risen - based on my ( faulty ) SCIENTIFIC METHOD by .5 degrees or statistically by 6.25%. The result is a catastrophic scenario and a huge problem as my "statistical research" just "proved"
   ( actually, it's only a problem for those interested in keeping the "scientific method" scientific however ).
   
   By the way, the above mentioned 6.25% is an example of how one uses statistics to "prove the point", or as more intelligent, unemotional, nothing financially to gain people may say - "Lie".
   
   Follow the money. Many of the people pushing this agenda also have much to gain financially as new regulations are put into effect. Just look into how much Al Gore has at stake as these regulations become legally mandatory. In case you were not aware, Al Gore has joined Silicon Valley's Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Venture capital firm. As luck would have it, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers specializes in alternative energy investments. So Al is in a position to greatly profit by the efforts to offset the disasters that are attributed to Global Warming.
   
   The author also discusses that while there are some glaciers receding there are also other glaciers increasing. For some reason we never hear about that but instead get pictures of a polar bear "stranded" on a block of ice floating in the middle of nowhere. Great picture, and really was worth a thousand words but sorry, I was under the impression that polar bears could somehow swim ? ( They can by the way, regardless of what others may try and tell you ). Besides, I have it on good authority that particular bear was simply tired and took a rest by hitching a ride to his next stop. And those great pictures showing the large slabs of ice falling off the icebergs, more "proof" the planet is heating up - or not. The scientific term is "calving" and the author explains how it happens because the iceberg has actually gotten to large to maintain its size so these pieces breaking off happen as a normal course of events and are in no way related to "Global Warming".
   
   If they can keep us in fear, we can be told to turn to them ( government ) for more intervention and regulation to help solve the problems. After all, we all know it worked out so well with their handling of social security and the national debt.
   
   Finally, one of the things the green machine really hates is for someone who decides to learn about this subject to bring up the fact that wasn't it just recently they were predicting we were going to perish from a new ICE AGE ? Or as stated by Nigel Calder in International Wildlife, June of 1975, " The threat of a new ice age must now stand alongside nuclear war as a likely source of wholesale death and misery for mankind". And there was Paul Ehrlich who stated in his 1968 book, "The Population Bomb" that " the battle to feed humanity is over. In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now". Where did they hide all those bodies anyway ? Oh, I forgot, we are facing a population explosion as well as increased obesity epidemics. But don't ever let the facts get in the way of a good story.
   
   
   
   
   EXAMPLE - please read the few RECENT short articles below regarding global warming at links below. The Science strongly disputes what the Eco's would have you believe
   
   [...]



5. The lesson that gets taught over and over again without being "learned" very well is the effects of "unintended consequences". This book includes examples of that. Rachel Carson was correct about DDT, however the overzealous implementation of her ideas has led to the hardship of millions wherever malaria is endemic. One should not be gleeful that some of the global warming hyperbole is poked in this book, because there are important nuggets of truth within the PRO environmentalist views. Sometimes I see pollution issues being mixed with climate change causes. The one is an important stewardship issue for humans, the other is based upon a world-view that says people operate the universe.
   The value of this book is that regardless of your postition on the topics included, one will learn another view of the issues not being communicated in the mass media. (hence the "Politically Incorrect" in the book title) True dialogue includes listening respectfully to all views.

5 comments about The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It's Not About the Money...It's About Being the Best You Can Be!.

1. I am a real estate agent. This book hits the nail right on the head. You take what you want and need and leave the rest. A must read for any real estate agent or anyone thinking of becoming one-especially in this down market.



2. Having a business mission to link the corporate employees, residents and schools in my area, through my publication, anything about the business of real estate interests me.
   
   So, when Masoud Riazati, a San Diego Keller Williams Real Estate Broker, offered me a copy of this book, I gladly accepted his offer.
   
   From the first page, all the way through, I related to this book, and have profitted, during my reading this book.
   
   "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent," is a great follow up to "The Art of Selling to The Affluent" by Matt Oechsli, because they are both thorough, entertaining, fun, focused upon the reader embodying a millionate mind set, and they both are written in a style that makes you, the reader, feel as though the author is having a face-to-face with you, as questions and "light bulb moments," arise.
   
   Also, having read "The Millionaire Next Door," Stanley, and "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill, it's great that Gary Keller has taken the step-by-step approach to guiding readers to acquire the millionaire mind set.
   
   Charts in Keller's book are also so easy to follow, and worth adapting into your office Operations Manual, as a guide to keep you on course, towards your $1,000,000 net income goal.
   
   The only challenge that I had in reading this book was asking myself, "If real estate agents do listings to be successful, what does listings equate to, in my business? Am I already doing the equivalent? If so, how do I quantify this into expected revenues?"
   
   Usually, I like to power read through non-fiction books, while I take copious notes. And I like to reread great non-fictions, until there is nothing left for me to gain from them. But, "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent," was different.
   
   There is so much to learn from this book, about being in, and growing your busines, that I wanted to savor ever "ah ha" moment. And there were many of those moments for me, in this book. This is definitely a book that I will reread, again, because by creating the systems in this book, I will be ready to go to the next business level.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who is in, or plans to be in business. This is also great for those who are in leadership positions, working for someone else.



3. If you want to read a book on how to spend a million dollars, without making a single dime, this is the book for you. Keller spends a great deal of time showing you how to blow money, but he offers you NO program for earning money. If you are new to selling real estate, you need to learn how to prospect for new business, qualify customers and clients, present to them, close the sale, service the customer and close the transaction. This book does not tell you how to do any of that. Amazon has much better books available to you: Ray Smith's "Master Blueprint for Real Estate Sales" or Dave Stone's "Training Manual for Real Estate Salespeople", both out of print, but available, are way better choices for you!



4. Gary Keller's book is a great introduction to the industry. It is helpful, not only from an agent's perspecitve, but also from a consumer one as well. Real estate is certainly a complex subject and it is certainly important to understand the workings of the industry especially if you are an investor making many real estate transactions. For teh agent, it provides a proven real estate model in which to set up your business.
   The book takes the overall view, looking not at too many specifics or specific situations, but more of the overall picture on how to create your business plan from day one.



5. This book shows what some study of top realtors can tell us. It's a great read and packed with information.

5 comments about You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead.

1. I watched Larry's show Big spender when it was on A&E. I read this book and gave it to friends. Larry don't sugar coat it. If you want the real thing and get your butt into gear this book is great. I gave it as gifts last year and only you can change yoru ways. He gives the tools to do it. And they are easy. If you are in a money rut buy this book.



2. Here's a no-nonsense guide to dealing with the money mess you've made and want to clean up. Winget takes the chaos of your financial life, encourages you to see it for what it is, and then tells you how to change it for the better from the inside out. No silver bullet. No fairy dust. I got just the kick in the butt I needed!



3. Larry Winget doesn't hesitate to tell you like it is...if you're willing to read some tough love and let it sink in, you'll find your life changed for the better. With today's society neck-deep in debt and wondering how to escape, this book is a great primer from going from "just getting by" to "debt-free and sucessful". It's awesome!



4. I have finally found a book that my husband would read. He hates reading, he wanted to know if this was a book on tape. But I encouraged him to try it and he could not put it down. Excellent!!



5. I never heard of Larry Winget although as i read the book I was surprised I hadn't. I am a pretty avid reader of 'success' literature, and although I make a lot of money by most standards, I'm a spendaholic. I've read Dave Ramsey's books and like them but there was something about Dave's style that just doesn't click with me.
   
   Larry is much more brash and abrupt but stylistically, we just clicked. He's very much into no excuses and biting the pill and handling business. I like that a lot. His strategies are in many ways common sense, but he has a way of putting things that makes it click. And besides, being broke isn't about not having common sense, it's more about lying to yourself and not doing what you know you should.
   
   His brutal repetitions of You're broke b/c you want to be is just really something I needed to hear. And he masterfully destroys just about every rationalization you can come up with. Perhaps the best was when he asks you to make a list of what's most important to you, then juxtapose it against what you spend your money on. He tells you the latter is what 'really' matters to you and it's hard to argue with.
   
   All in all I think this is a great book. If you're a Ramseyite, you'll very much like this unless you get offended easy with strong language. Even though there's minor profanity, I think it literally has to be there, the whole tone and effect would be lost without it. And if you read this book and first find yourself taking issue with the language, it's likely just an excuse you're making for yourself.
   
   Anyway, I loved it and am going to buy the rest of his stuff (with my extra money after I've paid all of my bills ;-), put plenty away for savings and donated to my monthly charities). And although I loathe watching TV, I'll probably even watch his TV show just b/c he kicks so much a55.

5 comments about The New Economic Disorder: Strategies for Weathering Any Crisis While Keeping Your Finances Intact.

1. THIS BOOK EXSPOSES FED.RESERVE,OUR GOVN'T,BANKS AND ETC. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN THIS BOOK IS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE. SOME FOLKS MIGHT THINK THIS BOOK IS A JOKE BUT THEY ALSO THOUGHT NOAH WAS A JOKE ABOUT THE FLOOD. DO THE INVESTIGATION YOURSELF?



2. Dr. Bates really exposes the truth behind our currency and banking system and how it affects all of us in our daily lives. This is a must read for all trying to make heads or tails of the turmoil in our economy today. While it was written five years ago, the information and basic principles it uncovers are timeless and will be as true one hundred years from now as they are today. If you are concerened for your financial future or that of future generations, you will find solutions to the economic problems that we are facing today. For those who need to know what to do to protect their hard-earned assets, this is again, a must read.
   I am impressed with this book and recommend that every household read a copy. It should be required reading for all business and economic majors.



3. You will hardly find a book where the author will contradict himself as many times as in this one. You will also hardly find a book where the author will repeat himself as many times as in this one. The key point of the book is: monetary system is deeply flawed, it is going to collapse very soon, we are in danger, S.O.S. O.k., let's say, the system is going to collapse. And now what? Apart from excessive alarmism what really bothers me is that the author is trying to explain not how an average person can protect himself from this coming "disaster" but how an average person can make profit out of it. When you read this book you are put in the position to learn how to become accessory to what is supposedly going to happen. I found so many inconsistencies in the book that at certain point it becomes just confusing, there is no coherent picture that could possibly emerge out of it. Overall, this is a good material to be used to develop critical thinking skills.



4. Larry Bates sounds like an alarmist or something, but what he says makes sense and I have heard similar things from reliable sources. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to have an understanding of how the world economy and political system works. I also have bought The Bilderberg Group by Daniel Estulin. I have only started reading it, but it seems excellent so far.



5. I thought it was a good quick read book. He had a few things in it that were very very insightful. While it's not a deep in depth book, I thought he did pretty good. (I have to say he did good because he thinks just like me. lol )Besides he predicted was is now happening on Wall Street to the letter. He seems to know his stuff and doesn't tout himself as being a super intelligent PHDD EEconomic ID alien know-it-all. He simply presents his ideological opinion of the current economic banking system along with the Bible. Yes the bible. He was a banker, congressman and a pretty smart guy to foresee what is now happening on Wall Street. If you have any interest in the markets, this is a must read.

5 comments about Technical Analysis for Dummies.

1. I have read more than a dozen books on forex, some good and some bad. I'm afraid this book is somewhere at the bottom. The author kept babbling about self-proclaimed experts in technical analysis all throughout the book it became pathetic. Discussions on most technical indicators was blurry, not the english, but the material simply was not good enough. Very flimsy in many cases and as a result gives you a feeling the author is far from being an authority on the subject. The only reason I gave a generous 2 stars is the discussion on momentum indicators where there was a little bit of substance. Example charts also were poorly selected. After reading the book I felt I really did not pick up anything new.



2. I found this book to be not too heavy, not too light in dealing with technical analysis. I wanted something that would expand upon the various indicators, etc. a bit more than I would find with a wiki search, and the book hits the target. I'm pleased and I think that others who are looking for something that's more than an "entry-level" book will be pleased as well.



3. This book is a nice synopsis of technical indicators and is written in common understandable English. There are big tomes written on this subject but this is all you will need to get a good grasp of the subject. It is not a recipe book that will tell you how to make a bundle of money in the stock market, but you are unlikely to make a bundle without mastering the analytic techniques discussed in this book. You will develop your own favorite indicators and combination of indicators to help you invest, but without understanding the basics of the technical analysis, you will be lost. And this book is a good source of learning just that.



4. I want to be honest for this book. I'm a daily trader and want to learn more about technical analysis. After I read this book I notice that this book does not have any examples to make it understandable for readers. It just has explanations that make it boring to read. In my opinion find a book that has examples about real situation during trading stocks. YOU CAN NOT LEARN ONLY WITH EXPLENATIN. My suggestion is read other technical analysis books reviews to find out which one have both explanations follow by examples. Good luck



5. At no other time have I ever bought a book that paid for itself. Having utilized the techniques discussed in Technical Analysis for Dummies, I actually earned well over the $20.00 needed to pay for the book. This is a great book for beginners because it discusses MACD and Stochastics, as well as combining criteria in order to create stock screeners. I have also read Mutual Funds for Dummies and Stock Investing for Dummies. This one is the best written and by far the most useful so. I highly recommend this book if you are new to the world of stock investing.