5 comments about Smart Women Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams (Revised Edition).

1. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to become wealthy and this book details how easy it can be. If you're looking for glitz and glamour and "get rich quick" this isn't it. There's no such thing as an overnight success. Read David's book and get going on the road to wealth.



2. Smart Women Finish Rich is a bit different from other financial books I've read. I have to admit I was surprised with how well David Bach addressed both the emotional and intellectual relationship women have with money. His grandmother taught him well.
   
   I am going to say that Smart Women Finish Rich is more for a financial beginner than a woman with financial savvy. It's a well thought out system of gaining and keeping control of your financial self-sufficiency. Bach has filled this book with definitions, resources, quizzes, systems, exercises and tables. I was impressed and give it a must read if you're serious about becoming more financially organized.
   
   David Bach addresses both the heart and the head in Smart Women Finish Rich. He used the lessons he learned from his grandmother, and his mother, as inspiration. After growing up with two such powerful role models, he was surprised by the number of financially uniformed women. Many of the women who came to him for financial advice, had no clue about building financial security.
   
   Smart Women Finish Rich is easy to understand. I read it and "got it." This is a "how to" book that involves a commitment on your part to read, work and put the assignments and lessons into daily practice. Bach has carefully given us valuable financial keys, now it's up to us to follow through.
   
   What you'll get out of this book is going to depend on what you're willing to put into it. It's a book that has the potential to give you a great foundation for financial self-sufficiency.
   
   Here are some of the areas I found particularly useful:
   
   1.The first exercise, "Financial Knowledge Quiz" is a great practical place to start. I found it to be thoughtful and quite an eye-opener. I learned about how well (and sometimes not so well) I understood the role money played in my life.
   
   2. David Bach is adamant about pinpointing the reason money is important to you. To find this out, you'll need to examine your money values and ask yourself if your financial behavior matches those values. He provides a simple but thoughtful exercise called the "Values Ladder."
   
   3. Smart Women Finish Rich is a great blend of exercises, systems, quizzes and practical "real world" information. For example, the "Finish Rich File Folder System" is a simple, easy-to-follow and yet an organizational time saver.
   
   I definitely give Smart Women Finish Rich five stars! If you're ready and serious about getting your financial house and monetary priorities in order, this is the book for you!



3. I bought this book because I heard so many positive things about it. I am in my 50's, five years ago I went from having the wonderful life that all women dream of. I had the beautiful home in the suburbs, 2 beautiful children, friends, you name it I had it. Then I lost it all in the blink of an eye. I had relied on my husband to handle all the finances I couldn't tell you the balance in the check book. All I knew was he made the money and I spent it. Thank the Lord I was a RN, but I hadn't worked in quite a few years. I am not going to go into detail what happened but when I said I had nothing but the clothes on my back I mean just that. I have been working two jobs for the past five years making good money but I have NOTHING to show for it. By reading Suze book I was able to identify myself, it is so easy to understand that someone like myself with NO understanding of finance can take her suggestions and work them into my present life. It is going to take discipline on my part and learning to say NO to my children is going to be the hardest. But, I need to take care of myself. This book was just what I needed to read. I highlighted areas, I keep going back and re-reading certain sections. I keep it next to my bed. Buying this book was one of the best things I have done for myself.



4. I think all women should read this book and share it with others (family and children). Not only does Mr. Bach discuss how saving a little here and there can help with retirement, but he also gives women inspiration to live out (and especially to finance) their dreams. A wonderful book.



5. You all praising this book, how smart it is written, how valuable. But what are the fruits? Show them. Who can say that because of this book she got out of debts, bought a new house and moved from Harlem to 5th Avenue? Or smth like this? It seems to me that it is one more well-marketed book with no real advice in it. Everyone who wrote a review seems like struggling surviving individuals. I don't wanna join you guys if so. Please, who can tell any real outcome they had after reading this book, and then I will buy it.

5 comments about Mastering the Trade (McGraw-Hill Trader's Edge).

1. This book is a must for day traders. Carter's set-ups for buys and sells are amazing. Since reading and studing his methods I have almost doubled my daily revenue and looking at 6 figures this year.
   
   If you only read one book (and I have read many) this simple to understand and well documented text will serve you for the rest of your career in the market.



2. I was excited to receive this book because it is written by a seasoned professional and as such carries a lot more credibility than one from someone who never actually managed money. I am a money manager and systems developer myself and have managed huge positions and had many hundreds of clients. The first few chapters of the book cover some basics particularly those relating to psychology and setting up to trade. All of it is good. The section on computers is as would be expected for a book published in 2006. Then the book gets into some areas of trading. Chapter 5 is excellent and covers various breadth and/or market internal measurements. I found this chapter to be worth the price of the book as I have always traded with breadth and it was very nice to catch some differt viewpoints and ideas. John Carter is not a systems trader and I am. I code everything and test it extensively. Mr. Carter is a discretionary trader and as I started to code his methods (Part two) I found them to not hold up very well to the scrutiny of computer analysis. The concepts are still of value though, so I still recommend it as excellent reading and a wide array of excellent trading ideas that could be built on. Many times it is the process in the thinking that is of more value that the content itself. So, if you are inclined to purchase the book to find instantly useable trading ideas, you might come up short. But, if you want something that might inspire some of your own brilliance, of course, you may just find a jewel or two. Section three of the book covers more on planning, psychology and the game of trading. This is an excellent book for any level of trader.



3. New to day trading? Read this first and read it often. Plain english with plenty of examples to make clear sense of the trading methods described. I have purchased no less than six books on the subjects of trading, options, investing etc. in the past year, all of them left me with a feeling of not getting what I paid for. Some were just a long winded infomercials for some product or service. Not this book. Worth every penny.



4. This is a MUST read. I have read a lot of books on trading and this book is really the only one that had helped me. That is an understatement. This book had changed my trading life forever!! Read all the other reviews and let me add this. Read the book cover to cover twice. Go to his website and sign up for his newsletter. Get the 4 day seminar on dvd. Buy the 5 indicator package. And finally start making some money. Yes all of this is expensive. It is worth every cent.. I paid for all of this in one day of trading using the indicators and his techniques!! Trading for me now is no stress, no yelling at the screen. And finally I have stopped buying the guy on the other side of the trade dinner or worse. No, I am not affiliated with TTM, this stuff just works and I wanted to share the news.



5. Always looking for more information, I got this book since it is so popular. I already use the "Applied Reality Trading" software, so wasn't really needing Carter's set-ups, but found them informative. And, the rest of the book has much valuable information also, but is lacking in a key area of educating the reader about the importance of risk control and money management.
   
   The areas that were my favorite were:
   
   1) Ways that Carter takes the pulse of market emotions - a) Dive, Captain, Dive - he writes about how when "newbie" traders on a free trial in his trading room press the "submarine dive" noise - the more experienced traders know that it is time to cover their shorts and go long. b) What does your mother think? Another way he uses sentiment from "non-traders" to gauge when the market is topping or bottoming -- is by listening them interpret news headlines.
   
   2) His drawdown rules and profit rules are useful for formulating your own personal rules. For example if Carter is down by 20% for the month he will stop trading for the rest of the month, and, if he hits a 30% total drawdown on his account, he takes a six week break from trading.
   
   3) The profit rules are equally useful. Love his "euphoria" rule where if he has a day in which he makes $5,000 per $100,000 (or 5% return on his money in one day), he will "...take the next day off to escape those feelings of euphoria that cause traders to do stupid things...". And then, he says he will withdraw 50% of his trading profits at the end of each quarter.
   
   The areas of the book that were weak were the following:
   
   1) Risk control is weak, although he briefly mentions at the end of the book to not risk more than 2% of your account equity on any one trade, which is helpful. What has been profitable for me, is using the risk of ruin tables and the optimal f formula to be more precise with exactly how much to risk. You can get some easy formulas on this approach from McDowell's book "A Trader's Money Management System" A Trader's Money Management System: How to Ensure Profit and Avoid the Risk of Ruin (Wiley Trading) and you may find at times it is better to risk 1% or 2.5% or maybe even higher. The percent risked is based on what your pay off ratio and win ratio -- so it is not a shot in the dark with a flat 2% risk.
   
   2) Paper trading has helped me refine my skills and, in my opinion, one weakness in Carter's book and philosophy is that he says "...paper trading it's more worthless than an iraqui dinar...". It will be hard for readers to dive right into the markets trying his set ups and be profitable if they don't test them in a safe environment (like paper trading), to at least see if they hold merit for their personal trading style and psychology. Maybe I'm more cautious than Carter, but I'd rather test the waters before jumping in.
   
   Overall, this book will get you started, but you'll need a few other tools and books to round out your tool kit before entering the markets.

5 comments about Fooling Some of the People All of the Time: A Long Short Story.

1. I like reading books about corporate collapses (eg about Enron and Worldcom), and this book, whilst not about a corporate collapse, details the author's extensive investigation into the accounting and other practices of Allied Capital. Both as a story and technically, this is an exciting book.



2. Fooling Some of the People All of the Time catalogs the incredible events that followed the author's fast rising hedge fund and the investment community that attacked him after sticking his neck out in a speech. The investment community attached to protect its interests, which provides a good lesson in today's financial crisis. The book gives an informative look at the ins and outs of wall street, and the lengths people there will go to attack companies and individuals who attempt to uncover untoward behavior. It's a very interesting, if detailed, read and necessarily so.
   
   As an investor and fan of the financial markets, I don't typically read psychology books, but a colleague passed along The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book to me this week when we were discussing the chaos that has befallen the financial markets of late. I devoured that book! It's really great at revealing the role emotions play in ANY decision you make, and I'm a smarter investor for having read it.



3. Very boring to read. Explains at length reasoning that leads to short sales. Unless short-selling is of particular interest to you or, if you face an imminent encounter with SEC, this book is unlikely to be of any value to you.



4. David Einhorn's book is about how deceptive and deceiving accounting can be, and how the government can foster corrupt enterprises. He does a particularly good job of showing how his firm (and others) discovers accounting discrepencies, and an important lesson is that one cannot take for granted financial statement numbers "blessed" by accounting firms.
   
   Unfortunately, the book becomes incredibly tedious to read. He actually reviews too much data--reveals too much information here--more than this typically voracious and curious reader could even tolerate. The tedium may represent how incredibly thorough (OCD) Mr. Einhorn is about his work--or it may reveal how much the underlying story has actually consumed him/gotten under his skin.
   
   Regardless, it is ironic that his own hedge fund is very secretive and unrevealing about its own performance. For example, go to his web site and try and find performance information about his funds--not possible! It is interesting that he periodically comments about the top notch performance of his funds in the book--but no summary of audited performance data are provided to evaluate his true performance--interesting given his pleas for more transparant data published by publicly traded companies. Oh well, can't have it all!



5. This is an interesting story of a hedge fund manager who becomes obsessed with a short position in a company that seems, at a minimum, a little shady. None of the characters in the book are likeable and at the end of the book it's not clear if Einhorn is making a mountain out of a molehill or not. But it is a fascinating detailed look at an ugly mix of management greed, an investor's ego and government waste and intimidation.

5 comments about Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably in the World's Best Market.

1. An interesting read giving insight of a master investor in the domain he understands best. Many logical reasons for his argument for several commodities mentioned that has been a guide for my investments in the Indonesian stock market. Though not many mortals would have access nor capacity to have direct investment in the minerals and commodities mines and plantations as he advocates.



2. I almost gave this book 5 stars for the mere fact that Rogers' predictions have come true since the time the book was published. For example, gas and gold prices have increased dramatically, as predicted, since 2004. S&P has been mostly going sideways and Rogers' prediction of the housing meltdown was right on. From an investment standpoint, the book would have been more helpful 4 years ago than today. Nevertheless there is still a lot of value here. First, Rogers' writing is engaging and interesting. Second, he offers readers a different way of looking at the world which is valuable regardless of your investments. Finally, he claims that his ideas and predictions of rising commodity prices will continue at least to 2015, so there is plenty of time left to profit from his wisdom.
   
   This book is an introduction and individual investors will have to do a lot more research and thinking before they can actually implement Rogers' ideas. The author admits that point, himself. Furthermore he does not really tell readers a logical way of even trying to profit from rising commodities. He claims the best way is to buy commodities directly, but after reading the book I have little idea how to go about buying commodities for the long term. Futures allow investors to profit in the short term but if you believe that lead prices will peak in 2015 or so, how can you profit from that prediction? After all, prices are not predictable in the short term and an investor can get burned badly speculating in the commodities' futures. Oil has been rising in value steadily since the Iraq invasion but an investor could have still managed to lose money investing in oil futures. Need to research and read a lot more on the topic if your goal is to actually invest in commodities.



3. When Jim Rogers speaks, I listen; when he writes something, I read it. If you go back years and years and check out what Rogers anticipated and predicted, he's been consistently accurate. His perceptions, opinions, and predictions in the 1980s and 90s, were spot-on. With "Hot Commodities" he does it again in many areas: geopolitics, equities, bonds, current and future international political trends, commodities, and more. We are seeing what he's saying in this latest book unfold in front of our eyes, right now.
   
   "Hot Commodities" is a continuation of Roger's past works, obviously focusing on commodities. Chapters are organized well and categorized by topic, so you don't have to read the book from start to finish but can jump around from chapter to chapter to your liking.
   
   Hot Commodities starts off with the basics and eventually tells you how to find and choose a licensed trader and invest in commodities. The important questions are answered: what are commodities? Is investing in commodities right for you? Why is there a market for them? What variables (questions) do you ask about a commodity (e.g. sugar)? What questions do you need to ask yourself and a broker who's licensed in them. What kinds of accounts can you have? What is the commodity lingo (words) you should know? How do you learn to read the symbols on the ticker tape? All the answers for the beginner and more are in this book. He has a knack for explaining commodities to the layperson.
   
   You'll know what GH 355.5, WU 369, SN 725, and HOX 101 mean when you see them.
   
   Although past performance is not an adequate way to predict future behavior of a group of funds, the historical trends of commodities are noted.
   
   Also noted are some misconceptions about investing in commodities, and bad investor stories. Many people who got burned did so using margin, according to Rogers. Supply and demand are straightforward indicators. But he does note, an investor should know what they're doing and know if commodities are appropriate for one's personality and investing style.
   
   
   OIL:
   
   Now, talking about oil is the new fad on the mainstream media. Only because, gasoline prices are currently high enough for the public to whine about it. The possibility of rising gasoline/diesel/fuel prices has always existed and Rogers noted it years ago. The author believes that world oil production has peaked and the numbers on worldwide output of MBP (millions of barrels per day) reinforces this. The "new finds" and offshore drilling will only put drops of oil in the worldwide demand bucket.
   
   Rogers noted his own Commodity Index Fund only a couple of times and didn't push it, nor provide contact info for his fund. He doesn't try to sell it. (He doesn't need to.) He also listed other Commodity Index funds. This was professional and reinforces his credibility.
   
   
   
   CHINA IS ON THE UP-AND-UP, AND THE USA IS SLIDING DOWN:
   
   This is Roger's opinion and I agree with it. Rogers is still bullish on China for the short and long-term. In addition to rapid growth and hard-work he notes that before the Communist revolution in 1949 the Chinese had a merchant class that operated for centuries, unlike that of feudal Russia. Therefore, the merchant and trade knowledge base is already in China, obviously. The Chinese save on average 40% of their income, while Americans save an average of only 2%, and often spend more than they make. (American per capita savings was -2% recently.)
   
   China is the number #1 consumer of copper, steel, iron ore, soybeans and number #2 in oil and energy products. China is rising fast.
   
   The United States on the other hand, seems to be moving in the opposite direction. The US is the world's number #1 debtor with $9 Trillion in international IOUs. The US is living off of other people's money. Is anyone talking about this in the mainstream media? Politicians? Only a few are. Tying the Oil Bourse to the US dollar has propped the dollar up. The US dollar is now a declining currency holding little confidence of the world. Remember, when the American government borrows all of this money (via T-bills) it's backed by "faith in the American government." Not if the Fed has the Treasury Department keep printing money and providing Helicopter Bailouts. The M3 Money Supply is now secret. Economists can only guess how much money the US government prints.
   
   The Chapters:
   
   1. The Next New Thing Is - Things
   2. "But...."
   3. Stepping Up To Commodities
   4. Stepping Into The Commodities Markets
   5. Notes From the Wild, Wild, East
   6. Goodbye, Cheap Oil
   7. Gold - Mystique Vs. Fundamentals
   8. A Heavey Metal With Potential To Be A High Flyer (lead)
   9. Searching For The Next Suguar High
   10 Can Coffee Perk Up?
   
   Rogers is and has been one of the most successful investors in the world. He's often made successful personal and fund-managed investment decisions when digressing from the myopic tramped path of the sheep. As usual, the sheep that follow the herd discount and scrutinize Rogers when he just answers the questions they ask him. He makes hiw own decisions. And he proves to be right, time after time. Sheep follow fads and trends, with the most sheep piling on top of a bubble right at the top of it right before it bursts, as all bubbles do. The equity tech-stock bust, shifted the sheep into housing and REI. Now that the RE bubble has burst, some sheep are gravitating (although slowly) to what Rogers has been saying for years. Commodities is in a cyclical bull phase. He cites statistics, historical trends, and the current and future world climate to reinforce his points.
   
   Attention sheep: he's right again.



4. ignoring commodities as these potentially offer a better rate of return than running after stocks, bonds, real estate, some currencies or timber (that's an interesting one).
   
   The first four chapters of the book give you the nuts and bolts of investing in commodities accompanied by plenty of anecdotes from Rogers' own investment activities. Of this first half of the book, chapter 4 is by far the most important. You need to know this information inside out, otherwise there is little point in investing in the futures market.
   
   In the second part of the book - chapters five to the end - Rogers explains why China is likely to drive commodity prices in future largely based on where it is going economy-wise and even though there are certain long-term risks with regards to China's political stability, this is unlikely to dent much the country's demand for raw resources. Rogers follows this up with looking at five commodities, namely, oil, gold, lead, sugar and coffee. Some of his thoughts are quite convincing, but at the end of the day you will have to make up your own mind. In fact Rogers mentions on more than one occasion that every investor must do his own research before committing his money.
   In his conclusion, Rogers again urges the investor to look `deeply' into commodities if only that it should make any investor a better investor even if he only ever invests in stocks and bonds.
   
   I also urge you to read the appendix. You will find the information given here quite useful.
   
   This book was published in December 2004 but this does not make it history as many of the underlying fundamentals of commodities are little changed.



5. It was ok, it read like he was writing for a page count. His other books are much much better than this one. Read it if you want a view of the coming 'bull market' in commodities (maybe it peaked in 2008). I think he means that commodities will have more volatilty now than in past years. Perhaps a move back to volatility of the 1970s and 1980s. If that is the intent then I agree 100%.

5 comments about Understanding Options.

1. This is a very good beginners book on options. It explains in simple terms a very complex subject. I read several books before this one. After I read this book, I wished I had read this one first. The price is right too.



2. But, if your really serious about trading options, please read Natenberg first. Natenberg is interviewed in this comprehensive and easily accessible intro. However, options trading needs more than an intro, as I suspect most of you know.



3. This author doesn't really believe that anyone but pros should be trading any strategies except for covered calls. He does discuss advanced trades but only glosses over them without detail. Ahhh, he's probably right. However, if you'd like to learn more about intermediate and advanced strategies, you'll need another book.



4. Very good book to get your feet wet on Options.
   
   I like the author's style of briefly recapitulating previous topic before going to next. He also punctuates his book with historical anecdotes about options which makes for interesting reading.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. I have been a stock market investor for 25 years. Over that time I think I probably learned, in bits and pieces, everything in this book. The problem is I didn't have a complete picture of what options were all about or how many of the elements of options trading (i.e. delta, spread, volatility, etc.) related and affected the potential of any given option or strategy. Therefore, I never bought or sold a single option. Had I read this book years ago my overall investing performance would have been greatly improved and the number of sleepless nights greatly reduced.
   
   This book is an extremely easy read for anyone with a general idea of what options are about and I suspect would not pose an overwhelming challenge even for someone with no knowledge at all on the subject.
   
   The most exciting outcome of my reading this book is I placed my first options trades today. A few of my trades today were for hedging purposes on my existing portfolio and a few were for speculation.
   
   I doubt I will ever become a "day trader" or an options guru, but I now can stay active in my portfolio, blending modest hedges and speculation for what almost certainly will be a better overall outcome. Thank you Mr. Sincere.

5 comments about Options Made Easy: Your Guide to Profitable Trading (2nd Edition).

1. This book is very well written, clearly illustrated. It covers all the basics you need to know about option and some most popular strategies. Although it does not include those fancy strategies, IMAO, if you can not make money on these most popular ones (covered option, spreads, strangle and straddle, etc.), probably you won't make money on those fancier ones either. More energy should be spent on market reading and equity analysis, instead of wasting time on calculate fancy combination.
   
   On the other hand, this book also covers FA / TA essentials, trading psychology, money management, which makes it a complete book for trading, not just an option facts book.



2. Options Made Easy: Your Guide to Profitable Trading (2nd Edition) Good basic information.



3. I bought this book thinking that I will learn to invest in stock options (as I dont even know O of options). This book defeated me completely. What I was looking for a book which will say "Sam is thinking of investing options he chooses some company XYZ, He sees that current stock price is 50 dollars. How can he go about making a call or put. What is the strict price he shd think. Who decides the premium price. What does bid / ask prices are. What sort of choices does he has. (Day to day story of someone investing in options).
   
   Simply put the book shd have taught options step by step. Instead of repeatedly saying "option is a right but not an obligation ..." (ok this may be necessary).



4. Good product, good buying experience. Great service and on time delivery. Will buy again from this vendor.



5. This book is clear and easy to read. Unfortunately, the editor was incompetent in financials or the author didn't take the time to review his work carefully. Some of the comments on analysis are clearly worded wrongly; however, the content is so strong and purpose of this book is so well realized in general, that it is easy to recommend it as a "dummy's" book to any person who already has a good grasp of finance - or wait for the next edition.

5 comments about Emerging Real Estate Markets: How to Find and Profit from Up-and-Coming Areas.

1. Awesome! Wish I had read and applied this book 2 years ago...before the market started its crash. As the owner (once proud) of 45 homes...some appreciated 100% in 2 years -- but due to market cycles -- now I am wishing I had a crystal ball. Well Dave gives you the understanding to have your own crystal ball!



2. This book is the BEST I have read in a very long time regarding market timing entrance and exit based on US geography. Dave is an "expert" investor that speaks with authority on the subject. As I read along I realized all the mistakes I have made over the years. If I only had this book 5 years ago! Great job Dave!



3. Several years ago David Lindahl was a eager young student of Marc Garrison the author of "Unlimited Real Estate Profit". David even appears on Marc's 21 DVD course. What David has done with his new book is to rip off Marc's work on emerging absorption markets. You should go to Marc's website narei.com to find out more. I would encourage you to read his website selection "The Fifth Migration" and "The Garrison Cycle". Marc started investing in 1978. His profit from his real estate paid for 2 undergraduate degrees, an MBA, then he started work on a Ph.D. in real estate economics. That academic study led him to an understanding of which markets to invest in, which ones to hold in, and which ones to sell in.
   
   I met Marc on one of his BuyingTours. Talk about fantastic. For the past 22 years Marc has knocked home run after home run in 18 new absorption markets. In July of 08 he will open up his 19th emerging absorption market. If you want to be sold / telemarketed contact David Lindahl.
   
   I far prefer Garrison's style - when you call you can talk with Marc if he is not busy. But, if he is busy he will personally call you back as soon as he can. I have studied under 7 or 8 Gurus to date. Marc is the only one that I have ever been able to personally talk with. Marc is a breath of fresh air in the sweat shop hard core telemarketed snake oil sales routine.



4. My god...I read entirely too much!! Now, I'm not going to lie to you and say that Dave doesn't plug his bootcamps and stuff however, I can honestly say he is the real deal. The dude knows his stuff!! I think the title, "Understanding Real Estate Market Cycles and How To Profit From Them", would have been a little better though.(but what do I know)
   Nonetheless, it's a great book and a good introduction to Dave and his methodology.
   Can you read his book and then go out there and do it? It depends truthfully. Are you the type of person that needs someone to hold their hand and walk them around the block to show them the scary spots....or are you the type that can realisticlly pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and is willing to stumble a little?
   Personally, I'm an active real estate investor in both SFR and multi-family units (duplex, tri, quads) and I still go to seminars and learn the ropes before venturing too far out.
   Hey...in a nutshell...BUY THE BOOK READ IT DO IT!! Geez, it's only $20 bucks.



5. Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (10/08)
   
   While "Emerging Real Estate Markets" is a very informative book, the reviewer did not find anything different than most books like this she has read. Mr. Lindahl has a very straightforward approach that leaves no questions. However, the one concern is that many first-time investors will not have the income or desire to purchase multi-apartment units.
   
   The author takes a potential investor through four phases of the buyers' market, from oversupply of properties to the selling of your properties. He gives examples of how to do this, as well as what to avoid. One chapter discusses red flags of property management companies. Examples of this include higher than average vacancy; increase in notice to vacate and not completing deferred maintenance.
   
   Chapter 8 discusses the 10 biggest mistakes investors make and how to avoid them. This was interesting, but the reviewer felt it was pretty much common sense. Overall, I felt the book was an interesting read; there were many points that were quite valid. However, several times readers were referred back to his website to obtain more materials. I think a good self-help book like "Emerging Real Estate Markets" by David Lindahl would give you all the information you would need to have a basic knowledge.

5 comments about Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings (Wiley Investment Classics).

1. I bought this book on the belief it could be helpful since it is widely acclaimed, but I discovered that is far from being an "investor's bible"
   
   First. It spend too many pages (about 30 or more) in "Family stories and affairs" that is a pure "torture" and absolutely useless to the reader eager to learn about investement strategies...This could be good maybe on a Fisher Bio book, but not here...I bet that while you are reading this part you will end up doing exactly like me...just skipping many of those pages.
   Then...The book lost itself on many "stories" about many companies and the market in general without any useful insights or which analytical/dynamical approaches were followed.
   I think it deserves 2 stars for the effort, but nothing more...
   
   To me, was absolutely boring. Maybe I didn't understand the book "purpose", I don't know...But while reading, I started to get bored and skipped many pages...Finally, I just quit reading it before finishing...Got nothing from it.
   I don't really know why this book is so acclaimed...And I'm wondering why Buffett says that He's a Fisher follower after reading this book...What He could have learned from this reading?
   Maybe to buy and hold a good stock over the years? I believe this kind of investing style requires any book to learn but just patience and following fashions and trends, like those who bought Apple Computer stock when the iPod frenzy was launched; by just being patient any investor would have made 5 times his/her money in these last years, The same is true for Research In Motion and many more companies that are living a great momentum in their products today.
   But it's just a matter of following the fashions of "hot" products rather than any sort of stock market skill and this could be really dangerous. Think of investors that today are buying like nuts solar tech stocks.
   
   In my opinion...The Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham is the world's best book on investing and a light-year far a better book than this one.



2. I had read other reviews of this book that gave it high marks. I have no idea why. The book is nothing but generalities or suggestions the average investor can not use. For example, his point 10 in evaluating a company is: How good are the company's cost analysis and accounting controls? Then he goes on to say that the average investor has no idea. Brilliant! If you want to read a good book, get "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjemin Graham instead. Leave this one on the shelf.



3. This is an outstanding outline of the philosophy for long-term investing. The text is somewhat abstract and difficult to read at times, but it is very insightful and well worth the effort. I generally prefer this book over Ben Graham's work.



4. This book makes me want to finish up any other project I'm currently working on so I can spend my free time finding good investments. Excellent book, not to mention it's recommended by Warren Buffett.
   
   I was disappointed, however, that there wasn't an Unabridged Audio CD version. And the reader of the abridged audio CD is rather boring, but overall I'm very glad I found this book.



5. Common stocks and uncommon profits explained in a very common sense. I am sure back in the 50's the "15 points" explained in this book was a great deal but now in 2000's it has very little value although the points are still perfectly valid. My biggest problem with this book was ,however, that it was too boring to read. The sentences were too long (3-4 lines) all connected with "by which", "in which" etc. I couldn't read more then 3 pages at a time. I often said "come on cut to the chase!" while reading. Anyway after my second attempt to finish the book at around 2/3 the way to the end, I gave up and put it in the shelf.

5 comments about One Up On Wall Street : How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market.

1. I thought this book was an abreviated version of the full book, however this book is actually a miniture ~2inch micro-pocket version of the full book. Text is full size, thus it only contains a very few high-level comments. I was hoping for a boiled-down version, but got mini-me.



2. I was going to do some online trading and bought this book too learn more about selecting stocks. Mr. Lynchs' statement that he considered himself successful if 6 out 10 stocks he selected increased in value changed my mind. I want to thank him for waking me up. I will stick to index funds and wish all the online traders the best of luck.



3. I struggled with the 1st 74 pages or so, but after that this book is excellent. There is a section he titles Kicking the Tires, in short he goes over how to evaluate a company and to stay away from the 1-2 year fly away companies. I remember when everyone was selling Apple back in the day, Peter did the opposite and started gobbling up shares. As he somewhat states, the wheels on Apple were still good.



4. Peter Lynch wrote a classic with One Up on Wall Street. Peter Lynch was lead investment manager of the Magellan Fund, which is arguably the most successful large $ mutual fund in the US. He no longer manages the fund but in his book he lets us in on some of his secrets of choosing stocks.
   
   His approach is rather simple. Buy stock in something that you know. As a consumer and a personal investor we have the ability to know products before anyone on the street knows about them. For example he got in on the stock Yum Brands because he bought a Taco Bell burrito years ago when it first came out. He believed that their set up and approach would work and so he put some money into the company.
   
   His suggestions like listening to things Oprah likes are great simple tips that a typical investor may not even realize we have more information on than wall street on a daily basis. His book is a read for all investor types from beginner to advanced. Enjoy!



5. Amateur investors have "numerous built-in advantages, which, if exploited, should result in outperforming the market and the experts."
   
   Peter Lynch, America's number-one money manager of Fidelity's multibillion-dollar Magellan Fund, shows the layperson how to use what they already know to outperform the "experts" and to create investments on businesses that really matter.

5 comments about The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition.

1. Hagstrom obtains permission to quote from Berkshire Hathaway reports and provides case studies of Buffet's major investments. His investment and acquistion strategies that have resulted in him winning the market time and time again are reviewed extensively. Buffett does not buy stocks, he buys companies. Not only that, he buys and holds. A good review of the influence of Buffett's mentors like Ben Graham and Philip Fisher is also undertaken. This is a must read for people looking to profit in the market.



2. It wasnt a bad book and it didnt waste my time. But I want more meat from the author. More specifics on what makes this man tick would be appreciated. Its not bad - read it if you want to begin a discussion on Buffett. Don't waste your time if you already know something about Buffett.



3. Amidst the current market chaos, this book is more relevant than ever. Robert Hagstrom offers a largely historical overview of Warren Buffets exploits in the market over the past several decades - both good and bad ones, attempting to explain the guiding principles for each investment.
   
   As you make your way through the book, it doesn't take long to grasp the recurring themes of value investing, good management, and competence in the area you invest in. The discussion on index, passive, and active investment strategies was especially interesting in the context of speculative vs. ownership viewpoints.
   
   I have to admit, I've stayed away from the stock market, largely due to my own general ignorance of all the variables - even though I've taken courses, read and listened to books on strategies and numerous case studies. At times I've wondered if I was just being too risk averse for my own good, but I'm glad I've not given in because what implicitly held be back is exactly what Warren Buffet warns against: speculative investment.
   
   Great read and highly recommended. I'm looking forward to learning more about Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway.



4. Book review of The Warren Buffett Way
   
   As I have been exploring economics from a variety of perspectives, it seemed only natural to read a book about one of the greatest investors of our time. I was pleasantly surprised by this book to learn that investing well was a rational and intelligent process and not just random chance.
   
   Obviously, there are those who dispute that statement but I believe that the weight of Mr. Buffett's success is a powerful argument against them. I also believe that his value investing strategy is highly compatible with the Christian life. As his recent buying spree proves, value investing helps out companies, and consequently keeps thousands of people employed, when they are down and it punishes investors that artificially raise stock prices by selling companies that get too expensive. This process of buying at undervalued points and selling at overvalued points moderates the growth of a company, consequently reducing instability and maintaining a rational environment for the securities market. Given the recent market plummet, I'd rather let billionaires keep the market afloat than my tax dollars.
   
   reprinted with permission from: http://naturalfamilylife.blogspot.com



5. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a while. Purchased it then never got around to reading it. Finally, in the midst of this horrific market, I decided to give it a read, hoping for a fresh perspective.
   
   The advice given in the book and the summary of Mr. Buffett's investing philosophy is valuable. Sound ideas that I've already started putting to use in setting myself up to recover from this abyss we find ourselves in these days. Problem is, the books writing is mediocre at best. The organization and style of writing make the book a difficult read to stick with.
   
   Surprisingly, the best writing in the book, is his afterward where he reflects on how Buffett's philosophy has impacted his own investing strategies and career. He admits that using Buffett's philosophy straight may not be the best for the new economy, but that it can be applied to technology stocks, among others, with minor modification successfully. His original fund, which debuted, "coincidentally", with the first edition of this book, performed very poorly. He modified his investing philosophy after the first two years to include a broader range of funds.
   
   There are probably better books on Buffett.