No comments about Free: The Past and Future of a Radical Price.

2 comments about The Social Meaning of Money: Pin Money, Paychecks, Poor Relief, and Other Currencies.

1. Viviana Zelizer (VZ) provides an excellent alternative view to what the meaning and social significance of currency is and was in various sub-cultures in the United States. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't identify an application of VZ's analogy between the empty soup cans used by immigrants to the US to compartmentalize savings for different purchases of durable goods to that of our current mental compartmentalization of savings for different purchases. Essentially, people have there own unique utility graphs for different products - whether we realize it or not. VZ illustrates how these differing utility graphs overlap in the sub-cultures of the past, present, and future. I recommend this book for anybody interested in monetary history.



2. This book is an academically rich history of the role of money in society - particularly US society since the late 1800s. It begins, somewhat vehemently in establishing its credentials as an alternative way of looking at money. Cash isn't just a neutral medium of exchange; a medium that renders all human effort and interactions in mere dollar terms. Today this argument doesn't need to be made so forcefully, though I wonder if the author had a point to prove. She wrote this over several years in which Friedman economics was at its callous height. Today there is a richer body of work about the psychology of money - for example the studies on 'mental acounting' of Kahneman and the late Amos Tversky. But those authors are theoreticians. What Zelizer demonstrates through a startling degree of social research is that humans being humans, we have an extraordinary facility of earmarking money with specific social meanings. In your home you may well have a petty change dish for the parking meter money, a secret stash of emergency money and a piggy bank for the kids' savings. And because we attach different meanings to these different stashes, we treat them differently also. We operate each stash by different rules. Zelizer shows how household money (once the domain only of the husband - she cites a New York judge who find a woman guilty of theft for "stealing loose change" from her husband's trouser pockets) has changed, and how the rules have slowly though not easily altered also, as society has become more consumerist, and as gender roles have changed also. I found equally fascinating the description of the little white lies that husbands and wives tell, in order to keep a little extra "me money" outside of the household budget. This book totally gels with the findings I've seen in focus groups that I've run where I've found big ticket purchases have been less about the actual cost than about how husbands and wives (or partners) get what they want while trying not to rock the relationship boat. Zelizer's social history is fascinating to read. It is well footnoted (the references are copious): a book that makes pertinent points about the rich social dimension of cash. This is very interesting material and heartily recommend for researchers, for those in the finance sector and for anyone who wants to better understand the financial dynamic of their own relationships. It is a rewarding portrait of our society and the way we attempt to reconcile our rational and emotional selves.
   
   Zelizer's follow-up volume is also well worth investigating: The Purchase of Intimacy

No comments about Central Banks As Economic Institutions (The Cournot Centre for Economic Studies Series).

No comments about Asset Prices and Monetary Policy (National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report).

2 comments about Money and Capital Markets + Powerweb: Ethics in Finance + S&P Bind-In Card (McGraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Est).

1. The book has a lot of detailed historical information about the financial systems. Unfortunatly the author pay too much attention to history and not enough on practical fundementals. There are several errors and steps deleted in the book. Plus not enough examples are provided in comparrison to the problems assigned. Even my professor stated that the 7th edition had plenty of problems that won't be resolved until the 12-13th edition.



2. I was very happy with the quality of the product and the fast service. The only thing I was disappointed in was the description did not specify the edition # of the book and what I received was one edition back from what I needed. More information in the description would be very helpful.

5 comments about The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires.

1. Ok, there's 21 secrets revealed in this tiny book. What are you going to do with them?
   
   I know in my case, I can use 2-4 secrets to improve on my current situation in life and say business. It's not going to make me a millionaire...at least not yet.
   
   I have to give Mr. Tracy credit for what he is trying to achieve or lets say, share to his readers. The book is a "good read", I like it.
   
   Let's say you were given an opportunity to play a game of golf with Tiger Woods for just 60 minutes. What's going to happen, what are you going to do?
   
   For the short span of time you're with the champion you'll definitely pick-up great tips on the game of golf...or the experience. Is it going to be a positive or a negative one? Who knows but you.
   
   You can disagree with me here but information, knowledge, experience, etc. are nothing until you start applying them to your advantage. And, the secrets in this book is no diferrent.



2. I am a Brian Tracy fan, however I was less than impressed with this book. I did not find any of the information to be differant from what he has put in previous books and CD's. It is more like he dummied down the information from other books into 21 small 2-3 page lessons/chapters



3. Heard SUCCESS SECRETS OF SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRES,
   written and read by Brian Tracy.
   
   He's a renowned author, lecturer and trainer who cranks out
   a lot of programs . . . this CD program wasn't brilliantly original,
   but that said, I did find a lot of information in it that could
   be applied to most any individual.
   
   And though Tracy does little more than speak in front of
   a camera, I liked his passion for the topic and how he came
   across . . . it was almost as if he was speaking directly to me.
   
   There were many worthwhile tidbits of information I gained
   from listening . . . among them:
   
   * Treat your company like you own it.
   
   * Spend at least as much time on yourself as you do on your job.
   
   * If you ask successful people for help, they'll help you. If you ask
   unsuccessful people, they'll try to hold you back.
   
   * Take something that's been done and doe it better; e.g.,
   the way McDonald's did.
   
   * More people have become wealthily by running dry cleaning
   establishments than any other field.
   
   * Focus on continuous personal development.
   
   * One hour of study per day for five years will make you one of
   the greatest experts in the world.
   
   * Your rewards in life will be equal to the value of your service.
   
   * Develop the ability to do what's most important and then do it
   quickly. Only 2% of the nation has any sense of urgency.



4. This is short book by Brian Tracy is filled with INCREDIBLE tips on how to not only make more money, but also live a better life and accomplish your dreams and goals. I've read this book over and over again, and have highlighted it to death. Life is far too busy to sit down and read a 200-300 page book. Also, I really detest lots of fluff and appreciate that this 77 page book is filled with information and exercises that work!
   
   Adopting new habits is tough, but if you want to increase your finances and make BIG life changes, follow the tips in this book and you'll be surprised at how easy it is to attract beneficial opportunities and people. You'll want to keep the book nearby because it's easy to start a new path, and just as easy to let it go.
   
   The exercise I started just last night is on page 7. He writes, "What one thing would I dare to dream if I knew I could not fail?" That's the main reason we don't accomplish dreams in life. We're AFRAID. Whether we're afraid of failing, or of not getting support, or simply afraid of change, if you truly want to have a better life it's going to take time and effort on your part. Keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you've got. If you know it's time to make life changes this short and informative book will greatly help!
   
   Kelly
   
   www.SHE-web.com
   www.InstituteforQuantumLiving.com



5. Short, precise and practical book for goal achieving book I ever read and makes me faster and stronger in going where I want to be.
   
   Thank you Mr Brian Tracy.

2 comments about The Theory of Monetary Institutions.

1. A great book. It is very comprehensive and written in a simple way (regarding the complexity of the themes it deals with). The investigation is very objective, it uses sound theoretical analysis and different mathematical models (which he explains in relatively simple terms), contrasting them with the historical evidence and empirical data. It treats the history and development of money (from commodity money to fiat money), and monetary institutions, doing an exceptional analysis of the gold standard, its costs and benefits. It also analyzes the role of Central Bank's in money and banking, and uses various models used to try to explain the Central Bank's behavior, according to different goals that Central Banks may have. Finally, it discusses alternative monetary proposals from Friedman to Yeager, with its pros and cons. In conclusion, a great book to update and deepen your knowledge about money and banking.



2. This book prepares a student with the background for several relevant debates in monetary theory. Written by Dr. White to cover the material he presents in a semester graduate lecture, this book has the best of both scope and detail. He builds a solid background with Mengerian foundations of money. Then he thoroughly builds a scheme of understanding monetary policy in a gold-backed system. Once this is accomplished, modern financial market complexities are built on top of the books over-arching analysis. Topics made clear include Inflationary bias (Barrow, Gordon, Kyland, and Prescott), hyperinflation, rules vs. discretion, bank deposit insurance, and many other central bank policies which can be difficult without proper guidance.

3 comments about Central Banking in Theory and Practice (Lionel Robbins Lectures).

1. Nothing fancy, but a good testimony from a real central banker about how real central banking has been carried out in recent US history. It is much less glamorous than all the theories, models and arguments would have it. Logical, sensible and even-tempered, like a central banker. A small book easily read in an evening that brings a lot down to earth. Only four stars because nothing this reasonable deserves five.



2. After having taken Macroeconomic Theory, Alan Blinder's book was extremely clear and understandable. His comments about Central Banking behavior make wonderful sense as he takes into account both academic and real world theaters. He was especially clairvoyant in his reasoning about why a Central Bank needs to establish credibility. A definite recommendation for those interested in the Federal Reserve and what they do.



3. Mr R. S. Ritterman (San Mateo, CA) beat me to it... I had logged on to describe just how clear and understandable (not to mention brilliant and profound) this book is. Case in point: instead of simply telling us in words how central bankers evaluate their objectives before making policy decisions, Mr Blinder uses beautifully contructed clever-clogs math to make his point concise. Greenspan gets all the credit, but I assure you it was Blinder who was the real brains behind the operation. I thought about deducting one star because they didn't get the fed funds rate right - by his own admission - in 1990, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
   
   Students of philosophy will be talking about this gem for hundreds of years.
   
   Verdict: Add to Cart!

No comments about The Handbook of Credit Portfolio Management ([Mcgraw-Hill Finance & Investing]).

3 comments about The Secret Symbols of the Dollar Bill: A Closer Look at the Hidden Magic and Meaning of the Money You Use Every Day.

1. The author has 100 points (factoids) about the one dollar bill. He focuses on the various symbols found on this familiar item, the possible signficance of this symbols, when and why they first appeared etc. Some of this information is aleady quite well known, such as the fact that many of government officals in the past and present are Masons and that many of our nation's symbols have a basis in Masonic tradition. Other items are not as well known, such as the extensive (according to the author) use of numerology.
   
   I found the book interesting but was a bit frustrated by the format. Instead of a regular narrative divided into chapters with subheadings the author has 100 numbered sections of one or more short paragraphs giving the book the look and feel of a rough draft.
   
   The author also has a tendancy to state his point and then simply move on. At the end of the book I had learned several intriguing tidbits but was left wondering 'so what?'.
   
   If you would like to find a way to spend a few hours and pickup a few factoids to toss out then get this book, a dollar bill and a ruler and enjoy. Don't be surprised though if after dazzling your friends by displaying unsuspected triangles and pointing out the repetitions of various numbers and symbols if you are not asked what is the point to all this.



2. "Fascinating." "Extraordinary." "Dazzling." Breathless adjectives like this, taken directly from the blurb on the back cover, echo the tone of the book itself. While purporting to reveal "the fascinating secret meanings behind the design of the money we use every day," this book instead merely presents a series of more-or-less unconnected factoids about the various images found on the US $1 bill. Having previously read Ovason's *The Zelator* on the recommendation of a friend, I recognize this rambling and disconnected manner of presentation as something characteristic of the author's ouvre and not merely something particular to this specific book. Sadly, Ovason's writing style wrings all the power and magic out of a fascinating premise and replaces it with a sullen "so what?" I also found annoying Ovason's habit of passing off unsubstantiated assertions as fact, something that he does on a regular basis.
   
   A page-by-page analysis of the book is inappropriate for a book review, but one choice example should suffice to support my criticisms. On page 5 (in his irrelevant factoid on how the word "dollar" originally came from Germany, irrelevant because he fails to connect it with any subsequent factoid) Ovason makes the claim that only those who knew that the dollar sign had been derived from a crucifix (one of the many points he assumes rather than proves) would get the "half-joke" from Sinclair Lewis' *Main Street* that the dollar sign "chased the crucifix clean off the map." Really? I would have thought that was a pretty transparent reference to the fact that the "almighty dollar" had supplanted the Christian God in the hearts of America's faithful, a rather mundane theme which is in keeping with the rest of Sinclair Lewis' writing. Far too often, a section heading that includes wiggle words like "may," "possible," "might" is followed by a paragraph from which these qualifiers are absent. One need read only a few pages into the book to see that Ovason's tendency to confuse assertion with fact is clearly evident.
   
   A good book on the symbolism of the dollar bill would definitely be an interesting read for those interested in American history, Freemasonry, and symbolism in general. Sadly this isn't that book.



3. If you would like to learn about the secret symbols of the dollar bill in an easy to read format then this is a great book to own.
   The author explains the origins of the $ symbol.
   The author explains the origins of the Great Seal (which is on the dollar bill).
   The author explains the numerology behind the dollar bill's symbols.