No comments about Monetary Policy, Inflation, and the Business Cycle: An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework.

5 comments about Crime School: Money Laundering: True Crime Meets the World of Business and Finance.

1. The future reader should not be naive to think that this will be a book that teaches you how to launder money. Is a great book that shows the problems that crime causes to our everyday life. Chris Mathers reflects his style and way of thinking in this book, it will bring the reader down to the earth and teaches about things we all should know, it has good humor . Even if you upset that this book does not give out big secrets about police work and crime tricks , you should still read it ... it will make you see things that is not easy to see.



2. Showing how Organized Crime uses real estate transactions to launder large amounts of cash, this volume presents the clearest explanation yet of the Republican "Ownership Society" as the premier money laundering tool of the very rich and very criminal.



3. The book is aimed at those who legitimately handle large amounts of money. It doesn't have to be 'their' money, any supervision of cash will do. This includes bank tellers, small business owners, and corporate executives. Since they all 'handle' money, they all risk 'being nice' and going to jail for their troubles.
   
   Mathers tries to shares some street smarts. The book doesn't try to 'explain' money laundering as much as put you 'inside' the process. The look and feel is given first priority. Thus, the author spends a lot of time toying with the lingo. You will learn about 'backstops' (a false history), 'beards' (intermediaries), 'bottoms' (what you owe), 'busting a cap' (discharge a bullet), 'Diming out' (informing), 'Dry conspiracy' (cop talk for an arrest with no contraband), 'juice' (interest rate), 'pooch' (fellow with no respect) and 'playing for shape' (willing to kill to curry favor). Mathers constantly belittles the intelligence of the crooks. Crime is easy, but getting away with it for long is difficult.
   
   Along these lines, Mathers works hard to debunk popular perceptions. First, Hollywood doesn't do a good job of familiarizing us with 'real' crooks. Crooks don't look like Hollywood gangsters, they look like Joe average. Second, the crooks don't need high tech tricks to pull off their capers. All they need is a little, apparently harmless cooperation. For example, Mather describes the 'muffin man' method. The muffin man simply offers his bank teller a muffin every time he visits the bank. After giving away $5 worth of muffins, the recipient bank teller is likely to bend a rule. That bent rule may launder $100,000 in cash ($10,000+ profit to the crook). Additionally, it is all that is needed to put the teller in jail.
   
   Mather makes his points by relentlessly bringing the reader down to the gutter level. Half the message is just the lingo and description of the terrain. Learn how to talk prison lingo, how to survive standing in line with a bunch of crooks, and most important, how a silly, everyday mistake can put you behind bars.
   
   This is a book about avoiding the mistakes that have put many an otherwise innocent person in jail. Read and learn!



4. I've had a curiosity about money laundering for many years. I've heard about it on the news. It is often a shadowy subject, involving complex financial transactions and foreign intrigue. Here is a book that finally explains the subject to laypersons in a way that is accessible.
   
   Mathers does an excellent job of explaining this subject to a layperson. He explains the various schemes, how they are executed, and how the criminals get caught. The explanations are backed up by examples from Mathers' long career in law enforcement. Most books about money laundering are intended for law enforcement personnel, so the authors assume some familiarity. Mathers' book is the first primer on the subject for laypersons. The jargon used by criminals and law enforcement are clearly explained as well, so those wanting to read further on the topic won't be bewildered by more advanced texts.
   
   This is a great introduction for non-law enforcement persons to learn about money laundering. A great jumping off point.



5. This dude knows his street slang! I was sorta worried when I found out he was a Canadian cop...Mathers covers pretty much every racket and how it launders the proceeds...He is a pretty funny writer as well..I felt like I was sitting down with an old cop having a beer....If you always wanted to know about how money is laundered...This book does it in a funny way...

3 comments about A History of Money: From Ancient Times to the Present Day.

1. This is one of my favorite books related to history and economics.
   
   The former Professor Davies has given us a wonderful collection of stories about the original forms of money used and the evolution of money and financial institutions. This is a book that will appeal to a historian, anyone working in the financial sector, anyone interested in economic development or the development of economic and business institutions.
   
   My favorites are the stories about primitive, commodity money, such as giant stones way too big to pack around or exotic teeth! My second favorite stories are those of the Goldsmiths of Engand, who were the first commercial bankers in western Europe. I encourage you to read this book and find your own favorite chapters.



2. Almost all English-language books on the history of money are extremely eurocentric. They are written as if the world outside of western Europe did not have an economy before Europeans colonized it. As far as I know, Glyn Davies has written the only monetary history book that dedicates more than a few token pages to non-Western and pre-modern economic history. It is perhaps the only book on the history of money with a truly global scope.



3. This history of money is very thorough and detailed. There are good pages on Ancient Greece and Rome which are very interesting and rarely found in similar studies. Yet I found the book disappointing and rather pedestrian, hiding the forest behind the trees. It is very descriptive, with a lot of material about the development of banking regulations, which I found a bit boring. It's also very Anglo-centric: more than half the book is dedicated to British banking and monetary history.
   
   For a "big picture" yet very clear history of money, I found Galbraith's book "Money, whence it came and where it went" much, much better - and much shorter. I also recommend "the Great Wave" by David Hackett Fischer, which, although not as rigorous, is a fascinating read.

5 comments about Creative Cash Flow Reporting: Uncovering Sustainable Financial Performance.

1. Mulford and Comiskey have delivered a tour de force for the financial and accounting community in this book. Whether you are a financial analyst, corporate accountant, auditor or an executive with a small or large firm, you absolutely will benefit from this book. It is one of the most important books of the last 20 years, and in my opinion, it is the finest book ever written on the concepts and methods of deciphering Operating Cash Flow, it's relationship to earnings, calibrating and measuring free cash flow, as well as the mechanics and drivers (and sometimes deliberate manipulation by unscrupulous management) within the business system that can lead to distortions in the Cash Flow statement.
   
   What about earnings supported by artificial means? What are the core drivers of cash flows? What should our view be, vis a vis the Operating Cash flows, regarding non recurring charges and depreciation? Are capital expenditures really as cut and dry as we like to think they are, under GAAP? How does it impact our cash flows, in the real world? How is it sometimes manipulated, to distort the underlying cash flow realities?
   
   If you are a financial or accounting professional, read this book. Read it twice. Read it three times. An absolutely extraordinary book. Well written, insightfull, never boring, always intriguing with unique content. The authors have such an extraordinary grasp of accounting and financial flows, and bring such groundbreaking concepts and ideas to the field, that you won't put this book down, and there are not many accounting or finance books we can say that about !! "Creative Cash Flow" by Mulford and Comiskey is absolutely a virtuoso performance. Amongst, and compared to, the entire literature that exists in the field of accounting and financial analysis, this book is an extraordinary achievement.



2. this book serves more as a dictionary of cash flow related items rather than offering any prescription for active monitoring of cash flow related mischief.
   
   save your time and money.



3. This is not your typical accounting/finance book (i.e., unclear, unfocused and boring). Creative Cash Flow Reporting is the best and most important accounting/finance book I've read in many years. The authors are certainly focused on the right area (determining sustainable cash flow from operations). The interesting nuances of cash flow reporting are laid out in simple terms (e.g., debt funding and repayments are reported with Financing cash flows, but the related interest expense is reported with Operating cash flows). The authors also go beyond the numbers to provide good background re: a number of strategic alternatives (e.g., why one might enter into a sale/leaseback transaction). There are many other reasons to recommend the book.
   
   In summary, this book is a "must have" for accountants and financial analysts, and I would strongly recommend for CEOs, COOs, corporate and securities attorneys, and corporate middle managers.



4. I was a student of Dr. Mulford during my MBA, and I can say that the book is as great as his class. He definitvely was one of the best professors I ever had.
   We are used to see in many valuation books to take Free Cash Flow as a given; therefore not understanding the real implication of FCF manipulation in enterprise value.
   This book explains how the FCF can be calculated and what are the usual "tricks" that companies do in order to show better (or worse?) results. And that is what is all about: building financial criteria for managers in order to make the best decisions.



5. While most accounting books tell you the basic mechanics of cash flow (not to mention being extremely dry), and most finance/investing books basically stop at `earnings can be manipulated wildly, cash is king, and thus free cash flow is paramount', this is the best book I have read that is focused on how cash flow can be manipulated/misclassified and how to think about sustainable cash flow from operations. For example, learn how an acquisition of a company can boost operating cash flow (CFO) by more than the CFO of the acquired company. Or how messing around with vendor financing can increase reported CFO. Representative chapter titles include: "Is It Operating or Investing Cash Flow", "Is It Operating or Financing Cash Flow?", "Nonrecurring Sources and Uses of Operating Cash Flow", "Measuring Sustainable Operating Cash Flow".
   
   In summary, this is a well-written book with great examples of how cash flow can and has been manipulated by companies. I highly recommend this book for advanced and professional investors who focus on fundamental analysis, and anyone else who is interested in improving their ability to analyze cash flow.

5 comments about Instant Cashflow (Instant Success).

1. As anyone in business knows, cash is KING! This book is a "must-read" because it provides a thorough overview of the most important aspect of business--how to keep the cash flowing in. There are literally hundreds of usable ideas and strategies that can be put to work in any business right away, many involving no out-of-pocket cost. Brad challenges the reader with "common-sense" approaches to building your business while providing practical solutions. Keep a note pad handy while you're reading so you can remember the ideas you will want to implement.



2. Why on earth would someone who writes cozy cat mysteries want a book that deals with managing a business? [I'm reluctant to use the term "duh!" but it seems to fit here.]
   
   My work as a writer, editor, and speaker, generates income. Ergo, I have a business. Sure, I don't have employees, but so what? The general principles are still the same, despite the common belief that writers must be starving artists until they hit the big time.
   
   Because I've never owned a traditional business, I'm not one to judge whether or not INSTANT CASHFLOW gives valid advice about deductions and such. Yes, there is MUCH in this book that I cannot use. But the story of the mechanic, the encouragement that I can shift my thinking (and my actions) to profitable means, the concept of buying customers -- all these are ideas I can use.
   
   Check back with me in two years and see how well it's worked.



3. Great book for small business owners who want to learn a wide variety of marketing and selling techniques. Also helps clarify how to convert leads into buyers, and lots of other important details such as understanding ways to improve your profit margin.



4. I was disappointed - from the title I thought there would be advice on managing cash flow and instead it's the same advice on increasing sales. Just read the Business Coach book instead.



5. Brad Sugars hypes himself as a business guru. His books are mostly simplistic generalities with some sound principles "lifted" from other writers. Mr. Sugars has conducted "market research" from leading writers such as: Anthony Robbins, Tad James, Brian Tracy et al. If you have read any of these authors you will find that Brad simply has regurgitated their material. Don't waste your money on his books or the consulting services he is really trying to promote.

3 comments about The Money Mystery: The Hidden Force Affecting Your Career, Business, and Investments (An Uncle Eric Book).

1. the money mystery is a quality book made by blue stocking press. this book helps to reveal the hidden indicators affecting youre investments. it also shows you the problems of the financial panic of 1980 and how you can learn from them.

   Economics is a young and exact science and this book shows you how to understand it clearly and exactly. As you read through this book several investment tips will be provided for you. such tips as how to make a profit in a period of inflation,recession, deflation and a depression. but one cold hard fact reamains, You must plan ahead and watch for the indicators! the money mystery explains cleary what to look for and how to profit from them. I recommend this book highly :^)




2. It is amazing to say this but I feel like I am actually taking another course of study that should be part of my college curriculum. Mr. Maybury's books have allowed me to examine an area of study that I have been intimidated by for years. Economics never held any fasination for me in the past but when I am done with his series of books I may actually look into seeking further education in that subject. His books have given me the confidence to tackle that foe.

   One cannot wait to finish whichever book they are currently reading to move on to the next in the series in order to avoid loosing any of the recall from the previous ones. This is book three and I am already eying number 4, "Whatever Happened to Justice," on my bookshelf.

   Mr. Maybury has opened up the world of history, economics, money management, political backroom tactics, moral issues and government, bringing them all together in an easily understandable way to help us increase our understanding and improve ourselves.

   Great Book.




3. Excellent primer in economics, that is for the layman like myself. In lucid, clear terms, Maybury describes the meanings of the demand for money, velocity and inflation and how it affects us from all over the world.
   
   In this, low velocity exists in the low volume of currency being transferred due to persons holding on to their money, while high velocity exists in higher volumes of money transfer. And while the government inflates the money supply to pay for their expenses, inflation occurs which can lead to the second stage of devalue and inflation and third stage of runaway inflation. And so the government then raises interest rates and stops printing in attempt to slow down the inflation, which usually brings on a recession. It is here where many businesses are adversely affected from expansion from the inflation, only to be severely affected during the recession.
   
   In this, Maybury brings out the history lesson from the French, prior the revolution, from over inflating the money supply and the subsequent results of runaway inflation; the end result was a new government with a dictator, Napoleon. And the history of President Carter's freeze on Iranian assets in response to the hostages held for the U.S. protection of the overthrown Shah. And so such a freeze caused panic in the other Arab countries, who could not liquidate their assets so quickly as they were bound in real estate and other non-liquid holdings. And then Carter's embargo on Russia from her invasion in Afghanistan also created a panic in the economy, the dollar way down, gold way up. Lessons to learn.
   
   Helpful advise is given on how to invest - short term, on what to watch for, the curve in interest. A great theory is given on what has been happening over the recent years. The ideas are that the U.S. has been issuing bonds with greater interest which people buy and subsequently hold on to. This way the government can print to their hearts desire and not increase the velocity and inflation and the deficit can go up to unlimited degrees. But this however will bottom out one day when people become aware. And when that does, look out, there will be runaway third stage inflation - a disaster. So there are things to do and watch for and Maybury is truly beneficial and helpful, significant advice, knowledge and insight to be more alert in what to watch for.
   
   What also is highly recommended are Maybury's other books in economics, "What ever Happened to Penny Candy?" and "The Clipper Ship Strategy."

1 comments about Bailouts or Bail-Ins: Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Markets.

1. I don't know where to begin with this review, but I just wanted to say this is one of the best books on the subject and anyone interested in global economics and markets should read this book.

2 comments about Good Money: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage, 1775-1821.

1. Despite it's seemingly specialized, historical subject, Good Money is really both very topical and very important. The story it tells--of private coinage during the Industrial Revolution--directly challenges the conventional wisdom that's at the foundation of all modern monetary systems, namely, the belief that only government's are fit to supply coins and paper money. Selgin shows that this was far from being the case in 18th-century England. There the government proved itself perfectly unfit to coin money, until private mints showed it how to do its job right! The story of how they designed the world's first successful industrial-scale coinage system, and of how the government ultimately put them out of business, is absolutely spellbinding! No one who reads it can ever look at a central bank or government-run mint without wondering how much better off the world might have been without it!



2. The scene: Birmingham, England, in the steamy, sooty grip of the Industrial Revolution. George Selgin tells the "riveting" tale of a group of eccentric entrepreneurs who take on not only each other, but the Royal Mint and the British Crown in their bids to supply a burgeoning working class with desperately needed copper and silver coins. The result: a yarn as colorfully amusing as one of Dickens' more ambitious novels, but entirely true, and one that offers up an economics lesson to boot: namely, that good money really does drive out bad--that is, as long as governments stay out of it (as soon as they don't Gersham's Law kicks in). If you love a great story, if you adore larger-than-life characters, if you put a premium on fine prose, do yourself a favor and buy Good Money. It will be well worth yours.

2 comments about Ben Bernanke's Fed: The Federal Reserve After Greenspan.

1. Harris has written a book which is scholarly yet highly entertaining. A crystal clear, in depth ,and accurate explanation of the Federal Reserve and its Chairman.Also included are numerous short anecdotes
   and clever comments from Fed history.



2. This is certainly an excellent book for Fed watchers as well as for novices who would like to understand how the Fed works, the scope of its powers, and how they has been used well and not so well over the years. More importantly it is an extremely timely book for the present financial crisis. The author's evaluations of Greenspan and Bernanke are evenhanded but do seem in part, at least, to explain how we've gotten to where we are and that the choice of Bernanke may be reassuring in these difficult times.

5 comments about The History of Money.

1. I guess I only finished it becuase I always finish a book I start reading (especially if I paid for it).
   It was so hard to read, the style is tiring, resembling a ranting inner dialogue more than a book on an economic category, even iof it is from a cultural and anthropological perspective!
   At the end of the day I can say I know what Aztecs used for money (and how they tortured children to death as children's tears were considered some sort of "rain magic". damn, I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW THAT!!!) and that coins were invented by Lydians (and a number of simiral pieces of information) but I also have a HEADACHE and am feeling frustrated and nauseated and extremely unhappy.
   I don't think that is how you are supposed to feel after reading a book on history of money! I don't feel informed or enlightened at all.
   Having read other people's reviews I guess accuracy of information presented (unless it refers to social or cultural aspects of money) might also be problematic?!



2. As many other reviewers noted, his history is shaky. Not only that, his anthropological knowledge and understanding of social fabric of many of the societies he reviewed are also weak. It seems that Mr. Weatherford wrote his book without always checking his sources, as if 'out of his head'. My personal favorite flop was his continuous insistence that Lydia was a country located by IONIAN sea. Has he checked his map? Ionian sea is on the other side of Greece and, naturally, modern Turkey in the region where Lydia was located has access to Aegean and Mediterranean seas. I am a little upset with writers who undertake to write sprawling historical analyses without having a solid historical base. He would have gotten a C- in my class. Still his style is entertaining and once you get used to inaccuracies and are willing to overlook them, then it could be an enjoyable read.



3. This book is great and quick overview of how money became the physical currency of modern times. Starting with trade of goods, and then to shells and cocoa beans, and then to minted coins and finally to the form of paper money across various countries. While the complaints about specific historical event being wrong maybe true, the social aspects are the importants points of the book. With America, in the early times of the nation, the decision to use a decimal system ultimately impacted how numbers were used for other subjects outside of currency. This changed science and business. This book is very good and filled with interesting tidbits of trivia around the history of money.



4. I had no idea this book would be so informative. Very good read, changed my perspective.



5. This is a fantastic introduction to financial history. With equal weight given to the financial, political, historical, and anthropological aspects of money throughout multiple cultures and time periods, the net effect is an understanding of what drives monetary decisions the world over which relies on something other than "I need to get paid."
   
   In this book, you will find enlightening references to key milestones in the development of money as the key facilitator of economic progress, including:
   * Initial transition from totem objects to coins
   * The long and inglorious history of currency debasement
   * The development of bills-of-exchange and the first (and second) continental banking system
   * The curious history of the dollar and cash in the US
   * The westward progress of monetary capitals from Lydia to Greece to Rome to Tuscany to London to New York
   * The transition between cash and near-cash to electronic money and its implication for future economic decisions
   * The awkward and futile role of governments in slowing the growth of the money supply.
   
   I highly recommend this to anyone. Whether a refresher history for money market professionals or an introduction for the simply curious, this is a quick and worth-while read that will open your eyes as to the surprisingly consistent development of monetary history.