5 comments about The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness.

1. This book is a wonderful book. I read it and purchased another for my son and son-in-law. Anyone who wants success in everyday communication with people in general or in business needs to read this, and live it.



2. I received this book quickly, read it quickly and was blessed by it quickly. I believe this book has been one of the best reads I've had in a while.



3. I have gained a lot of insight for daily living and dealing with people in business and relationships thru the book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived. This is not a religious book of do's and don'ts, it is a back to basic how-to book that should be curriculum in high schools throughout the world. If we all actually lived the advice given via Steven K Scott from the Book of Proverbs, life would be more enjoyable. The author gives 'before and after' examples of his own mistakes and the difference which came from living life with King Solomon as his role model. I am intending to have my 4 sons (17, 18, 20,21 yrs) read the book and then commit to a family study/discussion time. I firmly believe the principles will be of great value to them at the beginning of their careers and relationships. Thank you Mr. Scott!



4. The book was inspiring and informative. The words of the book inspire and challenge you to develop goals and set tasks for victory in every area of you life.



5. The book is very good. The part about how
   to handle criticism is superb. My college
   age son read it and bought his best friend
   a copy as a gift for graduation. They are both
   ambitious young men who are eager to succeed.
   Now, they are equipped to do just that!

5 comments about Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence.

1. The other reviewers have pretty much covered the content of this book. Admittedly I haven't used all of the ideas, however now I have become very aware of how I spend my money and how many hours I have to work to purchase the ever evasive 'thing I must have or die'. Totally amazing! I now realize how much stuff I really have that I really do not need. Keeping these things actually cost you more by using up your time and energy to maintain 'your stuff'
   Once you can get this change in your thinking, it's amazing how much more money you really have.
   
   Before I purchased this book, I found it referenced and recommended all over the place. That must mean something.
   
   If you're still not sure about it, get it from the library. (Yet another of their money saving ideas.)
   xox
   MEF



2. I have read over 50 books by all the most popular financial authors today, and I believe this classic from the early 90's is by far the best if your goal is to be financially independent from your job once and for all. The author himself actually became independent in his early thirties and remained so for over 20 years until his untimely death due to a critical illness. So this book is not about theories it is showing how some one achieved financial independence in real life.
   The philosophy of this book is that you earn money through sacrificing your precious life energy through work. It talks about how the majority of people have destroyed their quality of life in pursuit of a high standard of living. The end result being they lose their identity in the position they hold and no longer live, they just work on a treadmill of endless earning and spending with little enjoyment.
   The author proposed a nine step plan that will cause you to be mindful with your money. Track your spending, are you really getting the value out of what you have bought for the effort you gave to earn the money? He proposes a chart graph to track your monthly spending against your monthly income, with a third line of savings. When the interest on your savings surpasses your expenses you are completely financially free for the rest of your life. You have the rest of your life to enjoy and do what ever you please. Volunteer, work part time at something you truly love, of just sleep until noon until you are bored. The key to this program is:being frugal, aggressively eliminating all debt and cutting expenses in every way possible and saving diligently. I admit that this program is a little extreme for most people, but I am willing to follow it for the ultimate pay off, financial freedom to do as I please for the rest of my life. The new American dream.
   
   I would highly recommend also reading Dave Ramsey's :"Total Money Makeover" if you find this book to Spartan for your personal tastes. Dave has lead me to being debt free with a large net worth over the past 15 years, and I started with nothing.



3. I read this book many years ago, and while I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it, I ignored its advice to invest in bonds instead of stocks. Of course, with the global economic meltdown that we are now witnessing, I now wish I had done that.
   
   This book was remarkably prescient.



4. There were some good concepts in this book, such as the ones about considering each purchase and weighing it against the time it takes to work for it. Living within your means and paying off your debts is also a timely lesson.
   
   However the author requires you to follow their prescriptions to get the full benefit of the book. This includes accounting for every single penny that comes in and out of your ownership. There is one category called "lost money", that in my case because of the stock market, way overwhelms any of the other nickels and dimes. Of course the authors don't recomend investing in stocks. They claim that inflation is not really a big problem, and that you should invest in laddered long term Treasury bonds. This way you get a steady income that is predictable, I guess 30 year bond, would last you the rest of your life. Now that you know the monthly income you have, you just make sure that your expenses are always kept below this income level, and you have reached Financial Independence! Only problem is that expenses grow with inflation, whereas long-bond interest does not. However no guidance was given to that other than to look for items whose price has dropped, like computers, and electronics to offset those whose price has increased.
   
   Unfortunately, price increases in basic necessities, like food, health care, and transportation pretty much wipeout decreases in electronic gadgets. This is the major weakness in their Financial Independence plan based on 30-year T-bills.
   
   That said, the concepts of living within your budget, careful spending, avoiding debt, frugality are useful, even if you don't follow their prescription exactly. But it's not like your grandma never told you that before!



5. It's been a few years since I read this, but you don't really forget its message. The title says it all, it really is that important.
   Tao Cycle Therapy: Natural Happiness via Self Directed Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression [Updated 2008 3nd Edition]

5 comments about A Smart Girl's Guide to Money: How to Make It, Save It, And Spend It (American Girl Library).

1. Does your young lady know the value of money? How do you teach her to make money work for her is wonderfully expressed in this book. Preteens(and all of us) need to know how to live on what money they have and refrain from debt and overspending ..a life-style habit can begin early when the young girl knows expectations of her in regard to money.



2. Money is such a simple thing, but the way we earn it, save it, spend it, owe it, etc. is a very complex thing, indeed.
   
   A Smart Girl's Guide to Money is an exceptionally well done book aimed at a young audience -- hopefully before they make the uninformed miscalculations that drive an alarming number of Americans into debt, sometimes before they graduate from school.
   
   How wonderful that American Girl has combined both survival skills and entertainment to benefit their target audience! Well done!



3. My daughter has been asking about ways to make money for the last couple of weeks, so I decided to get her this book. It gave her some ideas and encouraged her to look for more ideas on her own.



4. This was one of the gifts for my grandaughter and she was pleased with it.



5. My daughter read this book within two days. I can't believe how much it has made her aware of money and how to spend it (or not!). She is already making better choices (and saving more). Wonderful book!

5 comments about The Truth About Money 3rd Edition.

1. An easy read for anyone wanting or, like me, needing an education in the fundamentals of money. This book does have information that you gain through life experiences, but why wait. It is an easy read for anyone, esp. a teenager interested in starting there first summer job to make a little money.



2. Very readable book on personal finance across the entire spectrum of insurance, mortgages, investing, credit management, etc. After reading, I gave copies to siblings and children so that they'd have the information at their age that I wish I'd had when I was their age. Can't recommend it highly enough. Edelman's a fun writer to read. It's not a heavy financial text at all; it's all in street English!



3. Its really that worth reading! It spans a variety of subjects relating to money and is a must read for any new investor. I really like the seetion on paying down your mortgage. It is very different than many rules of thought that you hear or see on TV and Radio.
   Adam http://www.halfpricebob.com



4. I received the book in short order. Haven't read it yet; however plan to.
   Ed



5. Do you wonder why there are so many persons struggling with financial problems? The answer is simple yet only a few know the answer. We simply don't know the rules of the game. The problem also is that it is very difficult and time consuming to figure out the "Game of Money".
   The good news about this book is that the author explains and clarifies a lot of myths and misunderstandings about money,investments,markets,stocks,mutual funds,taxes and a lot more about subjects directy related to money and wealth. Are you going to be rich after reading it? Maybe,maybe not, but I do know that you will turn into a well educated person regarding how to make sound financial decisions. I bought this book and I plan to keep it because the information is priceless. This is the kind of book that you read, reread it and then keep it for future reference.

5 comments about Financial Shock: A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis.

1. This is a well written, very clear description of the house of cards that goes by the name of mortgage backed securities. As pretty much everyone now knows, it is the collapse of this market that precipitated the current stock market collapse. In this book, the author leads you by the hand and describes how the entire mess was created, specifically how the credit-worthiness of the borrower became disconnected from the market valuation of securities derived from that borrowing.
   
   To anyone who has watched recent financial events unfold and asked "how did this happen?" this book is VERY highly recommended.
   
   That said, I am more reserved with my praise if you are the type of person already familiar with things like derivatives and "liar loans," and who regularly reads, e.g. The Wall Street Journal. I am in that category, and while I still found this book interesting, I found myself more often saying "yes, obviously" than "wow, I didn't know that until now."
   
   One other shortcoming of this book is that it really doesn't offer much meat to gnaw on with respect to 'how do we get ourselves out of the current mess?' That's not surprising, really as this book was written before the current melt down (although the timing of the release could not have been better) and because the answer to that question is one to which a consensus answer has not appeared even among the world's brightest and more learned minds.
   
   Nonetheless, I would VERY strongly recommend this book to financial neophytes and those who simply weren't paying that much attention to the mortgage mess as it was unfolding.



2. This book is quite the eye opener !
   
   It almost holds your hand--as it takes you step by step thru the maze of our current financial problems.
   
   Perfectly laying out for the readers easy understanding--it shows you the whys..the hows...and some of the whos --that enabeled and/or caused the meltdown in stocks..bonds..sub prime loans and others types of loans and gaurantees as well.
   
   I chose this book because I want to better understand what is really happening to our country right now and more importantly WHY !!!!!!!! This book has explained it to me clearly --in languge that I can understand --and most likely a high schooler...maybe even a smart Jr. High Schooler can understand. For this reason --I give this book a high mark.
   
   If your looking to get a deeper understanding of whats going on in todays financial world...get this book !! You will not be disappointed !! .....and you will understand everything once you've read it through !!



3. Written so even someone as financially ignorant as myself gets a perspective on what happened in the global market. Talks about the incentives that led to the subprime crisis, the unregulated markets that allowed the derivatives trading that amplified the problem. Very timely and intriguing read.



4. This was a cogent explanation of the various factors that went into the ongoing subprime debacle. It struck a midpoint between a facile explication of the causes and more rigorous analytics for the quant-jocks.
   I would have prefered more detail... but then again, I'm a bit of a quant jock.



5. I started reading this book in September 2008, so when the markets began to implode for read that month this book had provided enough understanding to realize that this was no ordinary market correction.
   
   Financial Shock gives a very thorough explanation of the sub-prime lending crisis, how low Fed interest rates, coupled with liberal lending regulations fueled an housing market bubble that resulted in the latest market implosion, starting with toxic mortgages and foreclosures, but is now evaporating credit liquidity, given evidence to the lack of stability in U.S. markets, and tipped the world into a recession.
   
   The book however stops short of discussing how all this will play out; indeed the author suggested in summer of 2008 that the worst was already over. The book also offers little in the way of solid advice besides to be a better student of finance and to watch for bubbles.
   
   Nevertheless, Financial Shock is a valuable post-mortem of how the sub-prime mortgage crisis evolved and came down, focusing on this aspect. The composition of all these data in a handy format is a valuable inclusion in one's financial library.

5 comments about Stan Weinstein's Secrets For Profiting in Bull and Bear Markets.

1. This is an old book that was hard to find (I had a photocopied version). It has sompe personal experiences in stock trading. I was pleased to find it on Amazon.



2. This book educated me on understanding how a stock moves. There is healthy movement, and there is UNhealthy movement. Stan teaches you to buy stocks that will move higher. I can't stress enough that you SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. I learned a lot, and "YES" I do consistently make money in the market using what I learned from this book. I have read lots of other investing books, and for me, this was the book that put me on the path to making money.



3. Weinstein deals with breakout, realtive strenght and volume, has good suggestions for longterm / shortterm stop movement, while he is not interested in the quality of the company, it is a worthwhile read also because of his stock stages description that is also important for industry groups or the market in general.
   If you want to make it much easier finding stocks that might advance big time I would suggest to also read O'Neils "How to make money in stocks..." and focus on top notch stocks. But the stock stages focus of Weinstein is great, as mentioned in O`Neils book on when to sell, the quality of the stock -e.g. stellar growth outlook- is not important only price/volume action - a hint for DISTRIBUTION, in the stock market the future is now



4. While this book is insightful to individuals who have never utilized technicals for investing it is somewhat dated. Adjustments to the moving averages and use of various time frames would enhance its value.



5. We are in deep crisis mode now. And when you read a book, what was written just after 1987 black Monday crash, and understand, that author has survived, and more importantly - predicted most of the crashes - and now listen - also the start of the bull markets, this book turns out to be invaluable.
   And don't trust the reviews who say, it is outdated. Those are eternal truth and classics, that never will change.
   Now, why you would this book especially now? First of all, you would not lost anything, if you would use the authors system - you would be out of market already in september 2008.
   And more - now, once I am writing this, we are in stage 4, and the stage 1 is to come - I know 100 % - i will know exactly when is the time to buy, and there will be no emotions, or catching the falling knives - Weinstein tells it's all with a graphs, and easy examples.
   After all - you will at least stop loose the money, if not earn, after you walk away with this book. A must read

5 comments about Smart Couples Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner.

1. I am a financial advisor and I keep a copy of this in my office to lend to clients. It has excellent advice, is easy and fun to read, and helps get couples on the same page in setting goals, saving, budgeting, etc.



2. This book is one of the greatest books I have gotten my hands on. I am a newlywed and in my young adult-hood, I have decided that it is time to get my finances on track. I have taken my husband by the hand and we have now made it a ritual that every Wednesday we make time to sit down and plan our finances and our future together. We are only on the second chapter because we complete all of the exercises in the book. The author David Bach has a writing style that is simple, fun, imaginative and to the point. Every time I pick up the book I feel like I have my own personal financial advisor advising my husband and me. Getting your finances in order is a step by step process that requires the mind, patience, discipline and the willing to achieve. Check out what I have written in a year from now and I'll tell you how I am managing my millions!!!



3. Maxed-out credit cards. Depleted savings. Underfunded retirement accounts. Millions of couples struggle with common financial issues, but instead of looking for solutions, they perpetuate harmful behaviors by bickering, blaming and, in many cases, divorcing. David Bach, author of the best-selling Smart Women Finish Rich, says you'll never solve your money problems if you view your partner as the enemy. It's not all your fault, though. Typically, people do not discuss money openly, so individuals may know very little about their spouse's financial priorities, philosophy and history. Establishing and maintaining an open line of communication is pivotal to sensible financial planning as a couple. You don't have to agree on everything. You don't even have to change. You just have to work together. Bach shows couples how to get on the same page. Using clear (in fact, somewhat simplified) formulas and charts, he tells them how to handle saving, spending, investing and retiring. getAbstract thinks that Bach's conservative approach makes sense. So does his emphasis on making your relationship - not money - your number one priority. Whether or not you finish rich, at least you'll be happy.



4. It would have been better had I not been single at the time of reading this!



5. First off let me say two things, 1. I have a degree in business 2. I own my own company and have a pretty strong operation with more than 40 employees. That said,
   I loved the book. It compiles all the information you need. Everything that you have been putting off, and that you knew you had to do, and think about, but you managed to always say "I'll do it later" or "my husband takes care of that", well all that is in this book, simple and straightforward.
   Thinking about retirement is important, for me, very much so since I have three children. And even though I have a very strong business background, these are thing that you don't learn at school, or at work. The basic premise is that very little adds up to a lot. The author presents the math in a very straight-forward manner, and he really gets you thinking, NO, acting upon it. I also appreciated all the helpful web links that took me directly to updated information. It opened up a whole door, on talking about finances with my kids, opening up a retirement account for them (why NOT?- why shouldn't they start saving now?) All in all, even if you have your finances in order, read it, it will give you great ideas and allow you to know if you are on the right track, or if there is something better to do....

5 comments about The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio.

1. Book goes through the history of investing. It gets quite technical and at times very difficult to follow, only really in one chapter where he discusses what affects stock prices. And rereading it helps out. As the author suggests though, just read a little bit at a time. It's a lot of material to digest. But overall it discusses the advantages of using index funds and the need to diversify. I feel that the book speaks the truth regarding investing and everybody should at least be familiar with the concepts discussed in the book.



2. In the introduction to his book, "The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio," Dr. William Bernstein states that the "competent investor never stops learning." Yet, because the world of investing can be such a confusing place, it sometimes seems that the more you learn, the more confused you get. As a participant on the Bogleheads message board, I feel I am an educated investor but still I often get lost after reading all the different debates: Should I invest in total markets or slice and dice my portfolio? Should I invest all my money at once or adopt a dollar cost averaging philosophy? How much foreign exposure should I have? Is now the right time to buy REITs, or do I need them at all? One day, while perusing the message board and sifting through some of these same questions, I found a suggested investing reading list, and this book was listed as the starting point. In this straightforward book, explained with easy-to-understand examples, Dr. Bernstein provides a solid framework for investors to begin to answer some of these questions.
   
   In setting this framework, Dr. Bernstein introduces readers to four basic concepts, or what he terms the four pillars of investing: the theory, history, psychology, and business of investing. The first pillar, the theory of investing, gets most of his attention, as it comprises the first 100 pages of the book and explains how the bond and stock markets work. In this section, Dr. Bernstein emphasizes what he calls the "most important concept in finance" - the relationship between risk and reward. If investors want high returns, they must take great risks. Following this logic, Dr. Bernstein makes some conclusions that may seem foreign to most investors. For example, the best time to invest is not when things are going well, but when they are going poorly. Those who invest during a bubble are not taking a risk and therefore can expect low returns, whereas those investing during a bear market are taking a risk and therefore can expect (but will not be guaranteed) higher returns. Similarly, those who invest in "good companies" like Wal-Mart can expect lower returns than those who invest in "bad companies" like K-Mart, because good companies, with low risk, are generally bad stocks, while bad companies are generally good stocks. This idea - that high returns cannot be achieved without significant risk - is the key concept Dr. Bernstein continues to emphasize throughout the book.
   
   While the first pillar gets the most attention, Dr. Bernstein terms the second pillar, the history of investing, as "the one that causes the most damage" to investors. What separates the professional investor from the amateur investor is that the professional recognizes that bear markets are a fact of life - they inevitably come about once every generation, usually sparked by a new technological advance. Professional investors stay the course and don't panic; they have a plan and stick with it. In fact, for beginning investors, a bear market is a blessing, allowing them to accumulate stocks at low prices. This concept again ties to the relationship between risk and return: throughout history, in times of great optimism, when prices are the highest and the risk is the lowest, future returns are the lowest, and when times look the bleakest, and risk is the highest, future returns are also the highest.
   
   In the third pillar, the psychology of investing, this relationship between risk and return is again raised. Most investors follow conventional wisdom of the time, investing in specific stocks or asset classes that are currently the most successful and thus buying at high prices. Dr. Bernstein provides two strategies to counter this psychology. He advises readers first to identify the conventional wisdom of the time and do the exact opposite. He also advises readers that assets with the highest future returns tend to be the ones that are currently most unpopular. The investor that is able to go against the flow - to stick with unpopular asset classes and pay attention to his or her entire portfolio return - in the long-run will be the most successful.
   
   Finally, the fourth pillar concerns the business of investing, which details how brokers, analysts, and the media work together to make money at the expense of often ignorant investors by peddling bad or biased information. Instead of paying exorbitant fees to brokerage firms or financial advisors, which steer investors to underperforming managed funds, investors can buy low-expense index funds through companies like Vanguard and thus tap "into the most powerful intelligence in the world of finance" - the market itself, which is, according to Dr. Bernstein, the best advisor available.
   
   Dr. Bernstein concludes his book by applying lessons learned from these four pillars and giving readers practical advice for how to construct their own portfolios. Although this section fell short of answering all my questions, the book as a whole serves as an essential investing guide in providing investors with a basic framework to use in evaluating the myriad of investing choices available. As even Dr. Bernstein concedes, "Four Pillars of Investing" is not an all-encompassing book on investing. It is not the only book you will need to read, and it is probably not the first investing book you should read, but it is nonetheless a book every investor should read.



3. William Bernstein has written another must read for the individual investor who wants to chart his own course in the investment world. I was first introduced to this book at a local AAII chapter meeting. Everyone there who had read this book highly recommended it. I suggest reading this book before reading "The Intelligent Asset Allocator" also by the author.Both are excellent books on investing and well worth the time and money spent.



4. Book was shipped fast, and came in great condition. Couldn't ask for anything more



5. Excellent book about history and current investing. Would recommend it to anyone. If you do not know if you are speculating, read this

5 comments about The Retirement Savings Time Bomb . . . and How to Defuse It: A Five-Step Action Plan for Protecting Your IRAs, 401(k)s, and Other RetirementPlans from Near Annihilation by the Taxman.

1. A great book to avoid losing your hard earned IRA money. And great tips for passing it on to your kids.



2. Writing reviews for Amazon is getting ridiculous. I received my order before the deadline and in the condition promised.



3. Technical book about 401(k) and IRA retirement plans. It requires some background to understand many of the concepts, but the author tries to make the concepts as understandable to as many people as possible. Useful for people who are of advanced age and required to make decisions about retirement options.



4. This book is well worth the price. it is a very easy read. In fact, I would say it is humorous, and breezy....no small feat since , and that means something when many books in this area are like reading economic text books in University. This will help teach you how to keep Government away from your nest egg.



5. So, this book was great for me. The topics were exactly what I wanted... most people don't concern themselves with the distribution side of the IRA, but rather only with the contribution and investment side. Ed discusses this mostly in the context of estate planning and figuring out how to maximize your contributions. If you plan on depleting your retirement plan and not passing it to your heirs, there is much in this book that you'll pass over. However, if you have a large retirement plan and intend on either
   a) being able to pass to heirs
   b) have to pass to heirs
   then you'll want to read this book.

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.