Best Investing Basics
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, the #1 Personal Finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dad: his real father, whom he calls his poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them").
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is an enhanced reprint of the original, with additional study questions/ discussion and review added at the end of every chapter. Some key concepts of this book are: 1) Assets put money in your pocket even when you are on vacation. A great foundation book for beginning to improve your financial intelligence so that you don't work 4 or more month's of every year for the Tax man, more months for the banks that hold your mortgage and credit cards, and whatever is left making the company you work for wealthy."
"Read full summary of this book on my blog: imeducatingmyself.com/rich-dad-poor-dad-what-the-rich-teach-their-kids-about-money-that-the-poor-and-middle-class-do-not-by-robert-t-kiyosaki-book-review. Now, when I’ve read this book, I understand why this book got so many recommendation – it’s an excellent reading material. This book is also put my direction in another way, and that is section when it comes talking about assets and liabilities – I was more focused on how to afford myself a house in next coming years; but now, after I’ve read this book, I am more focused on getting things that are going to make me more money – Make Money Work For You, as it is said in book."
"Let your money work for you, if only that thought could be passed along in today's US education system."
"This is pretty good book for the absolute beginner into weath management."
"It only takes one great book to open your mind to something great and finally become someone that you truly want."
"It really got the juices flowing for me to use my brain, look at the bigger picture, and get out the rat race."
"This book has opened my mind to possibilities with money - That at some level I always knew existed but did not know where to start or how to use my mind to think about it."
"The content is easy to understand for people without a background in business and the book was is perfect condition when I got it."
Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.” It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success. Underneath what may seem like a clinical, emotionless approach is something different and far more poignant: Mr. Dalio is preaching for individuals to have a sense of humility and introspection, an ability to open themselves to appreciate pointed criticism and use it to improve.” — The New York Times “Ray Dalio has provided me with invaluable guidance and insights that are now available to you in Principles .” —Bill Gates “I absolutely loved this book. Every page is full of so many principles of distinction and insights—and I love how Ray incorporates his history and his life in such an elegant way.” —Tony Robbins “Ray Dalio’s market acumen is legendary, but it was creating and living by a set of principles that allowed him to reach the top. Everyone with goals and dreams can learn from Ray’s approach.” —Michael Bloomberg “It’s important and instructive to share what you’ve learned in life with others, and Ray does this in an interesting and provocative way in this compelling work.” —Jamie Dimon “I was surprisingly moved by it. It has already changed how I think about making decisions in my life and in my business.” —Tim Ferriss “ Principles had a profound positive impact on my leadership style—through living more honestly.” —Reed Hastings “Ray brings unique analytic insights about how to think about complex issues. It’s a gift to all of us.” —Steve Schwarzman “Among a handful of philosopher-investors known not only for moneymaking prowess but also for their distinctive take on life.” — The Wall Street Journal “What makes Dalio compelling is not just his track record but the way he goes about making money, and the rigorous analysis he applies to understanding markets, organizations, the economy, and life.” — Fortune Ray Dalio is the founder and CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world and, according to Fortune , the fifth most important private company in the United States.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It was somewhat astounding to learn that Mr. Dalio was literally broke in 1982 and has come-back to build a 150 billion dollar hedge fund. The tricky part for most people (in my humble opinion) is finding a goal or objective that they can focus and remain passionate about for an extended period. In short, the reader needs to get the culture right, get the people right, and then build and evolve the protocols that run the organization at a fundamental level. In my humble opinion, MBA programs should be designing management courses around the information contained in this book. I've started to list my own principles, but it's hard identifying unique ideas beyond those found in the book (because it's so thorough)."
"Also, if you watch his frequent talks (can be found on YouTube), you will already know a lot about his personal history and the history of Bridgewater as covered in the beginning of this book."
"I have read literally thousands of books and if I had one book to recommend to someone for living a better life and achieving success it would be this one! I expect that this book will become one of those rare books that are still read and recommended 100 years from now as the Principles are timeless, clear, and potentially life-changing."
“In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, warm words of encouragement and the tools to forge your way through with confidence. You'll never find a wiser advisor with a bigger heart.” -- Malachi Rempen: Filmmaker, cartoonist, author and self-described ruffian. This book grew out of a series of letters to my daughter concerning various things—mostly about money and investing—she was not yet quite ready to hear. Since money is the single most powerful tool we have for navigating this complex world we’ve created, understanding it is critical. Bridges to build, diseases to cure, treaties to negotiate, mountains to climb, technologies to create, children to teach, businesses to run. Here’s an important truth: Complex investments exist only to profit those who create and sell them. TRFs (Target Retirement Funds), HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) and RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions). And powerful.”. “…effective message told in a visual, funny style.”. “…a refreshingly unique and approachable take on investing.”. “JL Collins has the gift of making boring financial concepts funny and interesting.”. “Instead of esoteric equations about measuring a stock's alpha and comparing it to its beta, he lights up the campfire and starts telling stories.”. I started selling flyswatters door-to-door and picking up empty pop bottles from the side of the road for the 2-cent deposit. Mail clerk, tree-trimmer, landscaper, ad agency founder, account executive, ad space salesman, investment officer, entrepreneur, consultant, sales trainer, speaker, writer, radio talk show host and magazine publisher. But I’ve had the good fortune to see a bit of the planet on my own: Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Wales, England, Greece, Crete, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Venezuela, Curacao, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Paris, India, Kashmir, Goa, Nepal, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Eleuthera, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Barbados, Antigua, Martinique, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, Prague, Guatemala, Galápagos. I’ve traveled by plane, train, bus, boat, subway, taxi, hired car, motorcycle, bicycle, rickshaw, hitch-hiking, foot, horse, donkey and elephant. Here’s my favorite cartoon: The visual is two guys in a corn field, up on racks dressed in shabby clothes. Our daughter Jessica graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Rhode Island.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I support self-published financial authors because the traditional publishers deploy editors to tweak the author’s voice, and original story, to make the final “processed” book more sellable. Instead, self-published authors do not have to satisfy shareholders, or generate sales, so the author’s message about Bogle’s investment philosophy and the company he founded, Vanguard, remains organic for the readers’ best interest. This book is perfect for beginners, and some seasoned investors who are sick and tired of searching for that short-term investment miracle. The Simple Path to Wealth basic message to beginners is well-known in the Do It Yourself (DIY) investing culture: • think long-term. • live below your means. • plan ahead with a fully diversified portfolio (except international stocks, more on this below). • invest in Vanguards low-cost index funds. Sooooo, what is not to like? This book shows you how to like saving with minimal time and effort to discover the investing process. The author discusses investment costs, taxes, tax-deferred retirement plans offered by employers, the retirement years and strategies to keep from running out of money. My favorite chapters are “Why I don’t like Investment Advisers” and “Some final thoughts about risk.” Financial advisers are an easy target with hundreds of reasons not to like. Most of us DIYers will never need a financial adviser, for two good reasons: Collins writes “Nobody cares about your money more than you do,” and “you can learn to manage your money yourself with far less cost and better results.” From my personal experience, knowing how to save investment costs alone was enough to pay cash for the Tesla Model S. On the subject of risk, my favorite part, and I quote as the author was speaking to the zombie apocalyptics among us especially the financial media: “Major Armageddon extinctions events, like the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, have happened about five times. His rationale is spot on, but portfolio construction and asset allocation strategies and information can be found in many books (The Boglehead Guide to Investors, any book written by Jack Bogle or his followers, Ferri, Swedroe, Roth, and Bernstein). In my working career, I could not even contribute the maximum allowed in my 403(b) plan let alone save 50% of my income (No, I never had new car payments because I could not afford car payments and invest too). The author knows he will get pushback, and he probably has heard my argument for international investing many times. Diversification means investing in all available stocks, worldwide. IMO, the author might be reflecting his age because he says that investing in the United States domestic market is enough diversification because of the worn-out global connections argument. Not having to pay capital gains taxes after investing in the Roth IRA is one of the best strategies for us regular investors (You can run the numbers on a brilliant Excel program created by The Finance Buff). I recommend to readers who don’t have a “lump sum” that is, a bundle of money to invest already, that you ignore the “Why I don’t like dollar cost averaging” chapter. I had to use DCA during my entire working career investing in my 403(b). If you have a lump sum to invest, follow the author’s advice. Collin’s strong opinions about some of his investment ideas represent more of his individuality than sound investment practice. In sum, if any author self-publishes a book about investing, I think it is important to readers to know that the message is organic—no other agenda item hangs in secret, other than to explain and lay out a simple plan which will connect with new investors and get them results."
"This has changed my mind in the way that I view the stock market, financial advisors, and accumulating wealth."
"Great book, I felt like I was sitting down with a wise Uncle getting life altering and sound advice."
"I had arrived at the same conclusion on my own though I don't know nearly as much as Collins about all of the alternatives, and I'm happy to say this book made me a whole lot smarter about the different ways that I don't want to try getting wealthy."
"I've read a number of these retire early books, and so far this one is the best in terms of the math and the financial planning needed to make it happen."
"Does a decent job of describing mutual funds and debt avoidance."
"I've been investing over 30 years and wish I'd read this in my teens!"
"My only regret is that I didn't have this book sooner, as I am nearing retirement, and this would have been great advice to have when I was younger, (perhaps I might even have listened) This would be a very good book to gift to a young person beginning their career."
Best Business Decision-Making
Major New York Times bestseller. Winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award in 2012. Selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2011. A Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year 2011 Title. One of The Economist 's 2011 Books of the Year. One of The Wall Street Journal 's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year 2011. 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient. Kahneman's work with Amos Tversky is the subject of Michael Lewis's The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2011 : Drawing on decades of research in psychology that resulted in a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on an exploration of what influences thought example by example, sometimes with unlikely word pairs like "vomit and banana." My main problem in doing this review was preventing family members and friends from stealing my copy of the book to read it for themselves...this is one of the greatest and most engaging collections of insights into the human mind I have read -- William Easterly * Financial Times * Absorbing, intriguing...By making us aware of our minds' tricks, Kahneman hopes to inspire individuals and organisations to identify strategies to outwit them -- Jenni Russell * Sunday Times * Profound . As Copernicus removed the Earth from the centre of the universe and Darwin knocked humans off their biological perch, Mr. Kahneman has shown that we are not the paragons of reason we assume ourselves to be * The Economist * [Thinking, Fast and Slow] is wonderful, of course. So impressive is its vision of flawed human reason that the New York Times columnist David Brooks recently declared that Kahneman and Tversky's work 'will be remembered hundreds of years from now,' and that it is 'a crucial pivot point in the way we see ourselves.'. But Mr. Kahneman's simple experiments reveal a very different mind, stuffed full of habits that, in most situations, lead us astray -- Jonah Lehrer * The Wall Street Journal * This is a landmark book in social thought, in the same league as The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of 'The Black Swan' Daniel Kahneman is among the most influential psychologists in history and certainly the most important psychologist alive today...The appearance of Thinking, Fast and Slow is a major event -- Steven Pinker, author of * The Language Instinct * Daniel Kahneman is one of the most original and interesting thinkers of our time. It will change the way you think, on the job, about the world, and in your own life -- Richard Thaler, co-author of 'Nudge' [A] tour de force of psychological insight, research explication and compelling narrative that brings together in one volume the high points of Mr. Kahneman's notable contributions, over five decades, to the study of human judgment, decision-making and choice . Thanks to the elegance and force of his ideas, and the robustness of the evidence he offers for them, he has helped us to a new understanding of our divided minds-and our whole selves -- Christoper F. Chabris * The Wall Street Journal * Thinking, Fast and Slow is a masterpiece - a brilliant and engaging intellectual saga by one of the greatest psychologists and deepest thinkers of our time. Kahneman should be parking a Pulitzer next to his Nobel Prize -- Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of 'Stumbling on Happiness', host of the award-winning PBS television series 'This Emotional Life' A major intellectual event . Daniel Kahneman has discovered a path to make it possible -- Jaron Lanier, author of You Are Not a Gadget For anyone interested in economics, cognitive science, psychology, and, in short, human behavior, this is the book of the year. Kahnemann is the godfather of behavioural economics, and this distillation of a lifetime's thinking about why we make bad decisions - about everything from money to love - is full of brilliant anecdote and wisdom.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first observation, giving the title to the book, is that eons of natural selection gave us the ability to make a fast reaction to a novel situation. Thinking slow, applying human logic, we might reflect that it is probably Johnny coming back from the Girl Scout camp across the river bringing cookies, and that running might not be the best idea. Thinking is metabolically expensive; 20 percent of our energy intake goes to the brain. NB: Kahneman uses the example of multiplying two digit numbers in your head quite frequently. Whistling past the graveyard - we know full well that mental processes slow down after 65. We are inclined to expect more regularity than actually exists in the world, and we have poor intuition about the tail ends of the bell curve. It requires slow thinking to come up with the right answer - and the instinct to distrust your intuition. The larger the sample size, the more accurate the statistical inference from measuring them. For instance, the asking price of the house should have nothing to do with its value, but it does greatly influence bids. If I know somebody who got mugged last year, and you don't, my assessment of the rate of street crime will probably be too high, and yours perhaps too low. Newspaper headlines distort all of our thinking about the probabilities of things like in and terrorist attacks. Nonetheless, if you ask about Tom W, a sallow gloomy type of guy, people will ignore the statistics and guess he is in mortuary science. The most important aspect of this chapter is Bayesian analysis, which is so much second nature to Kahneman that he doesn't even describe it. Given these numbers, most people will assume that the cab in the accident was blue because of the witness testimony. However, if we change the statement of the problem so that there is a 20% chance that the blue identification of the color was wrong, but 85% of the cabs involved in accidents are green, people will overwhelmingly say that the cab in the accident was a green madman. In other words, this witness could be expected to identify the cab as blue 29% of the time whether she was right or wrong. Recommend that you cut and paste this, because Bayes theorem is cited fairly often, and is kind of hard to understand. The chances are little bit of both, and if I take a test a second time I will get a lower score, not because I am any stupider but because your first observation of me wasn't exactly accurate. The probability of a smart grade school kid becoming a Rhodes scholar is a cumulative probability of passing a whole series of hurdles: studying hard, excelling in high school, avoiding drink and drugs, parental support and so on. We make judgments on the basis of the knowledge we have, and we are overconfident about the predictive value of that observation. We discount the many perils which could have totally derailed the company along the way, including the venture capitalist who could have bought it all for one million dollars but thought the price was too steep. The answer is, not really, because performance on the SAT depends quite a bit on prior education and previous exposure to standardized tests. The key anecdote here is about a formula for predicting the quality of a French wine vintage. The rule of thumb formula beat the best French wine experts. He would trust the expert intuition of a firefighter; there is some similarity among fires, and the firemen learns quickly about his mistakes. The key notion here is that people within an institution, project, or any endeavor tend to let their inside knowledge blind them to things an outsider might see. It should destroy the notion that there are CEOs who are vastly above average, and also the efficient markets theory. The guys in charge often don't understand, and more important, they are blind to their own lack of knowledge. Part four - choices. This is a series of chapters about how people make decisions involving money and risk. Pouring good money after bad, the sunk cost effect, is an example. We overestimate the visible ones, such as tsunamis and terrorist attacks, and ignore the ones of which we are unaware. As a policy, should we accept the supposedly lower risk of buying mutual funds, even given the management fees? The classic example is people who refuse to sell for a loss, whether shares of stock or a house. Mountain climbing or marathon running are sheer torture at the time, but the memories are exquisite. Lift decision: do we live life for the present experience, or the anticipated memories?"
"Content is interesting, but as other reviewers point out, do not buy the Kindle version, because links often don't work, and many images and footnotes seem to be lost."
"Back in 1994, Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini, Director of the Institute of San Raffaele in Milan, Italy, wrote a charming little book about common cognitive distortions called Inevitable Illusions. In it, he predicted that the two psychologists behind behavioral economics - Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman - would win the Nobel prize. Although Gladwell never says that snap judgments are infallible and cannot badly mislead us, many readers got a different message. As the Royal Statistical Society's Significance magazine put it "Although Gladwell's chronicle of cognition shows how quick thinking can lead us both astray and aright, for many readers Blink has become a hymn to the hunch." As a student, she was deeply concerned with the issues of discrimination and social justice, and she also participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations. Eighty-five percent of test subjects chose the second option, that Linda was a bank teller and active in the feminist movement. A more formal and theoretically better argued rebuttal of some of Kahneman's hypotheses can be found in the works of Gerd Gigerenzer. Kahneman notes that even top performers in business and sports tend to revert to the mean in the long run. While much of what we learnt can perhaps be extended to the real world, it is doubtful every generalization will work in practice. My cautionary comments probably have more to do with the distortions that might arise by those who uncritically generalize the findings to contexts for which they may not applicable. Nevertheless, Thinking Fast and Slow is a very valuable book by one of the most creative minds in psychology. After I published this review, I noticed an odd coincidence between Thinking Fast and Slow and Inevitable Illusions that I mentioned in my opening paragraph. Both books have white covers, with an image of a sharpened yellow pencil with an eraser top."
"Great book, basically Psychology 101."
"It has provided a robust framework for understanding, evaluating, and making decisions and understanding what guides others in their decisions such that the reader can avoid pitfalls and better guide others towards better decisions, or at least to mitigate large and potentially damaging fallacies."
"This is pretty much the life work of Daniel Kahneman placed inside an easily digested book."
"How glad I am that I have now become a little more aware of how my intuitive system overrides my decision making and thinking in so many ways, many of them being wrong."
Best Organizational Behavior
With a new Afterword by the author In The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter. Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NPR. BESTSELLER • WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER • LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER • USA TODAY BESTSELLER • PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Wall Street Journal • Financial Times “Sharp, provocative, and useful.” —Jim Collins “Few [books] become essential manuals for business and living. Charles Duhigg not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good.” — Financial Times “A flat-out great read.” —David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity “You’ll never look at yourself, your organization, or your world quite the same way.” —Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind “Entertaining . The stories that Duhigg has knitted together are all fascinating in their own right, but take on an added dimension when wedded to his examination of habits.” — Associated Press “There’s been a lot of research over the past several years about how our habits shape us, and this work is beautifully described in the new book The Power of Habit .” —David Brooks, The New York Times “A first-rate book—based on an impressive mass of research, written in a lively style and providing just the right balance of intellectual seriousness with practical advice on how to break our bad habits.” — The Economist “I have been spinning like a top since reading The Power of Habit, New York Times journalist Charles Duhigg’s fascinating best-seller about how people, businesses and organizations develop the positive routines that make them productive—and happy.” — The Washington Post. A. I first became interested in the science of habits eight years ago, as a newspaper reporter in Baghdad, when I heard about an army major conducting an experiment in a small town named Kufa. The major had analyzed videotapes of riots and had found that violence was often preceded by a crowd of Iraqis gathering in a plaza and, over the course of hours, growing in size. When the major met with Kufa’s mayor, he made an odd request: Could they keep food vendors out of the plazas? Since starting work on this book, I've lost about 30 pounds, I run every other morning (I'm training for the NY Marathon later this year), and I'm much more productive. By learning how to analyze my habit, I figured out that the reason I walked to the cafeteria each day wasn't because I was craving a chocolate chip cookie. And the cue for my behavior - the trigger that caused me to automatically stand up and wander to the cafeteria, was a certain time of day. So, I reconstructed the habit: now, at about 3:30 each day, I absentmindedly stand up from my desk, look around for someone to talk with, and then gossip for about 10 minutes. The most surprising thing I've learned is how companies use the science of habit formation to study - and influence - what we buy. Target collects all kinds of data on every shopper it can, including whether you’re married and have kids, which part of town you live in, how much money you earn, if you've moved recently, the websites you visit. Charles Duhigg not only explains how habits are formed but how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good.” — Financial Times “A flat-out great read.” —David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity “You’ll never look at yourself, your organization, or your world quite the same way.” —Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind “Entertaining . a serious look at the science of habit formation and change.” — The New York Times Book Review “Cue: see cover. Reward: fully comprehend the art of manipulation.” — Bloomberg Businessweek “A fresh examination of how routine behaviors take hold and whether they are susceptible to change . The stories that Duhigg has knitted together are all fascinating in their own right, but take on an added dimension when wedded to his examination of habits.” — Associated Press “There’s been a lot of research over the past several years about how our habits shape us, and this work is beautifully described in the new book The Power of Habit .” —David Brooks, The New York Times “A first-rate book—based on an impressive mass of research, written in a lively style and providing just the right balance of intellectual seriousness with practical advice on how to break our bad habits.” — The Economist “I have been spinning like a top since reading The Power of Habit,New York Times journalist Charles Duhigg’s fascinating best-seller about how people, businesses and organizations develop the positive routines that make them productive—and happy.” — The Washington Post “An absolutely fascinating . Instead, what is needed is to teach the managers to identify the cues that lead to these bad habits and rewards, and then learn alternative routines that lead to similar rewards, i.e. business and personal success.” — Forbes “ The Power of Habit is chock-full of fascinating anecdotes . how an early twentieth century adman turned Pepsodent into the first bestselling toothpaste by creating the habit of brushing daily, how a team of marketing mavens at Procter & Gamble rescued Febreze from the scrapheap of failed products by recognizing that a fresh smell was a fine reward for a cleaning task, how Michael Phelps’ coach instilled habits that made him an Olympic champion many times over, and how Tony Dungy turned the Indianapolis Colts into a Super Bowl–winning team.” — Los Angeles Times “Duhigg clearly knows that people do not like, or even buy, the idea that we’re not creatures of choice.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Part one is the heart of the book; it explains what habits are about, where they come from, how they’re hard-wired into our brains, and how they can be enormously powerful —both to enslave us and to free us if we only we learn how to handle them well (the book’s mission). I found this part of the book to be truly outstanding: well-researched, engagingly written and extremely persuasive. By taking the concept of habits beyond what it can solidly explain, parts 2 & 3 detract a bit of value and credibility from the book."
"Only three chapters are both interesting and useful, but they all slow down when the author drags us through stories that could have been condensed into a few sentences or a couple paragraphs. Basically the book is one big series of stories about how people changed habits to succeed in life. The author offers a small bit of useful advice: Basically, you look for the cues/triggers that are starting the routine/habit that you are not happy with but cannot seem to stop. Discovering the triggers and rewards takes time and introspection--all left up to you."
"What a great book!!"
"I have found the info helpful to my private clients who are feeling the pain of their unhealthy habits and are motivated to change."
Best Personal Success in Business
Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek , shares the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure book—a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits from 130+ of the world's top performers. From iconic entrepreneurs to elite athletes, from artists to billionaire investors, their short profiles can help you answer life's most challenging questions, achieve extraordinary results, and transform your life. To find answers, I reached out to the most impressive world-class performers in the world, ranging from wunderkinds in their 20s to icons in their 70s and 80s. This book, Tribe of Mentors , includes many of the people I grew up viewing as idols or demi-gods. • Why tennis champion Maria Sharapova believe that “losing makes you think in ways victories can’t.”. • How to truly achieve work-life balance (and why most people tell you it isn’t realistic). This reference book, which I wrote for myself, has already changed my life. He is one of Fast Company ’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show , which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You are supposed to find an actionable nugget on every page, from some of the best people in the world. He basically sent out an email to hundreds of successful people, asking them the same questions. But unlike his "Tools of Titan" (which is one of the most valuable books you can have in your bookshelf), the informations is shallow. I like the Tools of Titans format, since it is more of Tim's distillied notes and higlights."
"The fascination with Hollywood and stardom and constantly introducing people as “billionaire” and “‘New York Times’ Bestselling Author” etc. Ah, the old Tools of Titans profiles of everyday brilliant heroes profiled elsewhere like P. Attia, R. Patrick, D. D'agostino, N. Ravikant, W. Hof; C. Sommer and P. Tsatsouline...real, complete, true people - also Gabi and Laird come to mind - who are true mentors in action, word and bravery...thank you again Tim for that. But now with Tribe we see many others who have reaped far too much pathological adoration already, too many money whores and power whores who deign to preach to us plebes, and too few everyday heroes who are truly humbling, inspiring, and unsung."
"The introduction (a few pages) by Tim is the only valuable part of the book."
"It was a massive treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge from some of the smartest people in the world. Most of the people who responded to his interview questions are not interesting people, especially the Hollywood celebrities."
"I bought this book because I was a fan of Tools of Titan even though a lot of the advice and insights can be had from Tim's podcast. I still give the book a few stars for being able to be something I can pick up casually and read a quick 2-3 page insight but there is nothing groundbreaking."
Best Business Management & Leadership
-Six ways to make people like you. -Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking. -Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The realization that my marriage was being effected by my nearly empty toolbox of social skills promoted me to take personal responsibility and shoulder the blame myself for once instead of blaming everyone around me for everything. I grew up with a hypercritical Mother so I think I had promised myself that I would never be criticized again, even if that meant writing people off the instant I felt like I had made myself vulnerable enough to be hurt by them. The strategies are applicable to and helpful in all aspects of my life so far, from my marriage to my job, and even to the way I interact with clerks in gas stations."
"I did think several of the principles explained in the book are common sense, but I found that it could be easy for a person to react quickly to conflicts. The first principle emphasizes the importance of avoiding criticism and he describes working with people as: working with people of logic. With this principle, he describes the importance of self-expression and connects it to the importance of thinking in terms of the other person, so that they come up with your ideas on their own, which they will like more. Dale then describes the importance to recall a person's name in the third principle. He further explains this point in principle five: Talk in terms of the other person's interests. Dale describes in the third part of the book the steps to have a person think in terms of your own thoughts. He then explains the importance of agreement and having the person say "yes," at least twice. If all else fails, he explains the importance of competition and how it drives people to feel important and empowered to work efficiently and effectively. He then explains the importance of asking questions that direct the person you’re speaking to, to obtain your idea on their own. He emphasizes the importance of having the person be saved from embarrassment, and then explains the importance of praise again, even if it is small."
"This book is a MUST read for anyone, but particularly if you are in management or sales."
"If anything it is even more applicable today as society becomes more technology focused and less human interaction focused."
"Such a great book that everyone should read!!"
"By reading this book, you will learn to 'handle" people."
Best Personal Development & Self-Help in Italian
Parla di trading, di come affrontarlo, di come rispettarlo avendone paura e, infine, di come carpirlo partendo da un'analisi molto semplice quanto sottovalutata: il mercato non è il nostro avversario, è il campo di battaglia.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Un libro che si divora in sola una giornata, traendo moltissimi spunti comportamentali per il lavoro, il trading e la vita in generale."
Best Bonds Investing
In this revised, updated, and expanded edition of his New York Times bestseller, Nobel Prize–winning economist Robert Shiller, who warned of both the tech and housing bubbles, cautions that signs of irrational exuberance among investors have only increased since the 2008–9 financial crisis. Robert J. Shiller, Co-Winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in EconomicsA New York Times Bestseller. Winner of the 2000 Commonfund Prize for the Best Contribution to Endowment Management Research. has done more than any other economist of his generation to document the less rational aspects of financial markets." Shiller ranges widely his explanations, laying them out in the first 168 pages in easy-to-read, sometimes passionate prose. --Louis Uchitelle, New York Times Book Review. [I]t presents a message investors would be wise to head: Make sure your portfolio is adequately diversified. Save more and don't count on double-digit gains of the past decades continuing to bail you out during retirement." "Although its message may be unwelcome to many, this important book should be read by anyone interested in economics or the stock markets." "Shiller contends that investor psychology is so given to herd behavior that it's almost impossible to manipulate or even influence.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The second edition, in 2005, added an analysis of the real estate bubble as similar to the stock market bubble that preceded it, and warned that "Significant further rises in these markets could lead, eventually, to even more significant declines." The good news is that, while Professor Shiller says that returns in all asset classes are likely to be subpar for some years given today's elevated asset prices, the mood is less somber than in previous editions, and there are no warnings of imminent doom, as in previous editions. In particular, he does not see a classic "bubble" in bonds, due to the lack of "exuberance" -- prices for bonds are being bid up reluctantly by investors, he says, which is not the formula for a bubble."
"As what he has to say runs counter to most of what passes for wisdom regarding the selling and buying of homes it's important for most households to consider what he has to say."
"Extraordinary summarization of key fundamental financial data on market performance utilizing an appropriate time horizon for the real creation and destruction of wealth as the sum of many decisions over a decade or longer period(s) in businesses, rather than the useless chatter provided in most market analysis."
"If you are interested in Behavioral Economics then I recommend Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow, Richard Thaler's Misbehaving, and this book."
"Anyway, if you are interested in reading non-mainstream economics, this book is for you."
"The author first mentioned the twelve precipitating factors. for a bubble. "New-era thinking' was another reason bubbles formed."
"written in 2005 but many suggestions are still relevant, especially his calculation of the P/E ratio (adjusted by his formula) of the the S&P 500."
"One of the best economic books I've ever read."
Best Stock Market Investing
In the book, I describe the fundamentals of day trading, explain how day trading is different from other styles of trading and investment, and elaborate on important trading strategies that many traders use every day. For beginner traders, this book gives you an understanding of where to start, how to start, what to expect from day trading, and how to develop your strategy. If you think you are beyond the stage of a novice trader, then you may want to jump ahead and start reading from Chapter 7 for an overview of the most important day trading strategies: ABCD Pattern Trading Bull Flag Momentum Trading Top Reversal Trading Bottom Reversal Trading Moving Average Trend Trading VWAP Trading Support and Resistance Trading. For each strategy, I explain: How to find the Stock in Play for trade What indicators I am using on my charts When I enter the trade When I exit the trade (profit taking) What is my stop loss. Day trading is not gambling. That's How to Day Trade for a Living . If you just wanted to get started in day trading, following Andrew's guidelines gets you stated on the right foot. There are a lot of other books on day trading that just give you basic philosophy and market theory. To be successful at day trading you need the right tools and you need to be motivated, to work hard, and to persevere. At the beginning of my trading career, a pharmaceutical company announced some positive results for one of its drugs and its stock jumped from $1 to over $55 in just two days. As such, I wake up early, go for a run, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and fire up my trading station before the markets open in New York. I am motivated when I sit down and start working on the list of stocks I will watch that day. This morning routine has tremendously helped my mental preparation for coming into the market. Whatever your routine is, starting the morning in a similar fashion will pay invaluable dividends. Sitting at your computer in your pajamas or underwear does not put you in the right mindset to attack the market. In this book, I use simple and easy to understand words to explain the strategies and concepts you need to know to launch yourself into day trading on the stock market. This book is definitely NOT a difficult, technical, hard to understand, complicated and complex guide to the stock market. You can monitor my screen in real time, watch me trade the strategies explained in his book, and ask questions of me and other traders in our chat room. I know you will learn much about day trading and the stock market from studying my book.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In other words -- the information seemed useful, but I wasn't sure OF the author's genuine intentions (to write a great book, versus suck people in for long-term profits). Aziz offers his readers a few recommendations relative to "tools of the trade," and given this was my first experience with this sort of text -- I was caught off guard by some of what felt like self-promotion from within... Yup, as "good" as CANSLIM has (apparently) proven itself over the years, IBD not only sucked me in -- but they continue to annoy the heck out of me -- AS A PAID SUBSCRIBER -- by constantly inundating me with ads... Her "tools," by the way, are actually pretty useful... My point though, is this: Though these authors (obviously) have something to gain by increasing their follower-ship, they are also simultaneously recommending invaluable resources for ANY "trader" genuinely interested in succeeding in this business. Believe it, or not, the guy (Aziz) would be doing his readers a disservice if he didn't recommend (and/or offer) tools for success... My experiences so far: Chat Room: When I first stumbled into his chatroom, I was caught off guard. I think I was expecting some sort of forum-based venue, where newbie's like me could browse topics of interest, ask redundant questions, and receive "platinum" membership status for posting 1 billion times... And when he (Aziz) loses money on the day, it speaks volumes toward: 1) Everybody is capable of failing, and even a professional trader has risk/reward factors to consider, and 2) he's not pretending to have a "secret sauce" that will guarantee billions of dollars overnight! To be honest, I never imagined I'd put forth any sort of tangible effort into a simulator (it was "beneath me"), but now that I have the experience -- I'm soooooooo glad that I humbled myself, and took his advice! I would also argue that Aziz cuts a lot of unnecessary fluff, and focuses on providing advice that actually works; rather than just including pages of theory in an attempt to convince us of his acumen. I'm now thankful that Aziz made it a point to help guys like me consider the "big picture" ---- while holding our hand(s) along the journey ---- before my accounts were wiped away like an open bag of leaves on a gusty day!"
"Scanning for stocks in play and trading unknown stocks is an approach I have resisted for my entire career but I think I have to go there now. There is also good information on other topics for real beginners such as the importance of risk management, emotional control which are important."
"That being said, this was the first opportunity to be exposed to what I was lacking (the discipline aspect of what a successful trader needs to do each and every day). On the flip side, he provides you the blueprint on how to overcome these pitfalls and establish the level of confidence to make a living and thrive as a day trader."
Best Mutual Funds Investing
Written by a practicing emergency physician, The White Coat Investor is a high-yield manual that specifically deals with the financial issues facing medical students, residents, physicians, dentists, and similar high-income professionals. Graduate from medical school with as little debt as possible Escape from student loans within two to five years of residency graduation Purchase the right types and amounts of insurance Decide when to buy a house and how much to spend on it Learn to invest in a sensible, low-cost and effective manner with or without the assistance of an advisor Avoid investments which are designed to be sold, not bought Select advisors who give great service and advice at a fair price Become a millionaire within five to ten years of residency graduation Use a “Backdoor Roth IRA” and “Stealth IRA” to boost your retirement funds and decrease your taxes Protect your hard-won assets from professional and personal lawsuits Avoid estate taxes, avoid probate, and ensure your children and your money go where you want when you die Minimize your tax burden, keeping more of your hard-earned money Decide between an employee job and an independent contractor job Choose between sole proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, S Corporation, and C Corporation. “Jim Dahle has done a lot of thinking about the peculiar financial problems facing physicians, and you, lucky reader, are about to reap the bounty of both his experience and his research.” – William J. Bernstein, MD , Author of The Investor’s Manifesto and seven other investing books. As a medical resident, he grew tired of being ripped off by unscrupulous financial professionals including mutual fund salesmen, insurance agents, realtors, mortgage lenders, and stock brokers and began educating himself on the ins and outs of personal finance and investing. Now he shares his wisdom with medical students, residents, physicians, dentists and similar high income professionals so they can free themselves from debt, quit worrying about money, build wealth, live “the good life,” and get back to practicing medicine on their own terms.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"All premed students should read this book!"
"this book is pretty simple but it does a good job of introducing key concepts and providing insight into the specific financial pressures of healthcare."
"Unfortunately, physicians and high-income professionals can be susceptible to unscrupulous sales tactics due to a lack of financial education and money management."
"Seems to be a must-read for physicians in investing."
"As described on the whitecoatinvestor.com, this book is a great introduction for those of you interested in getting up to speed on the basics."
"Definitely recommend this book to medical/dental students."
"I really appreciate how this book focuses on how you can really mess things up, and how to avoid doing those things."
"A great overview of personal (& some business) finances and investing, especially for physicians."
Best Options Trading
The options investing bestseller--updated with new strategies to help generate income, hedge, speculate, and protect stock positions (and help with Series 7). Michael Sincere is the author of Understanding Options (McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition), All About Market Indicators (McGraw-Hill), Understanding Stocks (McGraw-Hill, 2nd Edition) Start Day Trading Now (Adams Media), and Predict the Next Bull or Bear Market and Win (Adams Media).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would like to emphasize, as other readers and the author have said, that you shouldn't be investing in options if you do not have experience with buying and selling individual stocks. If you do not understand what a good stock is, and how prices of stock move, then stay away from options and go buy a good stock book."
"I read Sincere's first edition of this book years ago - and never bothered much with options, Certainly not the more advanced strategies. This edition I bought electronic - easy to read and many links are included which make it nicer to move within the volume to various topics."
"I you are a newbee to option trading, this book will help you understand a topic that confuses many (option trading)."
"Well written and informative explaining the difficult concepts associated with trading options."
"You might understand options better by reading this book but do not think for a moment that, if you're new to the market and haven't yet mastered stock investing and trading, that for one second you'll get rich quick by reading this book. Overall, it is definitely one of the better books I have read (and I've read quite a few) on basic and fundamental options education."
"Effortless reading."
"A great book to options for beginners."
"It's a good book to have a general understanding of option trading."
Best Futures Trading
The options investing bestseller--updated with new strategies to help generate income, hedge, speculate, and protect stock positions (and help with Series 7). Michael Sincere is the author of Understanding Options (McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition), All About Market Indicators (McGraw-Hill), Understanding Stocks (McGraw-Hill, 2nd Edition) Start Day Trading Now (Adams Media), and Predict the Next Bull or Bear Market and Win (Adams Media).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read Sincere's first edition of this book years ago - and never bothered much with options, Certainly not the more advanced strategies. This edition I bought electronic - easy to read and many links are included which make it nicer to move within the volume to various topics."
"It's a good book to have a general understanding of option trading."
"This book was informative, author was somewhat conservative to write on options."
"Very good book to get your feet wet on Options."
"A good read for those interested in learning about options trading."
"Good book that offers some strategies besides explanations."
Best Commodities Trading
Bernstein pulls back the curtain to reveal what really goes on in today‘s financial industry as he outlines a simple program for building wealth while controlling risk.Straightforward in its presentation and generous in its real-life examples, The Four Pillars of Investing presents a no-nonsense discussion of: The art and science of mixing different asset classes into an effective blend The dangers of actively picking stocks, as opposed to investing in the whole market Behavioral finance and how state of mind can adversely affect decision making Reasons the mutual fund and brokerage industries, rather than your partners, are often your most direct competitors Strategies for managing all of your assets—savings, 401(k)s, home equity—as one portfolio Investing is not a destination. The Theory of Investing: “Do not expect high returns without risks.” The History of Investing: “About once every generation, the markets go barking mad. From the essential soundness of classic portfolio theory through the inherent wisdom of investing in multiple asset classes, The Four Pillars of Investing provides a distinctive blend of market history, investing theory, and behavioral finance to help you become a successful, self-sufficient investor.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Money and time are the two things we struggle to manage."
"Bernstein takes extra effort to simplify the intimidating jargon of investing."
"I would recommend this book as a must read for anyone with a 401(k) or brokerage account."
"I consider this to be one of the top 4 books that every investor should read - including (perhaps especially) people who save via an IRA, 401(k) or any other long-term savings/investment plan."
"Best book on investing for the masses."
"A great book!"
"Insightful and well structured."
"On one page, fund managers are literally called Chimpanzees with a dartboard, then we are citing legendary fund manager XYZ on the next page, and then he goes down the rabbit hole of characterizing Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch as "lucky.""