Book Description

An in-depth how-to look at Forex trading using the methods, analysis, and insights of a renowned trader, Raghee Horner
As the fate of the dollar against foreign currency generates both anxiety and opportunities, currency trading has been drawing much interest and a growing following among traders in the United States. The Forex market is particularly attractive for investors because it trades with no gaps and has unlimited guaranteed stop-losses. The liquidity of the Forex market and worldwide participation makes for more reliable and longer lasting trends as well.
Raghee Horner has become legendary not only as a top Forex trader but as a master teacher of trading systems and techniques. Drawing on her winning tools and methods, including classic charting techniques, this book enables a trader or investor of any skill level to understand how the Forex operates and lays out a blueprint for getting starting in this little-understood but high-potential trading vehicle.
Raghee Horner (Pompano Beach, FL) is an accomplished trader with more than fifteen years in the markets. She is the cofounder and lead trader of the EZ2 Trade Institute and an educator teaching her style of technical analysis and charting strategies to students all over the world. Raghee has written more than 100 articles on investing, has been a regular on the MoneyWatch Radio Network, is featured at eSignal's "Trading with the Masters," and is a regular contributor to Trader's magazine. Her chart analysis and commentary have appeared on TradingMarkets, JAGNotes, StockCharts.com, and FXStreet. She is also a sought-after speaker who has conducted seminars throughout the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, and Asia. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

This book changed my trading.
I have read countless trading books, been to all the seminars, and tried alot of software.When the dust settled Raghee's book was still standing.Not to say that the other things did'nt help but this book simplified my trading.Now I know what to look for using the blueprint in the book.The pratical and tactical methods the book has taught me has increased my pip gain tremendously.It is not a magic box, you must be patient and work hard to apply the rules in the book.I still struggle at times, but with all things practice makes us better.Thank you Raghee for making a book that makes sense.Get the book.
Cecil Glenn

A classic view of one trader's style.
Aside from the editorial errors and small charts...this book is a thought-provoking classic. I believe everyone would like to speak with a successful trader and see what he or she does to achieve that success.I have never come across a book quite like this one.The author thoughtfully teaches you how she trades and shows you exactly what she does to set up the two kinds of trades she watches for, swing and momentum.At first I frankly didn't see what the difference would be since I have not actively traded and actually was more interested in the longer term view.However, the way she explains it, even if you are a longer term trader or investor if you will, one must to learn how to read charts.I was also impressed by her method of approaching news.She shows you which reports move the forex market and how to deal with news which actually was something I used to get caught up in.I feel like I have a plan that tells me what to do and where to go with each trade.I also appreciate that I only have to focus on around four to five trading tools.One can easily get lost in trying to learn or use too many.This has simplified trading for me and also shown me how to find chart patterns in the correct manner.The way she identifies chart patterns is so simple that I think I must be doing it wrong.However, when the trade works I know that I got it right!

A good skills sharpener
First the bad part: Ms. Horner needs a new editor!!!!This book is full every kind of writing error there is - grammer, spelling, syntax, sentence structure - you name it.But once I got over that, I found this book to be quite helpful.The book helped me to refocus on the basics of technical trading; namely, support and resistance, the mental processes involved in entering and exiting trades, and getting confirmation from other indicators before entering a trade.These are not new techniques, but they can be lost or forgotten in the daily grind of trading.The book did introduce me to a couple of new indicators, which I look forward to experimenting with.I am an experieced trader, and I'm not sure if a beginner would get enough out of this book to develop a comprehensive trading technique, but it would certainly help.It is user-friendly and easy to read.In short, it has had a positive effect on my trading.

waste of time
Apart from the fact that the editor of this book should be fired, I'm not convinced that the strategy will work. The author claims to be trading the forex markets, and her students can "smell a wannabe trader from a mile" but I'm not sure if she really is a wannabe trader or a real trader.There are no trading data or anything to back up the author's claims. The only reason I'm giving it 1 star is because it might be of some use to a novice trader.

awesome, deserves a read
I'm totally blown away by this book.It's going to be my trading bible.It has everything.A trading plan, a q&a with the author, psychology.I was afraid I may get another general book about Forex and market paticipants and the basic indicators.I was happy to find a complete trading plan that takes all the questions out of when to buy, when to sell, how to put in my orders, how to take profits.

The book is written like the author is talking to you and I finished it in 2 days, it's that good but I could have done without the many, many typos.

There's good info here.I know I will want to review some chapters like chapter 10 fibonacci levels and chapter 26 that talks about charting the US Dollar with other currencies.I liked the chapter on prep-work which makes finding trades very simple and fast using moving averages.She teaches how to trade from 5 time frames so I have the choice to play longer term with a daily chart or a short term chart like the 15 minute although she doesn't use anything smaller than the 30 minute chart.I found I could go to even the 10 minute with her Three Classic Tools to a Three Step Set Up.I think what was also helpful is that I thought I would have to get up early or stay up late to trade forex from what I had heard at other seminars I went to but she teaches market overlap and explains that you don't have to which was my biggest worry.

Look past the typos and you'll find good info.Worth a read.
... Read more

Book Description

Designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, this successful book is regarded as "the bible" in trading rooms throughout the world. The books covers both derivatives markets and risk management, including credit risk and credit derivatives; forward, futures, and swaps; insurance, weather, and energy derivatives; and more. For options traders, options analysts, risk managers, swaps traders, financial engineers, and corporate treasurers.

Book Description

This book is the definitive and most comprehensive guide to modeling derivatives in C++ today. Providing readers with not only the theory and math behind the models, as well as the fundamental concepts of financial engineering, but also actual robust object-oriented C++ code, this is a practical introduction to the most important derivative models used in practice today, including equity (standard and exotics including barrier, lookback, and Asian) and fixed income (bonds, caps, swaptions, swaps, credit) derivatives. The book provides complete C++ implementations for many of the most important derivatives and interest rate pricing models used on Wall Street including Hull-White, BDT, CIR, HJM, and LIBOR Market Model. London illustrates the practical and efficient implementations of these models in real-world situations and discusses the mathematical underpinnings and derivation of the models in a detailed yet accessible manner illustrated by many examples with numerical data as well as real market data. A companion CD contains quantitative libraries, tools, applications, and resources that will be of value to those doing quantitative programming and analysis in C++. Filled with practical advice and helpful tools, Modeling Derivatives in C++ will help readers succeed in understanding and implementing C++ when modeling all types of derivatives. ... Read more

Book Description

Deal Terms is the first ever in-depth look at valuations, preferred stock, stock options and other variables that affect deal structure, written by Alex Wilmerding (a venture capitalist at Boston Capital Ventures and best selling author of Term Sheets & Valuations). Written from a venture capital perspective, however applicable for all types of financings, Deal Terms includes actual term sheets, valuation methodology and analysis, assessment of stock option programs and their impact on valuations and capital structures and other real world documents used by leading venture capitalists and lawyers analyzed from multiple perspectives. A must have book for any executive, entrepreneur, or financial professional, this timeless classic is an unprecedented resource that will help you avoid costly mistakes, understand various structures and terms, and understand wording and language from other deal sheets to help you get deals done.

According to Graham Anderson, General Partner at Euclid SR Partners, "Deal Terms provides critical, in-depth, first-hand perspective on the crucial terms and factors which influence financing decisions."Clifford Schorer, Entrepreneur in Residence, Columbia Business School remarks, "Deal Terms is an indispensable reference for entrepreneurs and finance professionals." And Andrew McKee, General Partner at Webster Capital notes, "Deal Terms is a really important resource." ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Helpful, practical, and brilliant!
I recently finished your book "Deal Terms" and found it extremely
helpful as we are looking into our first round of financing.

This book showed me numerous issues that I would have definitely overlooked or simply not thought of.
 
Thanks for writing Deal Terms. Definitely an invaluable
reference for anyone in business!

Direct to the Deal Terms
This book has a few sample drafts of term sheets and other legal documents. That is not the primary focus of this book. You can hire that kind of talent (legal drafting) on a per hour basis. This book helps the owners make the BUSINESS decisions necessary to avoid hamstring their new venture during this difficult passage. Included is information about what to pay your independent directors, advisory board members and senior management. Also included is what percentage of the company the founders should expect to keep, how to avoid excessive dilution during an unfortunate down round and how to present your opportunity to potential investors. All of these BUSINESS decisions are beyond the discretion of attorneys in this area, they typically instruct the entrepreneur to reflect upon the topic and then the attorney will draft it to suit.

Wilmerding interviews individuals that are representative of players an entrepreneur will encounter in getting his business funded. These real world examples of how business (strategy) items are handled or viewed by third parties are the best part of his book.

Very Useful Reference Guide
As a corporate attorney specializing in the area of venture capital and private equity I just completed reading "Deal Terms." I found the book to be insightful and a good resource, particularly in areas that are outside of my traditional bailiwick as a lawyer. A recommend this book for those new to the venture capital area as well as experienced investors, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Very Insightful...Read Before Your Next Deal
Mr. Wilmerding's book is a great reference for every venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and investment banker. I was very impressed with the analysis of actual deal sheets, and the recommendations on specific points within a deal.

Also of particular value is the focus on the preferred and convertible stocks. The in-depth analysis of both the simple and complex types of offerrings brings to light a lot on the topic, and what to watch out for with new laws and regulations regarding these documents.

This book is a must read for anyone doing financial deals of any type. Although I have been doing deals for over 20 years, there were a couple of points in particular that I took away from this book that I now use in all the deals I do. We also had one of our portfolio entrepreneurs read it, who took away a lot and now uses this book as their "standard" for the types of deals they do.

Want to know what venture capitalists really think about deals and how they structure them? It's in this book.

Passable guide, but certainly not a reference book
A very brief and concise view of venture capital structures, but also somewhat basic in content. Examples could use more details (e.g., the sample weighted average anti-dilution calculations).

Disappointed that the author does not address more complicated security structures other than common and straight convertible preferred. Also, I was surprised given the recent publication date that there was not a comparison on how deal terms have changed from the dot-com boom and bust.

Certainly not a must have book for my bookshelf.

Sahlman's Entrepreneurial Venture is a much better "reference" book and cheaper too. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn the secrets to wealth from "The Weekend Millionaire"

In their runaway bestseller The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets to Investing in Real Estate, Mike Summey and Roger Dawson gave readers a blueprint for making a killing in real estate in their spare time. Now Summey and Dawson take readers inside the minds and hearts of super successful entrepreneurs, showing them how to think and act like winners and realize their dreams of financial freedom.

In the tradition of Napoleon Hill's hit Think and Grow Rich, The Weekend Millionaire Mindset combines compelling biographical details with powerful, practical lessons. Packed with fascinating anecdotes taken from Summey and Dawson's own lives and the lives of other millionaire entrepreneurs, this book will inspire, energize, and motivate while arming readers with practical advice and guidance on how to:

• Evaluate and redirect their lives with an eye to becoming rich
• Create a lifestyle of success
• Set realistic goals and stick to them
• Make the right decisions when faced with challenging learning experiences
• Spot golden opportunities
• Realize dreams through patience, practice, and persistence

With Mike Summey and Roger Dawson's invaluable advice, readers can overcome their obstacles and find a personal path to wealth for a lifetime.

Reviews (3)

Don't let the title turn you off! Life changer book
Okay, I must admit when I saw the BRIGHT yellow book cover and the word "millionaire" in the title title the first time, I rolled my eyes when a friend handed me the book and said read this. My first thought was oh god, not another book telling me how to be a millionaire overnight (or over the weekend) and it is by a real estate investor no less. When my eyes stopped rolling I began reading.That little negative voice in my head was quickly silenced as soon as I read chapter one and realized that this was more than theory. It was Mike's story. By the end of chapter two I was inspired enough by his story and the clarity of my own story to create a budget and believe that I too could go beyond this ordinary financial existence. Why do so few of us build wealth settling instead for an ordinary American financial existence? I am a believer now and I will be a millionaire by the time I am 60 (or sooner since I am starting at 40) as well. This book is NOT a real estate book. It IS a book that WILL change your mindset and your future...and it CAN change your mindset in a WEEKEND if you allow it to do so. Give this to every high school graduate. Give this book to every teenager before they finance their first car. As Mike says, if you aren't doing well in this country, you are doing something wrong.

Thanks Mr. Summey for sharing your story and for helping me understand what I was doing wrong.
signed, future millionaire in NYC

YOU'LL BE MOTIVATED TO TRANSLATE THOUGHTS INTO ACTIONS!
You can feel the sincerity of the authors, encouraging through words, to create desire, teach you how to set goals and reach those goals.

The real life stories and adventures in the book are fun to read as well as informative. I really enjoyed the "story telling" layout with the bullets of information at the end of each chapter. Almost parable like at times.

Most people will read it and say great book, excellent book, put it down and do nothing afterwards. But for those people not so "most people", this book can give the means to TRANSLATE THOUGHT INTO ACTION and accept personal responsibility for one's own success.

I really appreciated the message in this book. If you're yearning for change and are not sure where to start, then why not start with this one?

The Truth About Millionaires
Mike Summey is a very successful man who, like many others, started out with no advantages in life over his peers; but trained himself to overcome disadvantages by conditioning his thinking. It is your reaction to what happens to you that determines the long-term effect more than what actually happened.

Having studied the lives of many self-made millionaires over the years, I can say that Mike's experience resembles that of many great men. It is not outstanding natural ability that makes one a success or failure, but the strength of his determination and desire and the willingness never to give up.

Mike's celebrated fame is as a real estate investor, but the mindset he has developed, and teaches you to develop in yourself, will lead to success in any other worthwhile pursuit--it transcends mere real estate investing. It is the secret to successful living, period.

As a real estate investor myself, I certainly appreciate Mike's accomplishments in that arena, but there is more to life than financial wealth and this book shows you why Mike has achieved so much in every area.

Roger is also an accomplished man who started from humble beginnings and he adds confirmation to the lessons Mike teaches.

My only challenge is to the subtitle of the book. I beleive that once you have read this book and taken its lessons to heart, you no longer can be considered "ordinary".

I wish my friends Mike and Roger the best of success with this very fine book.

Al Lee ... Read more

Book Description

For 30 years, one trading strategy has consistently delivered extraordinary profits in bull and bear markets alike: Trend Following. This is first book to reveal the little-known strategy used by the world's most consistently successful traders! In this book, you'll meet them...and you'll discover how to use Trend Following in your own portfolio. Trend Following is the only long-term trading strategy proven to profit consistently in bull and bear markets alike. Now, Michael Covel demystifies this little-known strategy, using hard performance data to prove its extraordinary value. Covel introduces you to great traders who've built enormous fortunes with Trend Following.

How did trader, John W. Henry, start out as a farmer and end up a billionaire and owner of, first the Florida Marlins and now, the Boston Red Sox? How do traders like Bill Dunn, Ed Seykota and Keith Campbell continually pull profits in the hundreds of millions from both bull and bear markets? The answer is that they are trend followers. Trend following is the only strategy to consistently make money in the markets. Leading expert Michael Covel reveals the underground network of these little-known traders and hedge fund managers who have practiced trend following for years. He pulls back the veil on their strategies by introducing the basic concepts/techniques of trend following such as why the market price contains all the information a trader needs. Covel rigorously reviews and analyzes years of detailed performance data to prove without question that trend following works.

He breaks down trend following strategies including how to make volatility work; how to control risk; and how to make successful trading decisions "from the gut." Covel shows why trend following is ideal for individual traders who self-manage their portfolios or for the individual investor searching for a new type of investment advisor. Along the way he debunks an immense amount of mis-information/failed advice from pros that ought to know better. This timely book capitalizes on today's massive move back into the markets and investors' renewed determination to find strategies that really work. The proof is in the results - hard performance data over decades from professional money managers. All the information you need is in one number - why a stock's price tells you all you need to know to trade.

Michael W. Covel is President of Trend Following. A researcher of the most successful Trend Following investment managers, he has been consulting on Trend Following to individual traders, hedge funds and banks for nearly ten years. Teaching and sharing unique insights about Trend Following trading and alternative investments has earned Covel respect as a rational and logical voice in uncertain times. He is a frequent guest on national radio talk shows advising listeners on financial decision-making, trading and Trend Following. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Great read for all types of traders
As a student of the market for decades I was blown away by this book. It is one of the top five investment books of all time. The author describes what trend following is and who the players are. It simplifies the issue of how to profit in the market. How can anyone argue with the cold hard performance numbers.

It does not give you the save all formula for trading. It does not provide the secret forumulas on how to make money. They don't exist. It does provide valuable information from existing trend followers who have been using the method for years - decades.

Its easy to read and quick to comprehend. Should be on every traders bookcase.

Well worth the money.

Acceptance with Traders
I found the following endorsements helpful:

"Michael Covel's Trend Following is a breakthrough book that captures the essence of what really makes markets tick. Diligently researched and comprehensive in scope, it will replace Market Wizards as the must-read bible for a new generation of traders."
Jonathan Hoenig
Portfolio Manager, Capitalistpig Hedge Fund LLC
Fox News Contributor

"Michael Covel's Trend Following: Essential."
Ed Seykota
Trend Follower for 35 years and Original Market Wizard
The Trading Tribe

"Trend Following by Michael Covel? I'm long this book."
Bob Spear
Developer of Trading Recipes Software

"Michael Covel has written the definitive book on trend following. With careful research and clear insight he has captured the essence of the most successful of all trading strategies. Michael knows his subject matter and he writes about it with passion, conviction and enthusiasm. This enjoyable and well written book is destined to become a classic."
Charles LeBeau
Technical Traders Guide to Computer Analysis of the Futures Markets

"Trend Following is an engrossing and educational journey through the principles, pitfalls, players and psychology of aggressive technical trading of the investment markets. Rich in its wisdom and historical study."
Gerald Appel
President, Signalert Corporation

Nothing fancy. No crazy promises. Just the facts. If you are a gambler, you won't like it.

Trend Following Controversy
This book sure has had generated some controversy! Tried to read it with an open mind. However, I was influenced by the large number of market pros and traders that endorsed it at the author's web site for the book. My conclusion? If you want someone to promise you the world with loads of instant riches, Covel is not your guy. But if you want a down to earth, incredibly well researched work, that explains Trend Following from top to bottom -- buy this book. A great quote from Ayn Rand mentioned in the book sums up the mindset you need:

"What objectivity and the study of philosophy requires is not an 'open mind,' but an active mind-a mind able and eagerly willing to examine ideas, but to examine them critically."

Gotta Read it
I've always been intrigued by what makes top traders tick like the ones in Market Wizards. Because like most people what I do is just keep on investing in the same mutual funds I've invested in for years. This book made me think that there actually is an alternative to buy and hold.

Big Events causes disasters and profits
Good overview book. The information presented is substantial and meaty. Trading biographies, reviews of major events in the markets and trading psychology are all covered.

The author's use of baseball is particularly impressive. Linking a hobby to finance took some skill. But trading is a lot like baseball. Aim for the fences and swing hard. Similar to trend following. Look for the biggest and best opportunities to profit - trends. ... Read more

Book Description

John J. Murphy has now updated his landmark bestseller Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets, to include all of the financial markets.

"If one could read only one book on technical analysis, this should be the one." --Knight-Ridder Financial Products and News (on the first edition, Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets, 0-13-898008-X)

This outstanding reference has already taught thousands of traders the concepts of technical analysis and their application in the futures and stock markets.Covering the latest developments in computer technology, technical tools, and indicators, the second edition features new material on candlestick charting, intermarket relationships, stocks and stock rotation, plus state-of-the-art examples and figures. From how to read charts to understanding indicators and the crucial role technical analysis plays in investing, readers gain a thorough and accessible overview of the field of technical analysis, with a special emphasis on futures markets.Revised and expanded for the demands of today's financial world, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in tracking and analyzing market behavior.

"One way to get started in technical analysis is to read a good book on the subject.One of my favorites is Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets:A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications by John J. Murphy.It's an easy read." Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Managing Director, Prudential Securities Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Technically speaking, one should buy this book
Investing isn't easy. Investing profitably is even harder. As a result, investors are always looking for that 'angle', that 'edge' that will help them realize more consistent profits.

In the past 2 decades, many on Wall Street have come to believe that technical analysis of stock charts is one of those tools. Having worked in the financial services markets since 1987, I do believe that technical analysis can be a helpful tool. And if you are looking for a definitive source of TA, then look no further.

Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets by John Murphy covers all the basic aspects of TA: philosophy, chart construction, fundamental vs. technical analysis, trends, major technical pattern recognition, moving averages, oscillators, times cycles, computer trading systems and much more. He also covers different methods of charting, including bar, point and figure and candlestick (be aware that most of the analysis techniques he presents apply to bar charting, not PnF or candlestick).

What I like most about the book is that it written clearly, simply and logically. It uses many graphical examples that SHOWS the reader what to look for. It does not rage on about the merits of TA (which many investors feel is complete hooey) but how to apply basic (and sophisticated) TA techniques. I use TA frequently in my business and find that it helps me manage my client's portfolios more effectively, especially when it comes to SELLING a position, whether to lock-in gains or limit losses.

If you are a TA convert, or if you have an interest in learning more about it, this book is a useful guide and should be purchased. Today, it remains one of the few investment reference books that I keep in my office.

The Reference for Every Serious Trader
Murphy's tome on technical analysis is rqeuired reading for any practioner in the financial markets. As a professional trader, I constantly refer to the book for soldifying core technical and trading tactics. A true gem of a work.

comprehensive
thorough and complete, the reader is left believing that upon completion they have seen and learned all there is to be known about charting.

a bible of technical analysis (if you're a believer). i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Excellent book on technical analysis
This is a great book on technical analysis. The fundamentals are all here from pattern recognition to indicators. TA is essential anyone who wants better entries and exits on stocks and other financial instruments. This is the building block to using trading strategies to win in both bull and bear markets. For actually trading strategies, I recommend Dave Landry on Swing Trading or Street Smarts, but this book is the perfect start.

A necessary trading reference....
As a well-respected technical analyst with 30+ years experience, there are few markets John Murphy has not seen. The difference between him and most other analysts is that he has documented them as they happened through his Murphy Market Message Newsletter. It is easy to look at a chart in hindsight and perform rear-view mirror analysis. Anyone can do that. What is more interesting is reading commentary from experts while the market is unfolding which is what Murphy does a number of times every week. His books are peppered with examples of market moves and quotes from his newsletter analyzing the move as it happened which makes reading his books all the more interesting.

As someone who basically introduced intermarket analysis to the broad technical analysis community, John has watched markets move one another since the late 1970s and documented the whys and whatfores and then carefully recorded his thoughts for the benefit of the rest of us.

Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets is without a doubt one of the best introductions and general discussions of technical analysis on the market today. It has been recognized by the Market Technicians Association and International Federation of Technical Analysts as such and is required reading for both the Chartered Market Technicians designation from the MTA and the Diploma of International Technical Analysis by IFTA. In fact, their required reading lists are great places to get ideas on which books the professionals are reading!

But it is a book that is not only for those new to trading and technical analysis. It is for everyone and anyone dedicated to improving their investment or trading returns by getting the right information direct from the source. It is a book I have read multiple times and will read again this year. It's well-written and an enjoyable read. It is also a book you won't get tired of reading over again and one that you will find a very useful reference. There is very little to complain about except that I wish it was longer. Then again I can't really complain with over 500 pages of great information and charts.

Matt Blackman - Technical Writer/Reviewer Email: matt@tradesystemguru.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Contributor to Stocks & Commodities Magazine, Working Money, Traders.com Advantage, Active Trader, Traders Mag (Europe) and SFO Magazine ... Read more

Book Description

An investment alternative that gives fixed returns of 10 to 25 percent.

Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens introduces an investment alternative that is safe, secured by real estate, administered by the government, involves no brokers, is enforced by state law, and gives fixed returns.

Selling tax liens or tax deeds (depending on the state) are the two ways that counties across the country bring delinquent property taxes up-to-date.This investment is one of the least publicized and safest ways of investing in real estate, designed to give the investor either a fixedreturn, as in the case of investing in tax liens, or a property for 10 to 50 cents on the dollar, as in the case of a tax deed sale.In most situations, the property is ultimately transferred free of any liens, such as mortgages.

Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens also debunks the common myth that tax delinquent properties are run-down and shows that liens exist on every type of property.Author Larry Loftis, an attorney and active investor, has purchased liens on properties owned by Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Hector "Macho" Camacho (world champion boxer), Chase Manhattan Bank, LaSalle National Bank, and even a building whose major tenant was the local sheriff's department!

In this authoritative guide, Loftis helps investors avoid the pitfalls while answering all the key questions they need to consider:
* What's the difference between investing in tax liens and tax deeds?
* How does an investor go about bidding at tax sales?And what is the process?
* What are the different requirements in each state?
* Where are the greatest risks in this kind of real estate investing?

For investors eager to get started, Loftis's action plan provides details on the next steps to take, while real-life examples in every chapter bring the concepts down to earth. ... Read more

Book Description

The purpose of this book is to help you learn how to manage your money to derive the maximum benefit from what you earn.Mixing investment instruments and capital markets with the theoretical detail on evaluating investments and opportunities to satisfy risk-return objectives along with how investment practice and theory is influenced by globalization leaves readers with the mindset on investments to serve them well. The material is intended to be rigorous and empirical yet not overly quantitative.We continue with unparalleled international coverage, newly rewritten and reorganized derivatives material to be more intuitive and clearer, three additional chapters on derivatives pricing for those who want more detail, rewritten material on multifactor models of risk and return, and new CFA problems for more practice on computations concerning investment decisions. To manage money and investments, one needs to learn about investment alternatives and develop a way of analyzing and thinking about investments that will be of benefit and allow a foundation as new tools and investment opportunities become available.Reilly/Brown provide the best foundation, used extensively by professionals, organizations, and schools across the country.A great source for those with both a theoretical and practical need for investment expertise. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Very thorough! The only real book on PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
I would have given Reilly's book a five (5) star if its explanation had been slightly simpler and there were key check figures / solutions for chapter exercises & problems at the back. The coverage on most topics in both "Investment" and "Portfolio" parts has been written in much depth supported by research from various well-known journals. I have 3 editions of this same book (1989, 1997 and 2001 - the one just before this edition) and each time Reilly has improved & updated it a great deal. This is the ONLY textbook which really examines the subject of PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT in detail (especially on bond & derivatives) unlike other texts which merely "introduce" the subject after covering the Investment Analysis part in some depth. Eventhough it is meant for those who have some knowledge of finance or basic investment, its comprehensiveness makes it a great reader for those who want to know more about the subject e.g advanced undergraduate in business. Excellent text for those pursuing MBA in Finance or CFA professional qualification but will require some asssitance in getting the problem figures checked. Overall, a fantastic piece of work; unfortunately not meant for self-study...

Excellent compendium of theory and practice
Whether encountered through an MBA equity analysis course or the CFA program, Investment Analysis will be an indispensable reference book for investment analysts, fund managers, and finance professionals for years to come. Although it is not an introductory finance text, it covers most of the basics. The book also delves on esoterica about derivatives, value investing, hydrid securities, and hedging. All in all, Investment Analysis is a good textbook that will be appreciated by academics, professionals and students alike.

Prof. Reilly is awesome!
Buy this book! GO IRISH and GO AIM XVIII!!! (aim.nd.edu)

Perfect intro
It is perfect for an introduction, and shows you the way where to learn more

Traditional, but not mainstream finance
As an introduction to traditional finance, this is a very good book. Most recent financial innovations that got a company like Enron into trouble are not covered, however. In addition, other off-balance sheet products that are financings or are fungible with bonds aren't covered. For instance, total return swaps and the exploding credit derivatives market are ignored, and that is a shortcoming in a book on portfolio theory and the capital markets.

Credit derivatives and total return swaps are used to round out and diversiry both equity and bond portfolios. Tavakoli has written an excellent book on these products: "Credit Derivatives" (Second Edition). ... Read more

Book Description

Get the bestselling guide to trading systems, now updated for the 21st century.

For more than two decades, futures traders have turned to the classic Trading Systems and Methods for complete information about the latest, most successful indicators, programs, algorithms, and systems. Perry Kaufman, a leading futures expert highly respected for his years of experience in research and trading, has thoroughly updated this bestselling guide, adding more systems, more methods, and extensive risk analysis to keep this the most comprehensive and instructional book on trading systems today. His detailed, hands-on manual offers a complete analysis, using a systematic approach with in-depth explanations of each technique. This edition also includes a CD-ROM that contains the TradeStation EasyLanguage program, Excel spreadsheets, and Fortran programs that appear in the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Tools
Actually a 4.5 star. Not the same remixed crap that bloats a traders library. Useful strats that actually work not just in theory but where it counts....in your portfolio. ... Read more

Book Description

"Derman’s memoir of his transition from mathematical physicist to expert finance whiz at Goldman Sachs and Salomon Brothers reads like a novel, but tells a lot about brains applied to making money grow."
–Paul A. Samuelson, MIT, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, 1970

"Not only a delightful memoir, but one full of information, both about people and their enterprise. I never thought that I would be interested in quantitative financial analysis, but reading this book has been a fascinating education."
–Jeremy Bernstein, author of Oppenheimer: Portrait of an Enigma

"This wonderful autobiography takes place in that special time when scientists discovered Wall Street and Wall Street discovered them.It is elegantly written by a gifted observer who was a pioneering member of the new profession of financial engineering, with an evident affection both for finance as a science and for the scientists who practice it.Derman’s portrait of how the academics brought their new financial science to the world of business and forever changed it and, especially, his descriptions of the late and extraordinary genius Fischer Black who became his mentor, reveal a surprising humanity where it might be least expected.Who should read this book?Anyone with a serious interest in finance and everyone who simply wants to enjoy a good read."
–Stephen Ross, Franco Modigliani Professor of Finance and Economics, Sloan School, MIT

" … a deep and elegant exploration by a thinker who moved from the hardest of all sciences (physics) to the softest of the soft (finance). Derman is a different class of thinker; unlike most financial economists, he bears no physics envy and focuses on exploring the real intuitions behind the mechanisms themselves. In addition to stories and portraits, the book documents, in vivid detail, the methods of knowledge transfer. I know of no other book that bridges the two cultures. Finally, I am happy to discover that Derman has a third career: he is a writer."
–Nassim Taleb, author of Fooled by Randomness

"The quintessential quarky quant, Emanuel Derman has it all.Physicist, mathematician, philosopher, and poet blend together to produce a narrative that all financial engineers will find worth reading."
–Mark Rubinstein, Paul Stephens Professor of Applied Investment Analysis, University of California, Berkeley ... Read more

Book Description

This investment book uses extensive full-color graphics to explain the fundamentals of the markets-an essential resource before reading how-to books or engaging investment advice.It is a unique combination of investment art and investment science that enables the reader to differentiate between irrational hope and a rational view of current market conditions. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Only Half the Story
The book does provide useful insights about the markets, their past performance, and likely prospects for the future.It explains many concepts in relatively simple terms that a non-professional can readily understand.I was expecting the book to provide some guidance on how to use the concepts provided in the book; however, it offered nothing more than an investment strategy and did not describe the techniques that are available to and used by hedge funds and others.

Best Book on the Markets
Unexpected Returns is the best book on investing I have ever read.It's a must for all market junkies, for sure.It's a must for those professionals who work with clents.It's a big plus for investors/traders with intermediate to long term horizons (weeks to months, to 5, 10, 20 years).One of the key practical ideas is that investors need to act differently in a secular bear market than they do in a secular bull market.It's a big picture book with practical applications.Trust me, you will love it!If you want some more information, see Easterling's website at:http://www.crestmontresearch.com. You will get a good idea of what Easterling is all about.I have read the book three times.Then I highlighted the important parts.Then I underlined the most important parts.I am still enjoying it and learning.The price is more than fair; you won't be satisfied with a library copy.

P/E Expansion
Ed Easterling has penned one of the most insightful "big picture" books about the stock market ever written, in the same esteemed category as "Triumph of the Optimists" and Jeremy Siegel's "Stocks for the Long Run." Easterling uses a wealth of data to show that the critical component of long-term excess returns is not earnings growth, dividend yield, or luck, but expansion of the price/earnings ratio. Typically, P/E expansion happens in a slowly falling interest rate environment with mild inflation (2-3%) and stable economic conditions. Remind you of the 1990s?

By contrast, P/E contraction happens during times of econonomic instability, unexpected deflationary or inflationary pressures, or rising interest rates. Remind you of today?

If you invest most of your money at a time when P/E ratios are well above the long-term historical average (as they are now), the best you can hope for is an average long-term return (7%-10%), assuming P/E ratios do not decline over your lifetime. The odds are, however, that the market P/E will revert to its long-term mean over your investing lifetime because interest rates are likely to move higher and inflation is not likely to remain benign forever. While this point seems intuitive, few market participants acknowledge the simple interrelation between interest rates, inflation, uncertainty, P/E ratios, and long-term stock market returns -- a mistake that has huge ramifications, and has a high probability of causing disappointment with the stock market in coming years.

The book isn't just a bearish tome, however -- Easterling presents realistic strategies for overcoming the problem of declining P/E ratios. He lays out the problems using data to back up his case, then presents solutions. Investors would do well to heed his advice.

Understanding Market Cycles and What to Do About Them
The stock market's phenomenal rise from 1982-1999 and equally impressive fall beginning in 2000 naturally led many to question the buy-and-hold, "stocks for the long run" conventional investing wisdom of the 1990's. Among the questions: do secular bull and bear markets really exist, and how long do they last? Can we know what causes them? Are they predictable? Can we know which market phase we are experiencing now? If so, what practical benefit does that provide us in forming an investment strategy and making investment decisions?

These are all timely and important questions, and a new book, Unexpected Returns by Ed Easterling, is the most elegantly structured treatment of the subject that I've seen to date, presented with clear historical data to back up the arguments. The surprising thing is how much the average investor experience depends upon stock prices relative to earnings or dividends, and whether these multiples expand or contract duringa given investment period. There is a wonderful chart on page 80 of Unexpected Returns that shows just how much investors are dependent upon changes in P/E ratios, not earnings growth, over time for their returns. Easterling shows clearly that the best environment for P/E ratios is when inflation is low and stable and approaches price stability. The further conditions stray from this low-inflation, price stability environment, the greater the downward pressure on P/E ratios. Historically, the highest levels of inflation (such as those experienced in the 1970's) and the most extreme examples of deflation (such as that in the early part of the 20th century in the U.S.) correspond with historically low P/E ratios.

One of the strongest points emphasized by the book is that interest rates and inflation have never been stable for long, and the recent condition of low inflation price stability is a historical anomaly. As long as the current benevolent inflation / interest rate environment lasts, stocks can support P/E ratios in the low 20's; the sooner it changes, and the more drastically, the farther P/E ratios will have to fall. The evidence, as Easterling lays it out, makes it far more likely that the stock market's nice performances in 2003 and 2004 represent nothing more than a typical bear market rally than the beginning of a new bull market. Stock prices and interest rates similar to those prevailing today have historically marked the ends of bull markets, not their beginnings. The recognition of the conditions of a secular bear market requires a different investment strategy than does a bull market - as Easterling would say, row, don't sail.

Unexpected Returns is compact, highly readable, and offers compelling historical evidence for the inevitability of secular bull and bear markets, what drives them, and the clear signals that can be used by enlightened investors to determine the prevailing market cycle in order to improve results in any market environment.
(The review above is a shorter version of one originally published in Value Investor Insight (www.valueinvestorinsight.com) and appears here in this format with permission.)

Must Read for Investors!
Ed Easterling has written a truly special book.He frames the historical market trends, current situation, and likely future in a straightforward way that draws insightful conclusions for investors. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The rich are different from the rest of us, if for no other reason than U.S. tax and securities laws allow them to invest in ways that keep us from catching up to them. That's why 90 percent of all corporate shares of stock are owned by 10 percent of the people. Kiyosaki believes it's possible for anyone to move up into that 10 percent, but it takes a different view of investing than most people have: it takes a plan to be a successful investor. And a plan is more than simply buying and selling, or collecting "assets" that bring in no cash and are thus more akin to liabilities. The way most people invest, "they might as well be pushing a wheelbarrow in a circle," he writes. A plan is "mechanical, automatic, and boring," a formula for success that has worked historically for most of those who've used it. Kiyosaki's "rich dad" (actually, the father of his best friend) tells him the simplest analogy is the game Monopoly: buy four green houses, trade them for one red hotel, and repeat until you become rich.

The overall message of Rich Dad's Guide to Investing is that this is an abundant world, full of opportunity for the sophisticated investor. However, it sometimes takes a while to find this point. Much of the book is told in dialogues between young Kiyosaki and his rich dad, and these conversations can ramble. There are rewards for the careful reader--for example, in the middle of a section on the basic rules of investing, Kiyosaki's rich dad compares investor education to toilet training: difficult at first but eventually automatic. But getting to these inspired metaphors means wading through a lot of repetitive dialogue. It's a bit ironic that someone who advocates investor discipline should show so little as a writer. But by the end of the book, even the rambling starts to make sense. By the hundredth time you read that the rich don't work for money, and that you don't need money to make money, both concepts start to make sense. It still looks difficult to apply these ideas, but Rich Dad's Guide to Investing certainly makes the case that they'll work for anyone bold and smart enough to practice them. --Lou Schuler ... Read more

Reviews (143)

A must for those who want to be Financially Independent
This book continues from where Kiyosaki left off in Cashflow Quadrant, his 2nd book in the trilogy (now complete with Rich Dad's Guide to Investing).

In his 1st book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Kiyosaki addressed the differences in mindsets between the Rich and the Poor. Then, in his 2nd book Cashflow Quadrant, he spoke on the 4 quadrants from which one can generate income. To be wealthy, Kiyosaki recommended that we learn to generate our incomes from the "B" (Business-owner) and "I" (Investor) quadrant as opposed to the "E" (Employee) and "S" (Self-employed) quadrant.

In his 3rd book Rich Dad's Guide to Investing, Kiyosaki tells how he got started in his investment journey, starting with nothing, and in fact at one stage, with a negative net worth. Most of us, having read his first 2 books, would have wondered if we could have embarked on our journey to become financially independent without much resource at hand. In this book, Kiyosaki shows how anyone can get started and how it does not take money to make money. He teaches how time is more important than money; how investing in one's self and getting an education and experience precedes excessive cash; how having a plan is more important than being in a hurry to make money.

This is not a book for those who want hot tips and quick fixes. This is a book on mindsets. Kiyosaki plants ideas and provides a road-map. The reader must take the first step and learn to navigate his/her own journey.

What I like about this book, is Kiyosaki's concept of being an Ultimate Investor, a "selling-investor". The Ultimate Investor creates deals and businesses that the public hunger for and are willing to pay a premium to acquire a share of. With the internet, it has never been easier to create businesses and deals which one can take public.

As in all his other books, Kiyosaki's book is worth reading again and again. I would also recommend that one reads Robert Allen's Multiple Streams of Income in conjunction with Kiyosaki's Rich Dad's Guide to Investing.

RDGTI is the Ultimate Investors Guide
This book is about the 90/10 investor difference. As Kiwosaki explains [quoting Rich Dad] "If you want to be rich, just find out what everyone else is doing and do the exact opposite"RDGTI explains the differences between the 10% of investors who make 90% of the money and the 90% who make only 10% of the money.It's not what they invest in, but how they think.The RDGTI goes against standard, accepted dogma. To me, the greatest revelation was when I realized that by changing my thoughts, as espoused by Rich Dad AND told to Kiwosaki, I could [and did] change my investment results.The average investors philosphy is to not take risks and buy and hold [actually buy and pray--average down]I like the fact that this book is written in an easy to read format. The story telling and metaphors help drive the ideas home. The mental attitude quizzes clears the cobwebs from your head and gets you thinking like an entrepeneur, champion investor. While some of the information is repeated from the RDPD and CFQ--so what? Ever taken a class? Don't teachers review previous material before moving on to newer studies? This book builds on the prior books Kiwosaki and Lechter will tell you some things that you don't want to hear and blow holes wide open on typical misconceptions.So where do you want to be, in the 90% who go nowhere or the 10% who succeed. I have chosen to be inthe 10%. Care to join me? Start by reading this book.

Powerfully impacted my investment results
Prior to reading (...and applyiny) the advice in Rich Dad's Guide to Investing I was like a gerbel in a cage going nowhere with my investing. I was loosing money, not making money and my broker wasn't making me feel any better by reminding me that all of his clients were loosing money, everybody is loosing money, the market is down and so on.

I recalled a saying by Will Rogers:

"I am not so worried about the return on my investment as I am on the return of my investment."

Listening to brokers was causing me to loose money.

Rich Dad's Guide to Investing gives you all the keys you need to get to where you want to go. It's not theory, it's how the rich invest. It is how the rich become rich.

I also recommend Rich Dad's Prophecy which since it has been written has been 100% accurate. That is a pretty good batting average. I'd count on the rest to be accurate as well.

If you are serious about making money investing, read and apply Rich Dad's Guide to Investing and Rich Dad's Prophecy my two favorite Rich Dad books after of course Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Great advice that really works
If you were one of those 80 million Americans who lost over a trillion dollars following your stock brokers or convential advice, then you will love this book.

While no one has a time machine, we can't correct the past, we can certaintly plan for the future and this great book by Robert Kiyosaki will show you how to do just that---plan for your future and actually make some money investing...and in more than just the stock market too.

CAUTION: Brokers won't like this book and in fact will hope you never read this book, but then, you know why they are called brokers don't you? It's because they are usually broker than you are! The massive downsizing of brokers by so many brokerage firms shows just how valuable these guys really are.

By the way, I also recommend Rich Dad's Prophecy.

ANOTHER WINNER BASED ON AUTHOR'S WISDOM
I am a fan of Robert Kiyosaki. On the book shelf next to me is his CD and workbook course titled "Choose To Be Rich" (produced by Time Life) bought at a live lecture in 2002 in Fresno, California where he took the time to autograph the course for me after he spoke even though he was trying to get away to get to the airport. So I have made it a point to read all the books he has written as he has walked his talk. In addition to this book, I would recommend that readers have on their bookself to read and constantly refer to "Making Dollars With Pennies: How The Small Investor Can Beat the Wizards On Wall Street," by R. Max Bowser. This book is also by an author who after many years created a system that enables investors to become wealthly over time. It is available used and new on Amazon.com. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 30,000 online investors daily flock to pristine.com, the top-rated Website run by day trading legends Oliver Velez and Greg Capra, for up-to-the-minute strategies and market commentaries. In Tools and Tactics for the Master Day Trader, Velez and Capra revisit and completely update over 100 of their daily commentaries from the past four years, with new material explaining what worked, what didn't, and why.

This no-nonsense, easy read, meant to be referenced by traders every trading day, covers everything from potent trading strategies to intuitive insights on psychology and discipline. Proving once again that the best teacher is experience, Tools and Tactics for the Master Day Trader will help any trader log on with the technical skills, market knowledge, and confidence they need to capture more winning trades, and reap new profits.

Reviews (101)

Dissenting Opinion from a Full-time Trader
The people who previously reviewed this new book by Oliver Velez and Greg Capra seem to have started in the middle of the book, looking only for The Holy Grail to lead them to immense profits heretofore undiscovered by anyone else. I found the real value in the first half of the book, which tries to show you why you haven't been a successful trader up to now and what to do about it. This is worth the price of the book in itself. They are teaching you how to fish, not giving you a fish, as the old saying goes. They should include a mirror with every copy, as I see myself in every page when they describe the mistakes made by beginning traders. I started trading commodities in 1989 and switched to stocks in 1998, so I have had the rare opportunity to make all the mistakes they describe and more. But the good news is...that's what makes you a success later on. Chapter 5, "The Seven Deadly Sins of Trading", doesn't just tell you the sins, but actually tells you how to eliminate them. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book to me.

I became profitable in 1998 and support my family totally from trading income, using many of the tools described in this book. I have tried many of the software "black box" programs out there, been to many seminars (some great ones, some worthless ones), bought many trading books, and it has all led me to where I am now. If I had let an unfavorable review like the ones here steer me away from a fantastic book like this one, I would not be trading today and making a living working for myself half a day and hiking, biking and skiing the other half. So what if they promote their own seminars, web pages, trading room, etc. in the book. Wade Cook and many others use their books as free advertising the same way...nobody is forced to buy the other products. We all have the ability to decide whether or not we will delve further into these products, don't we?

To be fair to the other reviewers, they may already be successful traders that don't need the advice in the first half of the book and were only looking for a book that would reveal a system or method to double their income in the next three months. All I can say is that I have been trading for eleven years and the book will probably double my income in the next six months even if I never read the second half. Buy it, read it and decide for yourself.

Required Reading for Profitable Trading
What makes this one of the very best books on day trading is the clear, simple and direct language the authors use to illuminate a complex subject, and few books in the genre are as comprehensive in scope, as well organized and presented. In Tools and Tactics for the Master Day Trader, authors Oliver Velez and Greg Capra have created the essential primer for neophytes, as well as a book seasoned traders will find of lasting value for the insights and wisdom the authors only could have acquired through long experience in the trenches themselves.

Their approach is technical, based on a number of reliable chart patterns that identify key short-term shifts in market psychology, those points when a change occurs in the balance between buyers and sellers. Charting techniques, market indicators and timing, and execution skills are detailed in a concise and focused way. But the book excels in discussions about trader psychology, the emotional challenges that must be overcome, and the attitude and discipline a successful trader must have in approaching the markets. For example:

"The need or desire for certainty is one of those natural human traits that every aspiring trader must learn to overcome, because certainty is a myth. It does not exist in life, nor does it exist in the market. It is a phantom, a dream that is chased by far too many market players. As traders, we must be capitalists of the unknown. We can never escape the fact that we are forced to act in the face of uncertainty. Those who must know all the facts before they trade will find opportunity forever leaving them behind. Fortune waits for its captor in the shadows of uncertainty. It lies hidden on the path least traveled. The active trader will find that the greatest opportunities will be found where no one else is willing to go. The trader can never be certain that the trade just taken will work. The trader can properly assess the odds and devise an intelligent strategy in an attempt to exploit those odds. But each trade will still possess the ability to disappoint. Each attempt will carry with it the potential to fail. The aspiring trader must learn to deal with this and must learn to act before he or she knows. Because by the time the trader knows, the opportunity is long gone."

The authors include chapters on "the seven deadly sins of trading"; how to identify and kill your deadliest demons, and rules the master trader lives by. This book is required reading for all who intend to trade profitably.

Save your money!!
This book is a real piece of crap. Don't waste your money. It reads like a 389 page advertisment for Pristine Day Trading seminars.As a professional trader, I pity the newbie who buys this book expecting to get any usable information from of it. I buy books hoping for ONE good idea: I lost!"Methods of a Wall St. Master" by Vic Sperandeo is a MUCH better buy.Velez and Capra advise their readers to ignore market fundamentals: Those fools who choose to ignore the fundamentals of the market do so at their own risk!!!

OVERPRICED
This book has large fonts and i feel is very overpriced for the small amount of info it has. The strategies work no better than half the time and can be found for free on many internet sites. For $12 i might recommend this book for beginners but otherwise pass on it.

A Documentary Of The Largest Scam in The Daytrading Arena
1 Star was the lowest rating I could find, if "SCAM" was na option I would have selected it. This book will soon serve as "exhibit A" in the case against these highway thieves. Do your homework first. Look at this post before you spend anything on this book[...]

Proceed with caution! ... Read more

Book Description

Just as Watergate was the defining political story of its time, so Enron is thebiggest business story of our time. And just as All the President’s Menwas the one Watergate book that gave readers the full story, with all the dramaand nuance, The Smartest Guys in the Room is the one book you have toread to understand this amazing business saga. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

The "Exorcist" for Business Readers
This book scared the hell out of me. With the scandals at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, etc., one has to ask - "Where Else?"

While it focuses on the people and personalities directing Enron, the book very rightly points out that this Ponzi-Scheme of a company could never have existed if not for the complicity, corruption and willful ignorance of individuals and organizations who were supposed to act as checks and balances. Simply put, Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling & Andrew Fastow were able to bully, buy or dupe the following:

1. The Enron Board, who questioned almost nothing.
2. Arthur Andersen, who was corrupted by large consulting fees, and the "glamor" that was Enron.
3. Wall Street Equity Analysts, who were long ago compromised.
4. Large commercial banks, who allowed themselves to be played like violins by Fastow.
5. The business press, who with rare exception, acted as cheerleaders for Enron.
6. Debt-Rating agencies such as Moody's and S&P for shallow due dilligence.

Make no mistake, this is a horror story. So much loss and pain due to extremely bright folks with no moral compass! Throughout the book, I found myself asking "can an organization this unethical, cutthroat and STUPID have really existed?" I didn't know if I should be outraged or horribly depressed (BOTH!). If I had a critisim of the book, it would be that it should have contained an appendix that illustrated the financial position (on-balance sheet & total) to help readers fully comprehend the magnitude of what went on.

I recommend this book to anyone who owns more than $10 in stock.

Not For Lay People
There's blame galore to go around for the spectacular downfall of Enron Corp in that sober year of 2001. Accountants, rating agencies, regulators, lawyers, consultants, bankers--and these are just the bad actors outside the corporation. Look inside, where Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind treat their readers to a thorough journalistic scouring, and the smell of the rot almost wafts off the pages.

The authors rightly spend the vast majority of the book examining the personalities and circumstances that allowed the company to become what it was at the end of its life. Mix a potion that's one part hardscrabble Harvard MBAs, one part energy deregulation, and one part hysterical bull market, and you've got a financial molotov cocktail. Sadly, as we all know now, it was largely the little guy who paid the price for all the hubris of the players in this story, a fact that tends to get lost in the authors' painstaking recreation of the most complicated shell game in history.

But the story of Enron's fallout could provide the material for a whole other book. In this one we get the tale of the players, people like Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Rebecca Mark and Andy Fastow, all filled with an equal mix of remarkable brilliance and fatal arrogance. All are indicted by these authors as rabid players in a game they made up themselves, deeming themselves beyond the petty world of rules and regulation. But coming in for equal excoriation is the system itself, the web of enablement and intimidation that allowed Andy Fastow to quietly hammer together the company's coffin in the form of a maze of phantom accounting entities designed to prop of the appearance of the corpse inside. The most unnerving theme the book treats indirectly is the effect of mass psychology--the way exceptional personalities distort and transform reality on a systemic scale. And it offers little in the way of how something like this could ever be prevented in the future.

One word of warning for people not acquainted with basic finance: this is a complicated story, about erstwhile geniuses in the arcane use of financial products and regulatory loopholes. Though it's enjoyable even if one can't follow every detour down each accounting scheme, some knowledge of Wall Street and its workings seems necessary to understand the implications of the book overall. Given the fact that most experts didn't understand what went on here, the authors do their best to keep things as simple as possible, often using helpful metaphors and simple summations after a few pages of analysis, but they have no choice but to assume a level of sophistication among their readers.

Which leads to one gripe. In "The Smartest Guys In the Room" not a single institution or individual player involved with Enron escapes the authors' finger-pointing notice, with but one exception. Where were the journalists in all this? Why did short-sellers have to be the ones to ask all the tough questions? Bethany Mclean should take understandable pride in being the first one to pry the door open on Enron's malfeasance, but she was just a little late. One would think that with the mass of financial journalists on CNBC, the Journal, the Times, etc., that just one would have bucked the collective cheering squad and dug deeper into what this supposedly invincible company was up to. But of course, this was the bull market. A time when everyone was exuberant when they should have been scared.

A must for the non-sceptic
My blood ran cold reading of how long the officers of this firm managed to pull the wool over the investment community's eyes, aided and abetted by the deleriction of duty of those in whom we trust (and pay hansomely) to guard against such crooks. If there was ever a book to convince investors to do their own homework and to think independently, this is it. A well written and an engaging read. Well worth the money.

Who Are These Guys
I chose the above title quote from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" to highlight my review. The authors provide a biography of many of the Enron players that lets us know what these guys were all about at their core. For example, Jeff Skilling spent almost all his after-school time working at a television station. Yet, he went to college without a dime because he blew all his pay in the stock market-buying stocks on margin. Never mind though b