Business, Finance & Law Books

Book SynopsisThe Investment Trusts Handbook 2025 is the eighth edition of the highly regarded annual handbook for anyone interested in investment trusts often referred to as the City's best-kept secret, or the connoisseur's choice among investment funds.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of a new division of labor between machines and humans, in which people provide value to the economy with little or no compensation.The computerization of the economy—and everyday life—has transformed the division of labor between humans and machines, shifting many people into work that is hidden, poorly compensated, or accepted as part of being a “user” of digital technology. Through our clicks and swipes, logins and profiles, emails and posts, we are, more or less willingly, participating in digital activities that yield economic value to others but little or no return to us. Hamid Ekbia and Bonnie Nardi call this kind of participation—the extraction of economic value from low-cost or free labor in computer-mediated networks—“heteromation.” In this book, they explore the social and technological processes through which economic value is extracted from digitally mediated work, the nature of the value created

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Book SynopsisBusiness Development in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries accounts for over $5 billion in licensing deal value per year and much more than that in the value of mergers and acquisitions. Transactions range from licences to patented academic research, to product developments as licences, joint ventures and acquisition of intellectual property rights, and on to collaborations in development and marketing, locally or across the globe. Asset sales, mergers and corporate takeovers are also a part of the business development remit. The scope of the job can be immense, spanning the life-cycle of products from the earliest levels of research to the disposal of residual marketing rights, involving legal regulatory manufacturing, clinical development, sales and marketing and financial aspects. The knowledge and skills required of practitioners must be similarly broad, yet the availability of information for developing a career in business development is sparse. Martin Austin's highl

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Book SynopsisMick Marchington was Emeritus Professor of Human Resource Management at University of Manchester, UK and a Chartered Companion of the CIPD.Adrian Wilkinson is a professor and was founding director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Griffith University, Australia and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.Rory Donnelly is Professor of HRM at the University of Liverpool, UK and a Chartered Member of the CIPD.Anastasia Kynighou is a senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and a Chartered Member of the CIPD.

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Book SynopsisTHOMAS K. McKNIGHT has coached 200+ business launches, helping entrepreneurs develop organizational infrastructure, plan for emerging technologies and intellectual property creation, project cash flow requirements and contingencies, and analyze potential return and valuations. McKnight draws upon 29 years' successful experience as Chairman, CEO, VP, and Consultant in both large companies and start-up/early-stage ventures. At Gannett, he helped to launch USA Today, the largest new venture in the history of print journalism. His background includes time at Smith Barney, the White House, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Marine Corps. He holds a B.S. in Business from Miami University and a J.D. from The Ohio State University.Table of Contents Preface. I. Overview. II. Elements Of The Scorecard. Element 1. Compelling Unserved Need. Element 2. Explainable Uniqueness. Element 3. Sustainable Differentiation. Element 4. Demonstrable Now. Element 5. Good Competition. Element 6. Bad Competition. Element 7. Compelling Pricing Possible. Element 8. Closable Customers. Element 9. Quality of Evidence of Demand. Element 10. Ahead of the Market. Element 11. Ambush Exposure. Element 12. “Hot Market”. PERSONAL. Element 13. Attitude of Confidence and Fearlessness. Element 14. Commitment. Element 15. Staying Power. Element 16. Passion. Element 17. Management Competence. Element 18. Honesty and Integrity. Element 19. Success Ethic. Element 20. Looking Good in the Lobby. OPERATIONS. Element 21. Cash Flowing Now. Element 22. Revenue Model That Swamps Costs. Element 23. Delivery Advantages. Element 24. Resources Available. Element 25. Preemption and Domination. Element 26. Strategy to Penetrate Market. Element 27. Strategy for Breaching the Chasm. Element 28. Proprietary Ownership. Element 29. Partnering Candidates. Element 30. Appropriateness of Location. Element 31. Quality of the Backup Plan. Element 32. Unfair Advantages. FINANCE. Element 33. Manageable Capital Requirements. Element 34. Low Cash Required Before Launch. Element 35. Visible Capital. HARVEST. Element 36. High Potential Value. Element 37. Foreseeable Harvest. DAUNTING NEGATIVES. Element 38. Taboo. Element 39. Lack of Showstoppers. Element 40. Pretending Not To Know. THE STORY. Element 41. High Profile Persons Available. Element 42. Punchy, Compelling Story. CARPE DIEM. Element 43. Government Relevance. Element 44. Low Hanging Fruit. Conclusion of the Coin-Operated Laundry. @PARTHEAD = III. The Scorecard and Beyond. Game Caution. Conclusion. Appendix I. Orion Satellite Corporation. Appendix II. PTAT System, Inc.. Appendix III. Creative Destruction. Appendix IV. Innovators Scorecard. Appendix V. Coin-Operated Laundry Example. About the Author. Index.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Zimmer has produced a powerful text that brings to life numerous forgotten rebels and significantly expands our understanding of anti-statist social movements in the first half of the twentieth century… This immaculately researched and carefully composed monograph thus sets a new bar for the study of anarchism."--Anarchist Studies"Most students of US radicalism have long assumed that anarchism was brought to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by immigrants from eastern and southern Europe. Zimmer demonstrates that the real story is more complicated. Recommended."--Choice"Zimmer's archival research is impressive… a fascinating examination of the interplay of individuals of various ethnicities… involved with anarchism and its sympathizers in San Francisco."--International Review of Social History"Well researched and eloquent."--Jewish Book Council"This is likely to be an essential work on immigrant anarchism for years to come."--H-Net Reviews"Drawing on an impressive and unprecedented array of Yiddish- and Italian-language sources, Zimmer details both the ideological connections and ethnocultural obstacles that supported and separated anarchist communities. . . . Zimmer's research and scope is encyclopedic. . . . Zimmer's fine book is indispensable."--The Journal of American History"Immigrants against the State breaks new ground in anarchist history and offers a timely contribution to the knowledge of immigrant radicalism, past and present. It is essential reading for students and scholars of radical and immigration history, and for anyone interested in exploring immigrant lives marked by a transnational collective identity that embraced diversity regardless of the national, ethnic and racial divides.--Labour History"A vitally important transnational work that makes significant interventions into the historiography of immigration, anarchism, labor and the working class, and late-nineteenth to early twentieth-century politics."--American Historical Review "An extraordinarily well-documented and stimulating read."--Italian American Review "A beautiful, exceptionally well-researched work of transnational history."--Canadian Journal of History "Admirably, the author uses Italian- and Yiddish-language sources to produce one of the most extensive accounts of anarchism in twentieth-century America. One of the best histories of anarchism in the United States."--Tony Michels, author of A Fire in Their Hearts: Yiddish Socialists in New York "I have been waiting for a book like this for a long time, one that tells of the multiethnic and transnational world of early twentieth-century anarchism, not just from the perspective of the notorious figures, but from the grass roots. Zimmer is both a highly gifted storyteller and a meticulous, careful researcher whose account follows this history through a truly astonishing range of sources in Yiddish, Italian, Spanish, German, and English, from archives across the globe. This is the new generation of transnational working-class history at its very best."--Jennifer Guglielmo, author of Living the Revolution: Italian Women's Resistance and Radicalism in New York City, 1880–1945 "A century ago, anarchists were everywhere, a movement in constant movement. Having mastered the languages of the two largest groups of immigrant anarchists in the United States, Kenyon Zimmer paints intimate portraits of their Yiddish- and Italian-speaking worlds. The book will be required reading for all scholars of immigrant radicalism. More broadly, anyone interested in the complex intersections of class, mobility, and culture in our own times will find much to ponder in the cosmopolitanism and internationalism immigrants created as they responded to the violent nationalist politics of their own times."--Donna R. Gabaccia, author of Immigration and American Diversity: A Social and Cultural History

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Book SynopsisWhat is a boundary? Simply put, a boundary is a property line that defines ownership, and responsibility. Beginning with a lucid description of how brains actually work, the author applies those principles to the critical aspects of a leader's work: how to manage teams, coach direct reports, and instill an organization with values and culture.Trade Review"...the book offers a valuable perspective and ideas." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisThe incredible saga of the German-Jewish immigrants?with now familiar names like Goldman and Sachs, Kuhn and Loeb, Warburg and Schiff, Lehman and Seligman?who profoundly influenced the rise of modern finance (and so much more), from the New York Times best-selling author of Sons of WichitaJoseph Seligman arrived in the United States in 1837, with the equivalent of $100 sewn into the lining of his pants. Then came the Lehman brothers, who would open a general store in Montgomery, Alabama. Not far behind were Solomon Loeb and Marcus Goldman, among the ?Forty-Eighters? fleeing a Germany that had relegated Jews to an underclass.These industrious immigrants would soon go from peddling trinkets and buying up shopkeepers? IOUs to forming what would become some of the largest investment banks in the world?Goldman Sachs, Kuhn Loeb, Lehman Brothers, J. & W. Seligman & Co. They would clash and collaborate with J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman, Jay Gould, and other famed tycoons of the era. And their firms would help to transform the United States from a debtor nation into a financial superpower, capitalizing American industry and underwriting some of the twentieth century?s quintessential companies, like General Motors, Macy?s, and Sears. Along the way, they would shape the destiny not just of American finance but of the millions of Eastern European Jews who spilled off steamships in New York Harbor in the early 1900s, including Daniel Schulman?s paternal grandparents. In TheMoney Kings, Schulman unspools a sweeping narrative that traces the interconnected origin stories of these financial dynasties. He chronicles their paths to Wall Street dominance, as they navigated the deeply antisemitic upper class of the Gilded Age, and the complexities of the Civil War, World War I, and the Zionist movement that tested both their burgeoning empires and their identities as Americans, Germans, and Jews.

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Book SynopsisIncludes imaginative games and activities that have been specifically designed for the manager who's looking to: raise sagging morale in a department; liven up boring staff meetings; improve communication; promote a culture of harmony and cooperation; and have fun with your work team.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements.Introduction to Team-Building Games.How to Use This Book.Icebreakers: Getting to Know Each Other Better.Who Are We? Creating Team Identity.What Can Teamwork Achieve? Demonstrating Its Value.Who Can We Trust? Building Mutual Support.How Shoud We Proceed? Setting Team Goals and Norms.How Are We Doing? Improving Teamwork.How Can We Stretch Our Minds? Problem-solving and Creativity Games.Can We Get Along Better? Learning to Communicate and Cooperate.Can We Work Together? Energizing Team Meetins.What Lies Ahead? Coping with Change.how Can We Have More Fun? Taking time to Play.How Can We Build Self-esteem? Affirming Ourselves through Games.

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Book SynopsisIn Holacracy, Brian J Robertson outlines a ground-breaking approach to organisation: no managers, only roles''Holacracy is the opposite of the cliché way to run a start-up. It creates clarity: who is in charge of what, and who makes each kind of decision'' - Evan Williams, cofounder of Blogger, Twitter and MediumIn traditional companies, managers make decisions, and workers execute the plan. But Holacracy is a revolutionary and tried-and-tested new system which turns everyone into a leader. The organisation looks like a nest of circles, not a pyramid -- but it''s not anarchy. It''s finally clear who should make each decision -- the person on the frontline has that authority -- and the organisation succeeds by adapting swiftly to pursue its purpose.In Holacracy, pioneer Brian Robertson explains how to adopt this system across your organisation -- and what you can do just within your department or for yourself -- and how to ovTrade ReviewHolacracy is the opposite of the cliché way to run a startup. People romanticize startup cultures and their lack of structure, but it creates anxiety and inefficiency, whether we have to build consensus around every decision, or deal with land grabs for power. In contrast, Holacracy creates clarity: who is in charge of what, and who makes each kind of decision - and there is a system for changing that, so it's very flexible at the same time -- Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter and MediumThis book reminds me of a book that I must have read 100 times during my quest to become a better poker player. The first reading will most likely result in a complete paradigm shift, and you'll gain new insight every single time you reread it, especially when interspersed with actual practice playing the game on a regular basis. I highly recommend this book as your 'Holacracy Bible' if you're looking to explore a new way of working -- Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Delivering HappinessHolacracy is a difficult concept to understand, but its founder Brian Robertson breaks it down simply and thoroughly. Regardless of your conclusion about the system's potential, it is undoubtedly the alternative management approach that will be getting the most attention over the next few years as we see how it affects thousands of employees around the world. -- 20 business books to read this summer * World Economic Forum 'Agenda' *engagingly straightforward * Bloomberg *

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Book SynopsisSave money and get total official GRE® test preparation with this 3-book bundle from the test maker!This Power Pack includes:â  Official Guide to the GRE® Test, Fourth Edition â  Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions, Third Editionâ  Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Third Edition This Official GRE® Super Power Pack, Third Edition provides key information and the practice you need to do your best on the GRE® General Test. For less than what you would pay for each book separately, the bundle packages three books together.This essential resource features two full-length, authentic GRE tests, hundreds of authentic GRE practice questions with answers and explanations, descriptions of every question type, with v

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Book SynopsisDiscover a structured, applied approach to behavioral finance with the first academic text of its kind--Ackert/Deaves' BEHAVIORAL FINANCE: PSYCHOLOGY, DECISION MAKING, AND MARKETS. This comprehensive text--ideal for today's behavioral finance elective--links finance theory and practice to human behavior.The book begins by building upon the established, conventional principles of finance before moving into psychological principles of behavioral finance, including heuristics and biases, overconfidence, emotion and social forces. Readers learn how human behavior influences the decisions of individual investors and professional finance practitioners, managers, and markets.The book clearly explains what behavioral finance indicates about observed market outcomes as well as how psychological biases potentially impact the behavior of managers. Readers see, first-hand, the implications of behavioral finance on retirement, pensions, education, debiasing, and client management. This book spends a significant amount of time examining how behavioral finance can be used by practitioners today.Readers utilize theory and applications in every chapter with a wide variety of end-of-chapter exercises, discussion questions, simulations and experiments that reinforce the book's applied approach.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Introduction. SECTION I: CONVENTIONAL FINANCE, PROSPECT THEORY AND MARKET EFFICIENCY. 1: Foundations of conventional finance: Expected utility. 2: Foundations of conventional finance: Asset pricing theory and market efficiency. 3: Prospect theory, framing and mental accounting. 4: Limits to arbitrage, anomalies and investor sentiment. SECTION II: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS. 5: Heuristics and biases. 6: Overconfidence. 7: Emotion. SECTION III: INVESTOR BEHAVIOR. 8: Investor behavior stemming from heuristics and biases. 9: The impact of overconfidence on investor decision-making. 10: Emotion-based investor behavior. SECTION IV: SOCIAL FORCES. 11: Social forces: Selfishness or altruism? 12: Social forces and behavior. SECTION VI: MARKET OUTCOMES. 13: Behavioral explanations for anomalies. 14: Aggregate stock market puzzles. SECTION V: CORPORATE FINANCE. 15: Irrational markets. 16: Irrational managers. SECTION VII: RETIREMENT, PENSIONS, EDUCATION, DEBIASING AND CLIENT MANAGEMENT. 17: Understanding retirement saving and investment behavior and improving DC pensions. 18: Debiasing, education, and client management. SECTION VIII: MONEY MANAGEMENT. 19: Money management and behavioral investing. 20: Neurofinance and trading.

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Book Synopsis"Journalism is often said to be the first rough draft of history. The most interesting aspect of this book is that Anna Arutunyan, an American-trained journalist working in Moscow, provides an insiderâs view of Russian journalism from a valuable perspective. As a result, the book gives a level of detail and anecdote about media personalities and outlets that is both informative and interesting."Sarah Oates, Slavonic and East European Review April 2011.This book introduces readers to the Russian media, its current landscape, and its history by outlining the chief challenges faced by Russian journalists on their quest for media freedom. Focusing on how the Government has traditionally controlled the media through censorship, financial involvement, and relations between media moguls and the State, the book analyses to what extent the Russian media has become 'free' since the fall of Communism. The author questions whether freedom is possible at all in a society wheTable of ContentsIntroduction The current media playing field Media and power: ownership in the age of free marketFreedom in the Russian press The Russian newspaper, then and now Television and film The role of radio: a common ear The internet, blogging and the media of the futureConclusion

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Book SynopsisThe accompanying Analysing Media Texts DVD-ROM is the winner of the 2006 British Universities Film and Video Council 'Learning on Screen Award' for Interactive Media (Course and Curriculum related content). More about the awards and the shortlist can be found at www.bufvc.ac.uk/conferences/learningonscreen/losawards.htmlVisit the Understanding Media series microsite. This book provides an engaging introduction to analysing media texts. Students learn how to do semiotic, genre and narrative analysis, content and discourse analysis, and engage with debates about the politics of representation. Each chapter provides readings and worked examples, from the classic 1959 film melodrama by Douglas Sirk, Imitation of Life, to contemporary television ads. The book has an accompanying DVDTable of ContentsIntroduction – Marie Gillespie and Jason ToynbeeSigns, Codes and Cultures – Jostein Gripsrud Genre – Gill BranstonMedia Storytelling : Analysing Film and Broadcast Narratives – Marie GillespieDiscourse Analysis and Content Analysis – David Hesmondhalgh The Politics of Representation – Jason Toynbee

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Book SynopsisThe 'institutional' approach shows how features of social life act as mechanisms of social control. This book sets a research agenda within the field of institutional work by analyzing the ways in which individuals, groups, and organizations work to create, maintain, and disrupt the institutions that structure their lives.Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'Max Weber told us that institutions cannot be understood without considering the historical aggregation of individual activities. For many years, though, institutional theory had done little with this insight, focusing instead on the role of institutions as powerful social constraints. Priorities have clearly changed and this volume belongs with the contemporary lively 'deconstruction' of the institutional 'iron cage.' It is a welcome and timely contribution, demonstrating through a series of rich empirical explorations that institutions are created, changed and maintained through work, activities, practices, and discourses. We need more books of this kind, emphasizing the conflictual, messy, contradictory, ambiguous, processual, and ongoing nature of institutional work.' Marie-Laure Djelic, ESSEC Business SchoolReview of the hardback: 'The concept of institutional work is one of the most exciting conceptual developments in institutional theory in the last decade. It provides an invaluable conceptual framework for understanding the institutional effects of purposeful action and has connected conversations about institutional maintenance and change in a powerful new way. In this volume, Lawrence, Suddaby, and Leca expand on their early work on the topic and bring together an impressive group of scholars to further develop the concept through inspired theorizing and direct empirical application. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the future of institutional theory. I highly recommend you read it today!' Nelson Phillips, Imperial College Business SchoolTable of ContentsList of figures; List of tables; List of contributors; 1. Introduction: theorizing and studying institutional work Thomas B. Lawrence, Roy Suddaby and Bernard Leca; Part I. Essays on Institutional Work: 2. Institutional work and the paradox of embedded agency Julie Battilana and Thomas D'Aunno; 3. Leadership as institutional work: a bridge to the other side Matthew S. Kraatz; 4. Bringing change into the lives of the poor: entrepreneurship outside traditional boundaries Ignasi Marti and Johanna Mair; 5. Institutional work as the creative embrace of contradiction Timothy J. Hargrave and Andrew H. Van de Ven; Part II. Studies of Institutional Work: 6. Building the iron cage: institutional creation work in the context of competing proto-institutions Charlene Zietsma and Brent McKnight; 7. Scandinavian institutionalism - a case of institutional work Eva Boxenbaum and Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen; 8. Institutional maintenance as narrative acts Tammar B. Zilber; 9. Maintaining an institution in a contested organizational field: the work of AACSB and its constituents Christine Quinn Trank and Marvin Washington; 10. Institutional 'dirty' work: preserving institutions through strategic decoupling Paul M. Hirsch and Y. Sekou Bermiss; 11. Doing which work? A practice approach to institutional pluralism Paula Jarzabkowski, Jane Matthiesen and Andrew H. Van de Ven; Index.

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Book Synopsis3 Easy Steps to Better Stock Investing Lessons explain key stock investing concepts clearly and simply to help you learn quickly. Quizzes reinforce and build on what you learn. Worksheets let you put what you learn into practice immediately to improve your own investing.Table of ContentsWhy You Should Invest in Stocks. Lesson 101: Stocks Versus Other Investments. Lesson 102: The Magic of Compounding. Lesson 103: Investing for the Long Run. Lesson 104: What Matters and What Doesna t. Digging into a Company. Lesson 105: The Purpose of a Company. Lesson 106: Gathering Relevant Information. Lesson 107: Introduction to Financial Statements. Lesson 108: Learn the Lingoa Basic Ratios. Nuts and Bolts of Stock Investing. Lesson 109: Stocks and Taxes. Lesson 110: Using Financial Services Wisely. Lesson 111: Understanding the News. Lesson 112: Start Thinking Like an Analyst. Lesson 113: Using Morningstara s Ratings for Stocks. Additional Morningstar Resources. Recommended Readings. Industry Web Links. Quiz Answer Key. Worksheet Answer Key. Investing Terms. Formulas Reference.

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Book SynopsisJim Collins is author or co-author of six books that have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, including the bestsellers Good to Great, Built to Last, and How the Mighty Fall. Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. He now operates a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research, teaches, and consults with executives from the corporate and social sectors.More about Jim and his works can be found at his e-teaching site, where he has assembled articles, audio clips, a recommended reading list, discussion guide, tools, and other information. The site is designed to be a place for students to study and learn: www.jimcollins.comTrade Review...the biggest selling and most influential management book of the new millennium. * Financial Times *...seminal... * The Times *...a must-read... * Management Today *Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not-so-great, Collins lays a well-reasoned roadmap to excellence that any organisation would do well to consider. Like Built to Last, Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come. * Amazon.co.uk Review *in this category (management books) there is nothing to touch Jim Collins... It is essential reading. * Sunday Times Business Books of the Year *Table of ContentsGood is the enemy of great; level 5 leadership; first who - then what; confront the brutal facts (yet never lose faith); hedgehog concept; a culture of discipline; technology accelerators; the flywheel and the doom loop; from good to great to built to last.

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Book SynopsisThe best traders in the world know that being mentally prepared is absolutely essential to compete in today''s markets. Without a firm understanding of the psychology of trading, even the best stock picker will fail. The Trading Athlete gives specific instruction on how new and seasoned traders can keep themselves at the top of their mental game.-Tim Bourquin, Cofounder, TraderInterivews.com and The Online Trading Expo This book is a great training camp for online traders. Doug and Shane will provide the knowledge and motivation to help you become a successful trader.-Jonathan Markowitz, Partner, SMW Trading Co., Inc. Traders, just like athletes, face tremendous pressure, stress, and expectations that would crush the ordinary, unprepared individual. The Trading Athlete utilizes sport psychology strategies to provide you with the knowledge, confidence, and discipline needed to succeed and profit in the sink-or-swim world of online trading. Using reTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Mental Game of Trading. The Mental Keys to Becoming a Masterful Online Trading Athlete. Setting and Achieving Your Goals. Confidence: The Foundation of Success. How Winners Handle Losing. How to Energize, Not Catastrophize, in Pressure Situations. Trading for Revenge: A Recipe for Disaster. Recovery from Trading Injuries: Overcoming Fear. Concentration: Tuning In to Success. Enjoying the Moment: Playing the Game One Trade at a Time. Postgame Wrap-Up. Appendix A: Extra Innings. Appendix B: Using What You Know. Appendix C: Scenarios for the Trading Athlete. About the Authors. Index.

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Book SynopsisOffers a description of the author's stint as a low-wage worker at two national toy store chains: one upscale shop and one big box outlet. Including observations from the shop floor, this book chronicles her experiences as a cashier, salesperson, and stocker and provides insights into the social impact of shopping for toys.Trade Review“A welcome addition to the growing body of literature on children’s culture.” * Journal of American Culture *“Want to know why black men get demoted as workers? Or why middle-class white women are the most annoying customers of all? Then this is your book. In brisk and straightforward style, Williams argues that most of our contemporary working cultures harm consumers and employees and that we need to improve them, fast. While some anecdotes will not seem unfamiliar to those who have seen the view from both sides of a till, Williams's ability to connect them to a range of social theories results in a thoughtful and impressive read.” * The Guardian *"Inside Toyland is a model study of relations between identities, products, and work. For students, Williams provides many examples that bring abstract concepts—like the fetishization of commodities—to life. She calls for us not to shop less, but to shop with more awareness of, and effort to improve, the lives of retail workers and the entire experience of consumption." * American Journal of Sociology *“Inside Toyland is a gem—a well-written examination of politics, inequality, racism and working conditions in the context of the toy store. . . . This book powerfully exposes the politics and inequality embedded within consumer culture through an examination of low-wage retail work. It is a highly engaging expose of the reproduction of class, race and gender inequality.” * Canadian Journal of Sociology *"Williams's experiences in two retail toy stores-one mega and the other upscale-make evident the gender and racial/ethnic nature of retail work. She clearly demonstrates how every day exchanges between employees and man agers as well as employees and customers help reinforce existing social expectations based on class, gender, and race/ethnicity." * Contemporary Sociology *"This book is a major contribution to consumer studies, labor studies, race and ethnic studies, and gender studies." * Gender and Society *“A compelling read for those critical of the commercialization of childhood.” * Tikkun *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1 A Sociologist inside Toy Stores 2 History of Toy Shopping in America 3 The Social Organization of Toy Stores 4 Inequality on the Shopping Floor 5 Kids in Toyland 6 Toys and Citizenship Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a compact, accessible treatment of the main mathematical topics encountered in economics at an advanced level, moving from basic material into the twin areas of static and dynamic optimization. Nearly half of the book is devoted to a survey of univariate calculus, matrix algebra and multuvariate calculus. This fundamental material is made vigorous by the inclusion of a variety of applications. The later chapters focus on the Lagrange multiplier technique: when it will work, why it works and what economic insights it yields. The properties of maximum value functions and duality are explored, as are the Hamiltonian conditions for dynamic problems in the optimal control format. Dynamic programming and the calculus of variations are also covered. Much of the discussion proceeds at a heuristic level and by worked example, but the theorems and proofs required by the most analytical user are also to be found. The underlying message is that the language of

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Red Market is a thrilling adventure into the global body business, with keen insight into the economics that drive it. Scott Carney investigates both our insatiable need for replacement human parts and the uncanny and often disturbing ways we go about getting them." -- Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail "The Red Market is an unforgettable nonfiction thriller, expertly reported. Scott Carney takes us on a tremendously revealing and twisted ride, where life and death are now mere cold cash commodities." -- Michael Largo, author of Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die

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Book SynopsisA new, evolutionary explanation of markets and investor behavior Half of all Americans have money in the stock market, yet economists can't agree on whether investors and markets are rational and efficient, as modern financial theory assumes, or irrational and inefficient, as behavioral economists believe--and as financial bubbles, crashes, and crises suggest. This is one of the biggest debates in economics and the value or futility of investment management and financial regulation hang on the outcome. In this groundbreaking book, Andrew Lo cuts through this debate with a new framework, the Adaptive Markets Hypothesis, in which rationality and irrationality coexist. Drawing on psychology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and other fields, Adaptive Markets shows that the theory of market efficiency isn't wrong but merely incomplete. When markets are unstable, investors react instinctively, creating inefficiencies for others to exploit. Lo's new paradigm expl

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Book SynopsisLiam FitzPatrick is Joint Managing Partner of change communication consultancy Agenda Strategies. He has worked both in-house and for major consultancies running change campaigns, developing communications teams and advising on metrics and evaluation. Liam co-founded the Black Belt series of training for internal communicators and lectures and has served as an external examiner at UK universities. A Fellow of the UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations, he has been involved in planning the education and training of PR practitioners. He is a also member of the Global Certification Council of the International Association of Business Communicators.Klavs Valskov is Joint Managing Partner of change communication consultancy Agenda Strategies. Since 1999 he has worked in PR, marketing and communication with organisations including L'Oreal, Accenture, Nordea Bank and the Danish Government. From 2008-2013 Klavs was the award-winning Global Director of Communication in Maersk Trade Review"This is a must-read for everyone responsible for developing or managing internal communications. It builds on the most important experience shared by leading experts over the past decades and elegantly summarizes this into a current overview of what internal communicators must do to add value to the business." * Torben Bundgaard, Head of Leadership Communication, Novo Nordisk *"This book sets itself apart from others through its combination of theory and practical tips and templates. It is a joy to read - written in such an engaging, accessible way that anyone can understand it. From managing change communication to advising leaders and creating compelling messages, this book covers all the vital areas for any IC function." * Saskia Jones, Head of Internal Communication, Oxfam GB *"I wish I'd had a guide like this when I started out in internal communication....I'd recommend this manual to anyone working in internal communication; it's a great reference point for the start of any new communication challenge!" * Jenny Clark, Head of Internal Communications, The De Beers Group of Companies *"Rigorous, easy to read and use, grounded in extensive practice. Highly recommend for all in the field and for general managers who need to think beyond comms as a corporate function and take responsibility for the impact of effective human connections." * Sabine, Amazon reviewer *"This is essential reading for all those who are serious about making internal comms count in their organisation. From helping you understand and convince your organisation why IC is important, to explaining how to handle senior leaders, to giving you a straightforward means of setting out messages clearly and simply, this book has it all. Anybody who has experienced the challenges which all of these issues bring to a communicator will find this instantly accessible and appealing." * Barry Shaw, Amazon reviewer *Table of Contents Chapter - 01: What internal communication is and why it matters; Chapter - 02: Organizing internal communication; Chapter - 03: Planning; Chapter - 04: Audiences; Chapter - 05: Messaging; Chapter - 06: Channels; Chapter - 07: Why line managers matter and how to support them; Chapter - 08: Working with senior leaders; Chapter - 09: Change; Chapter - 10: Research and evaluation for internal communicators; Chapter - 11: Developing yourself and the team

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Book Synopsis''A fearless and important book . . . The End of Alchemy isn''t just an elegant guide to the history of economic ideas. It also gives a genuine insider''s account'' TelegraphThe past twenty years saw unprecedented growth and stability followed by the worst financial crisis the industrialised world has ever witnessed. In the space of little more than a year what had been seen as the age of wisdom was viewed as the age of foolishness. Almost overnight, belief turned into incredulity. Most accounts of the recent crisis focus on the symptoms and not the underlying causes of what went wrong. But those events, vivid though they remain in our memories, comprised only the latest in a long series of financial crises since our present system of commerce became the cornerstone of modern capitalism. Alchemy explains why, ultimately, this was and remains a crisis not of banking - even if we need to reform the banking system - nor of policy-making - even if mistakes were made - but of ideas. In this refreshing and vitally important book, former governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King - an actor in this drama - proposes revolutionary new concepts to answer the central question: are money and banking a form of Alchemy or are they the Achilles heel of a modern capitalist economy?Trade ReviewI have read umpteen books about the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and its lessons. This is the cleverest one, brimming over with new ideas. While other "lords of finance" publish memoirs, King has produced a brilliant analysis not only of what went wrong in the global financial system, but also of what went wrong in economics itself -- Niall FergusonAn outstandingly lucid account of postwar economic policymaking and the dilemmas we now face. [King] is a master of the well-turned phrase, the apposite quote and the pungent boutade. It is rare to encounter a book on economics quite as intellectually exhilarating as The End of Alchemy - a dazzling performance indeed * Financial Times *Mervyn King may well have written the most important book to come out of the financial crisis. From his extraordinary perspective as a brilliant economist who made policy at the highest level, he issues a clarion call for new ideas and new policies, and then delivers. Agree or disagree, King's arguments deserve the attention of everyone from economics students to heads of state -- Lawrence H. SummersDrawing on years of scholarly study of banking history and his real world experience in fighting financial panic, Mervyn King has set out a new framework for monetary and financial reform. Seemingly simple in concept, it challenges prevailing banking and market practice. The End of Alchemy demands debate and a well-reasoned response -- Paul A. VolckerMervyn King asks, "Why has almost every industrialised country found it difficult to overcome the stagnation that followed the financial crisis in 2007-2008, and why did money and banking, the alchemists of a market economy, turn into its Achilles heel?" He addresses these questions, and much more. For those endeavouring to understand the greatest financial crisis of our time and the future of finance, this highly provocative book is a must read -- Alan GreenspanA sophisticated and highly approachable study of how modern finance has lost its way. Few individuals are more qualified than Lord Mervyn King to imagine the banking of the future. His book should be required reading -- Henry KissingerThe likes of Larry Summers, Paul Krugman, Robert Gordon, John Kay, Richard Koo and Adair Turner all need to read this book because King has something bracing to say about each of their big arguments . . . The depth of King's thinking is impressive, and he makes a powerful case for putting "radical uncertainty" at the heart of any formal attempt to model economies . . . an exceptionally thought-provoking book - and might even become a modern landmark once its many fresh ideas have percolated * Independent *This book is by turns invigorating, terrifying and occasionally even inspiring. Its analysis is stark, its conclusions bold -- Ed Conway * The Times *An exceptionally thought-provoking book and might even become a modern landmark once its many fresh ideas have percolated -- Ben Chu * Independent *Wide ranging, historically informed and elegantly written . . . Like Keynes he is well aware that economics is in the end about people . . . Life is an art, not a science, and this richly rewarding treatise confirms that truth -- David Kynaston * Guardian *A fearless and important book . . . The End of Alchemy isn't just an elegant guide to the history of economic ideas. It also gives a genuine insider's account * Telegraph *This book might just save the world -- Michael Lewis * Bloomberg *Fearlessly honest . . . will be read for decades to come * Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''A masterpiece ... a moving image of post-war Poland, and the first breathing of one of the essential voices of the twentieth century... the master of literary reportage'' The Times Literary SupplementWhen the great traveller-reporter Ryszard Kapuscinski was a young journalist in the early 1960s, he was sent to write about the farthest reaches of his native Poland. The resulting essays brought together here reveal a place as strange as any of the distant lands he visited on foreign assignments: caught between ties to the past and dreams of escape, a country on the edge of modernity.''Kapuscinski trascends the limitations of journalism and writes with the narrative power of a Conrad or Kipling or Orwell'' Blake MorrisonTrade ReviewA peculiar genius with no modern equivalent, except possibly Kafka -- Jonathan MillerKapuscinski trascends the limitations of journalism and writes with the narrative power of a Conrad or Kipling or Orwell -- Blake Morrison

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Book SynopsisRobin Sharma believes there are certain skills and attitudes that allow you to rise to extraordinary success. In his powerful new parable, he offers a story designed to help people from all walks of life to achieve great things. Blake DiFranco is down on his luck, trying to make ends meet. His job is unsatisfying, and he is disenchanted with the world around him. One day, an enigmatic friend offers him a life-altering opportunity: spend a day studying with a mysterious group of teachers and learn the secrets of limitless success. The next morning, he embarks on a journey to discover the true meaning of the LWT philosophy - Lead Without a Title. He is ushered through the lessons of the four teachers: Anna, a maid who shows him that every job can be done with passion; Ty, a surfer who reminds him how important it is to rise to the riskiest challenges; Jackson, a former CEO who shows him the value of relationships; and Jet, a masseur who proves that greatness begins within. Blake's world changes as the teachers make him realize his own potential to achieve greater things than he'd ever imagined. The book is packed with real-world lessons and inspiring exercises that will help any business person realize extraordinary results. Sharma distils over fifteen years of working with high-performers to deliver real-world strategies and foster a winning mindset. Here are formulas that will build success amidst times of deep change and will help readers to make positive changes both at work and at home.

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Book SynopsisTake a moment to consider how many outcomes in your life may have been affected by poor communication skills. Could you have gotten a job you really wanted? Saved a relationship? What about that political conversation that got out of hand at a dinner party? How is it that we so often fail to say the right thing at the right time?In her career as an NPR host, journalist Celeste Headlee has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life, and if there''s one thing she''s learned, it''s that it''s hard to overestimate the power of conversation and its ability to both bridge gaps and deepen wounds. In We Need to Talk, she shares what she''s learned on the job about how to have effective, meaningful, and respectful conversations in every area of our lives.Now more than ever, Headlee argues, we must begin to talk to and, more importantly, listen to one another - including those with whom we disagree. We Need to Talk gives readers ten simple tools to help facilitate better conversations, ranging from the errors we routinely make (put down the smart phone when you''re face to face with someone) to the less obvious blind spots that can sabotage any conversation, including knowing when not to talk, being aware of our own bias, and avoiding putting yourself in the centre of the discussion.Whether you''re gearing up for a big conversation with your boss, looking to deepen or improve your connection with a relative, or trying to express your child''s needs to a teacher, We Need to Talk will arm you with the skills you need to create a productive dialogue.

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Book SynopsisJack Welch was perhaps the greatest corporate leader of the 20th century. When he first became CEO of General Electric in 1981 the company was worth $12 billion. Twenty years later it is worth a total of $280 billion. But Welch was more than just the leader of the most successful business in the world. He revolutionised GE''s entire corporate culture with his distinctive, highly personal management style: the individual appreciation of each of his 500 managers, the commitment to an informal but driven work style and the encouragement of candour were all part of the Welch approach. Following John Harvey Jones''s Making it Happen and Troubleshooter, Jack has already become the businessman''s bible for the 21st century - an inspiration for a new generation of corporate players.

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Book SynopsisA case for a re-reading of world history in terms of foreign relationsTrade Review'Van der Pijl's innovative concept 'modes of foreign relations'challenges Marxists to revisit international relations and encouragesinternational relations specialists to broaden their horizons as herelates a fascinating interpretation of global politics stretching fromnomads to Empires, old and new. A wonderful, provocative book' -- Robert O'Brien, Professor of Global Labour Issues, McMaster University'Tracing the history of foreign relations, Kees van der Pijl shows that they are inscribed in daily life. Nomads, Empires, States is an artful study that redefines the field of international studies' -- James H. Mittelman, Professor, School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC'His highly accessible tour de force is rich, provocative, and interesting. It is also important for an understanding of this difficult and (hopefully) transitional moment in history' -- George Wright, Professor Emeritus, Department of Poltical science, California State University.'A masterful work of historical materialism, showing how human social organisation proceeds from its manipulation of nature and technology, how human social organisations are transformed through their 'foreign relations' with other such organisations, and how such relations are becoming internal rather than 'international'. Whatever one might think of the human future after reading this book, it will certainly leave one thinking about it' -- Ronnie D. Lipschutz, Professor of Politics University of California, Santa Cruz'An intellectual tour de force! This important, innovative and insightful book challenges the dominant Euro-centric and state-centric approach to International Relations. By offering an alternative framework based on the concept of 'modes of foreign relations,' Van der Pijl takes us on a journey through time that allows us to grasp the origins and development of 'relations between communities.'' -- Susanne Soederberg, Canada Research Chair, Department of Development Studies, Queen’s University, Canada.'A work of scholarship, imagination, cogency and irreducible humanistic optimism' -- Professor Fred Halliday, LSE'Provides a majesterial and authentic historical materialist account of 'foreign relations' that is at once conceptually innovative and deeply historical. This impressive work deserves a very wide readership, particularly by those of us who recognise the importance of van der Pijl's subject but make use of different theoretical traditions' -- Dr Randall Germain, Associate Professor, Carleton University, Canada.'Synthesises a massive amount of research in dividing human history into four main modes of foreign relations: tribal, empire/nomad, sovereign equality, and global governance. A convincing case is made for the power of his theorisation of our past and its crucial contribution not only for understanding the present, but also for mapping the paths to desirable futures' -- Robert Albritton, Professor Emeritus, York University, Toronto, CanadaTable of ContentsPreface 1. Foreign Relations and the Marxist Legacy 2. Tribal Encounters 3. Imperial Universalism and the Nomad Counterpoint 4. The Conquest of the Oceans-Ethnogenesis of the West 5. Worlds of Difference References Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the enterprise of philanthropy - its assumptions, aspirations, and achievements. This work brings together key texts that can provide guidance to donors, trustees and professional staff of foundations, and leaders of nonprofit organizations. It seek to illuminate fundamental questions about the idea and practice of philanthropy.Trade ReviewThis book is a sequel-of-sorts to Kass' highly successful first edited anthology of writings about philanthropy, The Perfect Gift, which gained sales outside the usual academic audience. This volume includes a selection of readings from the classics to the contemporary, and its breadth encompasses political speeches, foundation documents and the words of poets and novelists. The extracts are organised within five themes: goals and intentions; gifts, donors, recipients; bequests and legacies, effectiveness, accountability; and philanthropic leadership. It is the sort of book that can be dipped into for inspiration and stimulation. * Philanthropy UK *Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Goals and Intentions2. Gifts, Donors, Recipients; Grants, Grantors, Grantees3. Bequests and Legacies4. Effectiveness5. Accountability6. Philanthropic LeadershipIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Urban Planning is an authoritative volume on planning, a long-established professional social science discipline in the U.S. and throughout the world.Trade ReviewThis is an 800 page compendium in urban planning. Three pages are required to list the 50 contributing authors and their affiliations, a good many of whom are well known scholars whose accumulated works over the years have helped to define the field implicitly. This, in and of itself, is quite an accomplishment. The editors impose structure on their collection through a series of fundamental questions about urban planning. These form the 3 main pillars that hold the overall structure in place, and each chapter falls in line accordingly, more or less. For instructors teaching such a course for the first time, this compilation provides a viable starting point, and with successive iterations those instructors can begin to drop articles that they deem less pertinent while adding others, thus creating a unique hybrid of their own. It beats starting from scratch. * Journal of Regional Science *Table of ContentsPart 1 Introduction ; 1. Contemporary Planning Scholarship: Where we Stand and What We Deliver ; Rachel Weber and Randall Crane ; Part II Why Plan? Institutions and values ; A. Delivering public goods ; 2. Collective Action: Balancing Public and Particularistic Interests ; Tore Sager ; 3. Urban planning and regulation: The challenge of the market ; Yonn Dierwechter & Andrew Thornley ; 4. The Evolution of the Institutional Approach in Planning ; Annette M. Kim ; 5. Varieties of Planning experience: Towards a Globalized Planning Culture? ; John Friedmann ; B. Principles and Goals ; 6. Beauty ; Elizabeth MacDonald ; 7. Sustainability ; Emily Talen ; 8. Justice ; Peter Marcuse ; 9. Access ; Kevin Krizek & David Levinson ; 10. Preservation ; Li Na & Elizabeth M. Hamin ; 11. Cultural Diversity ; Karen Umemoto & Vera Zambonelli ; 12. Urban Resilience ; Thomas J. Campanella & David R. Godshalk ; Part III. How and What Do We Plan? The Means and Modes of Planning ; A. Plan Making ; 13. Making Plans ; Charles Hoch ; 14. Cities, People and Processes as Case Studies for Urban Planning ; Eugenie Birch ; 15. Transforming the Communicative Planning Debate ; John Forester ; 16. Visualizing information ; Ann-Margaret Esnard ; 17. Modeling Urban Systems ; John Landis ; 18. Codes and Standards in Urban Planning and Design ; Eran Ben-Joseph ; B. Frontiers of Persistent and Emergent Questions ; 19. Culture, Place and Development ; Elizabeth Currid-Halkett ; 20. Urban Planning and Public health ; Jason Corburn ; 21. Suburban Sprawl and <"Smart Growth>" ; Yan Song ; 22. Environmental Health and Air Quality ; Lisa Schweitzer & Linsey Marr ; 23. The Local Regulation of Climate Change ; J.R. De Shazo and Juan Matute ; 24. Community and Economic Development ; Karen Chapple ; 25. Shelter: Housing Challenges and Policies ; Lisa K. Bates ; 26. Cities with Slums ; Vinit Mukhija ; 27. The Public Finance of Urban Form ; John I. Carruthers ; 28. City Abandonment ; Margaret Dewar & Matthew Weber ; 29. The Changing Character of Urban Redevelopment ; Norman Fainstein & Susan S. Fainstein ; 30. Gender, Cities, and Planning ; Brenda Parker ; 31. Land Use and Travel Behavior ; Marlon G. Boarnet ; Part IV. Who Plans, How Well, and How Can We Tell? ; A. Planning Agents ; 32. The Civics of Urban Planning ; Carmen Siriani & Jennifer Girourd ; 33. The Real Estate Development Industry ; Igal Charney ; 34. Citizen Planners ; Victoria A. Beard ; 35. Urban Informality ; Ananya Roy ; 36. The Politics of Planning ; J. Phillip Thompson ; B. Making Good Plans ; 37. Reading Through a Plan ; Brent D. Ryan ; 38. Planning and Citizenship ; Faranak Miraftab ; 39. Plan Assessment ; Lewis D. Hopkins ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Brown writes with a winning combination of thoughtfulness, pragmatism and enthusiasm... He avoids the trap of presenting design thinking as a panacea. Mr. Brown charts its failures as well as successes…” — New York Times “It’s like getting golf tips from Tiger Wood’s coach. Tim Brown’s firm IDEO has won more medals for innovative design than anyone in the world. If you want to be more innovative at work or in life, study with the coach of champions.” — Chip Heath, co-author of Made to Stick “In his new book, the CEO of design shop IDEO shows how even hospitals can transform the way they work by tapping frontline staff to engineer change.” — BusinessWeek “This should be mandatory reading for marketers and engineers who can’t understand why a product as cool as the Segway wasn’t a breakout hit.” — Inc. “Tim Brown has written the definitive book on design thinking. Brown’s wit, experience, and compelling stories create a delightful journey. His masterpiece captures the emotions, mindset, and methods required for designing everything from a product, to an experience, to a strategy in entirely different ways.” — Robert I. Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule “With people like Brown codifying design thinking, the tools are out there to solve our problems if a few people are willing to attack them with that sort of tenacity.” — Core77 “Tim Brown’s vision, intellect, empathy and humility shine through every page of this book. Change by Design is for dreamers and doers, for corporate executives and NGO leaders, for teachers, students and those interested in the art of innovation.” — Jacqueline Novogratz, founder, Acumen Fund and author, The Blue Sweater “Design thinking... is a way of seeing the world and approaching constraints that is holistic, interdisciplinary, and inspiring.” — Ivy Ross, executive vice president of marketing, The Gap “Brown is clear, persuasive, and often funny... Even for those of us without our own sovereign nation or blue-chip corporation, design thinking offers a guide for rethinking and organizing our everyday creative processes.” — SEED “Brown makes a potent case for employing this creative collaboration in a variety of settings.” — Miami Herald “With clarity and crispness, Tim Brown, CEO of the honored, global design consultancy IDEO, demonstrates through noteworthy examples how the principles of design found in a studio can be applied to many of the most urgent challenges facing society, business and government today.” — Peter F. Eder, World Future Review “In his highly readable and compelling new book, Change by Design, Tim argues that “design thinking” needs to permeate every organization—and shape all of its interactions with its constituents.” — Gary Hamel, writer of Management 2.0

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Book SynopsisIn just a decade and half Jack Ma, a man who rose from humble beginnings and started his career as an English teacher, founded and built Alibaba into the second largest Internet company in the world. The company’s $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the world’s largest, valuing the company more than Facebook or Coca Cola. Alibaba today runs the e-commerce services that hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on every day, providing employment and income for tens of millions more. A Rockefeller of his age, Jack has become an icon for the country’s booming private sector, and as the face of the new, consumerist China is courted by heads of state and CEOs from around the world.Granted unprecedented access to a wealth of new material including exclusive interviews, Clark draws on his own first-hand experience of key figures integral to Alibaba’s rise to create an authoritative, compelling narrative account of how Alibaba and its charismatic creator have transformed the way that Chinese exercise their new found economic freedom, inspiring entrepreneurs around the world and infuriating others, turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants who have tried to stand in his way. Duncan explores vital questions about the company’s past, present, and future: How, from such unremarkable origins, did Jack Ma build Alibaba? What explains his relentless drive and his ability to outsmart his competitors? With over 80% of China’s e-commerce market, how long can the company hope to maintain its dominance? As the company sets its sights on the country’s financial and media markets, are there limits to Alibaba’s ambitions, or will the Chinese government act to curtail them? And as it set up shop from LA and San Francisco to Seattle, how will Alibaba grow its presence and investments in the US and other international markets?Clark tells Alibaba’s tale within the wider story of China’s economic explosion—the rise of the private sector and the expansion of Internet usage—that haver powered the country’s rise to become the world’s second largest economy and largest Internet population, twice the size of the United States. He also explores the political and social context for these momentous changes. An expert insider with unrivaled connections, Clark has a deep understanding of Chinese business mindset. He illuminates an unlikely corporate titan as never before, and examines the key role his company has played in transforming China while increasing its power and presence worldwide.Trade Review"Anybody who thinks the Chinese just copy or steal technology from the West should read this book and think again. Jack Ma is part Bill Gates, part Steve Jobs, part Larry Page, part Sergei Brin, and part Mark Zuckerberg all rolled into one." -- Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP "Useful, business-minded reporting on an unconventional corporate magnate, containing both corporate and human-interest perspectives." -- Kirkus "This absorbing and well-written portrayal of Ma's character, and his role in Alibaba's development will appeal to a wide range of readers." -- Library Journal "A clean and compelling narrative...[Clark] tells the story with flair." -- Wall Street Journal "A fascinating new book." -- The Economist "A must-read for anyone hoping to navigate China's new economy". -- Financial Times

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Book SynopsisPacked with customizable editing tools--this practical, up-to-date reference includes the latest on writing and editing onlineThe McGraw-Hill Desk Reference for Editors, Writers, and Proofreaders is an indispensable resource for writers, editors, proofreaders, and virtually everyone responsible for crafting clear, polished writing. Ideal for professionals and novices alike, it guides you through the entire proofreading and editing process and features a CD-ROM with more than 25 interactive tools and checklists.This all-in-one package offers style sheet templates, a list of editorâs symbols, comprehensive editing and proofreading checklists, and guides to commonly misspelled and confused words. It also presents advice on electronically editing and proofreading for the Web.

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Book Synopsis The definitive story of Amazon.com, one of the most successful companies in the world, and of its driven, brilliant founder, Jeff Bezos. Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn''t content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that''s never been cracked. Until now. Brad Stone enjoyed unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, giving readers the first in-depth, fly-on-the-wall account of life at Amazon. Compared to tech''s other elite innovators -- Jobs, Gates, Zuckerberg -- Bezos is a private man. But he stands out for his restless pursuit of new markets, leading Amazon into risky new ventures like the Kindle and cloud computing, and transforming retail in the same way H

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Book SynopsisEnron's fall has opened the eyes of the public to corporate accounting fraud as no other event has done, and there is now a need for better understanding of what can be done to prevent it. This book examines methods for off-balance sheet accounting, with a particular emphasis on special purpose entities (SPE).Trade Review"Ketz' discussion is fascinating, although all too useful to future scamsters wanting to find out just how those clever guys at Enron did it." (UPI Business and Economics, August 11, 2003)Table of ContentsPreface. PART I. MY INVESTMENTS WENT OUCH! 1. What? Another Accounting Scandal? 2. Balance Sheet Woes. PART II. HIDING FINANCIAL RISK. 3. How to Hide Debt with the Equity Method. 4. How to Hide Debt with Lease Accounting. 5. How to Hide Debt with Pension Accounting. 6. How to Hide Debt with Special Purpose Entities. PART III. FAILURES THAT LED TO DECEPTIONS. 7. The Failure of Managers and Directors. 8. The Failure of the Auditing Profession. 9. The Failure of Regulation. 10. The Failure of Investors. PART IV. MAKING FINANCIAL REPORTS CREDIBLE. Chapter 11. Andersen Has the Solution—Really! Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisA half-century of Wall Street history as seen through the lives of its most illustrious family This compelling new narrative from bestselling author John Rothchild tells the story of three generations of the legendary Davis family, who rank among the most successful investors in the history of the Street. With a novelist''s wit and eye for telling detail, Rothchild chronicles the financial escapades of this eccentric, pioneering clan, providing a vivid portrait of fifty years of Wall Street history along the way. Rothchild shadows the Davis family''s holdings through two lengthy bull markets, two savage and seven mild bear markets, one crash, and twenty-five corrections and, in the process, reveals the strategies behind the family''s uncanny ability to consistently beat the markets. The Davis Dynasty begins in 1947, the year Shelby Davis quit his job as a state bureaucrat and, armed with $50,000 of his wife''s money, took the plunge into stock investing. By the time he died in Table of ContentsIntroduction. Chapter 1. Davis Meets His Bankroll. Chapter 2. From the Great Depression To the Hitler Crisis. Chapter 3. Beyond the Rear-View Mirror. Chapter 4. A Last Hurrah for Bonds. Chapter 5. A Crib Course in Coverage. Chapter 6. From Bureaucrat to Investor. Chapter 7. The Bullish 1950s. Chapter 8. Davis Shops Abroad. Chapter 9. Wall Street a Go-Go. Chapter 10. Shelby Gets Funded. Chapter 11. The Inheritance Flap. Chapter 12. Cool Trio Runs Hot Fund. Chapter 13. The Worst Decline Since 1929. Chapter 14. Davis on the Rebound. Chapter 15. Shelby Buys Banks—Davis Buys Everything. Chapter 16. The Grandsons Get in the Game. Chapter 17. The Family Joins Forces. Chapter 18. Chris Inherits Venture. Chapter 19. Investing à la Davis. Source Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The finest book on France in recent years.”—Alain de Botton, The New York Times Book Review In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of Paris. In the grand tradition of Stein, Hemingway, Baldwin, and Liebling, Gopnik set out to enjoy the storied existence of an American in Paris—walks down the paths of the Tuileries, philosophical discussions in cafés, and afternoon jaunts to the Musée d’Orsay.  But as readers of Gopnik’s beloved and award-winning “Paris Journal” in The New Yorker know, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with la vie quotidienne—the daily, slightly less fabled life. As Gopnik discovers in this tender account, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not comp

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Book SynopsisA dynamic revision of the most modern development economics textbook.

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Book Synopsis"Once I picked it up I did not put it down until I finished... What Schwed has done is capture fully-in deceptively clean language-the lunacy at the heart of the investment business. " -- From the Foreword by Michael Lewis, Bestselling author of Liar's Poker "... one of the funniest books ever written about Wall Street.Trade Review"More than half a century on, Where Are the Customers' Yachts? Remains a fascinating read" (Money Week, July 2006) "... the book is a fun read and as relevant today as it ever was..." (Investor's Chronicle, August 2015)Table of ContentsIntroduction xiii Jason Zweig Foreword to the 1995 Edition xxi Michael Lewis Introduction to the 1955 Bull Market Edition xxv I. Introduction—“The Modest Cough of a Minor Poet” 3 The validity of financial predictions The passion for prophecy When the bull jumped over the moon II. Financiers and Seers 23 Big banking—nice work if you can get it Some assistant tycoons The fruit on the blossom of thought Wall street semantics Chartists The pay The difficulties of “earning” money An art without a muse A little aptitude test III. Customers—That Hardy Breed 49 Varieties of customers How to get customers Margin What to do when the dam bursts Some case histories and a diagnosis Churning money as a career IV. Investment Trusts—Promises and Performance 67 Stop making your own mistakes Where is the catch? The hell-paving construction company The trouble with the “best” securities The $750,000 bird By way of apology The magical investment corporation V. The Short Seller—He of the Black Heart 87 For the defense A different defense With and without bears Bear raiding VI. Puts, Calls, Straddles, and Gabble 105 What options are (more or less) In defense of the pure gamble The catch VII. The “Good” Old Days and the “Great” Captains 117 The i.q. of a big shot Speculation on speculation A brief excursion into probabilities Down will come baby “They” Manipulators A bowl of nickels VIII. Investment—Many Questions and a Few Answers 135 Headaches of the wealthy A little wonderful advice Price and value—our special market letter Cash as a long-term investment Your way of life and the basis book IX. Reform—Some Yeas and Nays 153 Was it stolen or did you lose it? Nobody loves a specialist Horizons and limits of regulation Inconclusions About the Author 171

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Book SynopsisThe go-to resource managerial accountants can turn to for sustaining their company''s competitive advantage From flex budgeting to detailing the more sophisticated skills like throughput analysis for capital investments and the fast close for public companies, The Controller''s Function, Fourth Edition offers numerous real-world examples, expertly balancing both the technical and managerial sides of the job. Provides an overview of the functions and responsibilities of the controller/management accountant in a corporation Explores how controllers can better perform their jobs Offers a solid foundation for those who are new to this area Comprehensive and practical, this book fully defines the role, functions and responsibilities of the managerial accountant in a corporation.Table of ContentsPreface xi Chapter 1: The Controller’s Job 1 Main Job Functions 1 Job Description 2 Job Qualifications 5 Organizational Structure of the Accounting Department 6 Ethics 11 Chapter 2: Internal Control 13 Basic Elements 13 Controls to Use in Your Business 20 Elements of Internal Accounting Control 48 Levels of Controls 49 Fraud 50 Auditing for Fraud 54 Notes 55 Chapter 3: Planning and the Strategic Plan 56 Strategic Plan Overview 56 System of Plans 59 Planning Cycle 60 Planning Roles 62 Planning Timing and the Planning Period 63 Business Mission 65 Developing Long-Range Objectives 67 Developing Long-Range Strategies 69 Chapter 4: Long-Range Financial Plan 73 Layout and Purpose 73 Trends of Revenues and Profits 75 Capital Investments 76 Cash Flows and Financing Requirements 77 Risk Analysis 78 Breakdown by Business Unit/Product Line/Geography 81 Financial Position 81 Chapter 5: Annual Plan 87 System of Plans 87 Additional Budget Modeling Topics 100 Annual Planning Cycle 102 Role of the Controller 103 Sales Planning: The Base of All Business Plans 103 Steps in Developing the Near-Term Sales Plan 104 Methods for Determining the Sales Forecast 105 Changes in the Sales Mixture 109 Changes in the Sales Price 111 Changes in the Cost 112 Chapter 6: Sales 114 Role of the Controller 114 Sales Analysis 116 Sales Standards 120 Sales Reports 122 Product Pricing 125 Chapter 7: Distribution Expenses 132 Role of the Sales Manager 133 Analyzing Distribution Costs 133 Analyzing by Application 135 Setting the Distribution Budget 141 Chapter 8: Direct Materials and Labor 148 Objectives 148 Role of the Controller 149 Types of Cost Systems 152 Measuring Direct Material Costs 153 Controlling Direct Material Costs 154 Controlling Direct Material Quantities 155 Measuring Direct Labor Costs 158 Controlling Direct Labor Costs 159 Target Costing 165 Chapter 9: Overhead 167 Need for Overhead Controls 168 Responsibilities of the Controller 169 Account Classifications 170 Fixed and Variable Costs 172 Cost Allocation 178 Controlling Overhead 186 Production Reports 190 Chapter 10: General and Administrative Expenses 193 Functions Involved 193 Accounting for and Allocating Administrative Expenses 194 Responsibility Accounting 196 “Unique” Expenses 197 Controlling Costs 199 Chapter 11: Cash and Investments 202 Objectives of Cash Management 202 Role of the Controller 203 Cash Collections 204 Cash Disbursements 207 Investment of Short-Term Funds 208 Accounting for Records of Investment 210 Cash and Investment Controls 214 Chapter 12: Receivables 221 Functions of the Credit Department 221 Shortening the Receivables Cycle 225 Reserve for Doubtful Accounts 227 Receivables Fraud and Control 227 Chapter 13: Inventory 229 Inventory Management Systems 229 Inventory Tracking 235 Physical Inventory Procedure 241 Inventory Valuation 244 Inventory Fraud and Controls 247 Chapter 14: Property, Plant, and Equipment 251 Role of the Controller 252 Capital Budgeting 253 Postproject Appraisals 267 Other Aspects of Fixed Assets 268 Chapter 15: Liabilities 271 Objectives 271 Controls 272 Credit Agreement Provisions 274 Debt Capacity 275 Bond Ratings 276 Leverage 278 Chapter 16: Equity 281 Role of the Controller 281 Cost of Capital 282 Dividend Policy 290 Long-Term Equity Planning 291 Repurchasing Common Shares 298 Capital Stock Records 299 Chapter 17: Operational Accounting 301 Create Departmental Job Descriptions 301 Create a Departmental Training Program 303 Clear Out Excess Documentation 306 Streamline the Accounting Workflow 307 Document All Major Processes 309 Schedule the Department 310 Correct the Underlying Causes of Errors 312 Use of Best Practices 314 Outsourcing Selected Accounting Functions 316 Chapter 18: The Fast Close 322 Different Types of Fast Close 323 How to Achieve a Fast Close 324 Enhanced Closing Process 339 Summary 339 Chapter 19: SEC Filings 341 Form 8-K 341 Annual 10-K and Quarterly 10-Q Reports 348 Timing of Annual and Quarterly Report Filings 350 Form S- 1 351 Form S- 3 352 Form S- 8 353 Forms Requiring Payment to the SEC 354 Fedwire Payments 355 Chapter 20: Performance Measurements and Trends 356 Performance Measurements 357 Trends 373 Interrelationship of Ratios 375 Just-in-Time Ratios 375 Chapter 21: Financial Analysis 378 Analyzing Financial Statements 378 Analyzing Working Capital 385 Analyzing Financing Options 391 Services Profitability Analysis 394 The Throughput Analysis Model 397 Production Outsourcing Decision 399 New Product Decision 401 Chapter 22: Cost Reduction 404 Types of Reports Used for Cost Reduction Analysis 404 Spend Analysis Overview 408 Spend Database 409 Supplier Consolidation Analysis 410 Parts Consolidation Analysis 412 Maintenance, Repair, and Operations Item Analysis 412 Spend Compliance 413 Spend Analysis Reports 414 Workforce Reduction Analysis 417 Workforce Reduction Issues 421 Workforce Reduction Alternatives 422 5S Analysis 423 Check Sheets 424 Error Quantification 424 Fixed Cost Analysis 426 Ishikawa Diagrams 427 Value Stream Mapping 427 Waste Analysis 430 Chapter 23: Taxes 432 Tax Strategy 433 Tax Organization 434 Role of the Tax Manager 436 Tax Records 437 Tax versus Book Accounting 440 Sales and Use Taxes 441 Proper Classification of Accounts 442 Chapter 24: Selecting a Financial Information System 444 Reasons to Purchase Software 445 Defining Systems Requirements 445 Existing System Documentation 448 Joint Sessions 449 Preparing the Request for Proposal 452 Distribution of the Request for Proposal 457 Review of the Vendor’s Completed Proposal 458 Reference Calls 462 Demonstration 463 Site Visits 463 Cost of the System 464 Final Selection 465 Contract Negotiations 465 Postimplementation Review 466 Appendix New Controller Checklist 469 About the Author 477 Index 479

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Book SynopsisYoung serial entrepreneur Scott Gerber is not the product of a wealthy family or storied entrepreneurial heritage. Nor is he the outcome of a traditional business school education or a corporate executive turned entrepreneur. Rather, he is a hard-working, self-taught 26-year-old hustler, rainmaker, and bootstrapper who has survived and thrived despite never having held the proverbial real job. In Never Get a Real Job: How to Dump Your Boss, Build a Business, and Not Go Broke, Gerber challenges the social conventions behind the real job and empowers young people to take control of their lives and dump their nine-to-fivesor their quest to attain them. Drawing upon case studies, experiences, and observations, Scott dissects failures, shares hard-learned lessons, and presents practical, affordable, and systematic action steps to building, managing, and marketing a successful business on a shoestring budget. The proven, no-b.s. methodology preseTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xiii Foreword Michael Simmons xvii Introduction: Never Get a “Real” Job 1 Who Needs the 9-to-5? 4 I Know You 6 What You Can Expect to Get from This Book 7 All Aboard the Death to the “Real” Job Express! 8 Part One The Breakdown 11 Chapter 1 Everyone Poops. Yours Isn’t Special 13 College: The Drunken Road to Easy Street 16 Dude, Where’s My Dream Job? 17 Welcome to Your “Real” Job, Mr. Janitor 18 The Broken Promise 24 Chapter 2 No One Cares About You—Unless You Make Them Care 29 You are Not Special 32 Claiming to Be a Winner Does Not Make You One 33 You’re Brilliant . . . So What? 34 Lifestyles of the Poor and Vain 34 Shut Up, Pinocchio 35 Put It on My Tab 36 Chapter 3 Darwin + Murphy = Reality 39 Your Business is Not the Exception to Any Rule 42 The Worst-Case Scenario is the Only Scenario 48 No One Will Invest in Your Idea 50 Part Two Building a Foundation 55 Chapter 4 Get Off Your Ass and Start Up! 57 Get Real with Your Finances 60 Those Who Reinvent the Wheel are Doomed to Be Run Over by It 65 What Do You Know, Anyway? 68 Keep It Simple, Stupid 71 The Bottomless Money Pit 74 Can Your SWOT Team Do CPR? 77 Chapter 5 Business Plans Suck 81 Toss the Old-School Business Plan 84 The One-Paragraph Start-Up Plan 90 Chapter 6 To Partner or Not to Partner 99 The Worst Partners for Your Start-Up 102 Don’t Consider Letting Worthless Flaky People Try Out 105 Never Jump Right In: The Water’s Not Fine 110 Part Three From the Ground Up 113 Chapter 7 Act Like a Start-Up, Stupid 115 Surviving a “Real” Day in the Life 117 Get Your Head in the Game, Chump 123 Design Your Entrepreneurial Life 128 “Mind” Your Business 136 Chapter 8 Shoestrapping (Because the Boot is Too Damn Expensive) 145 Fake It ’Til You Make It 147 The Only Team Your Money Can Buy 155 Do What Makes Cents 164 Cash Flow or Die! 166 Chapter 9 Those Phones Won’t Ring Themselves: The 15 Principles of a Power Seller 173 Come Out! Come Out! Wherever You Are! 175 Sell Like There’s No Tomorrow—Or There Won’t Be 179 Chapter 10 Facebook Isn’t a Marketing Strategy 203 Message before Platform 205 Think Guerrilla, Not Godzilla 220 Conclusion 237 Index 241

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Book SynopsisMichael Edleson first introduced his concept of value averaging to the world in an article written in 1988. He then wrote a book entitled Value Averaging in 1993, which has been nearly impossible to finduntil now. With the reintroduction of Value Averaging, you now have access to a strategy that can help you accumulate wealth, increase your investment returns, and achieve your financial goals.Table of ContentsForeword by William J. Bernstein ix Preface to the 2006 Edition xiii Preface to the 1993 Edition xix Introduction 1 1 Market Risk, Timing, and Formula Strategies 3 Risk and Market Returns 3 Market Returns over Time 3 Distribution of Market Returns 9 Risk and Expected Return 13 Market Timing and Formula Strategies 20 Timing the Market 20 Automatic Timing with Formula Strategies 21 Endnotes 23 2006 Note 24 2 Dollar Cost Averaging Revisited 25 Dollar Cost Averaging: An Example 26 Short-term Performance 28 Over One-Year Periods 30 Over Five-Year Periods 32 Long-term Problems with Dollar Cost Averaging 34 Growth Equalization 35 Summary 36 Endnotes 37 3 Value Averaging 39 Value Averaging: An Introduction 39 Short-term Performance 43 Long-term Performance and Value Averaging 47 Linear, or Fixed-Dollar, Strategies 47 Adjusting Strategies for Growth 51 Summary 53 Endnotes 54 2006 Notes 55 4 Investment Goals with Dollar Cost Averaging 57 Background 57 Lump-Sum Investments 57 Using the Formula 59 Annuities: Periodic Investments 60 Dollar Cost Averaging and Annuities 63 Readjusting the Investment Plan 63 The Readjustment Process 64 Flexibility 66 Down-Shifting Investment Risk 69 Growth-adjusted Dollar Cost Averaging 71 Exact Formula 72 Approximate Formula 74 Readjusting the DCA Plan 75 Summary 80 Endnotes 80 Appendix to Chapter 4: Constructing a DCA Readjustment Spreadsheet 83 5 Establishing the Value Path 87 Value Averaging Value Paths 87 The Value Path Formula 88 Flexible Variations on the Value Path Formula 89 Readjusting the VA Plan 92 A Cautionary Note 93 An Alternate Method 93 Summary 94 Endnotes 95 Appendix to Chapter 5: Constructing a VA Readjustment Spreadsheet 97 6 Avoiding Taxes and Transaction Costs 101 Tax Considerations with Value Averaging 101 The Advantage of Deferred Gains 101 Deferring Capital Gains Taxes: An Example 102 A Compromise: No-Sell Value Averaging 107 Reducing Transaction Costs 111 Limiting Taxes 111 Limiting Costs 112 Summary 113 Endnotes 114 7 Playing Simulation Games 117 Why Simulations? 117 What and How? 118 Parameters 118 Expected Return 119 Expected Variability 120 Randomness 120 Constructing the Simulation 121 An Example 122 Endnotes 126 Appendix to Chapter 7: Constructing a Simulation 129 2006 Note 131 Endnotes to Appendix to Chapter 7 133 2006 Note 134 8 Comparing the Strategies 135 Five-year Simulation Results 135 Using Growth Adjustments 139 No-Sell Variation 142 Volatility 143 Twenty-year Simulation Results 145 Summary 146 Endnotes 147 9 Profiting from Overreaction 149 Tiring of a Random Walk 149 Mean Reversion and Overreaction 150 A Brief Look at the Data 151 Why Does This Matter? 160 Timing 161 Endnotes 164 2006 Note 167 10 Details: Getting Started 169 Using Mutual Funds 169 The Fund versus Stock Choice 169 Index Funds 171 Information on Specific Funds 172 Working Out the Details 175 Using a Side Fund 176 Operating Within a Retirement Account 177 Establishing a Value Path 178 2006 Note 180 Setting Up a VA Value Path: An Example 181 Other Important Considerations 184 Using Guidelines and Limits 185 Notes for Financial Planners 186 Advanced Methods 187 Summary 189 Endnotes 189 2006 Note 191 11 Examples: Strategies at Work 193 The Goal and Investment Environment 194 Choosing an Investment 194 Setting the Goal (Dealing with Inflation) 197 How Much Should He Invest? 199 Investment Return & Taxes 200 Expected Return 200 Taxes 200 Implementing Dollar Cost Averaging 202 1981: Setting Up DCA 203 1982–1983 Investment Results 205 1983: Reassessment and Readjustment 205 The 1985 Readjustment 211 And So On and So On 212 Wrapping It Up: 1991 Results 214 Implementing Value Averaging 215 Establishing the Value Path 215 1983: Readjusting the VA Plan 217 Future VA Readjustments 219 VA Investments 220 Summary 225 Key Formulas 226 Endnotes 227 12 A Final Word 229 Index 231

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