Business, Finance & Law Books

Book SynopsisCombines the expertise of a registered commodity broker and a systems analyst to bring readers up to date on candlestick charting methods. Goes a step beyond existing literature to discuss practical applications of this technique and recommended strategies.Table of ContentsTHE ART OF JAPANESE CANDLESTICK CHARTING. Candlestick Fundamentals and History. Candle Location. Pattern Tables. Using Candlesticks as Leading Indicators. CANDLESTICKS AND INTRACOMMODITY ANALYSIS. Grains. Livestock. Foods and Fiber. Energies. Currencies. Financial Interest Markets. Metal Markets. JAPANESE CANDLESTICKS AND THE STOCK MARKET. Cross-Market Analysis of Equities. Candlesticks and the Equities Markets. COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF CANDLESTICKS. Computers and Candlesticks. Computer Filtering of Candlestick Patterns. Artificial Intelligence, Candlesticks, and Western TechnicalIndicators. Conclusion. Bibliography. Glossary of Western Trading Terms. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPositive Psychology at Work brings the fields of positive psychology and appreciative inquiry together for the first time to provide leaders and change agents with a powerful new approach to achieving organizational excellence. Draws together positive psychology and appreciative inquiry in the context of leadership organizational challenges for the first time Presents academically rigorous and referenced material in a jargon-free, accessible manner Arranged with chapters focused on specific organizational challenges to allow readers to quickly find ideas relevant to their unique situation Features short contributions from experienced practitioners of positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry, and includes case studies from the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA Trade Review“For these reasons, Lewis’s timely and accessible book will be useful to business leaders and introductory audiences interested less in the science behind positive psychology and appreciative inquiry than in its ready application to the organizational setting.” (PsycCRITIQUES, 11 July 2012) "Overall, this is a very readable book, of more interest to the business and organisation leader than to the practising psychologist, for whom the lack of detailed referencing and methodological evaluation would be problematic. However, if, like me, you are not versed in the psychology of work or for that matter, positive psychology, but you do have a practical interest in how organisations (don't) work, maybe simply as an employee, then this book is a very readable introductory text with lots of ideas for activities and reflective activities as well as further reading." (BPS South-West Review, Spring 2012) "Highly recommended. Business collections serving lower-division undergraduates and above." (Choice, 1 November 2011) "Overall, I would recommend this book to postgraduate researchers, consultants and senior managers who are serious about wanting to invest the time to learn more about the use of positive psychology and appreciate inquiry to improve organisations." (The Psychologist, 1 October 2011) "I believe this book will quickly become a classic reference text. In just over 200 pages Lewis has produced a content rich, accessible work that readers will want to revisit regularly. And I’ve no doubt they will be pleasantly surprised at how much fresh information they glean each time they do." People Management, April 11 "Overall, this is a very readable book, of more interest to the business and organisation leader than to the practising psychologist, for whom the lack of detailed referencing and methodological evaluation would be problematic. However, if, like me, you are not versed in the psychology of work or for that matter, positive psychology, but you do have a practical interest in how organisations (don’t) work, maybe simply as an employee, then this book is a very readable introductory text with lots of ideas for activities and reflective activities as well as further reading." BPS South-West Review, Spring 2012 Table of ContentsAbout the Author xi Book Contributors xiii Preface xvii Acknowledgements xxi The Short Version of This Book xxiii 1 Introduction to Positive Psychology 1 Positive Psychology is Not Positive Thinking 2 How Positive Psychology Differs from Positive Thinking 3 The Ethical Bias of This Book 6 Key Themes of the Book 8 2 Positive Workplaces 11 Introduction 13 What is a Positive Workplace? 13 How Does Positive Organizational Behaviour Turn into Positive Organizational Performance? 20 Organizational Culture 23 The Organization as a Complex Adaptive System 26 Why is Culture so Hard to Change? 31 How to Create Positive Workplaces 34 Summary 37 Further Reading 38 3 Positive Engagement and Performance 39 Introduction 40 Active Engagement at Work 42 Strengths and Talents 42 Flow 51 Mindfulness 52 Management Influence on Engagement and Productivity at Work 53 Goal Seeking 54 Goal Setting 56 Goal Setting and Environment Contingencies 58 The Meaningfulness of Work 63 Strategies for Increasing the Meaningfulness of Work 64 Summary 67 Recommended Reading 69 4 Positive Communication and Decision-Making 71 Introduction 71 Communication 72 Connectivity 74 Dynamic Patterns of Communication 76 How to Build Positive Communication and Increase Performance 78 Leadership and Positive Communication 78 Best Self-Feedback 79 Decision-Making 83 Emotions in Decision-Making 86 Micro-Decision-Making 91 Other Factors that Enhance Decision-Making 92 Moving from Decision-Making to Sense-Making 96 Summary 99 Further Reading 100 5 Positive Leadership and Change 101 Introduction 101 Leadership 102 Psychopathic Leaders 107 Organizational Change 124 Approaches to Change 125 Leadership Change Behaviour 130 Effective Leadership Behaviour 131 Developing Strategy 134 Summary 136 Further Reading 137 6 Positive Sustainable Growth 139 Introduction 139 Psychological Capital 142 Appreciative Inquiry 158 Positive Profusion Theory of Growth of the Positive Organization 166 The Three-Circle Strengths Revolution 168 Summary 170 Further Reading 170 7 Positive Relationships at Work 171 Introduction 172 Positive Team Working 174 High Quality Working Relationships 184 Summary 192 Further Reading 193 8 Positive Transformation 195 Introduction 197 Key Processes of Flourishing and Inspiring Workplaces 197 Why Organizations Ignore the Transformative Collaboration Approach to Change 199 Transformative Collaboration 204 Patterns of Organizational Life 204 Transformative Collaboration Approaches 213 Summary 221 Further Reading 227 Other Things You Need to Know 229 How to Live a Happy and Meaningful Life 229 How to Have a Better Quality Old Age 229 References 231 Index 239

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverything Counts! is an execution strategy for inspiring excellence and driving exceptional results. Too many people and organizations are mired in a mediocrity of their own making. They focus their attention and efforts on getting the big things right, but they ignore the little things that often make a big difference. As a result, reputations are damaged, brands diluted, and loyalty is lost by blatant disregard for the small stuff which negatively impacts the customer experience. For years, we''ve been taught not to sweat the small stuff, but in the real world of business, Everything Counts. Everything Counts is a call to greater awareness and with awareness comes a responsibility to raise the performance bar. It offers a powerful operating philosophy that will steer your organization to reach higher levels of growth, productivity, and performance. From the smallest customer contact to the most minute details of product quality, the little things add up to aTrade Review"Two words, one powerful philosophy. Everything Counts! is a must- read if there ever was one!"—Ivan R. Misner, PhD, founder and Chairman, BNI (Business Network International) "Gary Ryan Blair is a man on a mission to inspire, promote, and celebrate excellence. You simply must read this book!"—Les Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Live Your Dreams "A must-read for anyone who values quality and customer service....Everything Counts! is a road map to excellence for professionals, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and everyday folks."—Charmaine Russo, Manager, IBM Corporation "Paying attention to the small stuff makes a huge difference. Everything Counts! provides a simple, transparent, and powerful execution strategy that works. I highly recommend it!"—Harry Paul, coauthor of Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results "Every once in a while, a book comes along that delivers a transformational message appropriate for the boardroom, classroom, locker room, and living room. Everything Counts! is that kind of book. It is a treasure that can and should be enjoyed by all."—Andy Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Traveler's Gift and The Noticer "Everything Counts! is a great find and must-read. It superbly achieves the goal of providing a road map to excellence, both for individuals and organizations. But the true genius of the book is its universal relevance, as it combines a highly effective commonsense approach with frank guidance to enhance results in all areas of life."—Bill Bartmann, Billionaire Business CoachTable of ContentsForeword xii Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii Professional Strategies 1 1 Every Detail Counts 3 2 Commitment Counts 8 3 Leadership Counts 13 4 Focus Counts 18 5 Consistency Counts 23 6 Boldness Counts 28 7 Quality Counts 32 8 Planning Counts 37 9 Vision Counts 42 10 Teamwork Counts 47 11 Ethics Count 52 12 Goal Setting Counts 57 13 Innovation Counts 62 14 Rewards and Recognition Count 67 15 Every Customer Counts 72 16 Energy Management Counts 77 17 Speed Counts 82 18 Lifelong Learning Counts 87 19 Networking Counts 92 Personal Strategies 97 20 Character Counts 99 21 Common Sense Counts 104 22 Excellence Counts 108 23 Every Choice Counts 113 24 Passion Counts 117 25 Perseverance Counts 122 26 Courage Counts 126 27 Patience Counts 131 28 Humility Counts 135 29 Self-Discipline Counts 140 30 Etiquette Counts 145 31 Optimism Counts 149 32 Health Counts 154 33 Gratitude Counts 158 34 Reputation Counts 163 35 Personal Development Counts 168 36 Sustainability Counts 173 37 Your Legacy Counts 179 38 Loyalty Counts 183 Universal Concepts 189 39 Truth Counts 191 40 Joy Counts 196 41 Simplicity Counts 201 42 Inconvenience Counts 206 43 Diversity Counts 211 44 Failure Counts 216 45 Sportsmanship Counts 221 46 Resiliency Counts 226 47 Fundamentals Count 230 48 Every Dollar Counts 235 49 Every Vote Counts 240 50 Contribution Counts 245 51 History Counts 250 52 Peace Counts 255 Top Ten Reasons to Visit EverythingCounts.com 259 About the Author 261 Index 263

Read more less

Book SynopsisIncrease productivity, efficiency, and full-brain power when you apply Now Habit strategies to your business What if working harder, stressing more, and putting in more hours aren''t the secret to success? What if truly effective managers, entrepreneurs, and businesspeople simply use more of their brain to make creative decisions, work in the zone, and live more fully in the process? The Now Habit at Work gives you a hands-on manual enabling the resilience and focus of champions-the ability to bounce back from set-backs, to believe in yourself, and focus on solving problems rather than seeing only obstacles. This one-of-a-kind program offers Tools to enable superior quality work that creates work-life balance Strategies to maintain focus and self-confidence Tips to conquer stress through effective time management and goal setting Daily exercises to ignite motivation in yourself and others to tackle projects wTable of ContentsIntroduction xi Chapter 1 The Seven Essential Strategies 1 Chapter 2 Time and Life Management 15 Chapter 3 The Language of Effective Self-Management 29 Chapter 4 Effective Communications 45 Chapter 5 The Power of Focusing 61 Chapter 6 The Power of a Compelling Mission 69 Chapter 7 Ignite Your Motivation 77 Chapter 8 Effective Goal Setting 91 Chapter 9 Managing Procrastinators and Difficult Employees 107 Conclusion Applications and Fine-Tuning 125 Appendix 149 Index 163

Read more less

Book SynopsisA timeless investment guide that reveals how to consistently earn market-beating returns while reducing risk What every investor needs is a battle-tested strategy that embraces the uncertainty of financial markets-and life in general. One that will yield market-beating portfolio returns in both good times and bad.Table of ContentsForeword vii Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Part I Get Wise 1 Introduction 3 Chapter 1: The Unvarnished Truth about Your Money 9 Chapter 2: The First Step on the Road to Financial Freedom 15 Chapter 3: Why Manage Your Own Money? 25 Chapter 4: Know What You Don’t Know 35 Part II Get Wealthy 45 Chapter 5: Common Stocks: The Greatest Wealth-Creating Machine of All Time 47 Chapter 6: Don’t Buy What Wall Street Is Selling 61 Chapter 7: Your Single Most Important Investment Decision 73 Chapter 8: The Gone Fishin’ Portfolio Unveiled 89 Chapter 9: Why the Gone Fishin’ Portfolio Is Your Best Investment Plan 119 Chapter 10: How to Legally Stiff-Arm the IRS 129 Chapter 11: The ETF Alternative 137 Part III Get On with Your Life 147 Chapter 12: The Last Two Essentials: Specific Goals and Realistic Expectations 149 Chapter 13: Your Most Precious Resource 159 Afterword 169 Appendix A: Vanguard Funds 175 Appendix B: ETFs 217 About the Author 233 Index 235

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe vast majority of the truly wealthy get there the old-fashioned way- by working hard, spending little and saving a lot. They are smart, but they aren't so smart that they refuse to seek and accept help from others. Making Millions For Dummies gives readers what they need to achieve the wealth they want.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 3 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book Is Organized 4 Part I: Getting Your Finances in Order 4 Part II: Strategies for Building Wealth 4 Part III: Paths Paved with Gold 5 Part IV: Managing Your Wealth 5 Part V: The Part of Tens 6 Icons Used in This Book 6 Where to Go from Here 7 Part I: Getting Your Finances in Order 9 Chapter 1: Gathering the Building Blocks 11 Shattering Money Myths 12 Understanding Your Relationship with Money 13 Asking yourself how you think about money 14 Changing your thinking 15 Making a Plan 16 Choosing Your Path to Wealth 17 Staying There When You Get There 18 Things Wealthy People Know 19 Chapter 2: Understanding Your Money Personality 21 Figuring Out How You Feel about Money 22 The planner 22 The spender 23 The needster 23 The Lord (or Lady) Bountiful 25 The hoarder 26 Changing How You Feel about Money 27 For the planner: Focusing on flexibility 27 For the spender: Discovering yourself 28 For the needster: Unlocking emotions 28 For Lord (or Lady) Bountiful: Compromising 29 For the hoarder: Growing up 30 Knowing What You Won’t Do for Money 30 Living your values 31 Understanding trade-offs 31 Minimizing Your Risk 33 Knowing what you’re getting into 33 Developing a long-term outlook 34 Starting Your New Life with Money 34 Chapter 3: Setting Your Financial Goals 37 Identifying What’s Important to You 38 What you want in the next five years 39 What you want for the future 40 What you want now 41 Putting Your Goals in Writing 42 Starting with the general 43 Making your goals SMART 43 Keeping your goals in mind 46 Staying on Track 47 Chapter 4: Working Out Finances with Your Spouse or Partner 49 Spill Your Guts: Sharing Your Financial Story 50 How much you know 50 What you need to know 51 Why you need to know 52 Getting the most out of your financial partnership 53 You Like Potato and I Like Potahto: Identifying Your Differences 53 Talking about your expectations 54 Discussing your goals 57 Go Team! Setting Priorities Together 58 Finding a mutual comfort zone 58 Focusing on the positive 59 Part II: Strategies for Building Wealth 61 Chapter 5: Living below Your Means 63 Spending Money You Don’t Have 64 The instant gratification factor 65 Who are you keeping up with again? 66 Changing Your Spending Habits 67 Anticipating Changes in Your Means 69 Losing an income 69 Dealing with a struggling economy 70 Planning for new expenses 71 Chapter 6: Managing Debt and Freeing Up Your Money 75 Understanding Your Credit 76 The credit bureaus 76 Your credit score 77 Good Debt versus Bad Debt 80 Figuring out what your debt costs you 81 Getting a handle on your debt 83 Organizing Your Budget 84 Getting started 85 Creating your budget 86 Keeping it flexible 87 Freeing Up Your Money 87 Saving money with your car 87 Saving money at home 88 Saving money when you’re shopping 89 Avoiding Fees and Extra Charges 91 Overdraft charges 91 Maintenance fees 92 Late fees 93 Chapter 7: Starting on Your Savings Plan 95 Understanding Why Saving Matters 96 Unexpected expenses 96 Major life changes 97 Developing a Saving Attitude 98 Finding pleasure in saving 99 Saving for specific things 100 Changing your life 100 Figuring Out Where to Start 101 Setting your priorities 101 Paying yourself first 102 Making it automatic 103 Putting it beyond temptation’s reach 104 Filling your emergency fund 104 After your emergency fund is full 105 Chapter 8: Getting the Most from Your Job 107 Allocating Your Paycheck 107 Using direct deposit to augment your savings 108 Taking advantage of pretax deductions 109 Pensions 111 Stock Plans 112 Stock options 112 Employee stock purchase plans 113 Restricted stock awards 113 Restricted stock units 114 Using What You’ve Earned 114 Holiday, vacation, and personal time 114 Raises 115 Bonuses 115 Other perks 116 Changing Jobs 116 What to do with your 401(k) 117 Severance pay 118 Health insurance 119 Part III: Paths Paved with Gold 121 Chapter 9: Starting Your Own Business 123 Before You Jump In 124 Starting from Scratch 126 Determining the kind of business you want 126 Assessing your skills 127 Figuring out what you’ll need 127 Building it into the black and beyond 130 Buying a Franchise 131 Weighing the pros and cons 132 Focusing on funding 133 Determining the best opportunity for you 134 Taking Over an Existing Business 135 Reviewing financial statements 136 Keeping an eye on contracts and leases 136 Paying attention to potential or ongoing litigation 137 Investigating other areas 137 Chapter 10: Inventing a Better Mousetrap 139 Coming Up with Your Big Idea 140 Pairing problems and solutions 140 Checking out your idea 141 Getting Paid for Your Big Idea 142 Seeing the value in your idea 142 Outcommercializing the competition 144 Licensing versus producing and selling outright 145 Protecting Your Big Idea 147 Patents, trademarks, and copyrights 147 Confidentiality 149 Recordkeeping 150 Chapter 11: Inheriting Wealth 151 Dealing with the Emotional Impact 152 Understanding what you feel 152 Taking your time 154 Thinking of your inheritance as yours 155 Managing Your Inheritance 155 Recognizing the tax implications 156 Breaking out that list of goals 156 Matching goals and strategies 157 Blowing it — or at least some of it 157 Chapter 12: Winning Wealth 159 Coping with Sudden Wealth 160 Building Wealth from Winnings 162 Taking your time 162 Getting professional advice 164 Talking to your family 164 Implementing a management plan 165 Treating Gambling as What It Is 167 Understanding the odds 168 Taking the right attitude 169 Chapter 13: Investing for Wealth 171 Developing Your Investment Philosophy 172 Determining your risk tolerance 172 Getting advice from the big guns 175 Choosing whom to listen to 178 Taking control of your investments 179 Investing in the Stock Market 179 The importance of diversifying 180 Cultivating patience 182 Things to look for 183 Things to avoid 183 Getting a broker 184 Doing it yourself 185 Avoiding Big Mistakes 186 Hidden fees 187 Misrepresentations 188 High-pressure sales tactics 189 Ceding control to your broker 189 Chapter 14: Joining the Landed Gentry 191 Building Wealth in Your Home 192 Knowing what you can afford 192 Understanding your mortgage options 195 Building equity — and keeping it 197 Considering Investment Property 200 Figuring out your plan 200 Understanding the market 202 Dedicating your time 203 Developing your professional network 204 Exploring Real Estate Investment Groups 204 Understanding Real Estate Investment Trusts 205 Things to look for 206 Things to avoid 207 Part IV: Managing Your Wealth 209 Chapter 15: Going to the Pros 211 Choosing a Financial Planner 212 What to look for 212 Where to look 213 Meeting prospective planners 214 Knowing what you’re paying for 216 Choosing an Investment Broker 218 What to look for 218 Figuring out the fees 221 What to stay away from 222 Choosing an Attorney 223 What to look for 223 Where to look 224 What to avoid 225 Choosing an Insurance Agent 225 Independents versus captive agents 225 Where to look 226 Choosing a Tax Preparer 226 What to look for 227 What to avoid 228 Chapter 16: Going for Growth versus Going for Income 229 Determining the Right Mix for You 230 Factoring in your risk tolerance 232 Assessing other factors 232 Understanding Investment Risks 233 Low-risk investments 233 Moderate-risk investments 234 High-risk investments 236 Keeping Your Balance 239 Reassessing your goals 239 Avoiding common (and expensive) mistakes 240 Chapter 17: Minimizing Uncle Sam’s Share 245 Filling Out Your W-4 Form 246 Selecting your filing status 246 Claiming single/zero 248 Claiming allowances 249 Figuring deductions and adjustments 251 Keeping Records 252 Knowing what’s deductible 253 Investing in accounting software 253 Creating your own spreadsheet 254 Crunching the Numbers 254 Are you better off itemizing? 255 Will you run up against the Alternative Minimum Tax? 255 How can you offset capital gains? 256 Avoiding Common Mistakes 257 Missing deductions you’re entitled to 258 Setting yourself up for penalties 259 Doing It Yourself or Hiring a Pro 260 Chapter 18: Covering Your Assets 261 Insurance Basics 261 Understanding coverage and limitations 262 Weighing deductibles and premiums 263 Evaluating insurance companies 263 Homeowner’s Insurance 264 Auto Insurance 265 Collision 266 Comprehensive 266 Liability 266 Insuring against the Inevitable 267 How much life insurance you need 268 Term life versus whole life 270 Disability Insurance 273 Your employer’s plan 274 Private disability insurance 275 Social Security disability 277 Long-Term-Care Insurance 277 Insurance You May Not Need 279 Car-rental insurance 279 Travel insurance 280 Life insurance for your kids 281 Chapter 19: Planning for Your Heirs 283 Putting Your Wishes in Writing 283 Figuring out what you have to leave 284 Choosing an executor 285 Divvying up your estate 286 Paying final expenses 288 Using Trusts in Estate Planning 289 Defining trusts 290 Recognizing the advantages of trusts 290 Getting Professional Help 293 Starting early 293 Getting the right kind of help 294 Knowing what it’ll cost 295 Storing Your Estate-Plan Documents 295 Chapter 20: Keeping Your Finances in Good Health 297 Keeping It Simple 298 Engaging the autopilot 298 Cleaning up the clutter 299 Taking the universal view 300 Letting your money work for you 301 Giving Your Finances Regular Checkups 301 Rebalancing your portfolio 303 Weeding out what you no longer need 303 Part V: The Part of Tens 307 Chapter 21: Ten Traits of Millionaires 309 Seeking Independence 310 Living Life, Not the Lifestyle 310 Working Hard — And Long 311 Staying Positive 311 Overcoming Failure 312 Being Organized 312 Building a Network 313 Being the Boss 313 Striking a Balance between Money and Your Life’s Work 314 Growing, Growing, Growing 315 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Find More (Of Your Own) Money 317 Keeping Track of Your Spending 317 Distinguishing Between “I Need” and “I Want” 318 Assigning Your Own Value to Purchases 320 Avoiding Bargains That Really Aren’t 320 Spending Now to Save Later 321 Getting Rid of Credit Card Balances 322 Eliminating Hidden Fees 323 Maximizing Tax Deductions 324 Using Coupons, Rebates, and Rewards Programs 325 Finding Lost Money 325 Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Make Your Money Work Harder 327 Paying Yourself First 327 Making Your Money Earn Its Keep 328 Socking Away Money in CDs and Money-Market Accounts 329 Maximizing Matching Funds 330 Finding Free Money 331 Saving for Major Purchases 331 Funding Traditional IRAs 332 Taking Advantage of Roth IRAs 332 Saving for College with 529 Plans 332 Taking the Long View 333 Chapter 24: Ten Ways You Can Tell You’re a Millionaire 335 What Got You Here Stays with You 335 You Work Because You Want To 335 You Focus on Yourself — Not on What Others Have 336 You Update Your Goals 336 You Stay Informed and in Control 337 You Say No 337 You See the Benefits of Risk 338 You’re Prepared 338 You Enjoy the Abundance in Your Life 338 You Count Your Blessings 339 Index 341

Read more less

Book SynopsisA new edition of the bestselling book on finding one's personal path to leadership Leading with Soul has inspired thousands of readers since its publication more than a decade ago. Far ahead of its time, the book illuminated the deeply personal journey to leadership.Table of ContentsPrelude In Search of Soul and Spirit 3 The Search 1. The Heart of Leadership Lives in the Hearts of Leaders 15 2. The Human Heart Is More Than a Pump 25 3. The Journey of a Soul 29 4. Discovering New Teachers 33 Interlude 1: Reclaiming Your Soul 39 Conviction 5. A Place to Start 53 6. Vicissitudes of the Journey 59 Interlude 2: Leaning Into Your Fear: The Courage of Conviction 65 Gifts 7. Gifts of Leadership 75 8. Authorship 83 9. Love 89 10. Power 97 11. Significance 103 12. Corporate Community 111 Interlude 3: Community and the Cycle of Giving 121 Sharing 13. Summoning the Magic of Stories 147 14. Lifting Our Voices in Song 155 15. Celebrating Shared Icons 163 Interlude 4: Expressing the Spirit 169 A New Life 16. The Twilight of Leadership 179 17. Deep Refuge 187 Interlude 5: The Cycle of the Spirit 191 18. The Legacy 203 Postlude Soul at Work 209 Continuing a Spirited Dialogue 237 Notes 267 Recommended Readings 277 Acknowledgments 283 The Authors 289 Write to the Authors 291

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn in-depth examination of today''s most important wealth management issues Managing the assets of high-net-worth individuals has become a core business specialty for investment and financial advisors worldwide. Keeping abreast of the latest research in this field is paramount. That''s why Private Wealth, the inaugural offering in the CFA Institute Investment Perspectives series has been created. As a sister series to the globally successful CFA Institute Investment Series, CFA Institute and John Wiley are proud to offer this new collection. Private Wealth presents the latest information on lifecycle modeling, asset allocation, investment management for taxable private investors, and much more. Researched and written by leading academics and practitioners, including Roger Ibbotson of Yale University and Zvi Bodie of Boston University, this volume covers human capital and mortality risk in life cycle stages and proposes a life-cycle model for life transitions. It also addressTable of ContentsForeword ix Introduction 1 Part I: Life-Cycle Investing Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The Future of Retirement Planning 7Robert C. Merton Reprinted from The Future of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing, The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (October 2007):5–18. Chapter 2 Is Personal Finance a Science? 19Paul A. Samuelson Reprinted from The Future of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing, The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (October 2007):1–4. Chapter 3 Lifetime Financial Advice: Human Capital, Asset Allocation, and Insurance 23Roger G. Ibbotson; Moshe A. Milevsky; Peng Chen, CFA; and Kevin X. Zhu Reprinted from The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (April 2007). Chapter 4 The Theory of Optimal Life-Cycle Saving and Investing 99Zvi Bodie, Jonathan Treussard, and Paul Willen Reprinted from The Future of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing, The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (October 2007):19–37. Chapter 5 Is Conventional Financial Planning Good for Your Financial Health? 117Laurence J. Kotlikoff Reprinted from The Future of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing, The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (October 2007):55–71. Chapter 6 The Life Care Annuity 133Mark J. Warshawsky Reprinted from The Future of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing, The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (October 2007):103–106. Chapter 7 The Longevity Annuity: An Annuity for Everyone? 137Jason S. Scott Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (January/February 2008):40–48. Chapter 8 A Sustainable Spending Rate without Simulation 151Moshe A. Milevsky and Chris RobinsonReprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (November/December 2005): 89–100. Chapter 9 Asset Allocation without Unobservable Parameters 169Michael Stutzer Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (September/October 2004):38–51. Part II: Investment Management for Taxable Private Clients Chapter 10 Investment Management for Taxable Private Investors 191Jarrod Wilcox, CFA; Jeffrey E. Horvitz; and Dan diBartolomeo Reprinted from The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (January 2006). Chapter 11 Core/Satellite Strategies for the High-Net-Worth Investor 299Clifford H. Quisenberry, CFA Reprinted from CFA Institute Conference Proceedings Quarterly (December 2006):38–45. Chapter 12 The Higher Equity Risk Premium Created by Taxation 311 Martin L. Leibowitz Modified from the Financial Analysts Journal (September/October 2003):28–31. Chapter 13 Tax Deferral and Tax-Loss Harvesting 317Jeffrey E. Horvitz Reprinted from CFA Institute Conference Proceedings: Wealth Management (October 2005):24–30. Chapter 14 Tax Management, Loss Harvesting, and HIFO Accounting 327Andrew L. Berkin and Jia Ye Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (July/August 2003):91–102. Chapter 15 Investing with a Tax-Effi cient Eye 345Robert N. Gordon Reprinted from CFA Institute Conference Proceedings: Wealth Management (October 2005):31–40. Chapter 16 Diversifying Concentrated Holdings 361Scott D. Welch Reprinted from AIMR Conference Proceedings: Investment Counseling for Private Clients III (August 2001):30–35. Chapter 17 Hedging Low-Cost-Basis Stock 373Robert N. Gordon Reprinted from AIMR Conference Proceedings: Investment Counseling for Private Clients III (August 2001):36–43. Part III: Tax-Efficient Wealth Accumulation Chapter 18 Tax-Advantaged Savings Accounts and Tax-Efficient Wealth Accumulation 387Stephen M. Horan, CFA Reprinted from The Research Foundation of CFA Institute (June 2005). Chapter 19 After-Tax Asset Allocation 475William Reichenstein, CFA Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (July/August 2006):14–19. Chapter 20 Withdrawal Location with Progressive Tax Rates 485Stephen M. Horan, CFA Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (November/December 2006):77–87. Part IV: After-Tax Performance Measurement Chapter 21 After-Tax Performance Evaluation 507James M. Poterba Reprinted from AIMR Conference Proceedings: Investment Counseling for Private Clients II (August 2000):58–67. Chapter 22 Taxable Benchmarks: The Complexity Increases 521Lee N. Price, CFA Reprinted from AIMR Conference Proceedings: Investment Counseling for Private Clients III (August 2001):54–64. Chapter 23 Explaining After-Tax Mutual Fund Performance 535James D. Peterson; Paul A. Pietranico, CFA; Mark W. Riepe, CFA; and Fran Xu, CFA Reprinted from the Financial Analysts Journal (January/February 2002):75–86. About the Contributors 553 Index 555

Read more less

Book SynopsisProven methods for building an online income stream You don't have to quit your current job, or already have piles of money, or be 24 years old, or riding a booming economy, in order to start a successful online business.Table of ContentsPreface xiii Chapter 1 You CAN Get Rich—But Yes, There Is a Catch 1 10 Giant Keep Out! Signs on the Road to Your Online Business Success—The False Barriers 2 ‘‘I’m Too Old/I’m Too Young’’ 2 ‘‘I Don’t Have Enough Money’’ 2 ‘‘I Don’t Have Enough Time’’ 3 ‘‘It’s a Bad Economy’’ 4 ‘‘All the Really Good Ideas Are Taken’’ 5 ‘‘I’m Too Small to Compete Against the Big Guys’’ 5 ‘‘I’m No Good with Computers’’ 6 ‘‘There’s Too Much Competition’’ 6 ‘‘I’m Not Educated Enough’’ 8 ‘‘Someone Will Steal My Idea’’ 8 Now For the Six Disabling and Very Real Dangers to Your Online Business Success 10 Real Danger Number One: You Are Easily Influenced by People Less Successful than You Want to Be 10 Real Danger Number Two: You Think You Can Sit on the Couch and Money Will Spew out of the TV 12 Related Real Danger Number Three: You Think that the Only Good Money Is Hard-Earned Money 13 Real Danger Number Four: You Insist upon Staying in Your Comfort Zone at All Times 14 Real Danger Number Five: You Think ‘‘My Situation Is Different’’ 15 Real Danger Number Six: You’re More of an Idea Pack Rat than a Beaver 18 Chapter 2 How to Build a Quick and Profitable Product 21 The Typical Dream Is Useless 23 ‘‘I Must Have a Fortress to Protect My Idea from Knockoff Artists’’ 24 ‘‘I Must Reach Millions of People’’ 25 ‘‘I Want to Be Famous’’ 25 ‘‘I Want to Be as Rich as King Midas from the First Invention of Mine’’ 25 ‘‘I Need to Invent Something Revolutionary’’ 25 ‘‘Inventions Are Things that Are Manufactured in Factories’’ 26 Your First Product Should Be One of These 26 What Problem Have You Solved? 28 What Can You Demonstrate? 29 What Have You Researched on the Web and Discovered? 30 What Are the Best Resources You’ve Found? 34 How Do Things Fit Together? 36 Explore Other Variations on A Proven Theme 38 What Have You Tested? 40 Appeal to Rabid Hobbyists 41 Is This Great, or What? 43 Another School of Thought 44 Avoid This Pitfall 45 Get My Chart 47 Chapter 3 How to Create Content Cheaply and Easily 49 Stage 1: Capture the Raw Content 49 Method One: Sit Down and Write 50 Method Two: Have a Conversation 54 Method Three: Interview People 56 Method Four: Record a Presentation 57 Method Five: Capture Screenshots 57 Method Six: Do a Video Capture of a Web Session 58 Stage 2: Edit the Content 60 Backup Your Work! 61 Stage 3: Deliver the Content 63 1. Special Report 66 2. Getting-Started Kit 68 3. Home-Study Course 68 4. Sample Newsletter 69 5. Book 69 6. Interview Series Transcript 69 7. Fast-Start Guide 70 8. Pocket Guide 71 9. Checklist 71 10. T-shirt 72 11. and 12. Poster and Laminated Poster 73 13. Calendar 74 14. Game 74 15. Mug 75 16. Information Wheel 75 17. CD 76 18. DVD 77 19. Interview Series on MP3 77 20. Free Video 78 21. Live Event Videos 78 22. Toll-Free 24/7 Recorded Line 80 23. Consulting Hotline 82 24. Teleseminar/Webinar 82 25. Trial Software 86 26. iPhone Application 86 27. Software 87 28. Online Calculator 87 29. Interview Series PDFs 88 30. Free PDF 88 31. Free Audio 89 32. Consultation 89 33. Lunch or Dinner Seminar 89 34. One-Day Seminar 90 35. Consultation (Paid Version) 90 36. Boot Camp 91 37. Live Tour 91 38. Cruise 92 The Excellent Concept of Continuity 92 39. Newsletter 93 40. Membership Site 94 41. Weekly Faxes 94 42. Coaching 94 The Opportunity Engineer 96 Chapter 4 Getting Open for Business 97 The Seven Basic Building Blocks to a Good Web Site 97 Building Block One: You Need to Own a Good Domain Name 97 Building Block Two: You Need to Arrange for Web Site Hosting 108 Building Block Three: Get a Web Site Design 113 Building Block Four: Get an HTML Editor 117 Building Block Five: Get an FTP Tool 118 Building Block Six: Learn How to Accept Money on the Web 119 Building Block Seven: Set Up an Effective E-Mail System 128 Getting Work Done for You 134 Chapter 5 How to Get People to Raise Their Hands 141 Myth Number One: ‘‘It’s All about Traffic’’ 141 Myth Number Two: ‘‘It’s All about Targeted Traffic’’ 143 Myth Number Three: ‘‘I’m Waiting for the Game Changer’’ 144 Myth Number Four: ‘‘It’s All about Cost Per Lead’’ 147 Principle One: The True Measure of a Lead-Generation Technique Is Not Cost per Lead but Instead Return on Investment 147 Principle Two: Lead Sources Have a Half-Life Just Like Uranium 148 Principle Three: There Is No One Single ‘‘Best’’ Lead Source for Everyone 148 Principle Four: Don’t Pursue Prospects—Attract Them 149 Principle Five: Give Before You Get 150 The Moving Parts of a Lead-Generation Effort 151 Step One: Deliver Valuable Information to a Highly Targeted Audience 151 Step Two: Direct Them to a Specific Page 151 Step Three: Reinforce that They’re in the Right Place 153 Step Four: Reinforce Their Decision to Visit Your Site by Giving Them Even More Information 154 Step Five: Explain There’s Even More Where that Came From 154 Step Six: When They Submit Their Contact Information, Instantly Have It Go into Your Database and Redirect Them to a Welcome Page 156 Great Sources for Leads 157 Pay-Per-Click Advertising 157 Key Phrase Techniques 163 Google AdSense 165 Organic Search 167 Getting Found Locally in Google 169 Article Marketing 171 Social Media 174 Blogs 174 YouTube 176 Press Releases 177 eBay 179 Inexpensive and Great Offline Strategies for Getting Found 180 Local Newspapers 180 Free-Standing Inserts 181 Commuter Newspapers 182 Local Clubs and Events 182 Direct Mail 182 Chapter 6 How to Turn Prospects into Buyers 185 Mistake Number One: Ineffective Marketers Confuse Attention with Shouting 185 Mistake Number Two: Ineffective Marketers Boost Their Claims out of All Proportion 187 Mistake Number Three: With Ineffective Marketers, It’s All about Them and Not about the Customer 189 Mistake Number Four: Ineffective Marketers Ask You to Buy Too Soon 191 Mistake Number Five: Ineffective Marketers Do Not Include a Call to Action and a Deadline 192 Mistake Number Six: Ineffective Marketers Further Erode Trust by Creating Fake Deadlines 192 Mistake Number Seven: Ineffective Marketers Speak to Audiences, Not to Individuals 193 The Eight Money Questions: Answer These and Your Product Will Sell 195 Money Question One: ‘‘Why Should I Stop and Listen to You?’’ 195 Money Question Two: ‘‘Why Should I Read the Whole Thing?’’ 197 Money Question Three: ‘‘What Else Do You Have and How Will It Help Me?’’ 199 Money Question Four: ‘‘Why Is Your Solution Better than Any Other?’’ 201 Money Question Five: ‘‘Why Should I Believe Your Claims?’’ 201 Money Question Six: ‘‘What’s It Going to Cost Me?’’ 205 Money Question Seven: ‘‘What’s My Risk?’’ 209 Money Question Eight: ‘‘What Happens After You Have My Money?’’ 212 Chapter 7 Relationships Equal Revenues 215 Autoresponders versus Broadcast E-Mails 217 Four Tips for Building Profitable Relationships Through E-Mail 218 Tip One: Segment for Success 218 Tip Two: Encourage Consumption 219 Tip Three: Become a Welcome Guest in Their Inbox 220 Tip Four: Make It Two-Way Communication 222 Other Ways to Stay Close to Your Customers 223 Chapter 8 The Secrets to an Upward Profit Spiral 225 Step One: Install Measuring Devices 226 Step Two: Determine Why Nonbuyers Don’t Buy, and Adjust Your Site Accordingly 227 Step Three: Test Everything 229 Chapter 9 The ‘‘I’’ Factor 231 Index 233

Read more less

Book SynopsisInnovative insights on creating models that will help you become a disciplined intelligent investor The pioneer of value investing, Benjamin Graham, believed in a philosophy that continues to be followed by some of today''s most successful investors, such as Warren Buffett. Part of this philosophy includes adhering to your stock selection process come hell or high water which, in his view, was one of the most important aspects of investing. So, if a quant designs and implements mathematical models for predicting stock or market movements, what better way to remain objective, then to invest using algorithms or the quantitative method? This is exactly what Ben Graham Was a Quant will show you how to do. Opening with a brief history of quantitative investing, this book quickly moves on to focus on the fundamental and financial factors used in selecting Graham stocks, demonstrate how to test these factors, and discuss how to combine them into a quantitative model.<Table of ContentsPreface xi Introduction: The Birth of the Quant 1 Characterizing the Quant 3 Active versus Passive Investing 6 Chapter 1 Desperately Seeking Alpha 11 The Beginnings of the Modern Alpha Era 16 Important History of Investment Management 18 Methods of Alpha Searching 20 Chapter 2 Risky Business 27 Experienced versus Exposed Risk 28 The Black Swan: A Minor ELE Event—Are Quants to Blame? 34 Active versus Passive Risk 38 Other Risk Measures: VAR, C-VAR, and ETL 49 Summary 52 Chapter 3 Beta is Not “Sharpe” Enough 55 Back to Beta 64 Beta and Volatility 65 The Way to a Better Beta: Introducing the g-Factor 67 Tracking Error: The Deviant Differential Measurer 75 Summary 77 Chapter 4 Mr. Graham, I Give You Intelligence 79 Fama-French Equation 81 The Graham Formula 89 Factors for Use in Quant Models 90 Momentum: Increasing Investor Interest 96 Volatility as a Factor in Alpha Models 113 Chapter 5 Modeling Pitfalls and Perils 123 Data Availability, Look-Ahead, and Survivorship Biases 124 Building Models You Can Trust 127 Scenario, Out-of-Sample, and Shock Testing 131 Data Snooping and Mining 139 Statistical Significance and Other Fascinations 140 Choosing an Investment Philosophy 148 Growth, Value, Quality 149 Investment Consultant as Dutch Uncle 152 Where Are the Relative Growth Managers? 154 Chapter 6 Testing the Graham Crackers . . . er, Factors 159 The First Tests: Sorting 160 Time-Series Plots 173 The Next Tests: Scenario Analysis 182 Chapter 7 Building Models from Factors 193 Surviving Factors 194 Weighting the Factors 197 The Art versus Science of Modeling 200 Time Series of Returns 210 Other Conditional Information 215 The Final Model 217 Other Methods of Measuring Performance: Attribution Analysis via Brinson and Risk Decomposition 220 Regression of the Graham Factors with Forward Returns 228 Chapter 8 Building Portfolios from Models 233 The Deming Way: Benchmarking Your Portfolio 235 Portfolio Construction Issues 247 Using an Online Broker: Fidelity, E*Trade, TD Ameritrade, Schwab, Interactive Brokers, and TradeStation 249 Working with a Professional Investment Management System: Bloomberg, Clarifi, and FactSet 251 Chapter 9 Barguments: The Antidementia Bacterium 255 The Colossal Nonfailure of Asset Allocation 256 The Stock Market as a Class of Systems 258 Stochastic Portfolio Theory: An Introduction 266 Portfolio Optimization: The Layman’s Perspective 276 Tax-Efficient Optimization 282 Summary 282 Chapter 10 Past and Future View 285 Why Did Global Contagion and Meltdown Occur? 292 Fallout of Crises 297 The Rise of the Multinational State-Owned Enterprises 301 The Emerged Markets 310 The Future Quant 311 Notes 317 Acknowledgments 325 About the Author 327 Index 329

Read more less

Book SynopsisPlease contact the authors at upstream.petroleum.in.excel@gmail.com for details of how to access the trial version of Crystal Ball, as well as the Excel and other files which are *not* part of the e-book version download.This is a book no deal team should be without. It is a must for those involved in upstream oil and gas transactions, planning, budgeting, investment appraisal and portfolio management. Its stepbystep approach cuts through complexity, making it comprehensive and understandable by a wide range of users with a wide range of abilities. It can be used as a textbook, an introductory primer or as a handbook that you can dip in and out of or read cover to cover.Michael Lynch-Bell, Senior Advisor, Oil & Gas, Ernst & Young LLP; ex-officio Chairman, UN Expert Group on Resource Classification In the upstream petroleum industry, it is the value of posttax cashflows which matters most

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt's not the best companies that prevail in the marketplace, but rather the best brands. The goal of business strategy is not just to be better, but different. Learn how to build a differentiating value proposition by clearly and carefully defining your brand boundaries: Calling, Competencies, Customers, and Culture. Positioning for Professionalsshows how a well-defined value proposition can help professional service firms create their own success instead of copying the success of others, including such concepts as: How and why professional service brands become homogenized Why standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing Why there's no such thing as full service Deep and narrow as a strategic imperative Why it's better to be a profit leader than a market leader Differentiation and price premiums How to map your branTable of ContentsIntroduction xi Chapter 1 Size Is Not a Strategy 1 Maintaining Pricing Integrity 2 Better to Be a Profit Leader than a Market Leader 3 Why Bigness Doesn’t Lead to Greatness 5 Hired to Be Effective, Not Efficient 6 Chapter 2 How and Why Brands Become Homogenized 9 The Urge to Copy 10 The Folly of All-in-One 11 Line Extension Is Not Branding 12 There’s No Such Thing as Full Service 13 The Natural Fear of Focus 14 Chapter 3 The Mature Company ’s Identity Crisis 17 Differentiation and Price Premiums 18 Columbus, Not Napoleon 19 The Diffusion of Identity 22 Landing in No-Man’s Land 22 Strategy at the Edges 23 Not Best Practices, But Next Practices 25 Chapter 4 Expanding Your Business By Narrowing Your Focus 29 There’s No Such Thing as a General Market 30 Vertical Success versus Horizontal Success 32 The Strategic Value of Going Deep 34 Chapter 5 Positioning as the Centerpiece of Business Strategy 37 What Are You Really Selling? 39 Becoming Hard to Imitate 39 Two Critical Dimensions of an Effective Value Proposition 41 A Category of One 43 A Brand Is the Customer’s Idea of the Product 44 Natural Outcomes of a Powerful Value Proposition 46 Chapter 6 Building Brand Boundaries 47 Brand Boundary 1: Calling 49 Brand Boundary 2: Customers 55 Brand Boundary 3: Competencies 60 Brand Boundary 4: Culture 66 The Confluence of Calling, Customers, Competencies, and Culture 72 Chapter 7 Validating Your Value Proposition 75 Be Rooted in the Future, Not the Past 76 The Value Proposition Team 77 Asking the Right Questions 80 Chapter 8 Without Execution, There Is No Strategy 83 Services 85 Staffing 92 Self-Promotion 100 Systems 107 Staging 112 Executing a Positioning Strategy with Alignment Teams 116 Rebuilding Your Ship While at Sea 119 Chapter 9 Getting Paid for Creating Value 121 The Perils of Cost-Based Compensation 122 Changing the Language 124 Pricing as a Core Competency 125 Why a Value-Based Approach Is in the Client’s Best Interest 126 The Alignment of Incentives 128 Creating a Virtuous Circle 131 Chapter 10 A New and Better Way to Price Professional Services 133 Forms of Value-Based Pricing 133 The Right Clients for Outcome-Based Agreements 136 The True Meaning of Partnership 138 Uncovering Missed Opportunities to Make Pricing a Core Competency 139 Key Questions in Setting a Value-Based Price 140 If Complex Global Companies Can Do It, So Can You 142 Better Time Tracking Is Not the Answer 144 Thinking of Compensation Plans as a Stock Portfolio 147 Setting the Stage for a Value-Based Approach to Compensation 150 A Declaration of Value 154 Appendix A: The Before-and-After Survey 157 Appendix B: More Ways to Differentiate Your Brand 161 Appendix C: Indicators of the Firm’s Success 165 Notes 173 About the Author 179 Index 181

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn accessible guide to trading the fast-moving foreign exchange market The foreign exchange market, or forex, was once dominated by global banks, hedge funds, and multinational corporations, but that has all changed with Internet technology and the advent of online forex brokers. Now, hundreds of thousands of traders and investors around the world can participate in this profitable field. Written by forex expert Kathy Lien, The Little Book of Currency Trading will show you how to effectively invest and trade in today''s biggest market. Page by page, she describes the multitude of opportunities possible in the forex market, from short-term price swings to long-term trends, and details practical products that can help you achieve success, such as currency-based ETFs. Explains the forces that drive currencies and provides strategies to profit from them Reveals how you can use various currencies to reduce risk and take advantage of global trenTable of ContentsIntroduction xi Chapter One When Lightning Strikes 1 Chapter Two Rubles and Bahts and Euros—Oh, My! 19 Chapter Three The A to Zs of Forex 35 Chapter Four Step Right Up 53 Chapter Five Movers and Shakers 63 Chapter Six The Investor versus the Trader 77 Chapter Seven What All Winners Do 89 Chapter Eight So You’re an Investor? 105 Chapter Nine So You’re a Trader? 119 Chapter Ten Risky Business 133 Chapter Eleven The Top 10 Mistakes 145 Chapter Twelve Greetings from Nigeria, Please Help! 157 Chapter Thirteen Getting Down to Business 169 Chapter Fourteen Crash, Burn, and Learn 181 Chapter Fifteen Start Smart 193 Author’s Disclaimer 197

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt''s one of the toughest economies in years, but don''t fear-the doctor is in Are you among the thousands of retailers frustrated by market challenges and looking for ways to take control of your business? Are you looking for the advice of an expert consultant, but unable to spend the money? Then The Retail Doctor''s Guide to Growing Your Business is for you. By providing a step-by-step approach to evaluate your current business practices, The Retail Doctor offers professional guidance Redesign your organizational structure Reap the maximum returns on your investment Keep your business financially healthy Following the advice in these pages will help you devise a sound strategy to accomplish your goals and outperform your competitors. You''ll also gain clear insight into all areas of human resource management, sales training, merchandising methods, and marketing. While your competitors are looking for aTable of ContentsAcknowledgments. Introduction: What's Ailing You? Chapter 1. Financials Are the Vital Signs to Measuring Your Success. Chapter 2. The Anatomy of Successful Retail Store. Chapter 3. The Right Employees Are Your Most Important Asset – How to Hire Right. Chapter 4. Sell It or You're Dead. Chapter 5. Clone Yourself to Train Effectively. Chapter 6. Building and Coaching Your Team. Chapter 7. What You Don't Know about the Web Could Kill You. Chapter 8. It's Up to You Now. The 13 Steps to Being a Top Salesperson. About the Author. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe cornerstone of money management and portfolio optimization techniques has remained the same throughout history: maximize gains and minimize risk. Yet, asserts Ralph Vince, the widely accepted approaches of combining assets into a portfolio and determining their relative quantities are wrong?and will cost you. They illuminate nothing, he says, aside from providing the illusion of safety through diversification. Although numerous Nobel Prizes have been awarded based on some of those widely accepted principles, their popular acceptance does not constitute real-world validation. What has been needed is a viable alternative to directly address these real-world dictates. In The Leverage Space Trading Model, Vince offers a groundbreaking contribution to the literature that builds on a lifetime of expert analysis to deliver not only a superior new portfolio model, but takes the entire discipline of portfolio management to a new level. In this book, Vince?who has made many iTable of ContentsPreface ix Introduction 1 Part I The Single Component Case: Optimal f 7 Chapter 1 The General History of Geometric Mean Maximization 9 Chapter 2 The Ineluctable Coordinates 21 Chapter 3 The Nature of the Curve 29 Part II The Multiple Component Case: The Leverage Space Portfolio Model 59 Chapter 4 Multiple, Simultaneous f—‘‘Leverage Space’’ 61 Chapter 5 Risk Metrics in Leverage Space and Drawdown 89 Part III The Leverage Space Praxis 139 Chapter 6 A Framework to Satisfy Both Economic Theory and Portfolio Managers 141 Chapter 7 Maximizing the Probability of Profit 157 Bibliography 183 Index 187

Read more less

Book SynopsisQuick answers to your GAAP questions The Vest Pocket Guide to GAAP is the handy pocket problem-solver that gives today's busy financial executives the GAAP advice they need in a quick-reference format.Table of ContentsAbout the Author vii What This Book Will Do for You ix Part I The Financial Statements 1 One Financial Statements Presentation 3 Two Operating Segments 27 Three Earnings per Share 37 Four Interim Financial Reporting 49 Five Related Party Disclosures 59 Six Subsequent Events 63 Part II Assets, Liabilities, and Equity 67 Seven Receivables 69 Eight Investments–Debt and Equity Securities 79 Nine Investments–Equity Method and Cost Method 91 Ten Inventory 99 Eleven Other Assets and Deferred Costs 111 Twelve Property, Plant, and Equipment 119 Thirteen Intangible Assets 133 Fourteen Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations 151 Fifteen Contingencies 163 Sixteen Debt 167 Seventeen Equity 183 Part III Revenue and Expenses 193 Eighteen Revenue Recognition 195 Nineteen Employee Benefits and Benefit Plans 217 Twenty Stock Compensation 235 Twenty-One Other Expenses 257 Twenty-Two Research and Development Expenses 265 Twenty-Three Income Taxes 269 Part IV Special Transactions 289 Twenty-Four Accounting Changes and Error Corrections 291 Twenty-Five Business Combinations 299 Twenty-Six Derivatives 315 Twenty-Seven Fair Value 329 Twenty-Eight Foreign Currency Matters 341 Twenty-Nine Interest 353 Thirty Leases 363 Thirty-One Nonmonetary Transactions 385 Thirty-Two Not-for-Profit Entities 393 Index 411

Read more less

Book SynopsisA world-renowned money manager shares winning strategies for small-stock investing Since forming Bares Capital Management, Inc. in 2000, Brian Bares has shown that above average returns can be generated through the careful selection of small company common stocks. Additionally, he''s shown how concentrating capital in a handful of ideas improves the potential for outperformance by increasing the depth of knowledge of each position and allowing each security to have a more meaningful impact on the portfolio. In The Small-Cap Advantage: How Top Endowments and Foundations Turn Small Stocks Into Big Returns, Bares describes how endowment-model investors and aspiring managers can gain meaningful exposure to small stocks while sidestepping many of the obstacles that have historically prevented institutional investment in the asset class. The book also Details the historical outperformance of small-cap stocks Contrasts the various strategies employed byTable of ContentsIntroduction xiii Acknowledgments xvii CHAPTER 1 The Small-Cap Advantage 1 Two Sources of Outperformance 1 Small-Cap Definitions 2 The Outperformance of Small-Cap Stocks 10 Outperformance within the Small-Cap Space 15 Chapter Summary 19 CHAPTER 2 Small-Cap Disadvantages 21 Research 21 Trading 23 The Small-Cap Graveyard and Reverse Survivorship Bias 28 Capping Assets 29 Chapter Summary 31 CHAPTER 3 Small-Cap Investment Philosophy and Process 33 Institutional Approach 33 Passive and Enhanced Indexing in Small-Cap Stocks 34 Active Management in Small-Cap Stocks 36 Chapter Summary 70 CHAPTER 4 Small-Cap Manager Organization 71 Creating Value for the Manager 71 Launching a Small-Cap Firm 72 Investment Team 86 Chapter Summary 94 CHAPTER 5 The Fund-Raising Process 95 General Marketing Strategy 95 Institutional Clients 98 Foundations and Endowments 104 Consulting Firms 105 Pension Plans 108 High-Net-Worth Individuals 112 Wrap Fee and Other Subadvisory Relationships 114 Databases 115 Third-Party Marketers 116 The Chicken-and-Egg Problem 118 Chapter Summary 119 CHAPTER 6 Fees, Agency Issues, and Other Performance Drags 121 Common Performance Drags 121 Frictional Costs in Small Caps 124 Institution-Manager Agency Issues 129 Agency Issues in Trading 131 Benchmark Tyranny 133 Commingled and Separate Accounts 134 Chapter Summary 138 CHAPTER 7 Small-Cap Managers and the Endowment Model 139 The Endowment-Model Approach to Small Caps 139 Finding an Edge 142 Funding Smaller Managers 145 Funding Emerging Managers 147 Finding Emerging Managers 149 Chapter Summary 151 CHAPTER 8 Evaluating Small-Cap Managers 153 Institutional Due Diligence Teams 153 Assessing Manager Risk 155 Assessing Investment Philosophy 158 Analyzing a Manager’s Process 159 Evaluating Firm Principals 167 Assessing Manager Operations 169 Contributions and Withdrawals 172 Chapter Summary 174 Final Thoughts 175 Notes 177 About the Author 183 Index 185

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book serves as an introductory companion volume to Daniel Duffy's book Financial Instrument Pricing Using C++ (0-470-85509-6). It presents a step-by-step introduction to C++, with numerous examples and applications in finance. It will help bring developers, quantitative analysts, and financial engineers up to speed on C++ quickly.Table of Contents0 Goals of this Book and Global Overview 1 PART I C++ ESSENTIAL SKILLS 5 1 Introduction to C++ and Quantitative Finance 7 2 The Mechanics of C++: from Source Code to a Running Program 15 3 C++ Fundamentals and My First Option Class 31 4 Creating Robust Classes 49 5 Operator Overloading in C++ 63 6 Memory Management in C++ 79 7 Functions, Namespaces and Introduction to Inheritance 93 8 Advanced Inheritance and Payoff Class Hierarchies 113 9 Run-Time Behaviour in C++ 133 10 An Introduction to C++ Templates 153 PART II DATA STRUCTURES, TEMPLATES AND PATTERNS 167 11 Introduction to Generic Data Structures and Standard Template Library (STL) 169 12 Creating Simpler Interfaces to STL for QF Applications 187 13 Data Structures for Financial Engineering Applications 203 14 An Introduction to Design Patterns 223 PART III QF APPLICATIONS 243 15 Programming the Binomial Method in C++ 245 16 Implementing One-Factor Black Scholes in C++ 265 17 Two-Factor Option Pricing: Basket and Other Multi-Asset Options 283 18 Useful C++ Classes for Numerical Analysis Applications in Finance 305 19 Other Numerical Methods in Quantitative Finance 315 20 The Monte Carlo Method Theory and C++ Frameworks 327Dr. Joerg Kieritz and Daniel J. Duffy 21 Skills Development: from White Belt to Black Belt 345 21.1 Introduction and objectives 345 PART IV BACKGROUND INFORMATION 351 22 Basic C Survival Guide 353 23 Advanced C Syntax 363 24 Datasim Visualisation Package in Excel: Drivers and Mechanisms 373 25 Motivating COM and Emulation in C++ 391 26 COM Fundamentals 401 References 407 Index 409

Read more less

Book SynopsisA practical guide to building fully operational financial cash flow models for structured finance transactions Structured finance and securitization deals are becoming more commonplace on Wall Street. Up until now, however, market participants have had to create their own models to analyze these deals, and new entrants have had to learn as they go. Modeling Structured Finance Cash Flows with Microsoft Excel provides readers with the information they need to build a cash flow model for structured finance and securitization deals. Financial professional Keith Allman explains individual functions and formulas, while also explaining the theory behind the spreadsheets. Each chapter begins with a discussion of theory, followed by a section called Model Builder, in which Allman translates the theory into functions and formulas. In addition, the companion website features all of the modeling exercises, as well as a final version of the model that is created in the text. Table of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xiii About the Author xv Introduction 1 The Three Basic Elements of a Cash Flow Model 3 Inputs 3 Cash Flow Structure 4 Outputs 5 The Process of Building a Cash Flow Model 5 Plan and Design 5 Obtain All Necessary Information 6 Construct Basic Framework 6 Develop Advanced Structure 6 Validate Assumptions 6 Test Model 7 How This Book Is Designed 7 Chapter 1 Dates and Timing 9 Time Progression 9 Dates and Timing on the Inputs Sheet 10 Day-Count Systems: 30/360 versus Actual/360 versus Actual/ 365 11 Model Builder 1.1: Inputs Sheet—Dates and Timing 12 Dates and Timing on the Cash Flow Sheet 14 Model Builder 1.2: Cash Flow Sheet—Dates and Timing 15 Toolbox 18 Naming Cells and Ranges 18 Data Validation Lists 19 EDATE 21 Chapter 2 Asset Cash Flow Generation 23 Loan Level versus Representative Line Amortization 23 How Asset Generation Is Demonstrated in Model Builder 27 Asset Generation on the Inputs Sheet 27 Fixed Rate Amortization Inputs 28 Floating Rate Amortization Inputs 28 Model Builder 2.1: Inputs Sheet Asset Assumptions and the Vectors Sheet 29 Asset Generation on the Cash Flow Sheet 33 Model Builder 2.2: Notional Asset Amortization on the Cash Flow Sheet 33 TOOLBOX 40 OFFSET 40 MATCH 40 MOD 41 PMT 41 Chapter 3 Prepayments 43 How Prepayments Are Tracked 43 SMM: Single Monthly Mortality 44 CPR: Conditional Prepayment Rate 44 PSA: Public Securities Association 44 ABS: Absolute Prepayment Speed 45 Historical Prepayment Data Formats 46 Building Prepayment Curves 46 Prepayment Curves in Project Model Builder 47 The Effect of Prepayments on Structured Transactions 48 Model Builder 3.1: Historical Prepayment Analysis and Creating a Projected Prepayment Curve 48 Model Builder 3.2: Integrating Projected Prepayments in Asset Amortization 53 Toolbox 56 Weighted Averages Using SUMPRODUCT and SUM 56 Chapter 4 Delinquency, Default, and Loss Analysis 59 Delinquencies versus Defaults versus Loss 59 The Importance of Analyzing Delinquency 60 Model Builder 4.1: Building Historical Delinquency Curves 62 Deriving Historical Loss Curves 64 Model Builder 4.2: Building Historical and Projected Loss Curves 67 Analyzing Historical Loss Curves 69 Model Builder 4.2 Continued 69 Projecting Loss Curves 70 Model Builder 4.2 Continued 71 Integrating Loss Projections 73 The Effects of Seasoning and Default Timing 75 Model Builder 4.3: Integrating Defaults in Asset Amortization 76 Chapter 5 Recoveries 83 Model Builder 5.1: Historical Recovery Analysis 85 Projecting Recoveries in a Cash Flow Model 86 Model Builder 5.2: Integrating Recoveries into Project Model Builder 87 Final Points Regarding Recoveries 88 Chapter 6 Liabilities and the Cash Flow Waterfall 89 Priority of Payments and the Cash Flow Waterfall 89 The Movement of Cash for an Individual Liability 90 Types of Liabilities 91 Fees 91 Model Builder 6.1: Calculating Fees in the Waterfall 91 Interest 94 Model Builder 6.2: Calculating Interest in the Waterfall 95 Principal 100 Model Builder 6.3: Calculating Principal in the Waterfall 100 Understanding Basic Asset and Liability Interactions 105 Chapter 7 Advanced Liability Structures: Triggers, Interest Rate Swaps, and Reserve Accounts 107 Triggers and Their Affect on the Liability Structure 107 Model Builder 7.1: Incorporating Triggers 108 Swaps 113 Model Builder 7.2: Incorporating a Basic Interest Rate Swap 114 Final Notes on Swaps 117 Reserve Accounts 117 Model Builder 7.3: Incorporating a Cash-Funded Reserve Account 118 Conclusion of the Cash Flow Waterfall 122 Toolbox 123 AND and OR 123 Chapter 8 Analytics and Output Reporting 125 Internal Testing 125 Cash In versus Cash Out 125 Model Builder 8.1: Cash In versus Cash Out Test 126 Balances at Maturity 128 Model Builder 8.2: Balances at Maturity Tests 128 Asset Principal Check 129 Model Builder 8.3: Asset Principal Check Test 129 Performance Analytics 130 Monthly Yield 130 Model Builder 8.4: Calculating Monthly Yield 130 Calculating the Monthly Yield 132 Bond-Equivalent Yield 133 Model Builder 8.5: Calculating Bond-Equivalent Yield 133 Modified Duration 133 Model Builder 8.6: Calculating Modified Duration 134 Output Reporting 135 Model Builder 8.7: Creating the Output Report 136 The Importance of Testing and Output 140 Toolbox 140 Conditional Formatting 140 Goal Seek 141 Array Formulas 142 Chapter 9 Understanding the Model 145 The Complete Model in Review 145 Understanding the Effects of Increased Loss 147 Varying Principal Allocation Methodologies 150 Varying Prepayment Rates 151 Varying Loss Timing 152 Varying Recovery Rate and Lag 152 The Value of a Swap 153 Additional Testing 153 Chapter 10 Automation Using Visual Basic Applications (VBA) 155 Conventions of This Chapter 155 The Visual Basic Editor 156 The Menu Bar 156 The Project Explorer and the Properties Window 157 VBA Code 157 Simple Automation for Printing and Goal Seek 158 Model Builder 10.1: Automating Print Procedures 158 Model Builder 10.2: Automating Goal Seek to Optimize Advance Rates 161 Understanding Looping to Automate the Analytics Sheet 164 Model Builder 10.3: Automating Goal Seek to Perform Transaction Analytics 164 Automated Scenario Generation 167 Model Builder 10.4: Creating a Transaction Scenario Generator 167 Working with Macros in Excel 173 Chapter 11 Conclusion 175 The Investment Banker’s Perspective 175 The Investor’s Perspective 176 The Issuer’s Perspective 176 The Financial Guarantor’s Perspective 177 The Big Picture Perspective 177 Appendix: Using This Book with Excel 2007 179 About the CD-ROM 189 Index 193

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis pioneering classic in Dow Theory examines forecast value and trends within the stock market based on the Dow Theory of price movement. This finance classic offers tips and trends that William Hamilton observed over the years in the market, offering a view of market behavior that remains perpetually current.Table of ContentsCycles and Stock Market Records. Wall Street of the Movies. Charles H. Dow, and His Theory. Dow's Theory, Applied to Speculation. Major Market Swings. A Unique Quality of Forecast. Manipulation and Professional Trading. Mechanics of the Market. "Water" in the Barometer. "A Little Cloud Out of the Sea, Like a Man's Hand"--1906 The Unpunctured Cycle. Forecasting a Bull Market--1908-1909. Nature and Uses of Secondary Swings. 1909, and Some Defects of History. A "Line" and an Example--1914. An Exception to Prove the Rule. Its Greatest Vindication--1917. What Regulation Did to Our Railroads. A Study in Manipulation--1900-1. Some Conclusions--1910-14. Running True to Form--1922-1925. Some Thoughts for Speculators. Appendix. Averages.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPraise for The Three Skills of Top Trading Professor Pruden''s new book, The Three Skills of Top Trading, is unquestionably the best book on a specific trading method and the necessary attributes for trading that I have read. His logic, understanding of human foibles, and use of the Wyckoff method of trading are broadly referenced, readable, understandable, and entertaining. - Charles D. Kirkpatrick, II, CMT, coauthor of Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians, Editor of the Journal of Technical Analysis, and board member of the Market Technicians Association At long last, someone has taken the time and effort to bring the work and insight of Wyckoff to wider public attention-and Hank Pruden has done so masterfully, with great clarity and eloquence. Hank has taken the best of Wyckoff''s work, combining it with the essential aspects of trader discipline and psychology, to provide a highly readable and particTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgments. About the Author. PART ONE Systems Building and Behavioral Finance. CHAPTER 1 Systems Building for the Three Skills of Top Trading. CHAPTER 2 Behavioral Finance. CHAPTER 3 The Life Cycle Model of Crowd Behavior. PART TWO Pattern Recognition and Discretionary Trading. CHAPTER 4 Wyckoff: The Man, the Method, the Mystique. CHAPTER 5 The Basic Elements of Charting for the Wyckoff Method. CHAPTER 6 The Wyckoff Method of Technical Analysis and Speculation. CHAPTER 7 Anatomy of a Trade. PART THREE Mental State Management. CHAPTER 8 Trader Psychology and Mental Discipline. CHAPTER 9 The Composite Man. CHAPTER 10 Putting It All Together: Ten Principles for a Trader to Live. Notes. Recommended Reading. Bibliography. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world certainly suffers no shortage of accounting texts. The many out there help readers prepare, audit, interpret and explain corporate financial statements. What has been missing is a book offering context and discussion for divisive issues such as taxes, debt, options, and earnings volatility. King addresses the why of accounting instead of the how, providing practitioners and students with a highly readable history of U.S. corporate accounting. More Than a Numbers Game: A Brief History of Accounting was inspired by Arthur Levitt''s landmark 1998 speech delivered at New York University. The Securities and Exchange Commission chairman described the too-little challenged custom of earnings management and presaged the breakdown in the US corporate accounting three years later. Somehow, over a one-hundred year period, accounting morphed from a tool used by American railroad managers to communicate with absent British investors into an enabler of corporate frTrade Review"With his solid credentials—a CPA, CMA and Harvard MBA, as well as the current treasurer of Progressive Insurance—King proves himself to be the insider, the historian, the yenta of the accounting profession. More Than a Numbers Gameoffers enough insights to give occasional pause even to those who have a real grasp of the wheres and whys behind the regulations that are dear to the heart of every practitioner." (Journal of Accountancy, May 2007) "The author is at his best when telling stories, whether of the twists and turns in specific accounting standards from the 1940s to the present, of the accounting transgressions of Enron, Global Crossing, WorldCom, and HealthSouth, or of the factors leading to the demise of Arthur Andersen. ... King’s gift for rendering complex ideas into easily understandable explanations, all in a conversational style, makes this book accessible to the general investing public as well.... This refreshing book is a well-researched, well-written, and intelligent explanation of modern-day U.S. accounting and how it has evolved to its present state." (The CPA Journal, April 2007) "King's chapter on volatility shows how U.S. companies can account for transactions in foreign currencies three different ways, all of them legitimate. His chapter about the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate disclosure laws has an astute analysis of the accounting frauds at Enron and WorldCom that begat that legislation." (Newsweek, April 16, 2007) "This demystifying book is likely to interest corporate folk who want to understand better the whys of the accounting practices they use, as well as inquiring investors." (Harvard Magazine, November-December 2006) "Inspired by a 1998 speech by former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt, this book addresses the why of accounting instead of the how, providing practitioners and students with a highly readable history of U.S. corporate accounting." (SmartPros Accounting News & Insights, September 2006)Table of ContentsAbout the Cover ix Preface xi 1 Double-Entry 1 2 Railroads 13 3 Taxes 23 4 Costs 41 5 Disclosure 55 6 Standards 71 7 Science 89 8 Inflation 103 9 Volatility 115 10 Intangibles 131 11 Debt 145 12 Options 159 13 Earnings 171 14 SOX 187 15 Epilogue 207 Notes 213 Bibliography 223 Index 235 About the Author 242

Read more less

Book SynopsisAcclaim for Trader''s Tales I have rarely gone through a day without hearing a joke about WallStreet. Ron Insana captures the essence of the culture that createsthose jokes with one hilarious tale after another. This book isgreat fun. -Stanley Druckenmiller Managing Director, Soros FundManagement. Ribald tales and outrageous jokes are as much a part of WallStreet as subordinated debentures, and Ron Insana has siftedthrough years of financial lore to collect the best of them. Afunny, funny book, certain to draw a chuckle and a wry smile ofrecognition from even the stiffest Masters of the Universe. -BryanBurrough Coauthor, Barbarians at the Gate. You can''t beat Wall Street for witty and outrageous behavior. RonInsana captures it. -Michael Steinhardt Managing Partner,Steinhardt Partners. Having worked on Wall Street for 20 years, I thought I had heardand seen it all. The secrets revealed in this book, however, areabsolutely shocking. -Elaine GarzarelliTable of ContentsAn Early Tale. The Floor Trader. Life in the Pits. The Trading Desk. Women on Wall Street. Greed, Gaming, and Trickery. Investors' Tales. Crash Tales. Street Talk. Constellations and Calender Quirks. Name Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis updated edition explores the basic components of the framing process including communication goals, mental models, context, priming for spontaneity, language use, and believability frames (for ethical communication). This new edition is organized to emphasize the skills, science, art ethics and the history of research on framing.Table of ContentsPreface. Who Should Read This Book. Overview of the Contents. Acknowledgments. 1. The Reality of Framing. The Rules of Reality Construction. Test Your Framing Style. Framing Through Pictures? 2. The Skill of Framing. Culture and Its Discourses. Mental Models. Core Framing Tasks. 3. The Science of Framing. Priming for Spontaneity. Priming Mental Models. Priming for Opportunity. Priming for Language. Priming After Mistakes and Gaffes. Building Complex Mental Models. 4. The Art of Framing. Framing as a Craft. The $1,000,000 Question: Combining Framing Devices. 5. The Emotion of Framing. Emotional Intelligence and Framing. Emotional Contagion and Framing. Emotional Regulation and Framing. 6. The Ethics of Framing. Ethical Codes and Why We Need Them. Creating Mindfulness. Moral Positioning. On Crucibles and Teaching Moments. 7. The Leadership Context of Framing. Context, Leadership and Framing. Now It Is Your Turn. 8. The Applications of Framing. Conversations. Framing for Campaigns. Glossary of Framing Terms. Notes. References. The Author. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn important guide for senior management on structuring an organization to promote ethical behavior and enhance performance Designed for senior leaders of organizationsboards of directors; C-level executives; trustees; managing partners; government officials; and anyone tasked with a dutyBusiness Ethics: A Case Study Approach provides readers with an understanding of the human elements that drive ethical and unethical behavior and how to recognize indicatorsboth bad and goodof an organization''s ethical make-up. Topics featured include: what drives individual decision making; how groups and environments influence decision making; the role of leadership; and much more.Trade Review"Written for busines leaders, policymakers and anyone "tasked with a duty", this book examines the key elements of ethical and unethical business behaviors and outlines some of the psychological factors that may influence decision-making." (Book News, August 2009)Table of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgments. CHAPTER 1 Introduction. Themes. Case Study: A CFO’s Dilemma. CHAPTER 2 Why Are Ethics Critical? What Is the Objective? The Research. Stakeholder Approach. All Animals Are Equal, but ... A Two-Way Street. Uncle Sam. Toward a Workable Model. CHAPTER 3 Why ‘‘Business’’ Ethics Is Not Just about Corporations. Case Study: The Duke University Lacrosse Scandal. 20/20 Hindsight. The Burden of Expectations. Case Study: The United Way. A Broad Impact. CHAPTER 4 A Historical Review. The Ancient World. Greek Citizens’ Code. Military Codes. Cardinal Virtues and Vices. Business Ethics in Times Past. Timbuktu. Case Study: Saint Thomas Aquinas. Case Study: Arthur Andersen. The Nature of Man. CHAPTER 5 Why Do People Behave Badly? Moral Development. Fraud Triangle. Propensity. Hierarchy of Needs. Case Study: Walt Pavlo. There but for the Grace of God. Broken Windows. Rending Moral Fabric. CHAPTER 6 Work Environment and Group Dynamics. Social Animals. Relative Ethics. Social Control Theory. Case Study: The Stanford Prison Experiment. Elements of Social Bonding. Case Study: The Milgram Experiment. Power, Authority, and Proximity. Positive Peer Pressure. CHAPTER 7 Leadership. Tone at the Top. Authenticity. Case Study: Václav Havel. Outside Perspectives. Case Study: The Smithsonian Institution. Leadership Bonding. CHAPTER 8 The Common Element—Trust. Prisoners’ Dilemma. Trust. The Cost of Trust. Case Study: The Tylenol Poisonings. A Well of Goodwill. Case Study: Firestone–Ford Tire Recalls. Two Approaches. CHAPTER 9 Building an Army of Davids. Herding Cats. 1 Samuel 17. Breaking the Chains. Basic Principles. Evangelize. Case Study: Jordan’s Furniture. Back to Maslow. Moral Hazard. Causes and Culture. CHAPTER 10 The Positive Power of Peer Pressure. The Gentleman at Dinner. Belief. I Fly SWA. Attachment. Commitment. Involvement. In the Trenches. Why Are We Doing This? The Whole Picture. CHAPTER 11 How to Develop Leadership. Fore! Case Study: Whirlpool and Leadership Development. Investing in the Future. Emerging Leaders. A Bias. CHAPTER 12 The Logic of William of Ockham. Law of Parsimony. Is It the Means or the Ends? The Whole View. All Organizations Are Businesses. Case Study: University versus Nation. All about Me. Case Study: Charles Ponzi and His Scheme. Enjoying the Kool-Aid. CEO and Trust. Feeding the Wolf. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe longer WorldCom Chief Audit Executive Cynthia Cooper stares at the entries in front of her, the more sinister they seem. But the CFO is badgering her to delay her team's audit of the company's books and directing others to block Cooper's efforts. Still, something in the pit of her stomach tells her to keep digging.Table of ContentsDedication vi Introduction vii Acknowledgments xi CHAPTER 1 A Dark Cloud 1 CHAPTER 2 Graduation Day 12 CHAPTER 3 New Beginnings 26 CHAPTER 4 Hotlanta 41 CHAPTER 5 The Turnaround 50 CHAPTER 6 Coming Home 60 CHAPTER 7 Building A New Life 71 CHAPTER 8 King of the Resellers 82 CHAPTER 9 The Hottest Company in Town 91 CHAPTER 10 Nowhere to Go But Up 105 CHAPTER 11 A New Era 123 CHAPTER 12 The Glass Sieve 137 CHAPTER 13 The Tide Comes In 145 CHAPTER 14 The Minnow Swallows the Whale 151 CHAPTER 15 Finding Balance 163 CHAPTER 16 Top of the Mountain 167 CHAPTER 17 A Double-Edged Sword 174 CHAPTER 18 A Titan Stumbles 184 CHAPTER 19 The Rule of Ten 202 CHAPTER 20 What is Prepaid Capacity? 217 CHAPTER 21 Growing Suspicions 229 CHAPTER 22 A Surprise Visit 242 CHAPTER 23 The Confrontation 251 CHAPTER 24 A Desperate Search For Counsel 265 CHAPTER 25 Washington Attorneys Visit the Deep South 280 CHAPTER 26 Navigating the Storm 296 CHAPTER 27 A Visit to Federal Court 322 CHAPTER 28 The United States Versus Bernard J. Ebbers 338 CHAPTER 29 The Judgment 351 EPILOGUE 362 NOTES 368 INDEX 395

Read more less

Book SynopsisDamondaran on Valuation will not only convince you of the vitality of the many valuation models available to you, it will help ensure that you develop the acumen needed to select the right model for any valuation scenario.Table of ContentsApproaches to Valuation. Estimation of Discount Rates. Estimation of Cash Flows. Estimation of Growth Rates. Dividend-Discount Models. Free-Cash-Flow-to-Equity Discount Models. Valuing a Firm--The Free-Cash-Flow-to-Firm Approach. Special Cases in Valuation. Price/Earnings Ratios. Price/Book Value Ratios. Price/Sales Ratio. Management Decisions, Corporate Strategy, and Firm Value. Valuation for Acquisitions and Takeovers. Option-Pricing Theory. Applications of Option-Pricing Theory to Valuation. Overview and Conclusion. Appendices. References. Disk Documentation. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow can co-operation emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists - whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals - when there is no central authority to police their actions? The author explores this central question, and its implications in this age of nuclear weapons and arms talks.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis revised guide to mastering an essential, but frequently, neglected aspect of communication provides step-by-step techniques for projecting interest, overcoming language barriers, interpreting body language, and asking constructive but non-threatening questions.Table of ContentsWhat Is Listening and What Can It Do for You?. How You Got to Be the Listener You Are. Barriers Between Listener and Speaker. Listening to Yourself. Making Listening Work for You. Getting Others to Listen to You. Putting It All Together. Notes. Suggested Reading. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn innovative approach to applying Elliott Wave Principle By convention, most Elliott Wave Principle (EWP) practitioners focus on individual market price movement. Connie Brown has a global reputation of developing analysis that focuses on the integration of global markets. In a two book series you will be taken through the steps to master the global cash flows of today's financial markets. The approach found in this first book differs from the traditional view of EWP because it shows you how geometry and the use of simple boxes drawn within a trend will guide you away from the common complaint of subjectivity, thereby making smarter trades of higher probability. While EWP can be a challenging topic, the structure of this book eases you into the analysis principles. With Mastering Elliott Wave Principle you are guided step-by-step through the learning phases of Elliott Wave analysis and then your understanding is further challenged through self-examination. The

Read more less

Book SynopsisChina will replace the United States as the world''s dominant power. In so doing, it will not become more western but the world will become more Chinese. Jacques argues that we cannot understand China in western terms but only through its own history and culture. To this end, he introduces a powerful set of ideas including China as a civilization-state, the tributary system, the Chinese idea of race, a very different concept of the state, and the principle of contested modernity. First published in 2009 to widespread critical acclaim - and controversy - ''When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Rise of a New Global Order'' has sold a quarter of a million copies, been translated into eleven languages, nominated for two major literary awards, and has been the subject of an immensely popular TED talk. In the three years since the first edition was published, the book has transformed the debate about China worldwide and proved remarkably prescient.In this greatly expanded and fully updated paperback edition, with nearly three-hundred pages of new material backed up by the latest statistical data, Martin Jacques renews his assault on conventional thinking about China''s ascendancy, showing how its impact will be as much political and cultural as economic, thereby transforming the world as we know it.Trade ReviewBy far the best book on China to have been published in many years, and one of the most important inquiries into the nature of modernisation. Jacques's comprehensive and richly detailed analysis will be an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand contemporary China -- John Gray * New Statesman *Provocative ... stimulating ... full of bold but credible predictions ... I suspect it will long be remembered for its foresight and insight -- Michael Rank * Guardian *This important book, deeply considered, full of historical understanding and realism, is about more than China. It is about a twenty-first-century world no longer modelled on and shaped by North Atlantic power, ideas and assumptions. I suspect it will be highly influential -- Eric HobsbawmJacques's book will provoke argument and is a tour de force across a host of disciplines -- Mary Dejevsky * The Independent *[An] exhaustive, incisive exploration of possibilities that many people have barely begun to contemplate about a future dominated by China. ... [Jacques] has written a work of considerable erudition, with provocative and often counterintuitive speculations about one of the most important questions facing the world today. And he could hardly have known, when he set out to write it, that events would so accelerate the trends he was analyzing. -- Joseph Kahn * The New York Times Book Review *A very forcefully written, lively book that is full of provocations and predictions -- Fareed Zakaria * GPS, CNN *[A] compelling and thought-provoking analysis of global trends.... Jacques is a superb explainer of history and economics, tracing broad trends with insight and skill -- Seth Faison * The Washington Post *The West hopes that wealth, globalization and political integration will turn China into a gentle giant... But Jacques says that this is a delusion. Time will not make China more Western; it will make the West, and the world, more Chinese * The Economist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA ground-breaking book on the transformative power of impact investing This is the first book to chart the catalytic path of this new industry, explaining how it is and can be a positive disruptive force. It shows how impact investing is a transformational vehicle for delivering blended value throughout the investment spectrum, giving a single name to a set of activities previously siloed in enclaves, revealing how they are linked within what is becoming a new field of investing. Written by two leaders in the growing field of impact investing, the book defines this emerging industry for participants on all sides of the funding equation (investors, funders and social entrepreneurs). Filled with illustrative examples of impact investing success stories Reveals how the field can expand in order to address the most critical social and environmental issues of our day Explores the wide-ranging applications of impact investing as well as entrepreneuriTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xxi Part One The Terrain of Impact Investing 1 1 A Mighty Wave 3 2 Impact Investing in International Development 19 3 Microfinance: Still the Best Brand in Development? 39 4 Impact Investing in Social Enterprises: Flourishing in the ‘‘Confusing Mess’’ 61 5 Where Is Impact Investing Headed? 85 Part Two The Implications of Impact Investing 109 6 How Will We Regulate Impact Investing? 111 7 How Will We Cultivate Transformational Leadership? 141 8 How Will We Measure Blended Value? 163 9 How Will We Unlock Philanthropic Capital? Total Foundation Asset Management 187 10 How Will We Move the Money? 217 11 How Will We See the Forest and the Trees? Creating the New Ecosystem of Impact Investing for Blended Value 251 Notes 263 Further Reading 269 The Authors 283 Disclosure 285 Index 287

Read more less

Book SynopsisPublic Garden Management is an all-in-one professional reference and textbook that clearly shows how to develop, establish, manage and maintain a sustainable (both economically and environmentally) public garden.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Foreword (Peter H. Raven). Part I Public Gardens and Their Significance. Chapter 1 What Is a Public Garden? (Donald A. Rakow). Chapter 2 The History and Significance of Public Gardens (Christine Flanagan). Part II The Emerging Garden. Chapter 3 Critical Issues in Starting a Public Garden (Robert E. Lyons). Chapter 4 The Process of Organizing a New Public Garden (Mary Pat Matheson). Chapter 5 Land Acquisition (Maureen Heffernan). Chapter 6 Designing for Plants and People (Iain M. Robertson). Part III Administrative Functions. Chapter 7 Staffing and Personnel Management (Gerard T. Donnelly and Nancy L. Peske). Chapter 8 Volunteer Recruitment and Management (Arlene Ferris). Chapter 9 Budgeting and Financial Planning (Richard Piacentini and Lisa Macioce). Chapter 10 Fund Raising and Membership Development (Patricia Rich). Chapter 11 Earned Income Opportunities (Richard H. Daley). Chapter 12 Facilities and Infrastructure (Eric Tschanz). Chapter 13 Grounds Management and Security (Vincent A. Simeone). Part IV Programmatic Functions. Chapter 14 Public Gardens and Their Communities: The Value of Outreach (Susan Lacerte). Chapter 15 Formal Education for Students, Teachers, and Youth at Public Gardens (Patsy Benveniste and Jennifer Schwarz-Ballard). Chapter 16 Continuing, Professional, and Higher Education (Larry DeBuhr). Chapter 17 Interpreting Gardens to Visitors (Kitty Connolly). Chapter 18 Evaluation of Garden Programming and Planning (Julie Warsowe). Chapter 19 Public Relations and Marketing Communications (Leeann Lavin and Elizabeth Randolph). Chapter 20 Collections Management (David Michener). Chapter 21 Research at Public Gardens (Kayri Havens). Chapter 22 Conservation Practices at Public Gardens (Sarah Reichard). Part V Long-Term Initiatives. Chapter 23 A Strategic Approach to Leadership and Management (Kathleen Socolofsky and Mary Burke). Chapter 24 Associations and Partnerships (Claire Sawyers). Chapter 25 Facility Expansion (Brian Holley). Chapter 26 The Shape of Gardens to Come (Paul B. Redman). Appendix A: Factors in the Development and Management of Canadian Public Gardens (Melanie Sifton and David Galbraith). Appendix B: The Importance of Plant Exploration Today (Paul W. Meyer). Appendix C: Herbaria (Barbara M. Thiers). Appendix D: Public Garden Archives (Sheila Connor). Appendix E: The Library in a Public Garden (Rita M. Hassert). Appendix F: Horticultural Therapy and Public Gardens (Karen L. Kennedy). References. Contributors. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhatever your current financial situation, you must continue to strive for a viable retirement plan by finding the most effective ways to save, the best accounts to save in, and the right amount to save, as well as understanding how to insure against setbacks and handle the uncertainties of a shaky economy.Table of ContentsForeword by John c. Bogle xiii Preface xix Acknowledgments xxix Part I The Basics Chapter 1 The Retirement Planning Process by thomas l. Romens 3 Chapter 2 Understanding Taxes By Norman S. Janoff 21 Part II Savings Accounts and Retirement Plans Chapter 3 Individual Taxable Savings Accounts By Dan Kohn 35 Chapter 4 Individual Retirement Arrangements By Jim Dahle 47 Chapter 5 Defined Benefit Employer Retirement Account By The Finance Buff 61 Chapter 6 Defined Contribution Plans By Dan Kohn 77 Chapter 7 Single-Premium Immediate Annuities By Dan Smith 91 Part III Managing Your Retirement Accounts Chapter 8 Basic Investing Principles By Bob Davis 119 Chapter 9 Investing For Retirement By David Grabiner and Alex Frakt 135 Chapter 10 Funding Your Retirement Accounts By David Grabiner and Ian Forsythe 151 Part IV The Retirement Payoff Chapter 11 Understanding Social Security By Dick Schreitmueller 169 Chapter 12 Withdrawal Strategies By Carol Tomkovich 187 Chapter 13 Early Retirement By Jeff Mccomas 201 Part V Protecting Your Assets Chapter 14 Income Replacement By Lee E. Marshall 221 Chapter 15 Health Insurance By Lee E. Marshall 239 Chapter 16 Essentials of Estate Planning By Robert A. Stermer 255 Chapter 17 Estate and Gift Taxes By Robert A. STERMER 273 Part VI Finding Good Advice When You Need IT Chapter 18 Seeking Help From Professionals By Dale C. MALEY and Lauren Vignec 285 Chapter 19 Divorce and Other Financial Disasters By David Rankine 303 Chapter 20 Meet the Bogleheads By Taylor Larimore and Mel Lindauer 315 Appendix I: Pearls of Wisdom 327 Appendix II: Recommended Reading 333 Glossary 337 About The Editors 351 Index 355

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn engaging exploration of modern-day deals and deal-making Gods at War details the recent deals and events that have forever changed the world of billion-dollar deal-making. This book is a whirlwind tour of the players determining the destiny of corporate America, including the government, private equity, strategic buyers, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds. It not only examines many of the game-changing takeover events that have occurred in the past years, but also puts them into context and exposes what is really going on behind the scenes on Wall Street. Gods at War completely covers the strategic issues that guide the modern-day deal, and since they unfold under the shadow of the law, it also focuses on the legal aspects of deal-making and takeovers. Each chapter unfolds through the lens of a recent transaction, from the battle between Yahoo! and Microsoft to the United Rental/Cerberus dispute Provides in-depth explanationTable of ContentsPreface. Prologue. Chapter 1 The Modern Deal. The Import of Personality. The Evolution of the Takeover. The Takeover Revolution. Chapter 2 KKR, SunGard, and the Private Equity Phenomenon. KKR and the Origins of Private Equity. SunGard and the Transformation of Private Equity. Private Equity in the Sixth Wave. Chapter 3 Accredited Home Lenders and the Attack of the MAC. The Fall of Accredited Home Lenders. Material Adverse Change Clauses. The MAC Wars of Fall 2007. The MAC Clause in Flux. The Future of the MAC. Chapter 4 United Rentals, Cerberus, and the Private Equity Implosion. The Cerberus–United Rentals Dispute. The Implosion of Private Equity. Fault and the Failure of Private Equity. The Future of Private Equity. Chapter 5 Dubai Ports, Merrill Lynch, and the Sovereign Wealth Fund Problem. The Financial Wave of Sovereign Fund Investment. The Sovereign Wealth Fund Problem. CFIUS and Foreign Investment. Chapter 6 Bear Stearns and the Moral Hazard Principle. Saving Bear Stearns. JPMorgan's Dilemma. The Fight for Bear Stearns. Lessons from Bear's Fall. Chapter 7 Jana Partners, Children's Investment Fund, and Hedge Fund Activist Investing. A Brief Overview of the "Agency Problem". The Rise of Hedge Fund Activism. The 2008 Proxy Season. The Future of Hedge Fund Activism. Chapter 8 Microsoft, InBev, and the Return of the Hostile Takeover. Microsoft–Yahoo! InBev–Anheuser-Busch. The Elements of a Successful Hostile Takeover. Delaware and Hostile Takeovers. The Future of Hostile Takeovers. Chapter 9 Mars, Pfi zer, and the Changing Face of Strategic Deals. The Changing Structure of Strategic Transactions. The Phenomenon of the Distressed Deal. Do Takeovers Pay? Delaware Law and Strategic Transactions. The Future of Strategic Transactions. Chapter 10 AIG, Citigroup, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman, and Government by Deal. The Nationalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Week the Investment Bank Died. TARP, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Beyond? Assessing Government by Deal. Chapter 11 Restructuring Takeovers. Federal Takeover Law. Delaware Takeover Law. Deal-Making. Chapter 12 Deal-Making Beyond a Crisis Age. Notes. About the Author. Acknowledgments. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJeffrey D. Sachs presents a compelling and practical framework to address the seemingly intractable worldwide problems of persistent extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and political-economic injustice: sustainable development. Sachs explains how modern societies can develop economically, equitably, and sustainably.Trade ReviewJeff Sachs's admirable book explains what sustainable development means, why it matters, and our history in relation to our environment. It shows how the pattern of growth we have followed has placed intense strains on our planet and generated severe risks to our lives and livelihoods. Above all, it explains clearly where we can go and how to get there. It describes a potential future of great attraction in terms of wellbeing, community and prosperity, properly understood. It should, and I hope it will, strengthen both the understanding of the great choices we face and the resolve to act. It is a splendid achievement. -- Lord Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment This terrific book stands out for its breadth, clarity, mastery of detail, honest discussion of complex matters, and its author's practical experience and good sense. It is actually ten terrific books under one cover because its accounts of economics, history, health, development, education, gender issues, food, climate change and biological diversity are among the best available. If you want to understand the modern world, and if you have room on your shelf for only one book, this is your book. -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel There are very few authors that can so effectively rally the masses around an important cause-one that in this case concerns our collective future. There are still too few leaders with knowledge about global sustainable development challenges to affect the scalable changes that are needed. Professor Sachs's book is a comprehensive summary of complex issues, but it breaks them down and makes them digestible and understandable while making the imperative clear. It will clearly contribute significantly in closing the gap between science and policy, and hopefully serve as a catalyst for action. -- Hans Vestberg, CEO, Ericsson An important, comprehensive and remarkably accessible book-a standout in a sea ofjargon-laden titles that fail to explain and vivify this enormously complex topic Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Sweeping, enlightening, affecting, and invaluable, The Age of Sustainable Development should be available to everyone and consulted repeatedly. Booklist (starred review) Clear straightforward prose and a wealth of statistics... Sachs balances alarming forecasts with signs of progress. Publishers Weekly It is truly gratifying that an economist as distinguished as Jeffrey Sachs has authored The Age of Sustainable Development. His vast knowledge in the field and deep insights on various sectors of economic activity make him uniquely qualified to provide a view of the subject. Given the fact that almost a quartercentury has gone by since the Rio Summit of 1992, it is time for an authoritative volume such as the one Professor Sachs has authored for the benefit of global society. -- Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, director-general, TERI; former chairman, IPCC Comprehensive and crystal clear-what we need to make sustainable development a reality, not a dream. -- James E. Hansen, director, Earth Institute Program in Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions The Age of Sustainable Development is both sobering and inspiring: sobering because it presents in great detail the unprecedented challenges facing mankind; inspiring because it assures us that we can meet those challenges, if only we summon the will to act. -- Kerry Kennedy, president, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights It is, in my view, the best, most comprehensive and most articulate exposition of sustainable development ever written... I would make this book compulsory reading for all politicians and business leaders. -- David Griggs Nature Sachs has probably produced the best book to date on how to manage the planet for 10 billion people. -- Fred Pearce New Scientist A comprehensive introduction to the field of sustainable development by one of its leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners... Recommended. Library Journal In a book of incredible breadth, Sachs delivers a sobering account of the impact of human activity upon the balance of life on Earth... Highly recommended. Choice An inspiring and enlightening read. Africa Report a perceptive, analytical, and hopeful book about the future...This landmark in economic publications presents a brilliant examination of major worldwide threats to the planet and puts forward ways to balance economic development and environmental sustainability to overcome those threats...It is a magnum opus; the chief source of information for any person interested in understanding what sustainable development is all about. -- Bill Schwab Missourian A thoughtful and comprehensive resource on this crucial topic. Civil Engineering A clear and cogent nontechnical survey of the world's major challenges beyond the preservation of peace and security. -- Richard N. Cooper Foreign Affairs Sachs's book is written for a popular audience and could be used as a complementary text for courses in environmental or development economics or in public health classes or environmental studies classes. Its breadth of insights and coverage is staggering and students and general readers will find new ideas on every page of the book. -- Matthew E. Kahn Journal of Economic LiteratureTable of ContentsForeword, by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to Sustainable Development 2. An Unequal World 3. A Brief History of Economic Development 4. Why Some Countries Developed While Others Stayed Poor 5. Ending Extreme Poverty 6. Planetary Boundaries 7. Social Inclusion 8. Education for All 9. Health for All 10. Food Security 11. Resilient Cities 12. Climate Change 13. Saving Biodiversity and Protecting Ecosystem Services 14. Sustainable Development Goals Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the benefits of being positive. We all have two dogs inside of us. One dog is positive, happy, optimistic, and hopeful. The other dog is negative, mad, sad, pessimistic, and fearful. These two dogs often fight inside us, but guess who wins the fight? The one you feed the most.Table of ContentsIntroduction ix Matt and Bubba 1 The Benefits of Being Positive 5 Simple as a Smile 9 Feed with Laughter 13 Take a Thank-You Walk 17 Build Your Gratitude Muscle 19 A Day of Gratitude 23 Tell Yourself Positive Stories 27 Get to instead of Have to 33 Blessed instead of Stressed 35 Turn Complaints into Solutions 39 Fear or Faith 43 Challenges or Opportunities 47 An Opportunity 49 The Positive Dog Grows 53 Positive Energy is Contagious 57 Positive Boomerang 59 Feeding Others 63 Love 65 Encouragement 67 No Ordinary Day 71 Negativity Serves a Purpose 73 What Would Bubba Do? 77 A Special Day 81 Two Positive Dogs are Better than One 83 Feed the Positive Dog: Action Plan 87 The Positive Pledge 97 Resources 99 Feed Your Team with Positivity 101 About the Illustrator 103

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis text presents statistical methods for studying causal effects and discusses how readers can assess such effects in simple randomized experiments.Trade Review'This book offers a definitive treatment of causality using the potential outcomes approach. Both theoreticians and applied researchers will find this an indispensable volume for guidance and reference.' Hal Varian, Chief Economist, Google, and Emeritus Professor, University of California, Berkeley'By putting the potential outcome framework at the center of our understanding of causality, Imbens and Rubin have ushered in a fundamental transformation of empirical work in economics. This book, at once transparent and deep, will be both a fantastic introduction to fundamental principles and a practical resource for students and practitioners. It will be required readings for any class I teach.' Esther Duflo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology'Causal Inference sets a high new standard for discussions of the theoretical and practical issues in the design of studies for assessing the effects of causes - from an array of methods for using covariates in real studies to dealing with many subtle aspects of non-compliance with assigned treatments. The book includes many examples using real data that arose from the authors' extensive research portfolios. These examples help to clarify and explain many important concepts and practical issues. It is a book that both methodologists and practitioners from many fields will find both illuminating and suggestive of further research. It is a professional tour de force, and a welcomed addition to the growing (and often confusing) literature on causation in artificial intelligence, philosophy, mathematics and statistics.' Paul W. Holland, Emeritus, Educational Testing Service'A comprehensive and remarkably clear overview of randomized experiments and observational designs with as-good-as-random assignment that is sure to become the standard reference in the field.' David Card, Class of 1950 Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley'This book will be the 'Bible' for anyone interested in the statistical approach to causal inference associated with Donald Rubin and his colleagues, including Guido Imbens. Together, they have systematized the early insights of Fisher and Neyman and have then vastly developed and transformed them. In the process they have created a theory of practical experimentation whose internal consistency is mind-boggling, as is its sensitivity to assumptions and its elaboration of the key 'potential outcomes' framework. The authors' exposition of random assignment experiments has breadth and clarity of coverage, as do their chapters on observational studies that can be readily conceptualized within an experimental framework. Never have experimental principles been better warranted intellectually or better translated into statistical practice. The book is a 'must read' for anyone claiming methodological competence in all sciences that rely on experimentation.' Thomas D. Cook, Joan and Sarepta Harrison Chair of Ethics and Justice, Northwestern University, Illinois'In this wonderful and important book, Imbens and Rubin give a lucid account of the potential outcomes perspective on causality. This perspective sensibly treats all causal questions as questions about a hidden variable, indeed the ultimate hidden variable, 'What would have happened if things were different?' They make this perspective mathematically precise, show when and to what degree it succeeds, and discuss how to apply it to both experimental and observational data. This book is a must-read for natural scientists, social scientists and all other practitioners who seek new hypotheses and new truths in their complex data.' David Blei, Columbia University, New York'This thorough and comprehensive book uses the 'potential outcomes' approach to connect the breadth of theory of causal inference to the real-world analyses that are the foundation of evidence-based decision making in medicine, public policy and many other fields. Imbens and Rubin provide unprecedented guidance for designing research on causal relationships, and for interpreting the results of that research appropriately.' Mark McClellan, Director of the Health Care Innovation and Value Initiative, Brookings Institution, Washington DC'This book will revolutionize how applied statistics is taught in statistics and the social and biomedical sciences. The authors present a unified vision of causal inference that covers both experimental and observational data. They do a masterful job of communicating some of the deepest, and oldest, issues in statistics to readers with disparate backgrounds. They closely connect theoretical concepts with applied concerns, and they honestly and clearly discuss the identifying assumptions of the methods presented. Too many books on statistical methods present a menagerie of disconnected methods and pay little attention to the scientific plausibility of the assumptions that are made for mathematical convenience, instead of for verisimilitude. This book is different. It will be widely read, and it will change the way statistics is practiced.' Jasjeet S. Sekhon, Robson Professor of Political Science and Statistics, University of California, Berkeley'Clarity of thinking about causality is of central importance in financial decision making. Imbens and Rubin provide a rigorous foundation allowing practitioners to learn from the pioneers in the field.' Stephen Blyth, Managing Director, Head of Public Markets, Harvard Management Company'A masterful account of the potential outcomes approach to causal inference from observational studies that Rubin has been developing since he pioneered it fourty years ago.' Adrian Raftery, Blumstein-Jordan Professor of Statistics and Sociology, University of Washington'Correctly drawing causal inferences is critical in many important applications. Congratulations to Professors Imbens and Rubin, who have drawn on their decades of research in this area, along with the work of several others, to produce this impressive book covering concepts, theory, methods and applications. I especially appreciate their clear exposition on conceptual issues, which are important to understand in the context of either a designed experiment or an observational study, and their use of real applications to motivate the methods described.' Nathaniel Schenker, Statistician'The book is well-written with a very comprehensive coverage of many issues associated with causal inference. As can be seen from its table of contents, the book uses multiple perspectives to discuss these issues including theoretical underpinnings, experimental design, randomization techniques and examples using real-world data.' Carol Joyce Blumberg, International Statistical Review'Guido Imbens and Don Rubin present an insightful discussion of the potential outcomes framework for causal inference … this book presents a unified framework to causal inference based on the potential outcomes framework, focusing on the classical analysis of experiments, unconfoundedness, and noncompliance. The book has become an instant classic in the causal inference literature, broadly defined, and will certainly guide future research in this area. All researchers will benefit from carefully studying this book, no matter what their specific views are on the subject matter.' Matias D. Cattaneo, Journal of the American Statistical Association'Guido Imbens and Donald Rubin have written an authoritative textbook on causal inference that is expected to have a lasting impact on social and biomedical scientists as well as statisticians. Researchers have been waiting for the publication of this book, which is a welcome addition to the growing list of textbooks and monographs on causality … the authors should be congratulated for the publication of this impressive volume. The hook provides a unified introduction to the potential outcomes approach with the focus on the basic causal inference problems that arise in randomized experiments and observational studies.' Alicia A. Lloro, Journal of the American Statistical AssociationTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. The basic framework: potential outcomes, stability, and the assignment mechanism; 2. A brief history of the potential-outcome approach to causal inference; 3. A taxonomy of assignment mechanisms; Part II. Classical Randomized Experiments: 4. A taxonomy of classical randomized experiments; 5. Fisher's exact P-values for completely randomized experiments; 6. Neyman's repeated sampling approach to completely randomized experiments; 7. Regression methods for completely randomized experiments; 8. Model-based inference in completely randomized experiments; 9. Stratified randomized experiments; 10. Paired randomized experiments; 11. Case study: an experimental evaluation of a labor-market program; Part III. Regular Assignment Mechanisms: Design: 12. Unconfounded treatment assignment; 13. Estimating the propensity score; 14. Assessing overlap in covariate distributions; 15. Design in observational studies: matching to ensure balance in covariate distributions; 16. Design in observational studies: trimming to ensure balance in covariate distributions; Part IV. Regular Assignment Mechanisms: Analysis: 17. Subclassification on the propensity score; 18. Matching estimators (Card-Krueger data); 19. Estimating the variance of estimators under unconfoundedness; 20. Alternative estimands; Part V. Regular Assignment Mechanisms: Supplementary Analyses: 21. Assessing the unconfoundedness assumption; 22. Sensitivity analysis and bounds; Part VI. Regular Assignment Mechanisms with Noncompliance: Analysis: 23. Instrumental-variables analysis of randomized experiments with one-sided noncompliance; 24. Instrumental-variables analysis of randomized experiments with two-sided noncompliance; 25. Model-based analyses with instrumental variables; Part VII. Conclusion: 26. Conclusions and extensions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChina's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 ignited a race to capture new global media audiences. This book examines this compelling dynamic, where the distinctions between Hollywood's dream factory and the PRC's Chinese dream of global influence become increasingly blurred.Trade Review"Timely and informative." * H-Diplo *"Hollywood Made in China is a timely contribution to film studies, media studies, and communication studies... impressive, far-reaching." * China Review *"Hollywood Made in China is an elegant account of Hollywood’s evolving engagements in China’s commercial film environment... an accessible, intriguing study of an unlikely liaison." * Modern Chinese Literature and Culture *"Like High Concept, scholar and industry consultant Justin Wyatt’s landmark 1994 book about Hollywood’s pivot towards packaged promotion - and merchandising-ready properties, Aynne Kokas’s Hollywood Made in China will be the seminal guidebook to understanding media in the era of the world’s pivot to China." - Karen Fang, University of Houston * China Review International *"A concise and lucid analysis." * China Quarterly *"...an informative book with updated real-world cases and textual analysis on Sino-US film co-production. For those less familiar with the topic, this book serves as a great introduction and resource." * Global Media and Communication *“Kokas’ work provides an insightful analysis of Sino-US co-ventures, and exemplifies an important approach to global media industries in general. . . .this is a groundbreaking book with an analysis that helps us understand how the Chinese government’s policy-making and Hollywood’s economic ambitions in the Chinese market complicate Sino-US media collaborations and construct ‘multilayered systems that unite the American and Chinese economies’.” * Asian Journal of Communication *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. Policy and Superheroes: China and Hollywood in Sino-US Relations 2. Hollywood's China: Mickey Mouse, Kung Fu Panda, and the Rise of Sino-US Brandscapes 3. Soft Power Plays: How Chinese Film Policy Influences Hollywood 4. Whispers in the Gallery: How Industry Forums Build Sino-US Media Collaboration 5. Compradors: How Above-the-Line Workers Brand Sino-US Film Production 6. Farm Labor, Film Labor: How Below-the-Line Workers Shape Sino-US Film Production Conclusion Appendix 1: Examples of Sino-US Film Collaboration by Type Appendix 2: Chinese Character Glossary Notes Filmography Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe bestselling holy grail of trading information-now brought completely up to date to give traders an edge in the marketplaceâœSound trading advice and lots of ideas you can use to develop your own trading methodology.â-Jack Schwager, author of Market Wizards and The New Market WizardsThis trading masterpiece has been fully updated to address all the concerns of today's market environment. With substantial new material, this second edition features Tharp's new 17-step trading model. Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom also addresses reward to risk multiples, as well as insightful new interviews with top traders, and features updated examples and charts.Table of ContentsForeword by Chuck Whitman1.The Legend of the Holy Grail2.New: Q&A with Great Traders3.Judgmental Biases4.Setting Your Objectives 5.Steps to Developing a System (heavily revised)6.New: Secular Markets7.Selecting a Concept that Works8.New: Using R Multiples9.Understanding Expectancy10.Using Setups11.Entry or Market Timing12.Protecting Your Capital13.How to Take Profits14.The Opportunity & Cost Factors15.Position Sizing16.Conclusions

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTime is a scarce resource that is often overlooked in business and personal life.Despite its limited availability,time can be effectively managed through careful planning and prioritization.By understanding the importance of time management, individuals and especially organizations can improve their productivity,efficiency,and overall success. Based on the author's direct experience of creating and building what is now a 20,000-employee company, this book examines the crucial role time management plays for companies to achieve their goals and maintain competitiveness and customer satisfaction. It's through effective time management that companies gain better team coordination, leading to improved productivity and project completion. Additionally, time management can enable companies to allocate resources more effectively, ensuring that they are used to their full potential. Full of insightful cases and examples, this book demonstrates how time is a major factor in organizational performance and how it can be managed for greater success.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the United States, the soaring cost of health care has become an economic drag and a political flashpoint. Moreover, although the country's medical spending is higher than that of any other nation, health outcomes are no better than elsewhere, and in some cases are even worse. In The Quality Cure, renowned health care economist and former Obama advisor David Cutler offers an accessible and incisive account of the issues and their causes, as well as a road map for the future of health care reform--one that shows how information technology, realigned payment systems, and value-focused organizations together have the power to resolve this seemingly intractable problem and transform the US health care system into one that is affordable, efficient, and effective.Trade Review"Cutler has an exceptional ability to tackle an extremely complex topic, such as US health care spending, and make it simple and understandable for noneconomists while remaining true to the theory and science... The Quality Cure should be required reading for those who manage or provide care. In particular, medical students and residents need to understand the ideas in this compelling book. Until now, health care has not had such a simultaneously scholarly and accessible book. Those seasoned in policy making will benefit from Cutler's insider look, his clear and concise way of communicating complex topics, and the detailed references and figures. Those new to the policy efforts around reducing costs and improving quality will also benefit from Cutler's simplified conceptual framework, his clear and compelling language, and his disciplined approach... Cutler's experience, scholarship, and practical wisdom lay out a clear theory of change and policy recommendations for achieving it." -- Peter J. Pronovost Health AffairsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. Cost, Access, and Quality: The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse 2. The Value Proposition 3. The Cost Control Debate 4. The Quality Cure 5. It's What You Know 6. Pricing the Priceless 7. Take Me to Your Leader 8. How Long Will It Take? Notes Index

Read more less