If you have not yet bought the original copy, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial summary from aBookaDay. SPECIAL OFFER $2.99 (Regularly priced: $3.99) OVERVIEW This review of The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis provides a chapter by chapter detailed summary followed by an analysis and critique of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. The main theme explored in the book is how corruption and greed in Wall Street caused the crash of the subprime mortgage market in 2008. Despite being completely preventable, the big firms in Wall Street chose to ignore the oncoming fall in favor of making money. Michael Lewis introduces characters—men outside of the Wall Street machine—who foresaw the crisis and, through several different techniques, were able to predict how and when the market would fall. Lewis portrays these men—Steve Eisman, Mike Burry, Charlie Ledley, and Jamie Mai—as the underdogs, who were able to understand and act upon the obvious weaknesses in the subprime market. Lewis’s overall point is to demonstrate how the Wall Street firms were manipulating the market. They used loans to cash in on the desperation of middle-to-lower class Americans, and then ultimately relied on the government to bail them out when the loans were defaulted. Using anecdotes and interviews from the men who were involved first-hand, the author makes the case that Wall Street, and how they conducted business in regards to the subprime mortgage market, is truly corrupt beyond repair, and the men he profiles in this novel were trying to make the best out of a bad situation. By having the words from the sources themselves, this demonstrates Lewis’s search for the truth behind what actually happened. Ultimately, we as an audience can not be sure if the intentions of these underdogs were truly good, but Lewis does an admirable job presenting as many sides to the story as possible. The central thesis of the work is that the subprime mortgage crisis was caused by Wall Street firms pushing fraudulent loans upon middle-to-lower class Americans that they would essentially not be able to afford. Several people outside of Wall Street were able to predict a crash in the market when these loans would be defaulted on, and bought insurance to bet against the market (essentially, buying short). Over a time period from roughly 2005-2008, the market crashed and huge banks and firms lost billions of dollars, filed for bankruptcy, or were bailed out by the government. These men, the characters of Lewis’s novel, were able to bet against the loans and made huge amounts of money, but it was not quite an easy journey. Michael Lewis is a non-fiction author and financial journalist. He has written several novels—notably Liar’s Poker in 1989, Moneyball in 2003, and The Blind Side in 2006. Born in New Orleans, he attended Princeton University, receiving a BA degree in Art History. After attending London School of Economics and receiving his masters there, he was hired by Salomon Brothers where he experienced much about what he wrote about in Liar’s Poker. He is currently married, with three children and lives in Berkeley, California. SUMMARY PROLOGUE: POLTERGEIST Michael Lewis begins his tale of the remarkable—and strange—men who predicted the immense fall of the housing market by immediately exposing himself as the exact opposite type of person from them. He explains to the reader that he has no background in accounting, business, or money managing.

    No confusing jargon. No unnecessary mumbo-jumbo. Just clear, easy-to-understand explanations of more than 40 of the most popular option strategies broken down into a play-by-play format including: Play Name: Long Call, Short Call Spread, Iron Condor, etc. The Setup: The goals and reasons to run each play Who Should Run It: Rookies, Veterans or All-Stars, based on degree of difficulty When To Run It: Describes each play as bullish, bearish or neutral The Strategy: A detailed overview of each strategy, their risks and the specific costs associated with multi-leg strategies. description For the first-time option trader The Options Playbook features a "Rookie's Corner," addressing the basic definitions and concepts you need to understand this market, tips to avoid common beginner's mistakes, and suggested strategies to "get your feet wet." For more experienced option traders, an expanded section on implied volatility explains how this handy variable can be used to find the potential range of the stock over the options life. A detailed section on pricing variables (Greeks) helps you understand how an option's price is affected by changes in market conditions. You will also learn how time decay and a change in implied volatility can affect your trade after it's in place and how to recover if things don't go according to plan. The Options Playbook features Options Guy Tips from TradeKing Senior Analyst Brian Overby. Like any good coach, Overby's handy insights help you put theory into successful real-world trading. This expanded 2nd edition includes 10 new plays and 56 new pages of handy content describing a brief history of options, five common mistakes options traders make and how to avoid them, an expanded glossary, how to manage option positions by rolling to a different month and strike, to explaining the difference between index and stock options, managing early exercise and assignment and how to calculate position delta and use it to manage overall position risk of a multi-leg option strategy. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose more money than invested. Before making any investment decisions, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options that accompanies The Options Playbook and available at: tradeking.com/ODD. (c) 2015 TradeKing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Securities offered through TradeKing, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC.

    No matter how much cash or experience you currently have, this book will take you on a journey through buying your first multifamily investment property and give you a framework for turning that into long-term financial freedom. Millionaires are created every day—isn’t it time you joined the ranks? It won’t happen overnight and it won’t always be easy, but The Multifamily Millionaire series will make sure it happens sooner than you ever thought possible! Inside this book, you’ll discover:• How to create a million-dollar net worth in five years using the stack method • The seven different types of small multifamily real estate and which make the best rental properties• How to quickly and accurately analyze your investment, whether its two units or twenty units • Three creative no and low money down strategies that work in any market• A game-changing algorithm for estimating your ongoing repair and reserve expenses • The powerful Multifamily Millionaire Model that illustrates how a million dollars can be created from one single deal• Six off-market acquisition strategies to help you land incredible deals, even in a competitive market• How the BRRRR strategy can help you supercharge your small multifamily portfolio• Detailed instructions for managing your growing portfolio (hint: find five-star tenants!)• And so much more

    The combination makes them a regular focus of the media, eager to know what makes them tick. Now, thanks to Katherine Burton, who's been covering these noteworthy traders for Bloomberg News for more than a decade, we know considerably more about them. With candor and detail, the industry's most successful hedge fund managers describe the events that shaped their personal journeys, the strategies they use to produce returns even in uncooperative markets, and the attributes that make a smart investor. "Hedge Hunters" offers a rare look at the industry's top performers and an introduction to some of the most talented new managers, handpicked by the masters themselves.

    - Jim Rogers, author of Hot Commodities and Investment Biker "An invaluable road map for managing risk in the markets. Tom's methodology has given us the discipline and confidence to look around corners for our clients for almost twenty years." - James A. Parish, President and COO, Morgan Keegan & Co., Private Client Group "Tom Dorsey continues to be one of the foremost authorities on Point and Figure charting. His relative strength analyses are essential for investors and traders alike. Furthermore, I always want to know what his NYSE Bullish Percent Indicators is "saying." - Lawrence G. McMillan, President, McMillan Analysis Corp., "Tom Dorsey has done it again...he has taken his 30-plus years of unending devotion, talents, and insights in technical analysis and applied them to Exchange Traded Funds. He begins with the history of ETFs, explains how different they are from mutual funds, and then applies his expertise in Point and Figure charting to help traders and investors time their purchases and sales." - Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Director of Technical research, Knight Capital "Reading Tom Dorsey's Point & Figure Charting is the like procuring a road map before you begin a journey. It's a comprehensive look at how to succeed in the markets. This book is not only essential but easy to follow for everyone." - Paulo Pinto, CEO, Dif Broker "Point and Figure Charting has become a valuable part of my daily trading routine. As an investment professional, it makes perfect sense to use Tom's methods in conjunction with fundamental analysis." - Damion Carufe, Investment Professional

    This workbook offers 80 pages of printing activities that also reinforce literacy skills by using words children need to read and write for school. With easy-to-follow directions children will have fun learning to print! Features activities that teach: ~How to write each letter of the alphabet ~Combining letters to make words ~Combining words to make sentences The popular Brighter Child Workbook series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information in 51 subject-specific workbooks. Encompassing preschool to grade 6, this series covers key subjects including basic skills, English & grammar, math, phonics, reading, science, and Spanish. This series is helping prepare children by giving them a solid foundation in key skills necessary for success in the classroom

    But when Lady Clifton dies soon after giving birth, Sir George hands the child over to be brought up on Beeswing Farm. John Hoverton and Laurie Clifton are raised as brothers.

    

    Spend less than you earn and clear debt.2. Insure against disaster.3. Build up your savings and invest wisely.You will learn:• How to get out of debt as quickly as possible.• Techniques for good financial control, so you can avoid getting into debt again.• The importance of insurance for laying down a foundation on which to build a solid financial plan, which isn’t washed away by an unexpected disaster.• How to save and invest simply and efficiently so that you can work your way towards future financial freedom.No matter your starting position, or your existing level of comfort with dealing with your money, Pete Matthew’s calm, straightforward and jargon-free approach will appeal to you and help you to set out on the right path.The Meaningful Money Handbook is a practical guide to succeeding with money by cutting out the stuff you don’t need to know, and clarifying the essential things you need to do, to make a real difference to your life.Don’t put it off any longer – pick up this book and start to take a meaningful approach to your money today.

    

    Randall Lane never set out to become a Wall Street power broker. But during the decade he calls the Zeroes, he started a small magazine company that put him near the white-hot center of the biggest boom in history. Almost by accident, a man who drove a beat-up Subaru and lived in a rented walk-up became the go-to guy for big shots with nine-figure incomes. Lane's saga began with a simple idea: a glossy magazine exclusively for and about traders, which would treat them like rock stars and entice them to splurge on luxury goods. Trader Monthly was an instant hit around the world. Wall Streeters loved the spotlight, and advertisers like Gulfstream, Maybach, and Bulgari loved the marketing opportunity. To accelerate the buzz, Lane's staff threw parties featuring celebrities, premium steaks, cigars, and top-shelf vodka. Nothing was too expensive or too outrageous. Private jets in Napa Valley. Casino nights in London. And $1,000-a- seat boxing matches in New York, where traders from Goldman Sachs and Bear Stearns pounded each other in front of tuxedoed throngs. Before long, Wall Street's rich and powerful trusted Lane as a fellow insider- the guy who could turn an anonymous trader into a cover model and media darling. And the rest of the world sought him out as a way to tap into Wall Street's riches. As he emptied his bank account to help keep his little company afloat, he became a nexus for the absurd. Traders who turned 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina into multimillion-dollar windfalls. John McCain closing out the craps tables during an all-night gambling binge. Pop artist Peter Max hustling hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling traders paint-by-numbers portraits. Al Gore, John Travolta, Moby. Corrupt Caribbean rulers, the mobsters from Goodfellas, the pope. And a retired baseball star turned market guru named Lenny Dykstra, whose rise and fall was a great metaphor for the decade. All played roles in Lane's increasingly surreal world. When the crash of 2008 hit, Lane's company and life savings were destroyed along with the high-flying traders and dealmakers his magazines exalted. But Lane walked away with something more lasting: an incredible true story, told by a skilled writer and reporter who sat squarely in the middle of one of the critical periods in modern financial and cultural history. People will turn to The Zeroes for many years to come, to find out what the era was really like.

    Running away from heartache and scandal, Tessa flees Cornwall to London in search of anonymity and freedom. Sleeping rough, scared and suicidal, she contemplates throwing herself in the river. Then she discovers the Samaritans and a volunteer, Dorothy, who patiently listens as Tessa pours out a lifetime of troubles. Inspired by Dorothy, Tessa tries to turn her life around. And when she meets Paul, she feels she has at last found a soulmate. But Paul is not the man he seems.   When a tragedy at home calls Tessa back to the countryside she grew up in, her past and present collide. Can she finally find the strength to fulfil her destiny? And who will be waiting to help her begin her journey?

    Written in a way that even the financial novice can easily absorb, this is a new edition of the bestselling guide to understanding and using business accounts and accounting principles.

    Though no large financial institution has recently gone bust in this country, white-collar criminals, scam artists, Ponzi schemers and organized crime, from the Hells Angels to the Russian mafia, know that Canada is the place in the Western world to rip off investors. And the fraudsters do so with little fear of being caught and punished. Thieves of Bay Street investigates Canada's biggest financial scandals of recent years. Readers will learn what banks do with investors' money and what happens when they lose it. They will meet the bogus investment gurus, the brokers who lose money with both reckless abandon and impunity, the bankers who squander money in toxic investments, the lawyers who protect them and the regulators who do nothing to keep them from doing it again. And most importantly, they'll meet the victims who are demanding that our vaunted banking sector finally come clean on its dirtiest secret.

    But these scams are nothing new, they've been repeated throughout history, and there will certainly be more to come. But the good news is fraudsters often follow the same basic playbook. Learn the playbook, and know how to ask the right questions, and financial fraud can be easy to detect and simple to avoid.In How to Smell a Rat, trusted financial expert Ken Fisher provides you with an inside's view on how to spot financial disasters before you become a part of them. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, this reliable resource takes an engaging look at recent and historic examples of fraudsters, how they operated, and how they can be easily avoided. Fisher also shows you the quick, identifiable features of financial frauds and arms you with the questions to ask when assessing a money manager.Prepares you to identify and avoid financials cams that could instantly destroy your wealth Contains examples that highlight how financial frauds are committed Provides questions everyone should ask before entering any investment endeavor With How to Smell a Rat as your guide, you'll learn how to protect your interests and assets from unnecessary losses.