Dr. Doug Erlandson draws on concrete examples of good and bad reasoning from the political and social realm and everyday life to make his points in a sometimes lighthearted but always meaningful way. Here's a Preview of What's in the Book Identifying the differences between good and bad arguments Avoiding fallacies Creating good explanations Assessing probabilities Recognizing that statistics and numbers can lie ˃˃˃ Here's How You Benefit How to Think Clearly gives you the tools you need to critically assess the claims and counterclaims with which you are bombarded by politicians, pundits, commentators and editors, as well as coworkers, friends and family, and will aid you in developing skills to present your view in ways that are clear, coherent, sensible and persuasive. ˃˃˃ Suitable as a classroom text and for independent study How to Think Clearly is easy to understand and suitable for independent study. At the same time it offers the content and intellectual rigor that you would expect in a text for an introductory college-level course in critical thinking. ˃˃˃ What Others Are Saying About How to Think Clearly: A Guide to Critical Thinking Dr. Erlandson has given a wonderful introduction to good critical thinking: how to recognize good and bad arguments, helpful and non-helpful explanations, the ways that numbers can be manipulated. You can tell that he must be a good teacher. (G. Feltner)The author offers a refuge of reason within our culture of disregard for open-mindedness and rational discourse where the popular debate of serious issues or ideas is often a shouting match from the margins. (Cubs Fan)A great read for anyone who is new to logic and critical thinking, or someone who just wants to review and refresh their knowledge. (Paul D.) Scroll up and grab a copy today.

    Includes lead sheets for such standard vocal repertoire pieces as: Yesterday * I'm Beginning to See the Light * and I Heard it Through the Grapevine. Maximize your vocal potential with this outstanding guide

    But how did they know they were making the right investments? What did Buffet and his partners look for in an up-and-coming company, and how can others replicate their approach?A gift to Buffett followers who have long sought a pattern to the investor's success, Inside the Investments of Warren Buffett presents the most detailed analysis to date of Buffett's long-term investment portfolio. Yefei Lu, an experienced investor, starts with Buffett's interest in the Sanborn Map Company in 1958 and tracks nineteen more of his major investments in companies like See's Candies, the Washington Post, GEICO, Coca-Cola, US Air, Wells Fargo, and IBM. Accessing partnership letters, company documents, annual reports, third-party references, and other original sources, Lu pinpoints what is unique about Buffett's timing, instinct, use of outside knowledge, and postinvestment actions, and he identifies what could work well for all investors in companies big and small, domestic and global. His substantial chronology accounts for broader world events and fluctuations in the U.S. stock market, suggesting Buffett's most important trait may be the breadth of his expertise.

    With all the emphasis on the rich and famous in America, we would think we know everything about them. In reality, very few of us truly understand those who make up the very wealthiest Americans--those with liquid assets of $5 million or more. What is this new class of people and how did they get that way?In The New Elite, the authors reveal what motivates our country's most powerful and influential class, what they want, where they shop, and how they really spend their money. With candor and unique insight, they reveal that the people who drive our economy are not Ivy league-educated, luxury-seeking socialites. While they include luminaries like Bill Gates, David Geffen, Ralph Lauren, and Donald Trump, they also include the small business owner next door. Based on unprecedented research with hundreds of interviews with members of this unique group, The New Elite uncovers the five classes of America's newly wealthy--including those who struggle with its implications, those who refuse to let it change them, and those who give it away, and how each of them is changing our culture and economy. This is an entertaining and enlightening look at America's ruling class, the profound ways they have redefined what it means to be rich, and how we court them.

    When inexperienced entrepreneurs ask my advice about their idea for a tech startup, they often worry "What if Google decides to compete with us? They will crush us!" I respond that far more startups die of suicide than homicide. If you can avoid hurting yourself, then you are already better off than most of your competitors. Startups are a chance to build something entirely original with brilliant and ambitious people. But startups are also dangerous. Limited money means there is little room for mistakes. One bad decision can mean bankruptcy. The potential payoff attracts capital, which in turn attracts scam artists. The unscrupulous often lack the skills needed to succeed, but sometimes they are smart enough to trick investors. Even entrepreneurs who start with a strong moral compass can find that the threat of failure unmoors their ethics from their ambition. Emotions matter. We might hope that those in leadership positions possess strength and resilience, but vanity and fragile egos have sabotaged many of the businesses that I’ve worked with. Defeat is always a possibility, and not everyone finds healthy ways to deal with the stress. In this book I offer both advice and also warnings. I've seen certain self-destructive patterns play out again and again, so I wanted to document one of the most extreme cases that I've witnessed. In 2015 I worked for a startup that began with an ingenious idea: to use the software techniques known as Natural Language Processing to allow people to interact with databases by writing ordinary English sentences. This was a multi-billion dollar idea that could have transformed the way people gathered and used information. However, the venture had inexperienced leadership. They burned through their $1.3 million seed money. As their resources dwindled, their confidence transformed into doubt, which was aggravated by edicts from the Board Of Directors ordering sudden changes that effectively threw away weeks' worth of work. Every startup forces its participants into extreme positions, often regarding budget and deadlines. Often these situations are absurd to the point of parody. Therefore, there is considerable humor in this story. The collision of inexperience and desperation gives rise to moments that are simply silly. I tell this story in a day-to-day format, both to capture the early optimism, and then the later sense of panic. Here then, is a cautionary tale, a warning about tendencies that everyone joining a startup should be on guard against."

    From office buildings to shopping centers to apartment buildings, it helps you pick the right properties at the right time for the right price. Yes, there is a fun and easy way to break into commercial real estate, and this is it. This comprehensive handbook has it all. You'll learn how to find great properties, size up sellers, finance your investments, protect your assets, and increase your property's value. You'll discover the upsides and downsides of the various types of investments, learn the five biggest myths of commercial real estate investment, find out how to recession-proof your investment portfolio, and more. Discover how to:Get leads on commercial property investments Determine what a property is worth Find the right financing for you Handle inspections and fix problems Make big money in land development Manage your properties or hire a pro Exploit the tax advantages of commercial real estate Find out what offer a seller really-really wants Perform due diligence before you make a deal Raise capital by forming partnerships Investing in commercial property can make you rich in any economy. Get Commercial Real Estate For Dummies, and find out how.

    The Wheelbarrow Profits system for real estate investment takes advantage of an under appreciated source of wealth in the United States: multifamily properties. Learn how to identify your own niche, study your market, build your portfolio, and manage properties to successfully turn your investment into true wealth. Written and created by Jake Stenziano and Gino Barbaro, Wheelbarrow Profits is the tried and true system that they’ve utilized to grow a single multifamily investment into nearly a dozen successful and lucrative properties. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to explore a different type of investment strategy or a new investor looking to start building your portfolio, Jake and Gino’s system will provide you with the step-by-step guide you need to secure your financial independence.

    We’ve comea long way since then. With this book, Drs. Romero and Balch liftthe veil from many of these once-opaque concepts in high-techfinance. We can all benefit from learning how the cooperationbetween wetware and software creates fitter models. This bookdoes a fantastic job describing how the latest advances in financialmodeling and data science help today’s portfolio managerssolve these greater riddles. —Michael Himmel, ManagingPartner, Essex Asset ManagementI applaud Phil Romero’s willingness to write about the hedgefund world, an industry that is very private, often flamboyant,and easily misunderstood. As with every sector of the investmentlandscape, the hedge fund industry varies dramaticallyfrom quantitative “black box” technology, to fundamental researchand old-fashioned stock picking. This book helps investorsdistinguish between these diverse opposites and understandtheir place in the new evolving world of finance. —Mick Elfers,Founder and Chief Investment Strategist, Irvington Capital

    Jacobson provides a comprehensive overview of this spectacular industry, allowing everyone on Earth to understand the integral role space plays in our lives, how it will continue to transform the world, and how you could participate.In the vein of Mary Roach, Jacobson makes a complex topic easily understandable—and accessible—for every reader.Space as an industry offers a triple bottom line: Return on Investment, Innovation, and Inspiration.INVESTMENTImagine if you had the opportunity to invest in Apple when it was new and undiscovered—would you do it?Space is a culmination of many disciplines, and it works in tandem with various industries. The sector’s growth depends on merging different fields with cutting-edge technologies, fantastical ideas with logical applications.Investors, including John Doerr, Khosla Ventures, Sequoia, RRE, Bessemer Venture Partners, First Round, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, and Andreesen Horowitz, took notice and are backing companies in this growing sector.INNOVATIONSpace is the sector with the most unlimited potential for progress and collaboration. When space advances, other industries benefit. When other industries advance, space benefits as well—innovations and progress multiply.From Hollywood to navigation, communications devices to streaming services, medical discoveries to robotics, agriculture to energy, all of these industries affect space and are affected by space—much like bees pollinating flowers.Jacobson proposes that space startups can borrow tactics and strategies developed by other entrepreneurs and thought leaders—such as Peter Thiel, Eric Ries, and Ben Horowitz—to improve space startups' probability for success.INSPIRATIONWhat do Jules Verne, Star Trek, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Stanley Kubrick, Jerry Pournelle, Andy Weir, and David Bowie have in common?For centuries, artists and creators have helped inspire real space efforts. They merged space with arts and entertainment to construct visions and stories that helped us articulate, amplify, and imagine what is possible—ultimately influencing and shaping reality, from Moon missions to mobile phones.What will we accomplish over the next decade? Is there a way to achieve great personal success and benefit others—maybe even all of humanity?

    But Property Management For Dummies will help you maintain your sense of humor - and your sanity - as you deal with these challenges and more. You may become an unintentional property owner - someone who inherited a house from a relative and didn't want it to sit idle, or someone who transferred to a job in another city and decided to rent your home rather than sell it - or you may have entered the world of property ownership intentionally. Either way, real estate offers one of the best opportunities to develop a steady stream of residual income.Property Management For Dummies is organized by specific topic areas, so you can easily and quickly scan a topic that interests you, or you can troubleshoot the source of your latest major headache. You'll discover how toEvaluate your skills and personality to see whether you have what it takes to be a landlord Keep your units occupied with paying tenants who don't destroy your property Move in your new tenants and move them out - and everything in between Assemble the right team of professionals to help you, from employees to contractors Insure your property and understand the taxes that go with it Look for additional sources of income beyond rent, including the opportunities and pitfalls of lease options While many of life's lessons can be uncovered by trial and error, property management shouldn't be one of them - the mistakes are too costly and the legal ramifications too severe. In this book, you'll find proven strategies to make rental property ownership and management not only profitable but pleasant as well.

    From sussing out the best deals and financing your investment to organising your taxes and dealing with tenants, it's all here - helping you to make more money with less stress.Among the 100 curated, carefully organised property investment tips in this book, you'll learn: Why you're doing your calculations all wrong How to use leverage to multiply your returns How to delegate The realistic alternatives to buy-to-let Why - and how - to buy below market value How to compete when you're constantly priced out by other buyers Ways to add value How to win at auctions Why you should get over your fear of interest-only mortgages What counts as an "expense" - and how to claim it A ton of nifty property investment tips, tricks and hacks for sourcing, financing and managing your propertyThe tips are organised into the following sections: Get started in property investment Find a deal Finance your investment Deal with tenants and management Focus on your strategy and goals Sort out your tax and accounts Tips, tricks and hacksWhatever your level of experience, you're sure to find some great new ideas to make you a more effective property investor.

    Many retirees or soon-to-be retirees have heard a plethora of advice. Take 100 (or 120) and subtract your age to get your equity allocation, put the rest in bonds or cash. Buy only bonds. Buy only high dividend stocks. Or some combination! Buy equity-indexed annuities or some "guaranteed" income product. All examples of a potentially harmful myth many folks believe to be smart, strategic moves.Investors believe preparing for retirement requires a radically different set of tools or a dizzying array of products. Navigating the world of retirement products and services can be a full-time job. But investing for retirement is, in practice, not much (if at all) different from investing. In Your Retirement Plan, Ken Fisher will give readers a workable strategy to either develop their own retirement investing plan or work more successfully with a professional to increase the likelihood of achieving long-term goals while avoiding common pitfalls. The book will include easy-to-follow steps likeHow to think, correctly, about investing time horizon. How to better figure how much income you need How to determine if a portfolio can provide that income How to figure how much to save each year to achieve retirement goals What pitfalls to avoid And more. . . . In this retirement planning book that's not just for retirees, Fisher will hand readers the tools and confidence they need to better plan for the future.

    Starting up a business is no different—it needs preparation.This preparation is about understanding your “why”; about generating and testing business ideas; about building your founding team; about talking to your family; about taking care of your career and your finances. It is about getting mentally prepared to get started. This book will help you ask the right questions. It will guide you, steer you towards finding your answers.You are ambitious. You are a go-getter. You are destined to win. This book will help get you what you deserve."About the AuthorPankaj Goyal grew up in a typical Indian middle class family in Rajasthan. In a family of government employees, he was taught the standard script to build your career: “Work hard on academics and get the highest scores”. And that’s the path he took. While he got his Bachelors in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from IIM Bangalore, there was always an itch . . . an itch to start a business. He started his company in 2008 and ran it for three years. His experience was bitter sweet. The business generated good cash, but failed to grow. He then took a break, moved to the USA and joined McKinsey and Company. Ever since, he has worked across the world in the technology industry. His work is now focused on applying Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of companies. He continues to be involved in the world of entrepreneurship as an angel investor and as an advisor to startups in the Silicon Valley and India.

    

    It's an intimate look into the creative worlds of Disney, Universal, and Six Flags Magic Mountain; a no-holds-barred memoir filled with wild characters and wilder concepts, complete with a step-by-step guide to how the magic is made!