Running Money: Hedge Fund Honchos, Monster Markets and My Hunt for the Big Score


Andy Kessler - 2004
    To run a successful hedge fund you must have an investing edge -- that special insight that allows you to reap greater returns for your clients and yourself.A quick study, Kessler gets an education in investing from some fascinating and quirky personalities. Eventually he works out his own insight into the world economy, a powerful lens that reveals to him hidden value in seemingly negative trends. Focussing on margin surplus, Kessler comes to see that current American economy, at the apex of the information revolution, is not so different from the British economy at the height of the industrial revolution. Drawing out the parallels he develops a powerful investing tool which he shares with readers. Contrarian and confident, Kessler made a fortune applying his ideas to his hedge fund. Which only proves that they may not be as crazy as they sound.

The Single Best Investment: Creating Wealth with Dividend Growth


Lowell Miller - 1997
    Citing statistics that show companies initiating and raising dividends at the fastest rate in 30 years, this analysis declares once-stodgy dividends to be "the next new thing" and provides simple rules for choosing the best stocks, using traditional evaluation tools, reinvesting dividends, comparing stocks and bonds, and building a portfolio. Technical aspects of the stock market are explained in the final pages that include two new chapters and revised statistics as well as academic studies, historic back-tests, examples of real-time performance, and a list of resources for further research.

Investment Psychology Explained: Classic Strategies to Beat the Markets


Martin J. Pring - 1992
    The fundamentals of sound portfolio management got lost along the way, and as an inevitable consequence, many investors simply crashed and burned. The revisionist '90s demand a no-nonsense approach that puts a premium on classic investment philosophy, psychology, and strategy. And nowhere will you find this bracing attitude more clearly and practically embodied than in Martin Pring's new clarion call for investors: Investment Psychology Explained. Written by one of the most respected independent investment advisors in the world, whose bestselling books, videos, and newsletters have prudently guided thousands of investors through bullish and bearish times, Investment Psychology Explained emphasizes that investors have to be more analytical and less impulsive to flourish in today's market. Arguing that there are no quick, magical paths to market success, Pring draws instead from the wisdom of many creative investors, including Jesse Livermore, Humphrey Neill, and Bernard Baruch, as well as from his own experience, and distills their thought into one convenient, back-to-basics handbook. With Investment Psychology Explained at your side, you'll learn how to stay one step ahead through the application of the age-old verities - hard work, common sense, patience, and discipline. With the help of numerous examples, past and present, you'll discover how to create and stick to an independent investment plan - and avoid being carried away by fads or quick-fix "experts," buck the conventional wisdom at the right times - and know how and when to "go contrarian," shake off thedelusions and myths that ensnare too many investors - and develop profitable habits and attitudes instead, allow objective analysis rather than emotions to guide your decision making, stay the course with investment strategies and not shed them prematurely if there is no short-te

The Poker Face of Wall Street


Aaron Brown - 2006
    In both worlds, real risk means real money is made or lost in a heart beat, and neither camp is always rational with the risk it takes. As a result, business and financial professionals who want to use poker insights to improve their job performance will find this entertaining book a "must read." So will poker players searching for an edge in applying the insights of risk-takers on Wall Street.

The Little Book of Safe Money: How to Conquer Killer Markets, Con Artists, and Yourself


Jason Zweig - 2009
    The topics covered include everything from investing behavior-why our minds come with their own set of biases that often prove harmful-to the use of financial advisors. But this timely book goes one step further than the rest by questioning an investor's true appetite for risk.The Little Book of Safe Money also contradicts many of the myths that whirl around Wall Street with chapters like Why Ultra-ETFs Are Mega-Dangerous and Hedge-Fund Hooey. Writing in the classic Little Book style, author Jason Zweig peels away layer after layer of buzz words, emotion, and myths to reveal what's really going on in today's financial markets.Outlines strategies for satisfying our ever-changing investment appetites while focusing on a long-term financial plan Author Jason Zweig is a trusted voice in the financial community and his straightforward style resonates with investors Offers practical guidance, tools, and tips for surviving and thriving in a down market If you're serious about succeeding in today's turbulent markets, then The Little Book of Safe Money is what you should be reading.

Tomorrow's Gold: Asia's Age of Discovery


Marc Faber - 2002
    Far from being a sensational reading of the runes, this book delves deep into the past, to chart how old investor trends developed and assess how new patterns might emerge. Change is the thread. As Faber points out, the world is experiencing a transformation as great as Europe s late-15th Century golden age of discovery and the Industrial Revolution of the19th Century events that altered the commercial face of the Earth forever.And from this dramatic landscape a world in which economic, social and political conditions are morphing at an alarming rate Faber identifies investment opportunities.Asia s three-billion-strong population will have a profound effect on the world, writes Faber, cautioning that today s richest cities and clusters of wealth are unlikely to retain their exalted positions in the future.

The Bottomless Well: The Twilight of Fuel, The Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy


Peter W. Huber - 2005
    But according to Peter Huber and Mark Mills, the things we "know" are mostly myths. In The Bottomless Well , Huber and Mills debunk the myths and show how a better understanding of energy will radically change our views and policies on a number of very controversial issues. They explain why demand will never go down, why most of what we think of as "energy waste" actually benefits us; why greater efficiency will never lead to energy conservation; and why the energy supply is infinite-it's quality of energy that's scarce and expensive. The Bottomless Well will also revolutionize our thinking about the automotive industry (gas prices don't matter and the hybrid engine is irrelevant), coal and uranium, the much-maligned power grid (it's the worst system we could have except for all the others), what energy supplies mean for jobs and GDP, and many other hotly debated subjects.

Don't Count on It!: Reflections on Investment Illusions, Capitalism, "Mutual" Funds, Indexing, Entrepreneurship, Idealism, and Heroes


John C. Bogle - 2010
    The clarity of his thinking--and his insistence on the relevance of ethical standards--are totally relevant as we strive to rebuild a broken financial system. For too many years, his strong voice has been lost amid the cacophony of competing self-interests, misdirected complexity, and unbounded greed. Read, learn, and support Jack's mission to reform the industry that has been his life's work. --PAUL VOLCKER, Chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979-1987)Jack Bogle has given investors throughout the world more wisdom and plain financial 'horse sense' than any person in the history of markets. This compendium of his best writings, particularly his post-crisis guidance, is absolutely essential reading for investors and those who care about the future of our society. --ARTHUR LEVITT, former Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionJack Bogle is one of the most lucid men in finance. --NASSIM N.TALEB, PhD, author of The Black SwanJack Bogle is one of the financial wise men whose experience spans the post-World War II years. This book, encompassing his insights on financial behavior, pitfalls, and remedies, with a special focus on mutual funds, is an essential read. We can only benefit from his observations. --HENRY KAUFMAN, President, Henry Kaufman & Company, Inc.It was not an easy sell. The joke at first was that only finance professors invested in Vanguard's original index fund. But what a triumph it has been. And what a focused and passionate drive it took: it is a zero-sum game and only costs are certain. Thank you, Jack. --JEREMY GRANTHAM, Cofounder and Chairman, GMOOn finance, Jack Bogle thinks unconventionally. So, this sound rebel turns out to be right most of the time. Meanwhile, many of us sometimes engage in self-deception. So, this book will set us straight. And in the last few pages, Jack writes, and I agree, that Peter Bernstein was a giant. So is Jack Bogle. --JEAN-MARIE EVEILLARD, Senior Adviser, First Eagle Investment ManagementInsights into investing and leadership from the founder of The Vanguard GroupThroughout his legendary career, John Bogle-founder of the Vanguard mutual fund group and creator of the first index mutual fund-has helped investors build wealth the right way, while, at the same time, leading a tireless campaign to restore common sense to the investment world.A collection of essays based on speeches delivered to professional groups and college students in recent years, in Don't Count on It is organized around eight themesIllusion versus reality in investing Indexing to market returns Failures of capitalism The flawed structure of the mutual fund industry The spirit of entrepreneurship What is enough in business, and in life Advice to America's future leaders The unforgettable characters who have shaped his career Widely acclaimed for his role as the conscience of the mutual fund industry and a relentless advocate for individual investors, in Don't Count on It, Bogle continues to inspire, while pushing the mutual fund industry to measure up to their promise.

Mr. Market Miscalculates: The Bubble Years and Beyond


James Grant - 2008
    The how we got here is brilliantly described in a collection of pieces from Grant's Interest Rate Observer, the Wall Street insider's Bible. The where we are going is treated in Jim Grant's up-to-the-minute introduction. No fan of Greenspan or Bernanke, Grant tells the unvarnished truth about America.

Copies in Seconds


David Owen - 2004
    David Owen's fascinating narrative tells the story of the machine nobody thought we needed but now we can't live without.Chester Carlson grew up in unspeakable poverty, worked his way through junior college and the California Institute of Technology, and made his discovery in solitude in the depths of the Great Depression. He offered his big idea to two dozen major corporations -- among them IBM, RCA, and General Electric -- all of which turned him down. So persistent was this failure of capitalist vision that by the time the Xerox 914 was manufactured by an obscure photographic-supply company in Rochester, New York, Carlson's original patent had expired. Xerography was so unusual and nonintuitive that it conceivably could have been overlooked entirely. Scientists who visited the drafty warehouses where the first machines were built sometimes doubted that Carlson's invention was even theoretically feasible.Drawing on interviews, Xerox company archives, and the private papers of the Carlson family, David Owen has woven together a fascinating and instructive story about persistence, courage, and technological innovation -- a story that has never before been fully told.

Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling


David G. Schwartz - 2006
    Schwartz tells the epic story of gambling, beginning with its early emergence from divination rituals and ending with today’s global gaming culture. In a sweeping, rollicking narrative, Schwartz looks at the betting games people have played since the dawn of history, and argues convincingly that gambling has always been a crucial part of the human experience. The book begins with the rolling of knucklebones in prehistoric times, progresses through the casting of lots portrayed in the Bible and sacred Hindu writings, and traces gaming through the heights of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Schwartz continues through the Middle Ages, investigating the mysterious invention of playing cards in twelfth-century China, the birth of the casino and table games such as baccarat in Venice, and the British Empire’s work in spreading gambling throughout the world. Schwartz describes how lotteries financed some of the first American colonies, how gambling prospered in the Civil War and the Old West, how organized crime exploded in the twentieth century by running illegal gambling operations, and how gambling dollars transformed Las Vegas into the world’s number-one tourist destination. Packed with colorful characters from Julius Caesar to Casanova, George Washington to Steve Wynn, Roll the Bones is an all-in history of humanity’s fascination with chance. BACKCOVER: Advance Praise for Roll the Bones “Roll the Bones is a comprehensive and compelling look at the history of risk-taking—a necessary book in our age of plutonium poker, state lotteries, and billion-dollar Internet gaming sites. David Schwartz, a serious historian writing for a general audience, illuminates an urge we feel deep in our cells.” —From the Foreword by James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street “Simultaneously entertaining, informative, and provocative, Roll the Bones looks through the veils of luxury, elegance, and pleasure that surround mankind’s obsession with lady luck, to give a panoramic view of generations of gamblers, from the Caesars of Imperial Rome to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Behind the lively narrative is a mass of information on the origin and rules of most popular games of chance, and a thoughtful analysis of the place of gambling in the 21st century.” —Iain Gately, author of Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization “David Schwartz has written a masterful and encyclopedic history of gambling, from hunter- gathering peoples to the tourists on the twenty-first-century Las Vegas Strip. Throughout Schwartz maintains an accessible writing style with plenty of enjoyable anecdotes. Both the professional historian and the average reader will find the work rewarding.” —Larry Gragg, author of Englishmen Transplanted and The Salem Witch Crises “Roll the Bones is an impressive telling of our journey with gambling, from its evolutionary beginnings to today—a great read for both the serious student of gambling history and the merely curious. This book will become the ‘gold standard’ of gambling history.” —Crandell Addington, championship poker legend and member of the Poker Hall of Fame

DIAGRAMS & DOLLARS: Modern Money Illustrated


J.D. ALT - 2014
    The explanations are illustrated with simple diagrams, making the concepts easy to "see". The explanations are targeted to the "non-economist" with a serious interest in the current debate about fiscal policies and National Budgets.

Merchants of Grain


Dan Morgan - 1979
    Little has changed their central role since Morgan's best-selling book first appeared in 1979.

The Davis Dynasty: Fifty Years of Successful Investing on Wall Street


John Rothchild - 2001
    With a novelist's wit and eye for telling detail, Rothchild chronicles the financial escapades of this eccentric, pioneering clan, providing a vivid portrait of fifty years of Wall Street history along the way. Rothchild shadows the Davis family's holdings through two lengthy bull markets, two savage and seven mild bear markets, one crash, and twenty-five corrections and, in the process, reveals the strategies behind the family's uncanny ability to consistently beat the markets. The Davis Dynasty begins in 1947, the year Shelby Davis quit his job as a state bureaucrat and, armed with $50,000 of his wife's money, took the plunge into stock investing. By the time he died in 1994, he had multiplied his wife's original stake 8,000 times! The story continues with his son, Shelby, who established one of the most successful funds of the past thirty years. The final characters in this enthralling family saga are grandsons Chris and Andrew. Both surrendered to the Davis family passion for investing and both went on to earn reputations as investment luminaries in their own right. John Rothchild (Miami Beach, FL) co-wrote the blockbusters One Up on Wall Street, Beating the Street, and Learn to Earn with Peter Lynch. He is the author of Survive and Profit in Ferocious Markets (Wiley: 0-471-34882-1), A Fool and His Money (Wiley: 0-471-25138-0), and Going for Broke. He has written for Harper's, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and other leading magazines and he has appeared on the Today Show, the Nightly Business Report, and CNBC.

The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing: Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Financial Life


Ben Stein - 2010
    Many have seen their retirement accounts dwindle dramatically and are looking for a safe way to protect what they have and make back some of what they've lost. That's why the bestselling author team of Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth have created The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing: Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Financial Life.When you invest, there are essential things you should do and many things you shouldn't. The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing: Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Financial Life addresses this issue and shows you how to utilize the fundamentals of finance to achieve success in today's market. This practical guide contains proven advice on navigating today's treacherous financial landscape and will put you in a better position to make more informed investment decisions.Includes street-smart advice for the individual investor uncertain about their investment and retirement portfolios Written by a experienced team of bestselling authors whose investment advice is accessible to everyone Outlines the steps you must take to protect yourself from the financial calamities of modern life The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing: Do's and Don'ts to Protect Your Financial Life offers quick, easy-to-follow, and entertaining advice for anyone looking to get back on the right investment track.