Capital in the Twenty-First Century


Thomas Piketty - 2013
    But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality.Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality—the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth—today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again.

Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z


Andrew J. Sherman - 1998
    A well-timed purchase or a well-planned merger can boost both the immediate financial position and the long-term outlook for your organization.Conversely, these transactions can quickly spell your company's doom if they are not conceived and executed carefully, legally, and sensibly. Whether you're an M&A veteran or find yourself at the table for the first time, it's crucial to have an authoritative, soup-to-nuts reference to guide you through the many complex steps involved in these major business strategies.Mergers & Acquisitions from A to Z is a practical, hands-on resource for M&A participants on all sides of the transaction. The fully updated second edition covers the latest trends and best practices for structuring profitable deals, new rules and regulations in the age of the Sarbanes-Oxley act, and more. Clear and jargon-free, this authoritative book begins with a thorough overview, and then gives you extensive knowledge of the entire transaction process including:* Preparing for a Merger or Acquisition and Initiating the Deal. Understanding both the seller's and buyer's perspective is key, regardless of what your own role is in the transaction.* Preliminary Considerations and Documentation. The authors present the pros and cons of creating a letter of intent, and how to decide which kind to use (binding, non-binding, or hybrid).* Due Diligence. A thorough legal, financial, and operational analysis of the target business will identify and quantify any areas of concern.* Regulatory Considerations. These include general areas such as environmental, antitrust, securities, and others, as well as those issues specific to your industry or the situation.* Structuring the Deal. The architecture of the transaction will have profound effects on tax, accounting, shareholder, and other financial considerations for all the businesses involved.*Valuation and Pricing. Learn which valuation methods to use, and why the established value is only one component in calculating the actual purchase price.* Financing. How to determine if seller financing, venture capital, securities, and/or other alternatives are proper choices for your transaction.The book also offers complete sample documents including acquisition agreements and other legally required papers, strategies for alleviating post-closing challenges, and ""managing the deal-killers,"" the all-too-common mistakes and pitfalls that can derail even the most promising mergers and acquisitions. Finally, the authors take a look at a few of the alternatives to the M&A approach, including joint ventures, franchising, licensing, strategic alliances, and many others.The power your company can generate in concert with another is immense. With Mergers & Acquisitions from A to Z, you've got the crucial information and versatile tools to make the connection stronger, more durable, and more profitable for all involved."

Capitalism in America: A History


Alan Greenspan - 2018
    To the extent possible, he has made a science of understanding how the US economy works almost as a living organism--how it grows and changes, surges and stalls. He has made a particular study of the question of productivity growth, at the heart of which is the riddle of innovation. Where does innovation come from, and how does it spread through a society? And why do some eras see the fruits of innovation spread more democratically, and others, including our own, see the opposite?In Capitalism in America, Greenspan distills a lifetime of grappling with these questions into a thrilling and profound master reckoning with the decisive drivers of the US economy over the course of its history. In partnership with the celebrated Economist journalist and historian Adrian Wooldridge, he unfolds a tale involving vast landscapes, titanic figures, triumphant breakthroughs, enlightenment ideals as well as terrible moral failings. Every crucial debate is here--from the role of slavery in the antebellum Southern economy to the real impact of FDR's New Deal to America's violent mood swings in its openness to global trade and its impact. But to read Capitalism in America is above all to be stirred deeply by the extraordinary productive energies unleashed by millions of ordinary Americans that have driven this country to unprecedented heights of power and prosperity. At heart, the authors argue, America's genius has been its unique tolerance for the effects of creative destruction, the ceaseless churn of the old giving way to the new, driven by new people and new ideas. Often messy and painful, creative destruction has also lifted almost all Americans to standards of living unimaginable to even the wealthiest citizens of the world a few generations past. A sense of justice and human decency demands that those who bear the brunt of the pain of change be protected, but America has always accepted more pain for more gain, and its vaunted rise cannot otherwise be understood, or its challenges faced, without recognizing this legacy. For now, in our time, productivity growth has stalled again, stirring up the populist furies. There's no better moment to apply the lessons of history to the most pressing question we face, that of whether the United States will preserve its preeminence, or see its leadership pass to other, inevitably less democratic powers.

Real Estate Note Investing: Using Mortgage Notes to Passively and Massively Increase Your Income


Dave Van Horn - 2018
    Whether it's through mortgages, student loans, or credit card debt, nearly all of us (especially real estate investors!) are in the note business. The trouble is, most people are on the other side of it: writing checks to note owners rather than cashing checks as note owners. Understanding how to utilize basic note and financing concepts explained in this book will help real estate investors like you to:Borrow smarter by making debt your friend. Raise money for your investments easier by understanding and appealing to private investors. Squeeze more profits out of the deals you're already doing by utilizing creative offers and multiple financing strategies. Scale your investing through a passive investment vehicle that is backed by hard real estate without the tenants, termites, or toilets. Use note investing to pay for expenses like student loans and life insurance, or simply to provide additional cash flow for you into retirement. Become the bank and begin to use every form of leverage you have available! Not another cookie-cutter "how to" book, Dave instead takes readers on a journey with him as he looks back over lessons learned across three decades of real estate investing, and the path that led him to his success today in the note industry. He teaches by example, illustrates with real-life stories, and gives a 30,000 ft. view of the note space, introducing readers to a new way of investing.So whether you're a wholesaler, rehabber, landlord, or even turnkey investor, reading this book will help you turn your focus to the "other side" of real estate. For both new and experienced investors alike, no matter where you are in the real estate business, the strategies in this book can help you build sustainable wealth today and for years to come.

The Economics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained


Niall Kishtainy - 2012
    Whether you're a beginner, and avid student, or an armchair expert, you'll find plenty to stimulate you within this book.--book jacket

Live Your Life Insurance


Kim D.H. Butler - 2009
    In it, you'll discover exactly how you can use your life insurance to benefit you while you are alive—and help you build financial security. In addition, it will reveal ways to make the best of your policy no matter what age you are. Most people don't realize what a powerful tool they have in their life insurance policies—this book will be your guide.Life insurance is one of the oldest financial products around, and yet it is one of the most misunderstood. People debate its efficacy from every angle, but rarely is it championed. That is, until recently. Now, in this landmark book, you'll discover:• The invaluable CLUE concept• How to leverage opportunity and investment capability• How one dollar can do many jobs• How to use your death benefit while you are alive• Why you should set up a family bank• And much more."Live Your Life Insurance" is a book about life and living—using and benefiting from your life insurance while you are alive to enjoy it. And, in today's economy, it is more important than ever to understand and utilize all the financial tools we have at our disposal.

The Intelligent Investor


Benjamin Graham - 1949
    Graham's philosophy of "value investing" -- which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies -- has made The Intelligent Investor the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949.Over the years, market developments have proven the wisdom of Graham's strategies. While preserving the integrity of Graham's original text, this revised edition includes updated commentary by noted financial journalist Jason Zweig, whose perspective incorporates the realities of today's market, draws parallels between Graham's examples and today's financial headlines, and gives readers a more thorough understanding of how to apply Graham's principles.Vital and indispensable, this HarperBusiness Essentials edition of The Intelligent Investor is the most important book you will ever read on how to reach your financial goals.

Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions


Joshua Rosenbaum - 2009
    Due to the fast-paced nature of this world, however, no one has been able to take the time to properly codify the lifeblood of the corporate financier's work--namely, valuation. Rosenbaum and Pearl have responded to this need by writing the book that they wish had existed when they were trying to break into Wall Street. Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions is a highly accessible and authoritative book that focuses on the primary valuation methodologies currently used on Wall Street--comparable companies, precedent transactions, DCF, and LBO analysis. These methodologies are used to determine valuation for public and private companies within the context of M&A transactions, LBOs, IPOs, restructurings, and investment decisions. Using a step-by-step how-to approach for each methodology, the authors build a chronological knowledge base and define key terms, financial concepts, and processes throughout the book. They also provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of LBOs and an organized M&A sale process.In the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis and ensuing credit crunch, the world of finance is returning to the fundamentals of valuation and critical due diligence. This involves the use of more realistic assumptions governing approach to risk as well as a wide range of value drivers. While valuation has always involved a great deal of "art" in addition to time-tested "science," the artistry is perpetually evolving in accordance with market developments and conditions. In this sense, this book is particularly topical--in addition to detailing the technical fundamentals behind valuation, the authors infuse practical judgment skills and perspective to help guide the science.

Bitcoin for Dummies


Prypto - 2015
    Understanding the mechanisms and risk behind Bitcoin can be a challenge, but this book breaks it down into easy-to-understand language to give you a solid grasp of just where your money is going. You'll learn the details of Bitcoin trading, how to set up your Bitcoin wallet, and everything you need to get started right away. An in-depth discussion on security shows you how to protect yourself against some of the riskier aspects of this open-source platform, helping you reduce your risks in the market and use Bitcoin safely and effectively.Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks, with transaction management and issuing of Bitcoins carried out collectively by the network. Bitcoin allows easy mobile payments, fast international payments, low- or no-fee transactions, multi-signature capabilities, and more, but the nuances of the market can be difficult to grasp. This informative guide lays it all out in plain English, so you can strengthen your understanding and get started now.Understand the ins and outs of the Bitcoin market Learn how to set up your Bitcoin wallet Protect yourself against fraud and theft Get started trading this exciting new currency The Bitcoin market is huge, growing quickly, and packed with potential. There's also some risk, so you need to go in fully informed and take steps to manage your risk wisely. Bitcoin For Dummies is the clear, quick, easy-to-follow guide to getting started with Bitcoin.

Investment Banking for Dummies


Matthew Krantz - 2014
    Topics include: Strategies for risk management, such as market, credit, operating, reputation, legal, and funding riskKey investment banking operations including: venture capital and buyouts, Merger & Acquisitions services, equity underwriting, debt, underwriting securitization, financial engineering, investment management, and securities servicesThe latest information on competition and government regulationsRelationships between leveraged buyout (LBO) funds, hedge funds, and corporate and institutional clients

Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco


Bryan Burrough - 1989
    An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date twenty years after the famed deal. The Los Angeles Times calls Barbarians at the Gate, “Superlative.” The Chicago Tribune raves, “It’s hard to imagine a better story...and it’s hard to imagine a better account.” And in an era of spectacular business crashes and federal bailouts, it still stands as a valuable cautionary tale that must be heeded.

Accounts Demystified: The Astonishingly Simple Guide to Accounting


Anthony Rice - 2003
    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.

Dark Pools: The Rise of Artificially Intelligent Trading Machines and the Looming Threat to Wall Street


Scott Patterson - 2012
    In the beginning was Josh Levine, an idealistic programming genius who dreamed of wresting control of the market from the big exchanges that, again and again, gave the giant institutions an advantage over the little guy. Levine created a computerized trading hub named Island where small traders swapped stocks, and over time his invention morphed into a global electronic stock market that sent trillions in capital through a vast jungle of fiber-optic cables. By then, the market that Levine had sought to fix had turned upside down, birthing secretive exchanges called dark pools and a new species of trading machines that could think, and that seemed, ominously, to be slipping the control of their human masters. Dark Pools is the fascinating story of how global markets have been hijacked by trading robots--many so self-directed that humans can't predict what they'll do next.

Built on a Lie: The Rise and Fall of Neil Woodford and the Fate of Middle England’s Money


Owen Walker - 2021
    This is the gripping tale of Britain's top investor's fall from grace and the shattering consequences. The proud owner of a sprawling £14m estate in the Cotswolds, boasting a stable of eventing horses, a fleet of supercars and neighbouring the royal family, Neil Woodford was the most celebrated and successful British investor of his generation. He spent years beating the market; betting against the dot com bubble in the 1990s and the banks before the financial crash in 2008, making blockbuster returns for his investors and earning himself a reputation of 'the man who made Middle England rich'. As famous for his fleet of fast cars and ostentatious mansions, he was the rockstar fund manager that had the lifestyle to match. But, in 2019, after a stream of poorly-judged investments, Woodford's asset management company collapsed, trapping hundreds of thousands of rainy-day savers in his flagship fund and hanging £3.6bn in the balance. In Built on a Lie, Financial Times reporter Owen Walker reveals the disastrous failings of Woodford, the greed and opulence at the heart of his operation, the flaws of an industry in thrall to its star performers and the dangers of limited regulation. With exclusive access to Woodford's inner circle, Walker will reveal the full, jaw-dropping story of Europe's biggest investment scandal in a decade.

The Money Formula: Dodgy Finance, Pseudo Science, and How Mathematicians Took Over the Markets


Paul Wilmott - 2017
    Written not from a post-crisis perspective – but from a preventative point of view – this book traces the development of financial derivatives from bonds to credit default swaps, and shows how mathematical formulas went beyond pricing to expand their use to the point where they dwarfed the real economy. You'll learn how the deadly allure of their ice-cold beauty has misled generations of economists and investors, and how continued reliance on these formulas can either assist future economic development, or send the global economy into the financial equivalent of a cardiac arrest. Rather than rehash tales of post-crisis fallout, this book focuses on preventing the next one. By exploring the heart of the shadow economy, you'll be better prepared to ride the rough waves of finance into the turbulent future. Delve into one of the world's least-understood but highest-impact industries Understand the key principles of quantitative finance and the evolution of the field Learn what quantitative finance has become, and how it affects us all Discover how the industry's next steps dictate the economy's future How do you create a quadrillion dollars out of nothing, blow it away and leave a hole so large that even years of "quantitative easing" can't fill it – and then go back to doing the same thing? Even amidst global recovery, the financial system still has the potential to seize up at any moment. The Money Formula explores the how and why of financial disaster, what must happen to prevent the next one.