Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street


Sheelah Kolhatkar - 2017
    Cohen changed Wall Street. He and his fellow pioneers of the hedge fund industry didn't lay railroads, build factories, or invent new technologies. Rather, they made their billions through speculation, by placing bets in the market that turned out to be right more often than wrong and for this, they gained not only extreme personal wealth but formidable influence throughout society. Hedge funds now oversee more than $3 trillion in assets, and the competition between them is so fierce that traders will do whatever they can to get an edge.Cohen was one of the industry's biggest success stories, the person everyone else in the business wanted to be. Born into a middle-class family on Long Island, he longed from an early age to be a star on Wall Street. He mastered poker in high school, went off to Wharton, and in 1992 launched the hedge fund SAC Capital, which he built into a $15 billion empire, almost entirely on the basis of his wizard like stock trading. He cultivated an air of mystery, reclusiveness, and excess, building a 35,000-square-foot mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, flying to work by helicopter, and amassing one of the largest private art collections in the world. On Wall Street, Cohen was revered as a genius: one of the greatest traders who ever lived.That image was shattered when SAC Capital became the target of a sprawling, seven-year investigation, led by a determined group of FBI agents, prosecutors, and SEC enforcement attorneys. Labeled by prosecutors as a magnet for market cheaters whose culture encouraged the relentless pursuit of edge and even black edge, which is inside information SAC Capital was ultimately indicted and pleaded guilty to charges of securities and wire fraud in connection with a vast insider trading scheme, even as Cohen himself was never charged.Black Edge offers a revelatory look at the gray zone in which so much of Wall Street functions. It's a riveting, true-life legal thriller that takes readers inside the government's pursuit of Cohen and his employees, and raises urgent and troubling questions about the power and wealth of those who sit at the pinnacle of modern Wall Street.

What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars


Jim Paul - 1994
    In this honest, frank analysis, Paul and Brendan Moynihan revisit the events that led to Paul's disastrous decision and examine the psychological factors behind bad financial practices in several economic sectors.This book—winner of a 2014 Axiom Business Book award gold medal—begins with the unbroken string of successes that helped Paul achieve a jet-setting lifestyle and land a key spot with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. It then describes the circumstances leading up to Paul's $1.6 million loss and the essential lessons he learned from it—primarily that, although there are as many ways to make money in the markets as there are people participating in them, all losses come from the same few sources.Investors lose money in the markets either because of errors in their analysis or because of psychological barriers preventing the application of analysis. While all analytical methods have some validity and make allowances for instances in which they do not work, psychological factors can keep an investor in a losing position, causing him to abandon one method for another in order to rationalize the decisions already made. Paul and Moynihan's cautionary tale includes strategies for avoiding loss tied to a simple framework for understanding, accepting, and dodging the dangers of investing, trading, and speculating.

Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money


Daniel Lapin - 2002
    In Thou Shall Prosper, Rabbi Lapin has done it again. This book tells it like it is in a helpful, honest, hopeful, informative way. He offers valid, useful information based on ancient wisdom and modern experience." -Zig Ziglar, author and motivational teacher "Is it practical to apply spiritual lessons to the hardheaded world of business? In this potentially life-changing book, Rabbi Daniel Lapin proves that it's impractical not to use those lessons-and to bring ancient, timeless wisdom to contemporary problems. This unique approach provides an organized, supremely useful view of the world, combining common sense and unexpected, even startling insight. No matter how successful or sophisticated you may be, this remarkable work will enrich your understanding of the important, exciting process of building wealth." -Michael Medved, nationally syndicated radio host and author of Hollywood vs. America "Rabbi Daniel Lapin is a light unto the nations. A risk-taking rabbi of immense wisdom, his books have already influenced countless Jews and non-Jews with the eternal truths of the Hebrew Bible. Now, in this highly insightful and controversial new book, Rabbi Lapin unearths the golden nuggets of Jewish business genius. By emphasizing the unique talents of the Jewish way of life, Rabbi Lapin demonstrates how Judaism's spiritual regimen can be translated into tangible material rewards, with the bottom line being directly affected. A thoroughly engaging, enriching, and thought-provoking book." -Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Sex and Judaism for Everyone "Rabbi Lapin is an unorthodox Orthodox rabbi. He understands the Biblical nature of economic freedom as well as he understands the Bible: uniquely well. Prosperity must have a purpose and Rabbi Lapin explores the wellsprings of the Judeo-Christian heritage to elucidate those purposes. In so doing, he also illuminates the road to greater prosperity for all. I really enjoyed this book and I heartily recommend it to people of all faiths." -The Honorable Jack Kemp

The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve


G. Edward Griffin - 1994
    Cussed and discussed by all from notable politicians to academicians to laypersons. Do you want to know the truth about money? Creature from Jekyll Island will give you the answers to these, and other, questions: Where does money come from? Where does it go? Who makes it? The money magicians' secrets are unveiled. We get a close look at their mirrors and smoke machines, their pulleys, cogs, and wheels that create the grand illusion called money. A dry and boring subject? Just wait! You'll be hooked in five minutes. Creature from Jekyll Island Reads like a detective story which it really is. But it's all true. This book is about the most blatant scam of all history. It's all here: the cause of wars, boom-bust cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. Creature from Jekyll Island is a "must read." Your world view will definitely change. You'll never trust a politician again or a banker.

Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes


Tom Wheelwright - 2012
    It's about how to use your country's tax laws to your benefit. In this book, Tom Wheelwright will tell you how the tax laws work. And how they are designed to reduce your taxes, not to increase your taxes. Once you understand this basic principle, you no longer need to be afraid of the tax laws. They are there to help you and your business--not to hinder you.Once you understand the basic principles of tax reduction, you can begin, immediately, reducing your taxes. Eventually, you may even be able to legally eliminate your income taxes and drastically reduce your other taxes. Once you do that, you can live a life of Tax-Free Wealth.

The Money Code: Become a Millionaire With the Ancient Jewish Code


H.W. Charles - 2012
    Jews are always found on lists of the world’s richest people. In 2009, 139 of the Forbes 400 were Jewish. Jews also comprise a very large number of history’s most important figures, people who have had a profound impact on humanity. Approximately 35% of Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Jews. No other ethnic group has even come close to matching the abilities and accomplishments of Jews.Since such a large percent of the wealthiest and most successful people in the world are Jewish, a common question the world over is, “Why are so many Jews so wealthy?” Their secret lies not in their genetics or intelligence, as some have believed, but in their religion. Many of the wealthiest Jews use a code based on Judaism. You do not need to covert to Judaism or believe in religion to use The Money Code. “Religion has preserved history's greatest wisdom teachings,” says religious studies scholar Huston Cummings Smith. There are various methods of wealth creation; however, many are short-lived, unfulfilling, or hazardous. The ideal circumstance is to create long-lasting wealth, accompanied by peace of mind and fulfillment. This book will reveal the code that many Jews understand and use to their great advantage. The Money Code can be used by absolutely anyone to achieve long-term wealth and success in life.

The House Hacking Strategy: How to Use Your Home to Achieve Financial Freedom


Craig Curelop - 2019
    In fact, the average house hacker can turn a single family home or small multifamily property into a cash-flowing investment: You can collect rent that completely covers your living expenses—and then some!In this book, serial house hacker Craig Curelop lays out the in-depth details to make your first (or next) house hack a success.What's inside:- What house hacking is and why it’s one of the best methods for building wealth- The incredible connection between house hacking, wealth building, and early retirement- How to get started house hacking—even with low income or low savings- Strategies to house hack with a family, spouse, or on your own- How to find the ideal house hack property—even in a competitive or expensive market- The simple math behind a house hack property analysis- Property management strategies to make ownership a breezeHouse hacking doesn't have to be a mystery. Discover why so many successful investors support their investment careers with house hacking—and learn from a frugality expert who has “hacked” his way towards financial freedom!

The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett's Words of Wisdom - Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management


Mary Buffett - 2006
    In The Tao of Warren Buffett, Mary Buffett — author of three books on Warren Buffett's investment methods — joins noted Buffettologist and international lecturer David Clark to bring you Warren Buffett's smartest, funniest, and most memorable sayings with an eye toward revealing the life philosophy and the investment strategies that have made Warren Buffett, and the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway, so enormously wealthy.Warren Buffett's investment achievements are unparalleled. He owes his success to hard work, integrity, and that most elusive commodity of all, common sense. The quotations in this book exemplify Warren's practical strategies and provide useful illustrations for every investor — large or small — and models everyone can follow. The quotes are culled from a variety of sources, including personal conversations, corporate reports, profiles, and interviews. The authors provide short explanations for each quote and use examples from Buffett's own business transactions whenever possible to illustrate his words at work.As Warren says:"You should invest in a business that even a fool can run, because someday a fool will.""With enough inside information and a million dollars, you can go broke in a year.""No matter how great the talent or effort, some things just take time: You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.""Our method is very simple. We just try to buy businesses with good-to-superb underlying economics run by honest and able people and buy them at sensible prices. That's all I'm trying to do."The Tao of Warren Buffett inspires, amuses, sharpens the mind, and offers priceless investment savvy that anyone can take to the bank. This irresistibly browsable and entertaining book is destined to become a classic.* Mp3 CD Format *. Following in the tradition of the "Tao Te Ching," that ancient Chinese classic text on human nature, and more popular interpretations like the bestselling "The Tao of Pooh," comes "The Tao of Warren Buffett," a compendium of quotes from America's favorite businessman. Buffett's investment strategies and life philosophies are revealed in this easy-to-read collection of sayings, some of which have never been seen before. The perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list from serious investors to over spenders, Warren Buffett can teach us all a few secrets of success.

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness


Russ Roberts - 2014
    But few people know that when it came to the behavior of individuals—the way we perceive ourselves, the way we treat others, and the decisions we make in pursuit of happiness—the Scottish philosopher had just as much to say. He developed his ideas on human nature in an epic, sprawling work titled The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Most economists have never read it, and for most of his life, Russ Roberts was no exception. But when he finally picked up the book by the founder of his field, he realized he’d stumbled upon what might be the greatest self-help book that almost no one has read.In How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life, Roberts examines Smith’s forgotten masterpiece, and finds a treasure trove of timeless, practical wisdom. Smith’s insights into human nature are just as relevant today as they were three hundred years ago. What does it takes to be truly happy? Should we pursue fame and fortune or the respect of our friends and family? How can we make the world a better place? Smith’s unexpected answers, framed within the rich context of current events, literature, history, and pop culture, are at once profound, counter-intuitive, and highly entertaining. In reinvigorating this neglected classic, this book provides us with an invaluable look at human behavior through the lens of one of history’s greatest minds.

Go Fund Yourself


Alice Tapper - 2019
    Maybe you’ve always dreamt of doing your own thing and earning money under your own terms but are too scared to take the leap. Or perhaps you feel trapped in a job that pays the bills but just doesn’t do it for you. You’re not alone. Our relationship with money is linear; we’re taught more is better, but that’s about it! We rarely question what financial success and freedom mean for us personally or educate ourselves on how to be smart with our money and earn it in the way that we want. Starting with the most important question ‘what does a plentiful and financially successful life mean to YOU?’, this book will educate and empower the reader with practical activities and digestible advice on the topics of Understanding, Earning, Making, Investing and Spending your money. From getting on the property ladder, negotiating your way through a career pivot, to getting a pay rise, making an investment or starting the business you’ve always dreamed about, this book is a blueprint for financial freedom. "

How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes


Peter D. Schiff - 2010
    In it, economic expert and bestselling author of Crash Proof, Peter Schiff teams up with his brother Andrew to apply their signature "take no prisoners" logic to expose the glaring fallacies that have become so ingrained in our country’s economic conversation.Inspired by How an Economy Grows and Why It Doesn’t—a previously published book by the Schiffs’ father Irwin, a widely published economist and activist—How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes incorporates the spirit of the original while tackling the latest economic issues.With wit and humor, the Schiffs explain the roots of economic growth, the uses of capital, the destructive nature of consumer credit, the source of inflation, the importance of trade, savings, and risk, and many other topical principles of economics.The tales told here may appear simple of the surface, but they will leave you with a powerful understanding of How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes.

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf: Risk Taking, Gut Feelings and the Biology of Boom and Bust


John Coates - 2012
    In a series of startling experiments, Canadian scientist Dr. John Coates identified a feedback loop between testosterone and success that dramatically lowers the fear of risk in men, especially young men; he has vividly dubbed the moment when traders transform into exuberant high flyers "the hour between dog and wolf." Similarly, intense failure leads to a rise in levels of cortisol, which dramatically lowers the appetite for risk. His book expands on his seminal research to offer lessons from the exploding new field studying the biology of risk. Coates's conclusions shed light on all types of high-pressure decision-making, from the sports field to the battlefield, and leaves us with a powerful recognition: to handle risk isn't a matter of mind over body, it's a matter of mind and body working together. We all have it in us to be transformed from dog to wolf; the only question is whether we can understand the causes and the consequences.

The Physics of Wall Street: A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable


James Owen Weatherall - 2013
    While many of the mathematicians and software engineers on Wall Street failed when their abstractions turned ugly in practice, a special breed of physicists has a much deeper history of revolutionizing finance. Taking us from fin-de-siècle Paris to Rat Pack-era Las Vegas, from wartime government labs to Yippie communes on the Pacific coast, Weatherall shows how physicists successfully brought their science to bear on some of the thorniest problems in economics, from options pricing to bubbles.The crisis was partly a failure of mathematical modeling. But even more, it was a failure of some very sophisticated financial institutions to think like physicists. Models—whether in science or finance—have limitations; they break down under certain conditions. And in 2008, sophisticated models fell into the hands of people who didn’t understand their purpose, and didn’t care. It was a catastrophic misuse of science.The solution, however, is not to give up on models; it's to make them better. Weatherall reveals the people and ideas on the cusp of a new era in finance. We see a geophysicist use a model designed for earthquakes to predict a massive stock market crash. We discover a physicist-run hedge fund that earned 2,478.6% over the course of the 1990s. And we see how an obscure idea from quantum theory might soon be used to create a far more accurate Consumer Price Index.Both persuasive and accessible, The Physics of Wall Street is riveting history that will change how we think about our economic future.

My Warren Buffett Bible: A Short and Simple Guide to Rational Investing: 284 Quotes from the World's Most Successful Investor


Robert L. Bloch - 2015
     Bloch, the son of Henry Bloch who co-founded H&R Block, has been an avid investor his whole life.    "For the investor, the business owner, the intelligent man or woman of any employment or occupation, I cannot imagine a more useful book.  This is a shining, brilliant star of advice and insights from a genuinely great man, Warren E. Buffett.  You cannot afford NOT to buy this book." -Ben Stein, New York Times bestselling author and economist"A must-read for Americans of all ages and professions...brings Warren Buffett's commonsense wisdom together in one book.  I could not put it down!" -John G. Stumpf, chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo & Company "Congratulations on this great achievement!" -Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. and 108th Mayor of New York CityIf the legendary Warren Buffett was willing to tell you the inside secrets that made him the world's most successful investor, would you be interested? If you knew how simple, basic and powerful his wisdom is, you'd probably say "yes!" Beyond the financial benefits, the author shares a side of Buffett that is incredibly human, optimistic and loaded with musings that will enrich every aspect of your life.Warren Buffett turned Berkshire Hathaway from a struggling small textile business into the fifth-largest public company in the world, valued at nearly $350 billion. The Oracle of Omaha is well known for his timeless and invaluable principles regarding investing and finances. Countless people looking to be smarter with their money and investments have turned to Buffett for his advice. One of those people is Robert Bloch, son of the cofounder of the tax preparation company H&R Block.This book contains nearly three hundred quotes that Bloch has personally found to be indispensable to financial success.  With the written blessing of Buffett himself, Bloch has selected the best of Buffett's wisdom that will guide you to be a more successful and disciplined long-term investor.  My Warren Buffett Bible was one of just a few titles offered for sale to shareholders at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting.

Love Your Life, Not Theirs: 7 Money Habits for Living the Life You Want


Rachel Cruze - 2016
    Then she unpacks seven essential money habits for living the life we really want—a life in line with our values, where we can afford the things we want to buy without being buried under debt, stress, and worry.The Joneses are broke. Life looks good, but hidden beneath that glossy exterior are credit card bills, student loans, car payments, and an out-of-control mortgage. Their money situation is a mess, and they’re trying to live a life they simply can't afford. So why exactly do we try so hard to keep up with the Joneses?Are we really living the lives we want, or are we chasing someone else’s dream, just trying to keep up appearances on social media, at church, and in our community? Why are we letting other people set the pace for our own family’s finances?In Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Rachel shows you how to buy and do the things that are important to you—the right way. That starts by choosing to quit the comparisons, reframing the way you think about money, and developing new habits like avoiding debt, living on a plan, watching your spending, saving for the future, having healthy conversations about money, and giving.These habits work, and Rachel is living proof. Now, she wants to empower you to live the life you’ve always dreamed of without creating the debt, stress, and worry that are all too often part of the deal. Social media isn’t real life, and trying to keep up with the Joneses will never get you anywhere. It’s time to live—and love—your life, not theirs.