Average customer rating:
- Jeannette Walls
- A Disturbing but Positive Memoir
- THANK YOU JEANETTE and your entire family for sharing your life!
- Absolutely amazing!
- The Glass Castle
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The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls
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ASIN: 074324754X |
Amazon.com
Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover. --Brangien Davis
Book Description
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.
TO INQUIRE ABOUT SCHEDULING JEANNETTE WALLS FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS PLEASE CONTACT:
Keppler Speakers
Dustin L. Jones
Associate, College & University Division
703.516.4000 (P)
703.516.4819 (F)
Customer Reviews:
Jeannette Walls.......2007-10-04
Thank you for visiting our school, Ms. Jeannette.
I figured you'll probably see this, since you said you like Amazon.
Your book has truly touched me. I just wanted to say I admire you more than anyone in this world.
I feel very fortunate to have had to opportunity to meet you ... at the school paper (Grits) meeting, the service leader meeting, in the Science & Technology lobby, and at the Senior Girls Lunch.
I admit, I also feel a little guilty because I mean ... PG "educates" the most spoiled Charleston kids who spend most of their time partying, drinking, and wasting time. It's a phenomenal school with a brilliant faculty, but the majority of the student body takes their gifts for granted. I hope your story and your truths have gotten through to some of them.
I'm so glad you are where you are now and I'm so glad you're happy.
For anyone else reading this review, go out and buy the book right now. It will change you forever.
For anyone who has written reviews accusing Ms. Walls of lying, please open your minds. If you ever meet her, or even hear her speak, you'll know immediately that every word is true.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alice Phillips, Senior, PGS (Charleston).
PS: You're right - everyone has something.
A Disturbing but Positive Memoir.......2007-10-04
What an eye opener. I'd like to believe every parent does the best they can, but as I read "The Glass Castle" I really had to ask myself, "Is this the best they could do?" I found myself wincing at times as I read the memoir. However, I couldn't put the book down, and the love Jeannette Walls has for her parents despite the neglect and disregard she endured, shows the incredible strength of the human spirit. To a society in which some people blame their lack of stability on a bad childhood, this book is a gift and a must read.
THANK YOU JEANETTE and your entire family for sharing your life!.......2007-10-03
An excellent book so engrossing I could not put it down. I love to read, but this book has moved me and stayed with me longer than any other. This book shows that you can break the chains that bind when you are focused. I've been in recovery many years and I appreciate the work involved in writing, along with courage in sharing, such intimate details of a family history. I will be recommending this book for years to come. Thanks again.
Absolutely amazing!.......2007-10-02
An amazing account of how one can overcome her/his circumstances instead of "blaming" the parents. A real page turner and so well written. I had put off reading this book for many months (thinking it would be too depressing to read) until a co-worker said, "It's really a good book."
The Glass Castle.......2007-10-01
Moving story. Uncomfortable to think the young woman would deny the existence of Mother when seen on street until you hear her story. It's a story of child neglect mixed so strangely with child love. Parents- child like themselves.
Book Description
“There are places that I have never forgotten. A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the North of England has haunted me for the greater part of my life. It was inevitable that I should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its ‘Invisible Wall.’ ”
The narrow street where Harry Bernstein grew up, in a small English mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. It was identical to countless other streets in countless other working-class neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the “invisible wall” that ran down its center, dividing Jewish families on one side from Christian families on the other. Only a few feet of cobblestones separated Jews from Gentiles, but socially, it they were miles apart.
On the eve of World War I, Harry’s family struggles to make ends meet. His father earns little money at the Jewish tailoring shop and brings home even less, preferring to spend his wages drinking and gambling. Harry’s mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harry’s admission to a fancy school; that her daughter might marry the local rabbi; that the entire family might one day be whisked off to the paradise of America.
Then Harry’s older sister, Lily, does the unthinkable: She falls in love with Arthur, a Christian boy from across the street.
When Harry unwittingly discovers their secret affair, he must choose between the morals he’s been taught all his life, his loyalty to his selfless mother, and what he knows to be true in his own heart.
A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninety-three, The Invisible Wall vibrantly brings to life an all-but-forgotten time and place. It is a moving tale of working-class life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love.
Customer Reviews:
A captivating story of a harsh life.......2007-09-03
This book is full of the details of a life that many of us will never experience. The authors story of extreme poverty living in a large family with a hardworking but struggling mother and a distant and often abusive father is both horrifying and captivating.
While it sounds like this should be a depressing book, the details of the moments of hope and happiness lifts it out of the dark side of life in Lancashire and made me wonder about the future for the various key characters. The book is set before and after the great War, but it could be timeless. The central location is a street of two rows of houses facing each other with the 'jews' on one side and the 'christians' on the other. For most of the book there is almost no mingling between the two sides. But at times when their lives are most difficult, they do get together to support one another.
I don't want to give away the story line too much. Some of the difficult scenes are extremely hard to endure, but the details really light up this book even things are hardest.
I would not recommend for anyone younger than about 13, there are too many difficult details here. But for the rest of us, there's LOTS to learn about the silly things that divide us and the fact that despite religious difficulties our lives are more similar than we'd like to believe.
Poignant and profound.......2007-06-26
An absolutely wonderful book written by a 93 year old author who captures the very essence of anti-semitism in pre-World War I England through his own childhood experiences. The last chapter is so descriptive and poignant...really tugs at the heartstrings. I hope Mr. Bernstein continues to share his gift of the written word.
Excellent book.......2007-05-28
Wonderfully written. This book surprised me because of its unpredictability. I couldn't put it down. Mr. Bernstein's story is beautiful, it's a wonder why he waited so long to share it.
A read to get you thinking.......2007-05-25
My six member book club read this last month, and all of us, including our most critical member, found this book very enjoyable and enlightening. The inclusion of dialog easily puts the reader in the time period. The tone and style of the author encourage empathy and understanding of both populations on either side of the invisible wall. The author conveys his and his sibling's emotions in the gentlest of ways while the reader easily grasps that at the time they were much more. While not quite a page turner, my attention never lagged and I would have willingly read more. I would have appreciated more wisdom on the overall subject such as was found in Arthur's letter to Lily.
Vivid Memoir.......2007-05-25
Harry Bernstein writes in a descriptive manner that makes all the characters seem to be living right in front of the reader's eyes. The story is so interesting that I could not put the book down until I finished. It was hard to believe that a man at ninety years of age could remember so much detail and emotion back to his early childhood. The book was well worth reading. I look forward to Mr. Bernstein's next book.
Book Description
The million-copy bestseller, revised and updated with new investment strategies for retirement and the most current research into behavioral finance.
Updated with a new chapter that draws on behavioral finance, the field that studies the psychology of investment decisions, here is the best-selling, authoritative, and gimmick-free guide to investing. Burton Malkiel evaluates the full range of investment opportunities, from stocks, bonds, and money markets to real estate investment trusts and insurance, home ownership, and tangible assets such as gold and collectibles. This edition includes new strategies for rearranging your portfolio for retirement, along with the book's classic life-cycle guide to investing, which matches the needs of investors in any age bracket. A Random Walk Down Wall Street long ago established itself as a must-read, the first book to purchase before starting a portfolio. So whether you want to brief yourself on the ways of the market before talking to a broker or follow Malkiel's easy steps to managing your own portfolio, this book remains the best investing guide money can buy.
Customer Reviews:
Quarterlife Finance says, "A Classic that Every Investor Should Read".......2007-10-03
I recently finished reading the 9th edition of Burton Malkiel's classic text A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition. First published in 1973, this book is a classic text that deserves a place on any investor's bookshelf.
Malkiel presents two possible security valuation models - one based on a firm foundation of value and one based on finding a "greater fool" to sell your speculative buys to. He analyzes the history of investment bubbles from the Dutch tulip mania some two hundred years ago all the way through the tech stock bubble of the late 1990s. He discusses fundamental analysis of stocks and thoroughly trashes technical analysis. Finally, Malkiel presents a strategy that virtually guarantees that your investments will keep pace with the market with minimal investment of time.
I enjoyed and recommend this book for several reasons. First and foremost, it blows the whistle on many common "beat the market" strategies, including all manner of technical analysis. As a relatively young investor, I was always intimidated by the chartist strategies (moving averages, buy points, etc) but after reading Malkiel there is no cause for fear. Those strategies simply do not work.
Moreover, I found the book to be an easy read relative to many texts on investment. While he covers different types of stock analysis, modern portfolio theory, the efficient market hypothesis, and asset allocation in detail, the book is not weighted down with too much heavy terminology. His writing style, use of historical anecdotes, and ability to challenge your beliefs again and again keeps you riveted to the book.
Finally, I believe that the strategies presented in the book are clear, concise, and can be employed by anyone to their immense gain. Too many people pay for poor investment advice, make mistakes by chasing gains and paying for active portfolio management, or even pay absurd 12b-1 fees on underperforming mutual fund investments. By reading this book and taking Malkiel's advice to heart, I believe that just about anyone can end up with more dollars in hand.
On the other hand, the book does delve into financial topics that may be intimidating for someone completely new to the investment world. The basic message (buy and hold a well-diversified portfolio of extremely low-cost index funds) could be expressed much more succinctly. However, I wouldn't change a thing with this book...just be prepared for a wild ride that challenges everything you thought you knew about investing.
not a fan........2007-10-03
This book was not what it was trumped up to be, as far as I am concerned. It's a gloomy, negative, pessimistic, unending drivel of known and common sense information and data presented in a much more complicated manner that they are in real life. After reading this book you may be inclined to start taking anti-depressants and definitely stay away from the stock and other securities markets. Weeooogh!!
Excellent Message. Sweeps some exceptions (particularly those noted herein) under the rug........2007-10-02
Particularly in a day and age where mutual funds are often touting themselves on the television, this book has an excellent, largely unbiased message for the average investor: buy low cost index funds and stay in them for the long haul.
The book is exceptionally well written, covering most of the lessons of an introductory to intermediate finance course in a very accessible format (i.e. all the right *ideas* without the confusing math). He utilizes dozens of powerful examples and good data to show that his basic premise, despite now being 30 years old, is sound. Due to its theoretical strength and accessible style, this book could be of particular value to Undergrad Business and MBA students who find the professor's academic approach to an Introductory Finance course confusing. Get the big picture here, making the math just that much easier to follow. (5 stars for making difficult financial concepts readable and interesting)
Despite my strong recommendation for both his message and style, the book does have some drawbacks. Number one is that he has clearly taken a side on the issue and has thrown impartiality to the wind. Regularly, the author depends on "transaction costs" (the cost to trade) to ensure that a trading strategy cannot beat his preferred portfolio (implying that it would have succeeded without the transaction costs). This "sweeps under the rug" several clear counter-examples to the basic efficient market thesis in order to reinforce his index-investment message. While I understand his reasoning for doing so -- a desire not to encourage investment in high cost funds or heaven forbid day trading -- it does lead to some skepticism about his willingness to admit any possibility that his thesis has weaknesses. To that end, I would discourage readers who are familiar with CAPM and efficient-markets from reading the book (2 stars as a brush up).
In the end, however, I think the message is sound. Rather than cite trading costs, I think the message can effectively be said another way: If you spent 5h a day investigating stocks, what are the odds that you can beat a professional manager? If a manager has a staff of 20 that invest 8h per day investigating stocks, what are the odds that they're going to beat the whole financial services industry? If the whole industry is taking advantage of every opportunity to profit from small deviations, and you're going to pay a manager most if not all of that profit anyway, investing in an index basically gets you the benefit of thousands of mutual funds and investment bankers without the cost of any of them (or of your time to do research).
With qualifications to the highly technical reader, who should pass on the book, I can't, in good conscience, fail to give this book 5 stars for a profoundly valuable message targeted at the individual investor.
Best guide ever.......2007-10-02
A good informative writing on the handling of your finances in regards to investing. I found it to be quite basic but I have been investing since a club in the 1960's. It still gave me a lot of information and ideas that I knew a little or nothing on. I would recommend it highly to any and all that wish to have anything in the future for their retirement.
Still the Best.......2007-09-10
I first read this book in its seventh edition. I was great then. I recently purchased the ninth edition as a "refresher." It's still a great book and the one I recommend to prospective clients or other investors prone to believe all of the active management garbage out there. Burton Malkiel does a masterful job of dismantling all of the Wall Street hype and laying out investing in a simple, straight-forward, and long-term approach.
If you read this book and still believe in the Wall Street gurus then you're hopeless. And, you deserve every bit of the bad advice you're following.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Perl Reference
- Non Fiction
- A Complete Reference, But Not For Beginners
- Essential for lovers of Perl culture, recommended for the rest of us
- It really isn't that good
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Programming Perl (3rd Edition)
Larry Wall ,
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Jon Orwant
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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ASIN: 0596000278 |
Amazon.com
Larry Wall wrote Perl and he wrote Programming Perl. Better yet, he writes amusingly and well--all of which comes across in this latest edition of the definitive guide to the language.
Like Topsy, Perl just grew, and as a result the need for a third edition came about. It's now over 1,000 pages, which it needs to be, as it performs several different duties. First, it's an introduction to the Perl language for those who are new to programming; also, it's a guide for those who are coming from other languages; and, finally, it's a Perl language reference.
Among Larry Wall's other pursuits is being a linguist, and it's perhaps for this reason that Perl is a peculiarly flexible language with many routes to achieving the same ends, as the authors ably demonstrate. It's also extensible in several ways, designed to work with many other languages. Also, as it's largely interpreted, programs written in Perl tend to run unmodified on a variety of platforms--although platform-specific Perl modules and programming practices are also discussed.
A major strength of Programming Perl is the way subject areas are approached from several directions. This constant shift of viewpoint eliminates blind spots in the reader's understanding and provides a pleasing echo of the way Perl itself can take many routes from here to there.
Because the Perl community is both knowledgeable and active, the language covers much more ground here than in the previous edition. Even if you have both previous editions, you'll want this latest version--if only for the new jokes. --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk
Book Description
Perl is a powerful programming language that has grown in popularity since it first appeared in 1988. The first edition of this book, Programming Perl, hit the shelves in 1990, and was quickly adopted as the undisputed bible of the language. Since then, Perl has grown with the times, and so has this book. Programming Perl is not just a book about Perl. It is also a unique introduction to the language and its culture, as one might expect only from its authors. Larry Wall is the inventor of Perl, and provides a unique perspective on the evolution of Perl and its future direction. Tom Christiansen was one of the first champions of the language, and lives and breathes the complexities of Perl internals as few other mortals do. Jon Orwant is the editor of The Perl Journal, which has brought together the Perl community as a common forum for new developments in Perl. Any Perl book can show the syntax of Perl's functions, but only this one is a comprehensive guide to all the nooks and crannies of the language. Any Perl book can explain typeglobs, pseudohashes, and closures, but only this one shows how they really work. Any Perl book can say that my is faster than local, but only this one explains why. Any Perl book can have a title, but only this book is affectionately known by all Perl programmers as "The Camel." This third edition of Programming Perl has been expanded to cover version 5.6 of this maturing language. New topics include threading, the compiler, Unicode, and other new features that have been added since the previous edition.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Perl Reference.......2007-09-16
This contains a lot of useful information and examples which go above and beyond the "basics" found in the extensive Perl man-pages.
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
A really quite good introduction and how-to guide to the whacky and very cool and useful beast that is the Perl programming language. It certainly helped me when I decided to pick up the language for some of the useful internet programming tricks that it had. A book I would definitely recommend as a purchase. Not too many you could say that about currently.
A Complete Reference, But Not For Beginners.......2007-07-16
Programming Perl, also known as "The Camel Book," is the ultimate reference guide, written by the creator of Perl, Larry Wall. As one might expect, this guide covers every nook and cranny of the Perl programming language. It's greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness: useful nuggets of information are buried everywhere throughout the text. This is a strength in that, when looking up a particular topic, you'll often stumble upon a useful morsel of information. It's a weakness in that you have to slog through often dry reading to find these hidden gems.
It should be noted that this book assumes a working knowledge of Unix, in addition to some previous programming experience. If you are new to programming, or just new to Perl, you should check out Learning Perl, Fourth Edition instead. It is a much easier read, and ranks in my mind among the most well written technical books. Programming Perl makes for a great second book, as well as a desktop reference.
Essential for lovers of Perl culture, recommended for the rest of us.......2007-07-14
Perl seems capable of evoking both rapturous adoration and abject disgust from those who are exposed to it. If your feelings are closer to the former than the latter, well, you probably own this book already, and you love it.
After all, The Camel consists of the God of Perl and two Perl demigods writing the definitive reference about Perl from top to bottom. What's not to love? In particular, if you've ever heard Larry Wall give a talk, you'll be able to spot his contributions: droll, parenthetical and punning.
For those of us who just like Perl (or even just have to work with it), it's not quite as essential as you might have been led to believe. In part this might be because the third edition is getting on a bit, and plenty of other good Perl books have emerged in the intervening time. And in part, it's because definitive tomes such as this one by definition contain large chunks that you don't need, where you'll spend most of your time just nodding and thinking 'yep, I already know that'.
But of course, there's always a few bits you didn't know, and that's where The Camel comes in handy. The first part of the book, which goes over the core of the language, is a must read in this respect. To be honest, I didn't find the explanations to be quite as cogent as what can be found elsewhere (e.g. Perl Best Practices or Advanced Perl Programming), but it's all in one place here.
In addition, beyond the core language, lots of other material is present, including: threading, details on Perl's internals, and a long list of Perl idioms and dos and don'ts. There's also the reference section, which covers the built in functions, and briefly outlines what's in the standard packages that come with Perl, which is also helpful, although in most cases I expect an internet search (or the perl man pages) is just as fast, and in the case of the standard library, provides more information.
On the one hand, I think you can get by without owning this. On the other you will not regret buying this book -- Perl has enough quirks that it's nice to have The Camel close to hand. Nice, but not essential.
It really isn't that good.......2007-05-14
The book is written by the creators of Perl, but the truth is that the book is not nearly as good as it's cracked up to be. It suffers from the "fish describing water" syndrome, where the authors find it hard to know what to talk about and what not to talk about.
The book definitely is useful, but it's not as useful as a book written by more skillful technical writers would have been. It's very "ivory towers" and it badly needs more simple example scripts rather than "head in the clouds" discussions.
Unfortunately a lot of people who want to be "macho" about computers will say that this book is much easier to understand and useable than it really is - they'd probably tell you about how wonderful the emperor's new clothes are too.
It's not a bad book, and it's definitely useful, but I'd recommend borrowing a copy of this book to have a good look at it before buying it.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-30
The book is clearly satire, and definitely exaggerates a bit, but it still gives you a sense of the Wall Street culture, where people are extremely wealthy but also extremely unrefined (scarfing greasy cheeseburgers while making millions). Very funny. Also extremely informative on topics such as the rise of mortgage bonds and junk bonds as financial tools. The book gives a great portrayal of the genius of the people behind these financial innovations. In fact, its portrayal of people in general is very funny and memorable. One final upside: there are some books, where, if you don't read them for about a week, you have no clue what's going on anymore. This is not one of those. There are relatively few people to keep track of, and they are described so well that you can't forget them.
I would DEFINITELY recommend this book. Funny and informative, a window onto a strange culture known as Wall Street.
Mildly Amusing.......2007-08-28
Michael Lewis' inside look at the heady days of Salomon Brothers during the 1980s and the decay that followed is a mildly amusing, albeit disjointed narrative with little new information. It is funny in parts and some of the character sketches make you pause but overall a strictly average book.
Read "Moneyball" or "The Blind Side" Before This.......2007-07-25
Long before "Moneyball" and "The Blind Side," Michael Lewis wrote "Liar's Poker." It is a short, entertaining story about Salomon Brothers during the highs and lows of the 80's. Salomon created the mortgage bond market. And like many first movers, it exploited its advantage for years. Sellers and buyers barely understood the market. No one understood the bonds' valuations. The only sure thing was that Salomon was going to make money. But ungodly profits enticed competition, and competitors poached Salomon's best traders. Even worse, bond underwriters thought they were more clever each day and created more complicated trading vehicles. Eventually, the market crashed because of excessive supply, complexity, and hubris. In some ways, it parallels what we see with hedge funds today.
Although the book is a simple and entertaining story, it lacks much of the rigorous analytics and insights that are present in Lewis's more recent books. His younger rhetoric is less mature and prone to hyperbole. He desperately tries to hide his arrogance (something you don't see in his later writing). If you're looking for a quick read during a plane ride, then this is a decent story. If you've heard favorable things about Michael Lewis and you want to read one of his books, buy "Moneyball" or "The Blind Side" before "Liar's Poker."
Interesting but not exceptional.......2007-06-27
It provides a good picture of the Wall Street during the 80's but it is sometimes tiring when describing the personality of some characters.
A good recount of some heady times..........2007-06-19
This was a story which had to be told. And it had to be told from the inside. It couldn't have been done any other way, and Michael Lewis does a fairly god job of it.
The book essentially tells the story of the rise and fall from wealth (and grace) of Salomon Brothers, and in particular, their mortgage trading group. Those times were clearly heady ones, with the creation and destruction of ridiculous amounts of wealth - from thin air. (It's a more common phenomenon now given the increasing sizes and reaches of the global financial markets, but this probably represented the earliest of the really big cycles.) Lewis takes us deep into that world, giving us a view from a prime seat in the middle of the best action of those times - at Salomon Brothers. In doing so, he is able to create a fairly strong feel for that world, with all its extravagances and idiosyncrasies, while simultaneously providing a fair amount of objective narrative on the internal and external events. His fleshing out of the characters in the book is well done too, which allows the reader a fair level of involvement and empathy with the events. Another strength of the book is that Lewis never gets too technical, and is able to explain fairly complicated markets in terms simple enough for most people to understand.
On the flip side, I have to caution you that at the end of the day, Lewis might have been a good banker, but he's not a great writer. The book could have been taken to a different level altogether in the hands of a better writer, and much of the strength of this book is eventually derived from the story. That said, overall, I still think Lewis has done a very credible job, and the book is a very worthwhile read for everybody, not just bankers.
Average customer rating:
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Wall and Piece
Banksy
Manufacturer: Random House UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
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Obey: Supply & Demand : The Art of Shepard Fairey
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Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents
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Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall
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Stencil Graffiti (Street Graphics / Street Art)
ASIN: 1844137864
Release Date: 2005-12-27 |
Book Description
Graffiti artist Banksy decorates streets, walls, bridges and zoos of towns and cities throughout the world. His identity remains unknown but his work is witty, subversive and prolific. And now, he’s put together the best of his work in a fully illustrated colour volume.
Customer Reviews:
amazing...and more.......2007-09-27
a great piece of urban art history. Not only is this book filled with an enormous amount of big colorful pictures, it also has some great writing. I didn't realize Banksy was so witty.
Truly a must have for any fan of Banksy or anyone interested in street art.
A Greater Truth Exposed.......2007-09-27
Banksy, with its misterious aura, brings to the face of the society those things the society itself hides under the tapestry (as perfectly illustrated in his book). Even more if we're talking about Great Britain, or America.
Those that live in "3rd world" countries like Brazil (myself included) can appreciate even more this masterpiece of urban intervention. A must-have. Specially for the narrow-minded, conservative ones.
open your mind.......2007-09-05
this book is amazing, highly recommended for anyone with an appreciation for social activism, art, or photography.
awesome book.......2007-09-04
best thing ive ever bought for 20 bucks. if your interested in graffiti at all this is a must buy. very well put together, its funny and clever. really inspired me.
BUY IT..............
out of the box advertising.......2007-08-28
anti-establishment or anti-pop culture, has an establishment of its own and a culture that drives certain individuals with similar social "rules" and mannerisms and banksy is the president of this niche of social outcasts.
Book Description
Practical Business Math Procedures is a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and applications of mathematics to personal and commercial business problems. The text uses basic arithmetic and problem solving techniques and illustrates their use in retailing, interest and loans, banking, payroll, taxes, investments, insurance, and a variety of other business situations. The text is well known for the motivating integration of interesting real world examples and photos from the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, and many other business journals. PBMP’s is the most popular and widely used book for this course and is carefully written and developed to support students with little math experience with practice quizzes, thousands of exercises, color coded procedures and diagrams, supporting tutorial videos on DVD, and the highest standards of reliability and cleanliness.
Customer Reviews:
Interactive & More.......2007-02-23
This book is more of what I think a "text" book should be for learning. It has nice colorful graphics [drawn, photocopied, and photographed] to arouse one's interest and learning. There are "real" companies given as factual examples and links to explore. The Teachers editon would be the best [it not only gives all the answers to the problems, but shows the step by step formulas to use]. I also found that by going to the book companies online resorces, you can download and print PowerPoint slides to help guide you through some of the more complex areas.
lost in translation.......2007-01-13
I used this book in a business math class and I found it to be confusing and hard to follow. I have a good grasp on business concepts and this book left me feeling more confused after my class than when I began. The approach to this class certainly is not one I would reccomend for college level (for any level for that matter).
Useful in the real world.......2006-05-23
I used the 7th edition in the business math class I took. The class was listed under the BUS designation, and was not intended for those above the 096 level in math. I took it at a community college as part of a certificate program. The first 4 chapters were review and the balance was the class. The chapters were well written and the practice problems useful. There are many problems for each chapter.
I use the formulas and concepts in my work. I am co manager of a grocery store. I use the things I learned each and every day.
Many people do not have a good grounding in math. Business math classes are designed to build a foundation and give skills that can be used right away.
An elementary approach to a college class.......2006-04-14
I am teaching a business math class and was issued this text book by the college. While reviewing the book I found it to be more confusing than helpful. I found the majority of the ideas presented in the book to be of common knowledge. Rather than presenting the concepts in the book in an analytical manner, the author uses a personal narrative to convey the ideas. The author introduces new concepts with successive chapters, but does not explain how these concepts are derived. The author explains concepts at face value, rather than explaining how the concepts come about and how to apply them to other situations outside of the ideal situation. The first 6 chapters or so, out of a total of 22, are a review of basic math skills starting with addition and subtraction of whole numbers and continue to basic uses of percents. In addition to those 6 chapters, more of the successive chapters become redundant and are not presented in a logical order. Integrated into the text are numerous amounts of extraneous articles that are meant to reinforce the underlying point, but instead simply add bulk and distraction to the text.
I found that the concepts of the book are poorly presented and are not explained thoroughly. I would STRONGLY recommend not using this book, especially for a college level business class. A person with little to no everyday business experience would find this book to be very simple. In my opinion this book is primarily geared to a 9th grade level education in a public school system and not a college level class.
Excellent book, easy to follow DVD!.......2006-01-26
What can I saw but this is an awesome book. I never did get past chapter one though because I found out that my previous grade was enough to meet a requirement so I figured why take it again? (Got a D+ originally, with a different book).
Book Description
Trading for a Living with Companion Study Guide (Specially Priced Leather Bound Edition)
The bestselling trading book of all time, Dr. Alexander Elder's Trading for a Living is now bound with the companion Study Guide in a handsome leather edition no trader should be without.
Focusing on the three critical areas of Mind, Method, and Money, Dr. Elder helps professionals master new approaches to trading stocks, currencies, futures, and options. A clear understanding of the three M's will help you discipline your Mind, master the best Methods for trading the markets, and manage Money in your trading accounts so that no string of losses can kick you out of the game.
Dr. Elder's revolutionary Trading for a Living has won international acclaim and helped hundreds of thousands of traders bring their skills to new levels. The accompanying Study Guide for Trading for a Living adds more than 200 questions, charts, and assessments that pinpoint the reader's strengths and weaknesses as a trader, and helps measure improvement and growth.
Now these two books are available together in one beautifully bound volume, worthy of a place of honor in every trader's library.
Sold separately, Trading for a Living and the Study Guide retail for $120. Add them both to your business library at this special low price in this deluxe edition, available only to Amazon.com customers for a limited time.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2007-10-04
It's that just I was waiting for. When I purchase this book I only knew the fame of the author. Now I do believe that this fame is totally justified. Psychological view of the trader is the most important point to win the market. And Dr. Elder really show it to you. Buy it, you will enjoy to much.
The Complete Trading for a Living .......2007-09-25
This book is A1 you can benefit from it in many ways. This book will make you a better trader no matter what level of trading you are on.
Absolutely the best trading book I have read.......2007-09-25
This book explains that the weakest link in any trading system is the trader. It teaches that a trader should spend as much time studying his trading patterns and habits as he does the markets to make better decisions.
I read this book a few years ago and it has impacted my trading tremendously. A must read.
Trading for a Living.......2007-09-24
Excellent book for the amateur trader who wants to learn to trade like a professional. After teaching the different stragegies, Elder writes rules using the strategies learned. My trading will change after reading this incredible book. A must read!!!
Review of:.......2007-08-15
I generally agree with the previous reviews, however there is one major caveat I need to make, which is not necessarily a criticism of the book, but rather the information provided by the website where I purchased it. On Amazon.com, under the "Product Details" section, it lists "Publisher: Wiley (June 1, 2006)", giving one the impression it was originally published in 2006. However, the book itself shows the copyright date as 1993! There is a preface written by Dr. Elder in February 2006 included as part of the Special Edition, which may be where the confusion lies. I don't believe any other updates have been made to the main text. I purchased the book fully believing it was only a year old, and was a bit miffed to see the actual copyright date.
While I feel the technical analysis described in detail by Dr. Elder is still valid, the book shows its age in Chapter 4-Computerized Technical Analysis. One quote states: "A computer helps you process more information". (Really, tell me more about these computers, did you call them?) He also seems a bit archaic when he suggests that you can use pencil and graph paper to calculate and record your own moving averages. How quaint.
Again, this is only a minor distraction from a good, thorough review of technical analysis (and not really Dr. Elder's fault), but for those looking for current, computer-based, short-term-trading strategies, you may wish to buy something more updated, using Dr. Elder's book as more of a general reference.
Book Description
Meet John and Peter, two young business school graduates about to become frustrated foot soldiers for the world of high finance. 20 hour days, inflated salaries, senseless prospects, outlandish characters and strip club lap dances make escaping with their sanity sound like the best deal of all.
Customer Reviews:
Great first-hand account into ib.......2007-09-21
This book was an entertaining way to look into the world of ib. After being in ib for quite a while and hearing about this book left and right, I finally had the time to pick it up and read through it. It is right on the money with each of the topics. This book is a must read for anyone thinking of working in investment banking or Wall Street in general.
It's "Business" for Excel Monkeys.......2007-08-24
The numerous other reviewers have already done this work by Rolfe and Troob justice with their detailed and colorful comments and elaborations. So I'll make mine short -- JUST DO IT. Definitely read this book if you are in the trade. It's entertaining and educational. Plus, it makes a cross-country business trip plane ride go much faster.
Raw but Intelligent.......2007-07-10
This is the most "unveiling" book about associate life in investment banking (in equities at least) I've come across and I think holds its own on a Liar's Poker level. It's not low level humor, just highly witty and raw; and well written. You will laugh at loud, yes even you stoic business-types.
If you're thinking about I-banking, I'd recommend this, especially if you believe the myth of cigars, caviar and high-life escapades. MB, with some colorful descriptions, tells it like it is.
I agree with the counter claims made by some bankers in the comments section, and believe MB shouldn't discourage anyone. Any high level professional has to pay dues, the associate years at a bank is analogous to the residency years of a surgeon. Yes you're going to get destroyed, but that's the rite of passage.
Good luck to all the eager bankers out there. Read and enjoy.
Awesome, funny, and useful.......2007-06-19
I finished this book the second time I picked it up because it is absolutely hilarious. A great book, with very funny moments. Also this book gives a great insight into the kind of activities bankers do at the associate level. Great book!!
Absolutely hilarious.......2007-04-15
I work at an investment bank but I'm not a banker. I just bought this book on a friends recommendation and I must say this read is hilarious. I read it during my commute to work and the other day I just could not stop laughing in the bus. I had tears in my eyes. I had to put the book down before someone noticed and thought I was crazy.
Book Description
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLING BOOK THAT EVERY INVESTOR SHOULD OWN
Peter Lynch is America's number-one money manager. His mantra: Average investors can become experts in their own field and can pick winning stocks as effectively as Wall Street professionals by doing just a little research.
Now, in a new introduction written specifically for this edition of One Up on Wall Street, Lynch gives his take on the incredible rise of Internet stocks, as well as a list of twenty winning companies of high-tech '90s. That many of these winners are low-tech supports his thesis that amateur investors can continue to reap exceptional rewards from mundane, easy-to-understand companies they encounter in their daily lives.
Investment opportunities abound for the layperson, Lynch says. By simply observing business developments and taking notice of your immediate world -- from the mall to the workplace -- you can discover potentially successful companies before professional analysts do. This jump on the experts is what produces "tenbaggers," the stocks that appreciate tenfold or more and turn an average stock portfolio into a star performer.
The former star manager of Fidelity's multibillion-dollar Magellan Fund, Lynch reveals how he achieved his spectacular record. Writing with John Rothchild, Lynch offers easy-to-follow directions for sorting out the long shots from the no shots by reviewing a company's financial statements and by identifying which numbers really count. He explains how to stalk tenbaggers and lays out the guidelines for investing in cyclical, turnaround, and fast-growing companies.
Lynch promises that if you ignore the ups and downs of the market and the endless speculation about interest rates, in the long term (anywhere from five to fifteen years) your portfolio will reward you. This advice has proved to be timeless and has made One Up on Wall Street a number-one bestseller. And now this classic is as valuable in the new millennium as ever.
Customer Reviews:
Must Read for any new Investor.......2007-08-08
I've been looking for more information on how to invest into this stock market. This book was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Not only did it help me figure out what kinds of companies to keep my eye out for, it also gave me ways and formulas to check out to verify if the stock was a good buy or not. I highly recommend this book!
THE SMALLEST BOOK EVER.......2007-07-31
This is a MINIATURE book. Literally. 3 inces x 3 inches, "95 pages" with 30 or 40 big words on each page. Ridiculous. I can't believe such a thing was manufactured.
Good start for investing basics.......2007-07-15
Excellent primer for how to consider investments from a qualitative perspective, rather than the number crunching quantitive perspective put forth by so many other writers. Peter Lynch demonstrates how amateur investors can have an edge on Wall Street professionals through our day-to-day interactions with businesses.
Necessary read for any investor.......2007-06-30
Peter Lynch tells about the strategies and types of companies he enjoys purchasing that allow him to beat the market. The book is an easy read but the information in the book is necessary for any investor to continue his education in stock investments.
Very disappointed, very.......2007-06-09
the description was misleading, it's not a book, it's an excerpt in tiny, tiny pages. Very disappointed.
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