Book Description
A practical, step-by-step, hands-on guide that provides a comparative analysis of the six most common methods of estimating used in the market today. It not only shows you how to price your projects accurately and confidently, but it also explains the total quality management (TQM) process and how to run your jobs (and your company) right from the bid sheet.
Customer Reviews:
Invaluable Resource for Landscape professionals.......2007-06-04
This is an invaluable resource for landscape contractors and anyone else who wishes to be successful in the landscaping business. Huston, an MBA who specializes in coaching landscaping companies of all sizes and specializations, explains the process of bidding jobs according to a pre-formulated yearly budget. His three phase bidding method is clearly explained and illustrated in numerous applications from residential landscape installation jobs, to large commercial maintenance jobs, to time and materials irrigation projects, and much more. In addition to these clear "how to" sections, it contains a wealth of information such as production rates and industry benchmarks, which will make it a valuable tool for the owner or estimator of any company throughout the company's lifetime. With this, as well as valuable explanations of company expansion scenarios and "exit strategies", I feel well equipped for success. I will never again be one of those creative types who must confess that I am "an expert in my art but I know nothing about business". Now I know a lot about both.
Product Description
Inside, Tom will take you through his entire trading system with detailed coverage of Volume Principles, Fibonacci Analysis, Swing Points, and more! Thousands of traders all over the world have already benefited from Tom's disciplined approach to trading, and now you can learn all the tools he uses each day in trading the markets. Whether you are an experienced trader or just learning the basics, this book is an absolute "must have" in any traders library.
Tom O'Brien's Timing the Trade Table of Contents:
1. Lets Get Cookin *
2. Volume *
3. Cause & Effect *
4. ABCs *
5. Candlesticks *
6. Fibonnacci *
7. Confluence *
8. Stops *
9. Support & Resistance *
10. Swing Points *
11. Gaps *
12. Channels *
13. Jumping the Creek *
14. 3x3 DMA & MACD *
15. Identifying the Trade *
16. Setting up the Trade *
17. In the Trade *
18. Risk & Money Management *
Appendix I: Case Study *
Appendix II: Drawdowns & ROI *
Appendix III: Glossary
Customer Reviews:
This book will teach you how to make better trades!.......2007-09-10
This book is really good! It does not confuse you it teaches you how the market works and ways for you to make better trading decisions. Enjoy!! Now it's time to go make some money!!
Timing the Trade.......2007-08-01
I thought this was a pretty good book. It did not go into great depth in any one area when TA was discussed, but did a good job focusing on some fairly important trading philosophies as to when to enter a trade and when to get out and paying attention to volume as a confirmation tool. I thought it was a good book especially if you are fairly new to trading, for the experienced trader it did not offer as much although it did reinforce some important trading "rules". I liked in particular the chapters concerning Confluence & Jumping the Creek, Coming back to Ice.
Great Book!.......2007-04-09
This book and Tom O'Brien have helped me to better understand technical analysis of the market and has been instrumental in my market success. It is a great book for all levels beginners on up. The book came highly recommended to me, and I highly recommend it to everyone else!
Opening the"Black Box" of Trading Systems.......2007-03-14
Tom's book describes his system in a way that takes the shroud off of the details used to actually screen potential trades, choose buy-levels, and sell-levels.
The book will provide the reader with the ability to choose stocks to analyze and then to do a substantive analysis for a given stock. The reader will be amazed to see how price increases that are not supported by demand for stocks are clearly visible on charts.
The system helps a stock trader to eliminate from consideration 99+% of stocks and lets one choose from a small, lower risk set of equities.
The system's money-management segment then teaches how to assure that risk is quantified and controlled using sell targets and stop-loss orders.
-Frank from Lexington
Outstanding information!.......2007-03-09
I have read and re-read this book. Wonderful reference guide. It's like a "Manual For The Markets". I'll recommend this to anyone. I am getting a great primer on reading charts.
Book Description
Our new book will show you how to... Maximize the market value of your company. Calculate that value easily at any point in time. Negotiate the best possible price when the company is sold.
And don't worry - you don't need an MBA to understand this book. Everything is spelled out in plain language and easy-to-follow steps. Plus, there's a special glossary that explains each financial concept in very simple terms.
The book also includes practical advice on... - Buying-out partners, or selling-back your own shares. - How to finance the acquisition of a business. - Negotiating the acquisition contract. - How to present your company to potential buyers.
You'll gain insight into the factors that account for business value, enabling you to manage in ways that will deliberately increase your company's value over time.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good........2007-01-29
Excellent guide for those who want to gain more knowledge about business valuation. All formulas and concepts are clearly explained. This guide is indeed an excellent tool.
Not good for tech companies.......2007-01-09
This is a good book but if you are a tech company do not buy it as it is designed for small traditional business's.
Great Book.......2006-11-01
This book is very good and to the point. I knew quite a bit about valuing commercial real estate and publicly traded stocks but not much about valuing closely held companies or small businesses. This book really filled in those gaps. The book is neither too technical nor too non-technical, it explains both math from the ground up and rules of thumb. I also bought a much larger book on the same subject at the same time and have not read it yet because this book was so good. Really well laid out and easy to use. This is definitely the first book to read if you are either buying or selling a business.
Excellent Book for non-specialists!!!.......2006-06-26
I think this book is very effective! Once you by pass all the gramatical errors, then you will be in driver's seat on this subject. A good book worth reading by anyone who is or plans to be a small business owner. I take my hat off to the author for making such a complicated subject easy to follow within the covers of such a small book.
Excellet Resource.......2005-07-31
Although the price is steep for such a small book, and the book is full of grammatical errors, the information is invaluable. The book seems to have not been proof read prior to publishing. However, the author knows his subject and I have already used some of the information in the book on two business deals. One passage especially, on valuing (discounting) a minority partnership interest saved my organization several million dollars. They had planned to pay "pro rata" to buy a minority stake in a company. I was able to demonstrate why that was not a good idea because of the way the partnership was structured. They are now successfully negotiating at a discounted price. I highly recommend this book and agree with another review which states that you can find lengthier books on business valuation, but this one cuts right to the main points. In fact I bought three other books on valuation, one is over 1,000 pages but "Unlocking the Value of Your Business" is the book I find myself referencing everyday. Maybe that is why I could not find a used copy at a cheaper price, everyone holds on to their book!
Book Description
Stephen Leeb shows how hard times can be a boon for smart investors. As the world faces an energy crisis of unprecedented scope, renowed economist Stephen Leeb shows how surging oil prices will contribute to an economic collapse. With meticulous research and analysis, Leeb shows that due to strong competition from India and China, prices could soon double, a cost for which most countries and investors are ill-prepared. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Leeb not only shows how this crisis will affect consumers, but how savvy investing can turn these dire times into financial gain.
Customer Reviews:
Hits the Mark.......2007-10-04
I found Leeb's book to be well reasoned and devoid of the hysteria so common to books forecasting problems for the dollar and the US economy. The worst thing about this book is the title because the 'economic collapse' phrase may cause many to think it's written by a crank. That is certainly not true.
Leeb ties in the rising price of oil with America's debt problems and shows what options remain for the Federal Reserve and the government. It's not that complicated. They have to inflate because a deep recession would crush an economy so burdened with public and private debt. We already saw this after the 2001 stock crash. They cut rates to near zero and doubled the national debt in 7 years rather than suffer a cleansing recession. The feds know how bad it could get. America can't afford to risk a recession due to all the debt and leverage in every part of the system.
In 2007, the situation has become much worse because now we have an imploding housing market and a falling dollar. Interestingly, Leeb stated in the book that he didn't think housing would crash. He figured the feds would inflate at all costs to prevent it from happening because a housing collapse is far worse than a stock market crash. He may yet be right, but home prices are surely falling right now. So, what will the government do - double the national debt again?
Look at it this way. If the economy continues to grow then demand for oil will grow and we'll hit supply constraints and higher prices much faster. That means inflation. If the economy slows due to housing or oil or slowing consumption, then the feds will have to inflate to prevent a deflation. No matter how you look at the problem, it seems the news will be bad for the dollar. Faced with the facts and inflationary scenarios Leeb presents, I think a reasonable person would want to own some gold.
Leeb's portfolio suggestions are a bit extreme for me and I'd balance them a bit. However, he's been right so far. This is a very good book in all respects.
Predictions so far spot on target . . . . .......2007-10-01
I've read and re-read this book over the last year and have to say that Leeb's predictions have been very, very good. In fact, much, much better than my advisors and their research departments in the financial services industry. Oil service stocks such as Schlumberger, National Oilwells Varco and Transocean have been fantastic performers over the last three years and continue to rise despite a mediocre market. Resource companies such as Freeport Mcmorran, Teck Cominco and CVRD continue to rise. Russia & Venezuala are nationalizing their oil industries. Iran's nuclear ambitions are partly because they are running out of energy to feed their growing population. Gold is now over $750 an ounce! The US dollar continues a steady decline against other world currencies. The US Federal Reserve has lowered rates by 1/2 a percent because they know how vulnerable and debt laden US households are with the housing decline. In other words, inflation is the only solution to the fix the US is in. The war on Iraq and the War on Terror has sucked up precious resources and requires the govt. to print more money. The Fed is in a real bind right now and they are following the course predicted by Leeb. If the Fed had raised rates or kept them the same, then I would say Leeb might have been wrong. Large cap Chindian stocks such as Procter & Gamble are doing well as are infrastructure plays such as Chicago Bridge & Iron (mentioned by Leeb) and Foster Wheeler. Oil is now over $81 a barrel and rising. US Small Cap stocks are not doing well - my US small cap fund has preformed dismally. At the same time, financial advisors continue to be in denial of the new reality. Hats off to Mr. Leeb: I'm making money thanks to his thoughtful advice. As a Canadian seeing our dollar now at par with the $US for the first time since 1976, the price of our grain rising 40% in one year (partly due to ethanol production) and the crazy rush of resources into our tar sands, I can tell you that Mr. Leeb has hit the target with his book and predictions.
Great Book!.......2007-09-21
The information listed is in line with everything else I've read. Great presentation and full of facts. I enjoyed reading it.
Peak oil from an investor view.......2007-09-03
Author Stephen Leeb recounts the anarchy, chaos and immense suffering that followed in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and suggests this may be in our future in a broader way if and when the oil flow that largely supports our wealth creation is abruptly decreased. The "new world" that could emerge might be one of greatly reduced complexity. Systems like clean water/sewers, computing power, organized transporation and large-scale production, medicine and chemical-supported/mechanized farming could diminish into a more localized, much less resource-intensive - and even Amish-like subsistance.
In any issue like "peak oil," a multi-faceted view is needed to grasp the deep truths. This book reveals some of the same scenarios layed out by other authors concerning the forecased economic disaster looming ahead - but brings some additional perspectives from the world of investments. One can tell reading several of the sections that the suthor indeed is an investment professional and not an environmental sustainability guru. Where other books on peak oil (Hubbart's Peak, 1000 Barrels a Second) are loaded full of technical graphs, Leeb's account here is loaded with investment advice on how to prosper if/when such a downfall insues (his advice bsaed on the 70's oil crisis: buy gold, real estate, oil company stock and China/India investments).
Of surprize to many readers will be almost no mention whatsoever of ecological issues related to oil like climate change or other eco impacts. In fact, where the author finally gets around to mentioning global warming, much to his credit he brings out a potent reality rarely mentioned in the peak oil discussion: petro-chemicals and their essential products will also potentially plummet severely. These are the plastics, resins, asphalt, polymers, films, PVC pipes and other essential products we take for granted.
In the end, Mr. Leeb seems somewhat hopeful (unlike others) that technology - if applied quickly and with an Appolo-like lazar focus - might save the day. He is bullish on wind power, a renewable that is closest to competing now with fossil fuel power. But, many others state the case for a more sustainable world based on new, totally reimagined ways of doing things much better than the author here.
In short, if you are concerned with how your portfolio should change if oil starts climbing over $100/barrel, this is a decent book to inform. Otherwise, for a broader view on impacts of peak oil and the other critical issues facing civilization, Lester Brown's "Plan B - Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble" is a compelling choice.
Ok already, we know you have written The Oil Factor .......2007-08-31
It is an interesting and well written book. My only gripe was that it seemed that every other sentence mentions, "...in my other book, The Oil Factor...." This just got plain annoying.
Book Description
Written for both the novice and experienced investor, this fascinating blend of biography and keen investment analysis has garnered acclaim in the world of high finance.
Nikki Ross has struck the mother lode about how to invest wisely in an increasingly uncertain world. The easy to follow investment insights she's gathered impart the various strategies of these ""superinvestors"" and explain how to integrate and implement them in today's markets. Five lifetimes of legendary Wall Street wisdom are distilled into three brilliantly simple steps. Readers will learn how best to gather the information and find investment leads; evaluate the data; and when to buy, hold and sell.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read for Investors.......2004-05-14
This book has a refreshingly commonsense approach to investing. It contains a great deal of worthwhile advice and wisdom from some of the world's best investors. I am not an experienced investor, however I found it to be understandable and learned useful information from it. I would highly recommend it.
A Classic "Must Read" Investment Book.......2004-04-15
Nikki Ross has documented principal strategies and investing advice from the great Wall Street legends of our time. I have found the underlying principals of Buffet and his mentors as well as Price and Templeton to be very helpful. It is an easy to read enjoyable book. It may not be for day traders in general, but they could benefit from the list of questions asked by the masters before investing. I believe that had many investors read and applied this book prior to and during the recent crash, they might have saved a lot of money.
Blake Conant
Just read the "Evaluation" part.......2004-03-07
This book discusses on the techniques Warren Buffet (value/growth), Benjamin Graham (value), Phil Fisher (growth), T. Rowe Price (growth), and John Templeton (growth use or have used to make their fortunes.
The book is divided into 6 parts on one each of these legends and another on how to combine the knowledge of these experts. The sections are organized in an interesting way first off you learn what some of the stocks the well known investor has bought and why they met their purchasing criteria. There is also a nice 3 steps to how you can use their methods in your investments, this in turn is organized by:
1. Gathering information (this part it almost worthless in my opinion since it is very similar for each of the investors)
2. Evaluate (this is the best part of each of the areas in the book, you learn the questions these masters would ask a company and themselves. It's very good.)
3. Making decisions discusses how the masters decide when to buy and sell the stock.
This book and "The Money Masters" by John Train are interesting reads if you enjoy learning about the careers and wisdom these masters are willing to share.
I believe this book wouldn't be very useful for strict CAN SLIM investors or day traders but good for the buy and hold or long term growth and value investors it definitely shows you some of the possibilities.
Reed Floren
Worthless.......2004-02-26
This book is worthless. The true 'lessons' make up only a few pages of the book and these lessons are not detailed enough to make financially sound decisions. For example, a lesson such as "What is the PE Ratio?" is similar to what you would find in the book. OK, the PE ratio is 3. Is that good? Is that bad? How about 40? What is high? What is low? Do current interest rates effect PE ratio levels? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a growth stock? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a cyclical stock? You'll get no answers from this book.
The best "lessons" section (though still unacceptable) came from John Templeton. But these were a direct quote from an interview Templeton gave the Christian Science Monitor. The author must have spent a few weeks writing this book.
Most of the book is babble, reproduction of articles/reports, duplication of previous sections, and educational definitions for the newbie.
My lesson to you is to take the money you were going spend on this book and go buy a U.S. Savings bond. You will be richer and wiser in the end.
Not all its cracked up to be..........2004-02-23
...- I bought the book BUT Nikki Ross gives a basic three-step approach to investing, that is repeated throughout the book. 1. Collect info, 2. Analyse info, 3. Make a decision. And that's about as complex as the book gets.
Don't waste your money, unless you're after a very simplistic overview of investing. ALL OF THE FIVE STAR REVIEWS OVERRATE THIS BOOK - 1 Star (at best).
...
If you're after real value on practical management implementation tools that link strategy & financial numbers then YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN "Performance Measurement & Control Systems for Implementing Strategy" by Robert Simons.
Amazon.com
Many Americans have wondered why prescription drugs have become so expensive while advertising for those drugs seems to grow exponentially. Former New England Journal of Medicine Editor Marcia Angell has some answers. The pharmaceutical industry, according to Angell, is fraught with corruption and doing a disservice to customers, the federal government, and to the medical establishment itself. In The Truth About the Drug Companies, Angell explains how a huge portion of the revenue generated by "Big Pharma" goes not into research and development but into aggressive marketing campaigns to sell their product. She describes how, even though the drug companies claim that it costs them an average of 802 million dollars per drug to develop new medicines, that figure is obscenely inflated since it factors in marketing as well as expected interest the company would have received had they invested the money in the open market. Meanwhile, Angell says, most of the R & D work is done by colleges and universities funded by the government. There are also problems with the drugs themselves, Angell indicates, since a majority are "me-too drugs", slightly modified versions of existing products which meant to address concerns of consumers most likely to spend money on pharmaceuticals. Thus, the market is filled with remarkably similar drugs to treat depression and high cholesterol while potentially life-saving medicines for diseases afflicting third-world countries are discontinued because they aren't profitable. In the books most damning passage, Angell tells of the high-priced junkets offered to doctors, ostensibly offered as educational opportunities that seem to constitute little more than bribes. The prognosis for reform is a grim one, Angell indicates, due to the massive cash reserves and lobbying efforts of "Big Pharma." Indeed, that lobby was hard at work trying to discredit her claims immediately upon the book's publication. But for anyone who's paid a pharmacy bill, The Truth About the Drug Companies is a fascinating read. --John Moe
Book Description
During her two decades at The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell had a front-row seat on the appalling spectacle of the pharmaceutical industry. She watched drug companies stray from their original mission of discovering and manufacturing useful drugs and instead become vast marketing machines with unprecedented control over their own fortunes. She saw them gain nearly limitless influence over medical research, education, and how doctors do their jobs. She sympathized as the American public, particularly the elderly, struggled and increasingly failed to meet spiraling prescription drug prices. Now, in this bold, hard-hitting new book, Dr. Angell exposes the shocking truth of what the pharmaceutical industry has become–and argues for essential, long-overdue change.
Currently Americans spend a staggering $200 billion each year on prescription drugs. As Dr. Angell powerfully demonstrates, claims that high drug prices are necessary to fund research and development are unfounded: The truth is that drug companies funnel the bulk of their resources into the marketing of products of dubious benefit. Meanwhile, as profits soar, the companies brazenly use their wealth and power to push their agenda through Congress, the FDA, and academic medical centers.
Zeroing in on hugely successful drugs like AZT (the first drug to treat HIV/AIDS), Taxol (the best-selling cancer drug in history), and the blockbuster allergy drug Claritin, Dr. Angell demonstrates exactly how new products are brought to market. Drug companies, she shows, routinely rely on publicly funded institutions for their basic research; they rig clinical trials to make their products look better than they are; and they use their legions of lawyers to stretch out government-granted exclusive marketing rights for years. They also flood the market with copycat drugs that cost a lot more than the drugs they mimic but are no more effective.
The American pharmaceutical industry needs to be saved, mainly from itself, and Dr. Angell proposes a program of vital reforms, which includes restoring impartiality to clinical research and severing the ties between drug companies and medical education. Written with fierce passion and substantiated with in-depth research, The Truth About the Drug Companies is a searing indictment of an industry that has spun out of control.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Your Life depends on this information.......2007-09-03
The media in general and the medical industry in particular do not want you (patient) to read and be informed about what you are being prescribed and the consequences. They also are dealing with symptoms instead of causes. Prevention is not in the medical dictionary terminology. Drugs do not heal! Drugs should be a short term interrupter and not a progression from one prescription to another and another. Pharmaceutical companies are gaining more political power through Federal legislation of Congress, which results show in company coffers. Read and be informed.
The truth isn't pretty.......2007-06-26
This excellent book which shines a bright spotlight on the industry. This is an industry which (mostly due to its actions) is ready to implode, and I fear that it may take us physicians right along with them.
a must read.......2007-05-13
The message is clearly spelled out in the first few chapters.American consumers need to be aware of how we are being ripped off by the drug industies.This is a must read and extremely well written
Careful what you put in your mouth!.......2007-05-06
At the same time people are dying from this disease, and that, Big Pharma maintains it's strangle hold on research in our Medical Schools, and the treatment of diseases. Why the Diabetes industry alone worldwide is a 4 billion dollar a day industry. Not to mention herpes, asthma, AIDS, cancer, and the like. The afore mentioned diorders are said to be incureable. Why? Well when research is geared to profit, and not a cure, one begins to understand why. No cures unless there is a profit to be made. So what if people die, it controls the population.
It has been more than 100 years or more since a real cure for a specific disease was discovered. There is more of a profit in making a crutch, than an actual cure. Because once that disease is cured there is then very little money to be made. We have diseases hanging around forever, and when they say there is no cure, they mean we have not made enough money from this disease. In short there is no profit in a cure. Profit is of main concern here. Not you or your family.
Ms. Angell has a blueprint or an inside look at the process of the how and why things are the way they are. Money, money, money. The Love of money is the root of all evil. Money before people. This book is an eye opener, and like the people who rang the bell before 9/11, if no one listens, no good can come from this book. Ms. Angell is giving us a look from the point of view of a former insider, and very well bares listening to. Read this book and become pro-active about the healthcare of you and your family.
She Bashes Pharma.......2007-03-09
This a an attck on big pharma and a well rounded one at that. In the end Angell proposes a plan to lessen the power of the pharma companies.
Book Description
Praise for How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitor
"This is the complete book for both new and experienced salespeople and business owners to learn and re-learn the essentials for success. How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitors emphasizes the pricing strategies and tactics to increase the market share and profits of any organization. This is a book that is as important to presidents as it is to salespeople."
--Bill Scales, CEO, Scales Industrial Technologies, Inc.
"As the largest service provider in our industry, we have a significant market advantage. However, we constantly walk the pricing tightrope because, as this book so clearly states, 'business is a game of margins . . . not a game of volume!'"
--John K. Harris, CEO, JK Harris & Company, LLC
"If you live and die on price, this book could be your only lifeline."
--Tom Reilly, CSP, author of Value-Added Selling and Crush Price Objections
"How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitors successfully illustrates profitable sales truths to assist us in selling for maximum return. This book's well-researched, logical, and affirming words validate the simple fact that as a premium company we deserve premium margins. So, while our competitors reduce or match prices out of fear and scarcity, our managers, thanks to this powerful sales tool, can continue quoting and closing with profitable confidence."
--Joe Bracket, President, Power Equipment Company
"I learned a long time ago that it is pretty difficult to control what my competitors will do, but we must control what we do--like maintaining margins. This book is a 'wow!' that will help my salesmen crack bad habits. Sales organizations should design their entire training programs around the content in this book."
--George C. Giessing, President, Brusco-Rich, Inc.
"This energizing book is the 'right stuff' for every sales force. It should be a required study for every executive and sales professional who seeks to be successful."
--David R. Little, Chairman and CEO, DXP Enterprises, Inc.
Download Description
A revision of the self-published phenomenon that sold 50,000 copies Every business in every industry faces the specter of lower-priced competition. In order to maintain healthy margins, most companies can't drop their prices endlessly. Instead, they have to find a way to sell their product despite its price. This book offers practical advice and smart tactics for outselling a lower-priced competitor. Readers will learn why price isn't the final determinant of whether a customer buys a product; how to build a great customer service program; how to defeat the arguments of customers who buy on price; and how to price products appropriately. In addition, this handy resource also includes real-world examples and situations that will help salespeople sell anything, no matter what the price. Lawrence L. Steinmetz, PhD (Boulder, CO), is President of High Yield Management, Inc. and the author of twelve previous books. He is the nation's foremost authority on selling products and services at prices higher than one's competitors. William T. Brooks (Greensboro, NC) is regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on sales and sales management. His clients have included Microsoft, IBM, Bank of America, Office Depot, BMW, General Motors, and Hewlett-Packard. He is the author of 14 prior books.
Customer Reviews:
Must read.......2007-01-09
I can think of 5 business books everyone should read, this is number 1
good idea for sales people...........2006-11-10
Urges companies to sell based on margin n ot price. Makes sales people understand why it is important to stay strong on price and how to do it.
Doesn't answer the question of how you compete when all your competition is price cutting!
Great material - poor presentation.......2006-06-19
I rate the book a 5 on content and timeliness but a 1 on presentation.
All you need to do is look at most advertisements today to realize that price competition has become the major way to conduct business. I have recognized and for years advised clients that "If you compete on price you are competing to go broke." Price pressure is even more intense considering that finding the lowest price for most products is just a few clicks away. Merchants have all conditioned consumers to be price conscious buyers. And our mind set as consumers carries over to our businesses.
The authors do a very good job of showing that most pricing problems are in the mind of the salesman or CEO and not in the mind of the buyer. They further show that it is simply impossible to cut prices and make up the difference in increased volume. One of the better concepts they present is if you lower your prices to increase your volume, all you do is work harder and go broke in the process. If the CEO can grasp that concept - and unfortunately all you need to do is to look at the history of companies that have gone bankrupt, especially in the airline industry - then the book is well worth reading.
As far as presentation, I have a lot of problems.
The authors could not really decide who their reader was. At times they were writing to the CEO and at times they were giving tips to the salesman in the field. It would have been much better if they had written two separate books - one for the CEO who determines policy and one for the salesman in the field.
They have a bad habit of repeating the same lessons throughout the book. It is okay and sometimes necessary to refer back to an idea or concept. But anyone reading this type book does not need the entire example repeated. Too much of that obscures the lesson to be learned.
The use of bold "bullet points" at the beginning of paragraphs was overdone. One place, opened at random, I found four bold paragraph headings on each page. To me these were a distraction.
It was annoying for them to keep repeating "one of your authors" experienced ... What is wrong with saying Lawrence or William?
They overdid some clichés - "the south bound end of a north bound donkey" was one. Once is enough. And they ended lots of examples of conversations with "blah ... blah ... blah"
The authors make some valid and important points. If you are going to conduct business in today's price conscious environment, you must learn to sell your product on something other than price. So the book is well worth reading. In my opinion, the presentation could be improved greatly.
This book is the "missing link" you've been needing..........2006-05-08
There are two types of people who want to absorb this book: salespeople and business owners or executives.
If as a salesperson, you've found yourself getting "beat up" by prospects and customers, this book teaches you in simple and easy to understand language how to not only put an end to getting beat up but how to also make the sale.
If as a salesperson, you find yourself spending inordinate amounts of time with customers who are difficult to work with, this book reveals how to work with only the best customers - and make more money while you do it.
If as a salesperson your commissions are slim because your selling price is too low and you haven't been able to sell at a higher price, this book will expose exactly how to raise your selling price and your commissions.
If you are a business owner or executive, you will want to read this book for two critical reasons.
One, you will learn how to put an end to your salespeople's whining and complaining about losing the sale to low-price competitors. You'll FINALLY KNOW HOW TO CALL THEIR BLUFF! No longer will your salespeople be able to "snow" you with their inability to sell. Now, you will be able to "call the shots" they way they really are so that your salespeople produce results instead of excuses.
Two, you will learn exactly how to keep your business out of bankruptcy and move your business away from break-even mode to high margin, high profitability mode.
On my end, I wish someone would have pointed me to this book when I first got started in sales so that I could have saved myself years of hardship. On your end, you'll be glad I recommended that you get this book for yourself so that you too are able to save years of hardship.
This book will pay for itself over and over!.......2006-03-09
This is an extremely well written book. Lots of Tips. Great insight into how buyers try to get you to reduce prices. I have purchased 5 copies of this book and given them to all of the people with direct influence on pricing, negotiation and financial decisions in the company. Once you understand and begin applying the principles, the margins just go up. The book will change your whole outlook such that you don't feel guilty turning down business that is only price based. This is probably the most significant business improvement book I have read in the last 5 years,
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book.......2006-07-05
My only success in the stock market over the past 15 years has been as a result of following this man's method of reading stock chart activity. I loaned out my first copy of this book many years ago and never got it back. This is my second copy, and I will not loan it out!
It takes patience and a little faith in the methodology. Not for daytraders.
Not a rating - further information on the the author and this title.......2005-11-20
Ted Warren was a day laborer with a sixth-grade education who made a fortune in the stock market and decided to franchise his methods by publishing this book in 1966. Both Ken Roberts and the Buccaneer Press have apparently made a bit of money over the past dozen years or so by reprinting and selling copies of it, together with related audio tapes, and investment seminars.
According to the 3rd edition copyright page, the 1st edition was issued in Los Angeles by Sherbourne Press in 1966. The 2nd reprint edition was published in Grant's Pass, Oregon by Four Star Press / Ken Roberts Company / Ted Warren Company, beginning in 1993, and went through 3 printings. The 3rd corrected edition was published in Patchogue, New York by Buccaneer Press in 1998.
Although it may be obvious, the question for any purchaser is not, "Will you do as well?" Rather, the question is, "Will you even cover the cost of the book and your time spent reading it?" For those interested in an independent analysis of Warren's methods, OCLC lists a catalog entry for a 1970 San Diego State masters thesis by Richard D. Murphy: "A Test of Warren's security selection method".
Goofy and asinine!.......2004-09-17
If you like to read investment books written by in-your-face, stock market evangelists - this one might be for you! The late author rants and raves about evil insiders and the invisible-but-powerful "they" throughout the book. He seemed to advocate that his life-experience gained as a grade school drop-out, lumberjack, and stevedore gave him a unique perspective on viewing financial markets and qualified him as an investment authority. However, it is doubtful that this book will help you attain your investment goals.
The major problem I have with this book is that its methodology is based upon a common scaling error found in numerous charting systems. The author suggests purchasing issues that have had a significant decline in price and have broken-out of a subsequent, multiyear accumulation base. This accumulation base appears as a quiet period where the price fluctuates in a very narrow area while it is passing from weak to strong hands. The author used M. C. Horsey's "Stock Picture" as a resource for discovering such issues. Unfortunately, the monthly Horsey charts are arithmetically scaled. Stocks that were once at 50 on the chart and have declined to 10 will have all the lower priced activity compressed or squashed by the nature of the arithmetic chart. A 10% advance beginning at 50 would take the price up 5 to 55, while a like advance beginning at 5 would take the price up by only 0.50 to 5.50. Therefore, what appears to be an ideal trade set-up for Mr. Warren totally disappears when a more correct semi-logarithmic scale, which is calibrated to indicate percentage movements, is used. The reality described by Mr. Warren may not be the reality one encounters in real-time trading. The arithmetic quiet period is often a semi-logarithmetic roller-coaster, since lower-priced shares can be extremely volatile - for example, EFJI's share price recently collapsed by 11% in a single day! After selecting and purchasing a stock (or commodity), the author would follow his trades by traditional technical analysis tools such as trendlines, etc. I feel that his description of the technical method is rudimentary and simplistic!
Earning a superior investment return is hard work in a highly competitive field. Un- or inadequately-prepared dilettantes generally lose their capital sooner rather than later: the average futures account is bankrupt after only four months! There is much more utility and pre-packaged wisdom for the average investor in the standard works written by John Murphy, Martin Pring, and Alexander Elder - who all know what they are talking about and are excellent writers. I am certain that using the prescriptions outlined in Warren's book will disappointingly fall far short of "making the stock market make money for you!"
Patience does work.......2003-12-10
Have read a TW book twice in life... in college and failed to see the wisdom... and this book about 5 years ago. Tried my best to learn and also followed a newsletter dedicated to TW market strategies. Three years ago portfolio account started and traded buying at TW breakout points and not before(equal shares in each holding), cutting losses on all stocks that did not follow through after breaking out...letting the others ride. The results as of today: current long 6 stocks up 3%, 103%,196%, 292%,323%,& 1074%. It is not get rich quick, but it does work. Up almost 11 times your money is nice but it is time to let this one go...check 3 year chart on OHB! Judge for yourself!
Amazingly simple approach.......2002-04-11
It is amazing how simple the techniques used and taught by Ted Warren are to be successful in the stock market. This is no get rich quick program as other authors might try to sell you. If you remain patient and disciplined, you will be well on your way to retirement with no worries.
Customer Reviews:
Amazingly In-Depth Beginners Book.......2007-07-27
This book is better than most beginners Technical Analysis books, and it focuses on alot more. She gives a basic strategy which can be used. This is a must buy, look at the price you got nothing to lose.
interesting but slightly annoying.......2006-12-23
Good info for beginners, something to learn for most inexperienced traders. I read everything I can on trading, there's always something to learn. This book is a bit simplistic, a bit repetitive, and most of all, has weird unnecessary self-help positve thinking crap throughout. Plus the annoying 'yikes' 'eek' etc commentaries on the charts. If you can get past her style, there's some educational stuff here. Her chapter on candlestick charting is best left unread- buy Nisson's books instead and get the whole picture correctly. I think she makes her money writing, not trading- as they say, them that can't do- teach.
A Beginner's Guide to Short-Term Trading: How to Maximize Profits in 3 Days to 3 Weeks.......2006-08-25
The content of the book is plane and simple to understand. Great information with examples ease to understand even for someone like me how has no knowledg of the stock market. I totaly recomend the book. The author is also very talented, suttel and incorporates good humor. I have learned something!
Good introduction - with some reservations..........2006-06-16
This book is a good introduction for beginners, but I have several reservations:
1, "Fundamental analysis: quick yet thorough sources" promptly refers the reader to a charge-for-service website, like William O'Neil's Investor's Business Daily for a quick checkup. Now, I understand that a trader knows "the price of everything and the value of nothing", but one would think that a balance sheet or a statement of operations may still be an important consideration instead of just blindly relying on a proprietary software screen. (For example: interest rates currently soaring, companies with large amount of cash are clearly more valuable than the ones stuck in debt. The site mentioned above only considers four factors in the fundamental score, debt is not included.)
2, Every chapter ends up with a question and answer section that is quite annoying, but not as annoying as the "look at your navel"-type self-help-ish page. I firmly believe, after learning about the Bollinger Bands and Fibonacci retracements one would not collapse into an existential crisis needing the author's assurance "You are perfect now!" Why is it trying to be a self-help book, too?
3, Volume indicators (i.e.pg 145) are sometimes not easily recognizable as proportionately significant changes, RSI changes appear biased by retrospection, the OBV is incorporated into the volume markers that is confusing as other charts use the average volume curve in the same location.
Altogether, one has to respect the author's approach that appears genuinely dedicated to introduce us to short term trading, but...please take us, readers, a little bit more seriously...
Buy her other book, it's better..........2006-03-27
She is an excellent author, that's for sure. I have read this one and also her day trading book. The day trading book is better by a mile, even for those wanting a book on swing-trading or position trading.
Essentially what this book amounts to is the swing-trading chapter in her daytrading book expanded with a whole lot of padding. It doesn't really offer any additional insights in my opinion. I can understand the reason for this book from a marketing perspective, but you are much better off reading her day trading book regardless of your trading time-frame.
[...]
Book Description
Want to make a bad year better or turn a good year into a blockbuster? Stop leaking profits and discover the untapped gold mine that exists in your products.
The Art of Pricing is the first practical, easy-to-understand guide to solving one of the most important dilemmas in business: how to use price to uncover a product’s hidden profits and find new opportunities for growth.
When it comes to setting prices for products and services, even the most sophisticated businesspeople often rely on formulas and seat-of-the-pants instinct, based on what the competition is charging, marking up costs, and doing things as they’ve always been done. The result is that businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to the Fortune 100, leave money on the table.
In The Art of Pricing, Rafi Mohammed, one of the world’s leading experts on pricing strategy, shows:
• The astonishing impact that small changes to a pricing strategy can have on the bottom line
• How the right pricing strategy can boost profits and grow your customer base
• Why the right way to think about pricing is as a series of easy-to-implement strategies that allow companies to serve and profit from the largest possible customer base
• Why the art of pricing involves understanding and capitalizing on the fact that different customer segments are willing to pay different prices for the same product
• Why an effective pricing strategy is not about price gouging but one that incorporates fairness into every important pricing decision
The Art of Pricing will be the invaluable missing link for people running companies, departments, divisions, and product lines, as well as for those in sales and marketing. Dr. Mohammed shows that an effective pricing strategy helps complete the circle by reaping the rewards due for the enormous effort, creativity, and investment made in developing and marketing products and services. Using a range of examples, from neighborhood restaurants to huge companies like Ford, he shows the importance of not falling short—and shortchanging yourself—when it comes to the heretofore little understood art of pricing.
Also available as an eBook
Customer Reviews:
Pricing by value.......2007-10-04
This book was a delightful read not only because it was short and to the point, but also for it's many real-life examples. I've felt for a long time that prices need to be set to the customer's perception of the value of the product or service, so it was very encouraging to read a book where the author was able to break down the reasons and supply applications for this type of pricing he calls "Value pricing". As with an auction (a theme covered in the book) there is a price for every interested buyer, but it is not always the same for everyone. Just as only one person is willing to pay the highest "winning" bid, there are those who will pay more for any product or service than the average customer. This book helps you to identify those people.
Rich
Good Solid Advice.......2007-07-27
The suggestions about add-ons, segmenting your buyers and really trying to assess the value of your product when you price it were helpful. The problem of "goodwill" opened my eyes as I think this isn't an uncommon way that profits are bled from businesses. After reading this book, I'm really thinking more and more about getting to know my customers in terms of (1) what they want and (2) precisely how much they value my product. This is a great first step to obtaining optimal pricing. This book gets you thinking and can stir your creativity about how to better price your good/service.
Great book.......2006-05-19
I am a small business owner and get involved in pricing daily. This book provided extremely useful insight into how to make the most money from each deal. An easy read about a topic that is all too often neglected by the small business owner.
Advice that Can Instantly Increase Profits.......2006-05-16
Rafi's treatment of the subject of pricing was just what I needed to open my eyes to a whole new set of strategies for increasing profits. As a former Corporate Engineer and Manager turned entrepreneur, I needed a more thorough understanding of pricing and found exactly what I was looking for in The Art of Pricing. I appreciated the easy to read and entertaining writing style along with the many examples presented in the book. Books that make it easy for me to remember new concepts also make it easier for me to quickly apply those concepts in real world situations. I will be honing my new pricing skills for years to come. The Art of Pricing has become one of my favorite books to recommend to others.
Good Ideas for Novices!.......2006-05-16
Key to Mohammed's thinking is to set different prices for different customers having different valuations of what they are willing to pay - eg. matinee and evening prices for movies, early-bird prices at restaurants, discounts for those willing to order airline seats ahead of time.
To minimize sales staff giving away profits it is useful to show them the differential profits/product (and hopefully link their compensation to the firm's profits). Beware of sales-boosting gimmicks (eg. frequent-flyer miles) that can be "gamed" by focusing on high-volumes of low-cost purchases. One can test different strategies via eg. varying coupon offers placed within catalogs.
Other important concepts include add-ons (warranties, financing), differential pricing according to location, and taking a long-term perspective (eg. fairness during disasters and temporary product shortages).
"Cost-plus" pricing is not one of Mohammed's recommendations - however, it is increasingly utilized by successful low-cost retailers such as Costco and Wal-Mart. Setting prices using data about alternatives/substitutes is a suggested approach - however, Mohammed does not go into eg. focus-group assessments of how much specific options or new products might be worth.
Books:
- Information Technology Project Management, Fourth Edition
- Intermediate Accounting
- Intermediate Accounting: Study Guide
- Introduction to Management Accounting, Chap. 1-17 (13th Edition) (Charles T Horngren Series in Accounting)
- Introduction to Management Accounting, Chap. 1-17 (13th Edition) (Charles T Horngren Series in Accounting)
- Keeping The Family Business Healthy: How to Plan for Continuing Growth, Profitability and Family Leadership (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series)
- Key Performance Indicators: Developing, Implementing,and Using Winning KPIs
- Managerial Accounting: Creating Value in a Dynamic Business Environment w/PowerWeb/OLC
- Martingale Methods in Financial Modelling (Stochastic Modelling and Applied Probability)
- Measuring Market Risk + CD-ROM , 2nd Edition
Books Index
Books Home
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- The Occupation: War and Resistance in Iraq
- Perspectives on Public Choice: A Handbook
- Investing in Real Estate With Lease Options and "Subject-To" Deals : Powerful Strategies for Getting
- Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling
- The Perfect Husband
- Shaping the Future: A Dynamic Process for Creating and AchievingYour Company's Strategic Vision
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization
- Reviving the American Dream ; The Economy, the States and the Federal Government
- The Academy: Tales of the Marketplace
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
How to Start a Home-Based Landscaping Business, 5th (Home-Based Business Series)
Landscapes Estimating & Contract Administration
Landscape Estimating Methods (Means Landscape Estimating)
Landscaping Principles and Practices
Simplified Irrigation Design, 2nd Edition (Landscape Architecture)
![Timing the Trade: How Price and Volume Move Markets! [ILLUSTRATED]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21W7AGYM6VL.jpg)
