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 Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak.
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
Part of the PR in Practice Series and a very practical book it is too!, 21 Apr 2007
The book is divided into 3 parts, each written by a different author.
1. THE MEDIA CONTEXT
2. DEALING WITH THE PRESS
3. HANDLING THE BROADCAST MEDIA
It gives a good overall account of what the media is and what it wants.
The last two sections have a more hands-on approach while the first gives mainly history
of the media and background information.
Best part of this book is the transcript for fictional examples of poor and winning
television interviews. It analyses very clearly where the interviewee has gone wrong and
how he can improve.
Basic introduction to media relations, 23 Dec 2006
This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book's hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. We recommend this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.
Only good for absolute beginners, 05 Nov 2001
This book is part of the IPR series of books which vary as much in subject matter as they do quality. I am afraid to say this is at the lower end of the scale as it does little to inform the PR novice and does nothing to inspire anyone with a modicum of experience. The book is in three sections. The first looks at the media context. It takes the reader through a whistlestop tour of media ownership and law, pays only lip service to the internet and leaves the reader none the wiser about how s/he should factor an understanding of context into a media relations campaign. The second looks at dealing with the press and makes no reference to the section that precedes it nor to the growing number of online publications and their effect on the media landscape. The final section - without doubt the best written and most practical - looks at broadcast media, but only considers preparation for interview in any detail as if this is the only way media coverage can be secured by public relations activity on television or radio. The three key weaknesses of the book are its inability to consider the various media together, its virtual denial of the internet as a media form and the absolute lack of real life examples and case studies to substantiate the points made.
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
Part of the PR in Practice Series and a very practical book it is too!, 21 Apr 2007
The book is divided into 3 parts, each written by a different author.
1. THE MEDIA CONTEXT
2. DEALING WITH THE PRESS
3. HANDLING THE BROADCAST MEDIA
It gives a good overall account of what the media is and what it wants.
The last two sections have a more hands-on approach while the first gives mainly history
of the media and background information.
Best part of this book is the transcript for fictional examples of poor and winning
television interviews. It analyses very clearly where the interviewee has gone wrong and
how he can improve.
Basic introduction to media relations, 23 Dec 2006
This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book's hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. We recommend this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.
Only good for absolute beginners, 05 Nov 2001
This book is part of the IPR series of books which vary as much in subject matter as they do quality. I am afraid to say this is at the lower end of the scale as it does little to inform the PR novice and does nothing to inspire anyone with a modicum of experience. The book is in three sections. The first looks at the media context. It takes the reader through a whistlestop tour of media ownership and law, pays only lip service to the internet and leaves the reader none the wiser about how s/he should factor an understanding of context into a media relations campaign. The second looks at dealing with the press and makes no reference to the section that precedes it nor to the growing number of online publications and their effect on the media landscape. The final section - without doubt the best written and most practical - looks at broadcast media, but only considers preparation for interview in any detail as if this is the only way media coverage can be secured by public relations activity on television or radio. The three key weaknesses of the book are its inability to consider the various media together, its virtual denial of the internet as a media form and the absolute lack of real life examples and case studies to substantiate the points made.
Cautionary tales of investor 'herding' syndrome , 21 Jul 2007
Yes,I endorse everything said in the reviews above and on the book cover and the Financial Times were spot on in choosing it as Two of the Ten Best Books Ever Written on Investment.
However, potential readers might first consider that it does deal with the two scandals in the writing styles of previous times which makes it difficult to fast read.
Skimming the cream at fat profit, 21 Mar 2006
I may be a bit slanderous above for I have not actually seen "Confusions and Delusions". However I know the original well enough having as a hobby translated the story of the Tulip Craze into Danish and being in the middle of the South Sea Bubble.
If the editors have added a good foreword and some very solid footnotes I shall be happy to eat crow (I have some problems translating the mechanichs of the South Sea shenanigans, I think because the author did not quite understand the technicalities himself) but if not, then they have taken three public domain texts (you can find them at Gutenberg.net) and reissued them at fat profit.
The rest of the original book has not stood the test of time. Charles Mackay was very much a Voltairean. Believed in human reason and all that and never saw deeper. Take the section about the witch craze. It was not motivated by unreason or caused by monks whose sex life had turned unwholesome. Capitalism was entering the countryside shouldering aside the old ways. This led to peasants' revolts, which had to be prevented. There were no standing armies in those days, so they used witch hunts instead. As soon as there were standing armies witch hunters were given very short shrift by the authorities, for witch hunts were a real pain also for the rulers.
Still, the 3 texts here are must-reads and if you don't want to read them on a computer screen gratis a paper version is necessary.
Tales of Great Greed and Fear, and Market Manipulation, 29 Aug 2004
The stories in this book will have appeal as long as human beings exhibit great greed and fear in their investing. Those traits will encourage people to manipulate those emotions to their advantage, and these tales will recur with new investments every few years or so. Some few winners will garner long-term wealth while most will lose their seats in this game of financial musical chairs . . . known as speculating in endless opportunity. Fast success draws attention, which draws new investors, which creates more fast success. The price takes off like a rocket ship to eventually crash to earth when it runs out of the fuel of optimism and greed. No one can hope to be a successful investor without absorbing the stories of these timeless follies. You will find in this book three sections from Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay in 1841, and Confusion de Confusion by Joseph de la Vega from 1680. The Mackay material describes the almost simultaneous Mississippi Scheme in France and the South Sea Bubble in England, as well as the earlier speculation in tulips in the Netherlands. Confusion de Confusion is a translation from the Spanish about speculation in Amersterdam in the securities of the Dutch East and West India Companies. The Mississippi scheme involved the use of private bank notes to improve the French debt and currency that were eventually tied into investments in a colony in Mississippi. John Law, a Scotsman, was the originator of the scheme, which grew out of control when the French printed too much money and the Mississippi colony foundered. You can read more about this in the recent book, The Millionaire. The basic facts are more easily absorbed, however, in this volume. Following along shortly thereafter, the English began to speculate in stock in a monopoly to develop trade with the Spanish, also tied to reducing public debt. That became the South Sea bubble and the speculation was encouraged by the early success of stock investors in the Mississippi scheme in France. Tulipomania is considered the best of the financial parts of this book, and recounts the amazing heights that a single tulip bulb could bring (with a famous table of the buying power of a florin at thta time) and the problems encountered, such as when a sailor mistook a rare bulb for an onion and had it for his lunch! These three essays are about psychology, and do not go into the market details too much. The descriptions about how the government dealt with these disasters provide relevant information for regulators. In Confusion de Confusion, there are four dialogues about how bull and bear markets can be manipulated and the consequences, in the context of speculation in hopes of gain for the new colonies and trade. These dialogues are superb examinations of how markets actually work, and will be an illumination to the new investor of who she or he may be up against. The lesson: Be sure you know the rules and think about how they could be used against you. This book is greatly improved by a series of essays. One is by Peter L. Bernstein in which he makes comparisons of the current markets to these early essays. Herman Kellenberg's introduction explains many of the details of the Amsterdam markets very well to make the de la Vega material more accessible. I especially liked the introduction by Martin S. Fridson in which he points out some of the errors and hyperbole in the Mackay material, and puts that work into a current context. Without these essays, I would simply encourage you to seek out the originals instead of this book. But these modern essays will add a great deal to your understanding. Mackay's book was reportedly a favorite of Bernard Baruch's, which has helped its popularity enormously over the last 70 years. After you read this book, I do recommend that you read the entire book. Although it is a tough slog in places, you will come away with a much better understanding of crowd psychology than these three sections alone will give you. The fundamental mechanism for each of these mania is that a new investment opportunity arises that seems to offer great potential. No one is quite sure what the future will hold, and optimism takes over. The price starts to rise, and that attracts attention. As more people invest, the market rises more. That draws more attention and investors. This continues until either pessimism starts to balance excess optimism, or the market simply runs out of new investors. It takes ever more money to create the same growth, so the market eventually has to fall. Along the way, a few are smart and take out their money. The rest lose. This mechanism occurs about once a decade. Some of the recent examples are Internet stocks in the 90s, biotechnology stocks in the 80s, the Nifty Fifty in the 70s, the conglomerates in the 60s, electronics companies in the 50s, radio companies in the 20s, utility trusts around 1900, railroads in the 1880s, and so forth back in time. The key lesson: If you think a mania will form, do your buying and selling very early in the game or ignore the game altogether and go into safe securities. Either one will work. If you want to split your money in half with half for speculation and half for safety, that would give you the best and safest route. Most people do not have the emotional discipline to sell in time, so it is dangerous to play. The markets will fall many times faster than they rose, so the time to escape is on the way up. I hope you will buy and read this book, and share it with your children when they start to invest. When you are done with the book, I also hope you will also consider where else mania take over. These occur in consumption patterns (not unlike tulip bulbs), activities (remember disco?), businesses (franchised door-to-door selling), and entertainment (quiz shows will come and go many times). Be sure you watch out for your exposure to these mania as well. Avoiding wastes of time and resources are an important part of achieving true growth.
A Parable for Today, 03 Dec 1997
This book has been around for over 100 years. The lessons of those events is applicable to the present time. I highly recommend it.
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
Part of the PR in Practice Series and a very practical book it is too!, 21 Apr 2007
The book is divided into 3 parts, each written by a different author.
1. THE MEDIA CONTEXT
2. DEALING WITH THE PRESS
3. HANDLING THE BROADCAST MEDIA
It gives a good overall account of what the media is and what it wants.
The last two sections have a more hands-on approach while the first gives mainly history
of the media and background information.
Best part of this book is the transcript for fictional examples of poor and winning
television interviews. It analyses very clearly where the interviewee has gone wrong and
how he can improve.
Basic introduction to media relations, 23 Dec 2006
This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book's hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. We recommend this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.
Only good for absolute beginners, 05 Nov 2001
This book is part of the IPR series of books which vary as much in subject matter as they do quality. I am afraid to say this is at the lower end of the scale as it does little to inform the PR novice and does nothing to inspire anyone with a modicum of experience. The book is in three sections. The first looks at the media context. It takes the reader through a whistlestop tour of media ownership and law, pays only lip service to the internet and leaves the reader none the wiser about how s/he should factor an understanding of context into a media relations campaign. The second looks at dealing with the press and makes no reference to the section that precedes it nor to the growing number of online publications and their effect on the media landscape. The final section - without doubt the best written and most practical - looks at broadcast media, but only considers preparation for interview in any detail as if this is the only way media coverage can be secured by public relations activity on television or radio. The three key weaknesses of the book are its inability to consider the various media together, its virtual denial of the internet as a media form and the absolute lack of real life examples and case studies to substantiate the points made.
Cautionary tales of investor 'herding' syndrome , 21 Jul 2007
Yes,I endorse everything said in the reviews above and on the book cover and the Financial Times were spot on in choosing it as Two of the Ten Best Books Ever Written on Investment.
However, potential readers might first consider that it does deal with the two scandals in the writing styles of previous times which makes it difficult to fast read.
Skimming the cream at fat profit, 21 Mar 2006
I may be a bit slanderous above for I have not actually seen "Confusions and Delusions". However I know the original well enough having as a hobby translated the story of the Tulip Craze into Danish and being in the middle of the South Sea Bubble.
If the editors have added a good foreword and some very solid footnotes I shall be happy to eat crow (I have some problems translating the mechanichs of the South Sea shenanigans, I think because the author did not quite understand the technicalities himself) but if not, then they have taken three public domain texts (you can find them at Gutenberg.net) and reissued them at fat profit.
The rest of the original book has not stood the test of time. Charles Mackay was very much a Voltairean. Believed in human reason and all that and never saw deeper. Take the section about the witch craze. It was not motivated by unreason or caused by monks whose sex life had turned unwholesome. Capitalism was entering the countryside shouldering aside the old ways. This led to peasants' revolts, which had to be prevented. There were no standing armies in those days, so they used witch hunts instead. As soon as there were standing armies witch hunters were given very short shrift by the authorities, for witch hunts were a real pain also for the rulers.
Still, the 3 texts here are must-reads and if you don't want to read them on a computer screen gratis a paper version is necessary.
Tales of Great Greed and Fear, and Market Manipulation, 29 Aug 2004
The stories in this book will have appeal as long as human beings exhibit great greed and fear in their investing. Those traits will encourage people to manipulate those emotions to their advantage, and these tales will recur with new investments every few years or so. Some few winners will garner long-term wealth while most will lose their seats in this game of financial musical chairs . . . known as speculating in endless opportunity. Fast success draws attention, which draws new investors, which creates more fast success. The price takes off like a rocket ship to eventually crash to earth when it runs out of the fuel of optimism and greed. No one can hope to be a successful investor without absorbing the stories of these timeless follies. You will find in this book three sections from Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay in 1841, and Confusion de Confusion by Joseph de la Vega from 1680. The Mackay material describes the almost simultaneous Mississippi Scheme in France and the South Sea Bubble in England, as well as the earlier speculation in tulips in the Netherlands. Confusion de Confusion is a translation from the Spanish about speculation in Amersterdam in the securities of the Dutch East and West India Companies. The Mississippi scheme involved the use of private bank notes to improve the French debt and currency that were eventually tied into investments in a colony in Mississippi. John Law, a Scotsman, was the originator of the scheme, which grew out of control when the French printed too much money and the Mississippi colony foundered. You can read more about this in the recent book, The Millionaire. The basic facts are more easily absorbed, however, in this volume. Following along shortly thereafter, the English began to speculate in stock in a monopoly to develop trade with the Spanish, also tied to reducing public debt. That became the South Sea bubble and the speculation was encouraged by the early success of stock investors in the Mississippi scheme in France. Tulipomania is considered the best of the financial parts of this book, and recounts the amazing heights that a single tulip bulb could bring (with a famous table of the buying power of a florin at thta time) and the problems encountered, such as when a sailor mistook a rare bulb for an onion and had it for his lunch! These three essays are about psychology, and do not go into the market details too much. The descriptions about how the government dealt with these disasters provide relevant information for regulators. In Confusion de Confusion, there are four dialogues about how bull and bear markets can be manipulated and the consequences, in the context of speculation in hopes of gain for the new colonies and trade. These dialogues are superb examinations of how markets actually work, and will be an illumination to the new investor of who she or he may be up against. The lesson: Be sure you know the rules and think about how they could be used against you. This book is greatly improved by a series of essays. One is by Peter L. Bernstein in which he makes comparisons of the current markets to these early essays. Herman Kellenberg's introduction explains many of the details of the Amsterdam markets very well to make the de la Vega material more accessible. I especially liked the introduction by Martin S. Fridson in which he points out some of the errors and hyperbole in the Mackay material, and puts that work into a current context. Without these essays, I would simply encourage you to seek out the originals instead of this book. But these modern essays will add a great deal to your understanding. Mackay's book was reportedly a favorite of Bernard Baruch's, which has helped its popularity enormously over the last 70 years. After you read this book, I do recommend that you read the entire book. Although it is a tough slog in places, you will come away with a much better understanding of crowd psychology than these three sections alone will give you. The fundamental mechanism for each of these mania is that a new investment opportunity arises that seems to offer great potential. No one is quite sure what the future will hold, and optimism takes over. The price starts to rise, and that attracts attention. As more people invest, the market rises more. That draws more attention and investors. This continues until either pessimism starts to balance excess optimism, or the market simply runs out of new investors. It takes ever more money to create the same growth, so the market eventually has to fall. Along the way, a few are smart and take out their money. The rest lose. This mechanism occurs about once a decade. Some of the recent examples are Internet stocks in the 90s, biotechnology stocks in the 80s, the Nifty Fifty in the 70s, the conglomerates in the 60s, electronics companies in the 50s, radio companies in the 20s, utility trusts around 1900, railroads in the 1880s, and so forth back in time. The key lesson: If you think a mania will form, do your buying and selling very early in the game or ignore the game altogether and go into safe securities. Either one will work. If you want to split your money in half with half for speculation and half for safety, that would give you the best and safest route. Most people do not have the emotional discipline to sell in time, so it is dangerous to play. The markets will fall many times faster than they rose, so the time to escape is on the way up. I hope you will buy and read this book, and share it with your children when they start to invest. When you are done with the book, I also hope you will also consider where else mania take over. These occur in consumption patterns (not unlike tulip bulbs), activities (remember disco?), businesses (franchised door-to-door selling), and entertainment (quiz shows will come and go many times). Be sure you watch out for your exposure to these mania as well. Avoiding wastes of time and resources are an important part of achieving true growth.
A Parable for Today, 03 Dec 1997
This book has been around for over 100 years. The lessons of those events is applicable to the present time. I highly recommend it.
The best overview of Oracle Financials, 31 Jan 2002
I read this book about 6 months into an Oracle Financials assignment - I could have done with it at the start. A very good overview of Oracle Financials - not much point in reading it after that - certainly isn't a 'Handbook' as such.
Good overview and highlights on certain topics, 21 Jul 1999
I think that it is great that books on Oracle Applications are being published as there are not many out there. I bought this one and have passed it onto colleagues who are new to Applications. Looking forward to reading and using the one from Que in Sept/Oct. Books such as this compliment the Oracle manuals, user groups and various web sites/ newsgroups that are out there focusing on Oracle Applications. As support would tell you "your issue is not a bug but a consultancy/ implmentation issue". The more information available from consultants who have or do work with Apps the wealthier the Apps community.
Good book with wrong name, 21 Jun 1999
If this book is called "Oracle Financials Overview" it would be an excelent one. But there is no way in hell this is a "handbook" because there is nothing inside to make you use this book more than once. It is good just to give you an overview (but good one indeed). And what "planning and implementation" (from the book title) are you talking about? Again, this is an Overview and nothing else!
Not for the Technical, 07 Jun 1999
A good book for those who want to know WHAT the financials suite of applications are for, but not for those who need to delve into the intricacies of installation or day-to-day management aspects.
Excellent Introduction, 28 May 1999
For those critics of you out there who think that this book was not this or not that, especially the reader from Port Arthur in Tasmania, I suggest you buy an Oracle Reference Manual or Users guide. Get real! This book gives a great introduction to the core Oracle Applications and I believe it was well done. It introduces the business and Functional side to Oracle Financials. For those pretentious readers who can't spell Oracle read the cover "Oracle Financials Handbook" - "Planning and Implementing the Oracle Financial Applications Suite" No where does it say Technical Reference Manual. I'd like to see these half baked consultants write ANYTHING half as good. Well done David and Graham. If anyone cares to discuss this work email me and we'll "CHAT"
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
Part of the PR in Practice Series and a very practical book it is too!, 21 Apr 2007
The book is divided into 3 parts, each written by a different author.
1. THE MEDIA CONTEXT
2. DEALING WITH THE PRESS
3. HANDLING THE BROADCAST MEDIA
It gives a good overall account of what the media is and what it wants.
The last two sections have a more hands-on approach while the first gives mainly history
of the media and background information.
Best part of this book is the transcript for fictional examples of poor and winning
television interviews. It analyses very clearly where the interviewee has gone wrong and
how he can improve.
Basic introduction to media relations, 23 Dec 2006
This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book's hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. We recommend this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.
Only good for absolute beginners, 05 Nov 2001
This book is part of the IPR series of books which vary as much in subject matter as they do quality. I am afraid to say this is at the lower end of the scale as it does little to inform the PR novice and does nothing to inspire anyone with a modicum of experience. The book is in three sections. The first looks at the media context. It takes the reader through a whistlestop tour of media ownership and law, pays only lip service to the internet and leaves the reader none the wiser about how s/he should factor an understanding of context into a media relations campaign. The second looks at dealing with the press and makes no reference to the section that precedes it nor to the growing number of online publications and their effect on the media landscape. The final section - without doubt the best written and most practical - looks at broadcast media, but only considers preparation for interview in any detail as if this is the only way media coverage can be secured by public relations activity on television or radio. The three key weaknesses of the book are its inability to consider the various media together, its virtual denial of the internet as a media form and the absolute lack of real life examples and case studies to substantiate the points made.
Cautionary tales of investor 'herding' syndrome , 21 Jul 2007
Yes,I endorse everything said in the reviews above and on the book cover and the Financial Times were spot on in choosing it as Two of the Ten Best Books Ever Written on Investment.
However, potential readers might first consider that it does deal with the two scandals in the writing styles of previous times which makes it difficult to fast read.
Skimming the cream at fat profit, 21 Mar 2006
I may be a bit slanderous above for I have not actually seen "Confusions and Delusions". However I know the original well enough having as a hobby translated the story of the Tulip Craze into Danish and being in the middle of the South Sea Bubble.
If the editors have added a good foreword and some very solid footnotes I shall be happy to eat crow (I have some problems translating the mechanichs of the South Sea shenanigans, I think because the author did not quite understand the technicalities himself) but if not, then they have taken three public domain texts (you can find them at Gutenberg.net) and reissued them at fat profit.
The rest of the original book has not stood the test of time. Charles Mackay was very much a Voltairean. Believed in human reason and all that and never saw deeper. Take the section about the witch craze. It was not motivated by unreason or caused by monks whose sex life had turned unwholesome. Capitalism was entering the countryside shouldering aside the old ways. This led to peasants' revolts, which had to be prevented. There were no standing armies in those days, so they used witch hunts instead. As soon as there were standing armies witch hunters were given very short shrift by the authorities, for witch hunts were a real pain also for the rulers.
Still, the 3 texts here are must-reads and if you don't want to read them on a computer screen gratis a paper version is necessary.
Tales of Great Greed and Fear, and Market Manipulation, 29 Aug 2004
The stories in this book will have appeal as long as human beings exhibit great greed and fear in their investing. Those traits will encourage people to manipulate those emotions to their advantage, and these tales will recur with new investments every few years or so. Some few winners will garner long-term wealth while most will lose their seats in this game of financial musical chairs . . . known as speculating in endless opportunity. Fast success draws attention, which draws new investors, which creates more fast success. The price takes off like a rocket ship to eventually crash to earth when it runs out of the fuel of optimism and greed. No one can hope to be a successful investor without absorbing the stories of these timeless follies. You will find in this book three sections from Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay in 1841, and Confusion de Confusion by Joseph de la Vega from 1680. The Mackay material describes the almost simultaneous Mississippi Scheme in France and the South Sea Bubble in England, as well as the earlier speculation in tulips in the Netherlands. Confusion de Confusion is a translation from the Spanish about speculation in Amersterdam in the securities of the Dutch East and West India Companies. The Mississippi scheme involved the use of private bank notes to improve the French debt and currency that were eventually tied into investments in a colony in Mississippi. John Law, a Scotsman, was the originator of the scheme, which grew out of control when the French printed too much money and the Mississippi colony foundered. You can read more about this in the recent book, The Millionaire. The basic facts are more easily absorbed, however, in this volume. Following along shortly thereafter, the English began to speculate in stock in a monopoly to develop trade with the Spanish, also tied to reducing public debt. That became the South Sea bubble and the speculation was encouraged by the early success of stock investors in the Mississippi scheme in France. Tulipomania is considered the best of the financial parts of this book, and recounts the amazing heights that a single tulip bulb could bring (with a famous table of the buying power of a florin at thta time) and the problems encountered, such as when a sailor mistook a rare bulb for an onion and had it for his lunch! These three essays are about psychology, and do not go into the market details too much. The descriptions about how the government dealt with these disasters provide relevant information for regulators. In Confusion de Confusion, there are four dialogues about how bull and bear markets can be manipulated and the consequences, in the context of speculation in hopes of gain for the new colonies and trade. These dialogues are superb examinations of how markets actually work, and will be an illumination to the new investor of who she or he may be up against. The lesson: Be sure you know the rules and think about how they could be used against you. This book is greatly improved by a series of essays. One is by Peter L. Bernstein in which he makes comparisons of the current markets to these early essays. Herman Kellenberg's introduction explains many of the details of the Amsterdam markets very well to make the de la Vega material more accessible. I especially liked the introduction by Martin S. Fridson in which he points out some of the errors and hyperbole in the Mackay material, and puts that work into a current context. Without these essays, I would simply encourage you to seek out the originals instead of this book. But these modern essays will add a great deal to your understanding. Mackay's book was reportedly a favorite of Bernard Baruch's, which has helped its popularity enormously over the last 70 years. After you read this book, I do recommend that you read the entire book. Although it is a tough slog in places, you will come away with a much better understanding of crowd psychology than these three sections alone will give you. The fundamental mechanism for each of these mania is that a new investment opportunity arises that seems to offer great potential. No one is quite sure what the future will hold, and optimism takes over. The price starts to rise, and that attracts attention. As more people invest, the market rises more. That draws more attention and investors. This continues until either pessimism starts to balance excess optimism, or the market simply runs out of new investors. It takes ever more money to create the same growth, so the market eventually has to fall. Along the way, a few are smart and take out their money. The rest lose. This mechanism occurs about once a decade. Some of the recent examples are Internet stocks in the 90s, biotechnology stocks in the 80s, the Nifty Fifty in the 70s, the conglomerates in the 60s, electronics companies in the 50s, radio companies in the 20s, utility trusts around 1900, railroads in the 1880s, and so forth back in time. The key lesson: If you think a mania will form, do your buying and selling very early in the game or ignore the game altogether and go into safe securities. Either one will work. If you want to split your money in half with half for speculation and half for safety, that would give you the best and safest route. Most people do not have the emotional discipline to sell in time, so it is dangerous to play. The markets will fall many times faster than they rose, so the time to escape is on the way up. I hope you will buy and read this book, and share it with your children when they start to invest. When you are done with the book, I also hope you will also consider where else mania take over. These occur in consumption patterns (not unlike tulip bulbs), activities (remember disco?), businesses (franchised door-to-door selling), and entertainment (quiz shows will come and go many times). Be sure you watch out for your exposure to these mania as well. Avoiding wastes of time and resources are an important part of achieving true growth.
A Parable for Today, 03 Dec 1997
This book has been around for over 100 years. The lessons of those events is applicable to the present time. I highly recommend it.
The best overview of Oracle Financials, 31 Jan 2002
I read this book about 6 months into an Oracle Financials assignment - I could have done with it at the start. A very good overview of Oracle Financials - not much point in reading it after that - certainly isn't a 'Handbook' as such.
Good overview and highlights on certain topics, 21 Jul 1999
I think that it is great that books on Oracle Applications are being published as there are not many out there. I bought this one and have passed it onto colleagues who are new to Applications. Looking forward to reading and using the one from Que in Sept/Oct. Books such as this compliment the Oracle manuals, user groups and various web sites/ newsgroups that are out there focusing on Oracle Applications. As support would tell you "your issue is not a bug but a consultancy/ implmentation issue". The more information available from consultants who have or do work with Apps the wealthier the Apps community.
Good book with wrong name, 21 Jun 1999
If this book is called "Oracle Financials Overview" it would be an excelent one. But there is no way in hell this is a "handbook" because there is nothing inside to make you use this book more than once. It is good just to give you an overview (but good one indeed). And what "planning and implementation" (from the book title) are you talking about? Again, this is an Overview and nothing else!
Not for the Technical, 07 Jun 1999
A good book for those who want to know WHAT the financials suite of applications are for, but not for those who need to delve into the intricacies of installation or day-to-day management aspects.
Excellent Introduction, 28 May 1999
For those critics of you out there who think that this book was not this or not that, especially the reader from Port Arthur in Tasmania, I suggest you buy an Oracle Reference Manual or Users guide. Get real! This book gives a great introduction to the core Oracle Applications and I believe it was well done. It introduces the business and Functional side to Oracle Financials. For those pretentious readers who can't spell Oracle read the cover "Oracle Financials Handbook" - "Planning and Implementing the Oracle Financial Applications Suite" No where does it say Technical Reference Manual. I'd like to see these half baked consultants write ANYTHING half as good. Well done David and Graham. If anyone cares to discuss this work email me and we'll "CHAT"
The Author is a Word Wizard!, 21 Jan 2008
It's not often that the craft of business book writing is so perfectly executed, as in this tiny tour de force, but then again there are not many business book writers like Stephen Brown. I bought Wizard after reading one of his other books, Free Gift Inside, and I have not been disappointed. This one is a real page turner, very lively, sumptuously written, expertly researched and always taking unexpected little twists and turns, a feature that mirrors, I suppose, the Hary Potter books themselves. Speaking of mirrors, you'll actually need one to read one of the chapters! - seriously, because it's printed back to front. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a branding case study that is a cut above the rest.
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ITIL Service Transition
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Shirley LacyIvor Macfarlane;
;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £68.87
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ITIL Service Design
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Colin RuddVernon Lloyd;
;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £69.05
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Customer Reviews
If you are serious about ITIL .... read on, 31 Oct 2008
If you are serious about ITIL and you're taking the exams, then these are the books you need to read (obviously!). I bought the suite of books just because they are better value together rather than separately. If you are specialising in different fields: change, problem, incident management then you'll probably buy the relevant book for that area, but I do think to get the whole picture you or your company should invest. They are helping me with my exam studies since I am serious about progressing through the modules. They are good quality, but when it comes to hauling them around the place, you'll need to buy a wheelbarrow, no kidding they are heavy! All round, personally they are a good investment for me. My Service Transition book is looking tatty already and is filled with notes whereas the rest of them look brand new (this will change shortly). New v3 exams are starting to hit the training market place as we speak. Essential Reading BAR NONE!, 04 Aug 2007
There are hundreds of books out there on Network marketing, hundreds of very good ones too, we all know them. However, none are more concise and practically useful as this. Real, unpatronising and straight-to-the-point, it is absolutely essential for the new NM business owner. It introduces the business briefly and concisely, talks about your first steps in easy how-to guides and also prepares you for the pitfulls of starting out in network marketing or MLM and how to effectively deal with them. Very easy to comprehend and a fantastic read all round, this is quite frankly the best book out there and the essential item that I ensure all of my new team members purchase and read BEFORE ANY OTHER.
Sarah Clark www.theforeverteam.com
Excellent for both Newbies and Pros, 24 Oct 2006
This is an excellent book written by the consumate Network Marketing Pro. Perfect training to allow a new Person to know what to expect in their first year. Even a 'Legend' like myself learned from it :)
Author of
The Truth aboutt
Cafffeine
An ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!!!, 13 Jun 2006
I've been in the business for the past four years and this is one of the first books I recommend my downline read.
Ken Hamilton. www.workpartime.org Starting kit for the beginning Network Marketer, 28 Jun 2005
Hi, I found this book very, very helpfull, I just started out as a Network Marketer and although I get a lot of help from my upline, I did feel a bit lost at times. This book can be used as a guideline, you just have to follow what it tells you and you will have success! And the way it is written is really nice, too, not patronizing, really entertaining and everything. It is a very good book that showed me the way in dark times :o) I wasted 6 months before I read this book, 27 Oct 2003
This book is an absolute must for anyone approaching network marketing for the first time or anyone already involved in network marketing. The concepts (the WHAT) of network marketing are reasonably straight forward but the HOW of network marketing - what works best and how to do it and how to avoid the pitfalls - is what this book covers. Having made every mistake outlined in the first chapter (and more) before I read the book, I can see how I might have avoided these had I read this beforehand. Save yourself months, years even, of torture and just buy this book. I was going out of my mind trying to get results. Save your sanity and buy it to begin with.
Part of the PR in Practice Series and a very practical book it is too!, 21 Apr 2007
The book is divided into 3 parts, each written by a different author.
1. THE MEDIA CONTEXT
2. DEALING WITH THE PRESS
3. HANDLING THE BROADCAST MEDIA
It gives a good overall account of what the media is and what it wants.
The last two sections have a more hands-on approach while the first gives mainly history
of the media and background information.
Best part of this book is the transcript for fictional examples of poor and winning
television interviews. It analyses very clearly where the interviewee has gone wrong and
how he can improve.
Basic introduction to media relations, 23 Dec 2006
This book provides a basic introduction to working with the print and broadcast media in the United Kingdom. It starts with an overview of modern press history, including major developments in Germany and France. While this section of the book is interesting and informative, its relationship with the rest of the content is somewhat unclear. The book's hands-on value emerges when the narrative moves onto practical questions, discussing how to deal with print reporters, hold press conferences, issue press releases and prepare for TV and radio interviews. First-timers will appreciate the helpful checklists in this section. We recommend this elementary media relations book to new staffers who are working with the media, particularly in the U.K., and to those who are intrigued by media history.
Only good for absolute beginners, 05 Nov 2001
This book is part of the IPR series of books which vary as much in subject matter as they do quality. I am afraid to say this is at the lower end of the scale as it does little to inform the PR novice and does nothing to inspire anyone with a modicum of experience. The book is in three sections. The first looks at the media context. It takes the reader through a whistlestop tour of media ownership and law, pays only lip service to the internet and leaves the reader none the wiser about how s/he should factor an understanding of context into a media relations campaign. The second looks at dealing with the press and makes no reference to the section that precedes it nor to the growing number of online publications and their effect on the media landscape. The final section - without doubt the best written and most practical - looks at broadcast media, but only considers preparation for interview in any detail as if this is the only way media coverage can be secured by public relations activity on television or radio. The three key weaknesses of the book are its inability to consider the various media together, its virtual denial of the internet as a media form and the absolute lack of real life examples and case studies to substantiate the points made.
Cautionary tales of investor 'herding' syndrome , 21 Jul 2007
Yes,I endorse everything said in the reviews above and on the book cover and the Financial Times were spot on in choosing it as Two of the Ten Best Books Ever Written on Investment.
However, potential readers might first consider that it does deal with the two scandals in the writing styles of previous times which makes it difficult to fast read.
Skimming the cream at fat profit, 21 Mar 2006
I may be a bit slanderous above for I have not actually seen "Confusions and Delusions". However I know the original well enough having as a hobby translated the story of the Tulip Craze into Danish and being in the middle of the South Sea Bubble.
If the editors have added a good foreword and some very solid footnotes I shall be happy to eat crow (I have some problems translating the mechanichs of the South Sea shenanigans, I think because the author did not quite understand the technicalities himself) but if not, then they have taken three public domain texts (you can find them at Gutenberg.net) and reissued them at fat profit.
The rest of the original book has not stood the test of time. Charles Mackay was very much a Voltairean. Believed in human reason and all that and never saw deeper. Take the section about the witch craze. It was not motivated by unreason or caused by monks whose sex life had turned unwholesome. Capitalism was entering the countryside shouldering aside the old ways. This led to peasants' revolts, which had to be prevented. There were no standing armies in those days, so they used witch hunts instead. As soon as there were standing armies witch hunters were given very short shrift by the authorities, for witch hunts were a real pain also for the rulers.
Still, the 3 texts here are must-reads and if you don't want to read them on a computer screen gratis a paper version is necessary.
Tales of Great Greed and Fear, and Market Manipulation, 29 Aug 2004
The stories in this book will have appeal as long as human beings exhibit great greed and fear in their investing. Those traits will encourage people to manipulate those emotions to their advantage, and these tales will recur with new investments every few years or so. Some few winners will garner long-term wealth while most will lose their seats in this game of financial musical chairs . . . known as speculating in endless opportunity. Fast success draws attention, which draws new investors, which creates more fast success. The price takes off like a rocket ship to eventually crash to earth when it runs out of the fuel of optimism and greed. No one can hope to be a successful investor without absorbing the stories of these timeless follies. You will find in this book three sections from Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay in 1841, and Confusion de Confusion by Joseph de la Vega from 1680. The Mackay material describes the almost simultaneous Mississippi Scheme in France and the South Sea Bubble in England, as well as the earlier speculation in tulips in the Netherlands. Confusion de Confusion is a translation from the Spanish about speculation in Amersterdam in the securities of the Dutch East and West India Companies. The Mississippi scheme involved the use of private bank notes to improve the French debt and currency that were eventually tied into investments in a colony in Mississippi. John Law, a Scotsman, was the originator of the scheme, which grew out of control when the French printed too much money and the Mississippi colony foundered. You can read more about this in the recent book, The Millionaire. The basic facts are more easily absorbed, however, in this volume. Following along shortly thereafter, the English began to speculate in stock in a monopoly to develop trade with the Spanish, also tied to reducing public debt. That became the South Sea bubble and the speculation was encouraged by the early success of stock investors in the Mississippi scheme in France. Tulipomania is considered the best of the financial parts of this book, and recounts the amazing heights that a single tulip bulb could bring (with a famous table of the buying power of a florin at thta time) and the problems encountered, such as when a sailor mistook a rare bulb for an onion and had it for his lunch! These three essays are about psychology, and do not go into the market details too much. The descriptions about how the government dealt with these disasters provide relevant information for regulators. In Confusion de Confusion, there are four dialogues about how bull and bear markets can be manipulated and the consequences, in the context of speculation in hopes of gain for the new colonies and trade. These dialogues are superb examinations of how markets actually work, and will be an illumination to the new investor of who she or he may be up against. The lesson: Be sure you know the rules and think about how they could be used against you. This book is greatly improved by a series of essays. One is by Peter L. Bernstein in which he makes comparisons of the current markets to these early essays. Herman Kellenberg's introduction explains many of the details of the Amsterdam markets very well to make the de la Vega material more accessible. I especially liked the introduction by Martin S. Fridson in which he points out some of the errors and hyperbole in the Mackay material, and puts that work into a current context. Without these essays, I would simply encourage you to seek out the originals instead of this book. But these modern essays will add a great deal to your understanding. Mackay's book was reportedly a favorite of Bernard Baruch's, which has helped its popularity enormously over the last 70 years. After you read this book, I do recommend that you read the entire book. Although it is a tough slog in places, you will come away with a much better understanding of crowd psychology than these three sections alone will give you. The fundamental mechanism for each of these mania is that a new investment opportunity arises that seems to offer great potential. No one is quite sure what the future will hold, and optimism takes over. The price starts to rise, and that attracts attention. As more people invest, the market rises more. That draws more attention and investors. This continues until either pessimism starts to balance excess optimism, or the market simply runs out of new investors. It takes ever more money to create the same growth, so the market eventually has to fall. Along the way, a few are smart and take out their money. The rest lose. This mechanism occurs about once a decade. Some of the recent examples are Internet stocks in the 90s, biotechnology stocks in the 80s, the Nifty Fifty in the 70s, the conglomerates in the 60s, electronics companies in the 50s, radio companies in the 20s, utility trusts around 1900, railroads in the 1880s, and so forth back in time. The key lesson: If you think a mania will form, do your buying and selling very early in the game or ignore the game altogether and go into safe securities. Either one will work. If you want to split your money in half with half for speculation and half for safety, that would give you the best and safest route. Most people do not have the emotional discipline to sell in time, so it is dangerous to play. The markets will fall many times faster than they rose, so the time to escape is on the way up. I hope you will buy and read this book, and share it with your children when they start to invest. When you are done with the book, I also hope you will also consider where else mania take over. These occur in consumption patterns (not unlike tulip bulbs), activities (remember disco?), businesses (franchised door-to-door selling), and entertainment (quiz shows will come and go many times). Be sure you watch out for your exposure to these mania as well. Avoiding wastes of time and resources are an important part of achieving true growth.
A Parable for Today, 03 Dec 1997
This book has been around for over 100 years. The lessons of those events is applicable to the present time. I highly recommend it.
The best overview of Oracle Financials, 31 Jan 2002
I read this book about 6 months into an Oracle Financials assignment - I could have done with it at the start. A very good overview of Oracle Financials - not much point in reading it after that - certainly isn't a 'Handbook' as such.
Good overview and highlights on certain topics, 21 Jul 1999
I think that it is great that books on Oracle Applications are being published as there are not many out there. I bought this one and have passed it onto colleagues who are new to Applications. Looking forward to reading and using the one from Que in Sept/Oct. Books such as this compliment the Oracle manuals, user groups and various web sites/ newsgroups that are out there focusing on Oracle Applications. As support would tell you "your issue is not a bug but a consultancy/ implmentation issue". The more information available from consultants who have or do work with Apps the wealthier the Apps community.
Good book with wrong name, 21 Jun 1999
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