The Profitable Hobby Farm, How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business Review

The Profitable Hobby Farm, How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business
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I think this is a great guide for all beginning farmers. Understand that it's not going to teach you how to farm but it will guide you though the process of actually creating the business.

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Turn your hobby farm into a successful business

No experience in farming? No problem! The Profitable Hobby Farm gives you all the tools you need to launch a thriving hobby farm business. Based on the author's expert guidance and the motivating experiences of other small farmers, it shows you how to blend strategy, marketing, and money management in order to prosper.
The Profitable Hobby Farm provides sound, friendly start-up advice on a variety of topics essential to making an initial foray into a local foods venture.
A must-read book for raising and selling local, sustainable foods
Includes sample business plan, grant application, marketing and advertising plan, and other forms
Lengthy resources section directs you to additional reading
Also by Aubrey: Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business

Whether it's growing heirloom tomatoes, raising free-range chickens for their eggs, or making organic wine or cheese, this book shows you how to turn your hobby into a profit.

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Branding with Brains: The science of getting customers to choose your company (Financial Times Series) Review

Branding with Brains: The science of getting customers to choose your company (Financial Times Series)
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This is definitely one of the better books that I have read related to brands and neuroscience. While being easy to read from a practitioner's position, it remains academically well referenced and draws on many reputable sources from social neuroscience and neuroeconomics in support of its claims.
Walvis also includes lots of practical advice and applies his thinking to existing global brands in an interesting and meaningful way.
Importantly, it was refreshing to read a book related to the topic of neuromarketing that was not essentially reductive and that did not overstate its claims. Rather, Walvis simply argues that branding gets it wrong by assuming that consumer brand choice is conscious, when in fact most brand decisions are made below the threshold of consciousness, but remain rational and goal orientated all the same.
On this basis, he makes a strong case to reiterate the importance of "Relevance, Coherence and Participation" within the process of branding and offers new models and approaches aimed at demonstrating how to achieve results according to these three paradigms.
I have only one small criticism and it is that the beginning of the book is slightly repetitive. Nonetheless, I feel he redeems himself as subsequent chapters unfold.
A facinating and insightful read!


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Smart branding professionals can make use of this scientific revelation to make sure their brand is at the top of their customers' minds at the moment they choose what to buy. Branding with Brains gives you the three most powerful laws of better branding that will make sure your brand comes out on top.The first book to link how the brain works with branding and the customer's decision to buy – a totally new, dramatically different and extremely effective approach to brandingNew tools, techniques and frameworks to help you implement the top three laws of branding more effectivelyIncludes a fascinating collection of international brand stories which show the three laws of branding in action and reveal the potent impact of the workings of the human brain

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100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country Review

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country
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I happily endorse this book. The new second edition contains many new questions from the first edition, revised many other questions, and completely rewrites every answer. Things are changing fast in residential real estate, and this book will bring you up-to-date. Whether you are a first-time buyer, first-time seller, or haven't bought a home in at least five years, this book will serve your needs very well. The questions are drawn from those that brokers report that first-time buyers most often ask. The answers draw upon the experiences of many brokers.
How much training does it take to become a librarian, teacher, lawyer, physician, or rocket scientist? How well would the world work for us if such training were skimped on?
When it comes to buying a first home (whether condo, co-op, or fixer-upper), most people act as though you can do brain surgery without the training. Not!
Even if you view this emotionally and financially important investment as one to be approached carefully, most first-time buyers will make important errors. Here are a few of my favorites:
(1) Not thinking about how hard it may be to resell the home.
(2) Vastly underestimating how much money will be needed to fix it up.
(3) Overpaying for the home because of not realizing how to negotiate.
(4) Waiting until finding one's soul mate before purchasing.
(5) Spending more than you can afford, and using boxes for furniture.
(6) Purchasing a home that doesn't fit your needs (where will you put 4 children and you in 2 bedrooms?).
(7) Taking on a horrible commute.
Interest rates are down in light of the terrible terrorist tragedy and weak economy. Unemployment is rising. Based on historical patterns, this is a good time to buy. Are you ready? Probably not, even if you think you are.
But I have good news for you. If you read and apply the lessons of this book, you will be more ready than many people who have already bought homes.
The subjects covered include deciding what you needs are, versus your likes; how to look; determining what you can afford; deciding what broker to use; how to work with the broker (especially what not to tell the broker, since most work for the seller); how to decide what to offer; how to negotiate; getting the best financing; checking out the house; handling the closing; and even dealing with problems after the closing. You also get help with which professionals (such as buying agents, lawyers, and home inspectors) to use, how to select them, what they will cost, and how to work with them.
I have bought or helped buy three houses, am an attorney, and am a licensed real estate agent. I found several areas where this excellent book extended my knowledge. I know it will save you thousands of dollars . . . and probably even more in avoided emotional trauma!
The book does this by posing questions, providing worksheets, steering you to Internet resources, and describing case histories.
No book from the buyer's perspective can however hope to dispel the incredible naiveté that we all have when we first purchase a home (all 2 million a year who are like lambs being led to the slaughter). For that purpose, I suggest that you also read another book, How to Sell Your Home Fast, which is an excellent description of what intelligent, prepared sellers will be doing to get you to buy their home and pay too much. Beneath all the friendly chit-chat with the sellers, realize that your are usually being carefully maneuvered to act against your own interest.
By the way, this book does not do enough to warn you about hidden house faults. Home inspectors are not the entire answer. They usually get their referrals from brokers, and will usually not tell you the worst of what can happen lest brokers stop recommending them. Spend some extra money and have people you know well and trust who are expert in electrical, heating, air conditioning, structural, roofing, plumbing, soil, and environmental hazards take a look also. They will find things that you can use to get the price lowered to cover the cost of repairs. My experience is that you will save about [amt.] for every [amt.] you spend in this way.
I also recommend that you find 10 people who are a lot like you who purchased a home similar to what interests you about five years ago. Ask them what they did right and what didn't work out so well.
After you explore all of these choices, you may want to consider what I did once . . . rent with an option to purchase. All of my rent went towards the down payment. I found I loved the house, saved money, and had few problems with repairs. I later sold it for a nice profit.
Also, spend time in the yard of your potential new home at all hours of the day and night. You may be surprised by some of the positive and negative features. In one home, I discovered that a dozen deer came by across a creek at 7:30 a.m. Seeing them every morning became my favorite part of every day.
After preparing by knowing what the right questions are, look for all of the potential problems and opportunities in making large decisions. Then sleep on your decision for three nights. You'll know what to do then!


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The Financial Times Guide to Corporate Valuation (2nd Edition) (Financial Times Guides) Review

The Financial Times Guide to Corporate Valuation (2nd Edition) (Financial Times Guides)
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Compared to many similar books I have read this book truly focuses on the most important and interesting parts of valuation. The reader benefits from being able to quickly understand the broader concepts without losing interest. Another thing I like is that the book can be used both by beginners/students and by more advanced practitioners. Even if I have studied Finance for a few years there are ideas/models presented in the book which are new to me.
The chapters explain valuation techniques such as multiples and discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation. Moreover, the book also discusses the underlying key value drivers and management's role in a company. All of this is presented in a very accessible way. I'm learning a tremendous amount from this book, and I would highly recommend it!
Pros:
Wide-ranging and accessible content
Good structure and easy to read
Plenty of illustrative graphs and examples
Cons:
Contains no resource CD with additional learning materials

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'Understanding valuation is relevant to everyone with an ambition in business. For us a Cevian Capital it is an absolutely critical skill. This book will take you there faster than any other in the field.' Christer Gardell Former Partner McKinsey, Managing Partner and co-founder of Cevian Capital 'A handy, accessible and well-written guide to valuation. The authors manage to capture the reader with high-level synthesis as well as more detailed insights in a great way.'Anna StorakersHead of Group Strategy & Corporate Development, Nordea Bank AB, formerly with Goldman Sachs & Co and McKinsey & Co "If you can envision the future value of a company you are a winner. Make this comprehensive and diligent book on corporate valuation your companion pursuing transactions and you will succeed."Hans Otterling,Founding Partner, CEO Northzone Capital "Both in my previous position as an investment banker and today as an investor in high growth technology companies, corporate valuation has been a most critical subject. The Financial Times guide to Valuationserves as the perfect introduction to the subject and I recommend it to entrepreneurs as well as fellow private investors."Carl Palmstierna, former Partner Goldman Sachs, Business Angel 'Not only will Financial Times Guide to Corporate Valuation provide you with the basic understanding of corporate valuation, it also gives you an interesting insight into non-operational challenges that companies will face. And it does it all in an unexpectedly efficient and reader friendly manner. If you want to learn the basics and only have a few hours to spare, invest them into reading this book!' Daniel HummelHead of Corporate Finance, Swedbank 'In this highly accessible and reliable introduction to valuation, Messieurs Frykman and Tolleryd have succeeded in selecting only the essential building blocks in a topic that can otherwise be difficult to navigate. Indeed a guide, this book will prove handy to many of us and a breakthrough to some.' Per Hedberg, Academic Director Stockholm School of Economics Russia 'This book provides an accessible and informative entry point to the vast topic of valuation. The book covers mechanics as well as how value is linked to intangibles, growth opportunities and industry structure, all the way providing clear examples of every key idea.The authors understand value: they know what is useful, what is practical and what is critical, and give any reader great guidance to the challenge of getting values right.' Bo Becker Assistant Professor Harvard Business School "I read Frykman & Tolleryds book on Corporate Valuation the first time in the late 90's - the book has not only thought me how to value investments, but also how important it is to focus on long term cashflow when building and leading an organization"Mikael SchillerOwner, Chairman, Acne Studios 'The easy, no-nonsense approach to corporate valuation.' Fiona McGuire, Corporate Finance Director FGS Understanding corporate valuation is crucial for all business people in today's corporate world.No other measure can indicate as completely the current status as well as the future prospects of a company. The Financial Times Guide to Corporate Valuation is a quick, no-nonsense guide to a complex subject.Whether you're a manager, executive, entrepreneur or student this comprehensive reading guide will help you tailor your learning according to your experience, existing knowledge and time constraints.Using the example of a fictional European telecommunications company, Mobitronics, as a model, it provides key insights into universal issues in corporate valuation and the most commonly used valuation methods. THE ONLY STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO CORPORATE VALUATION

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Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want Review

Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want
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Peggy Duncan teaches you the little things that make a big difference in your day to day work and home life. I would recommend this book to business professionals who want to take back lost time so they can put more dollars in their pocket. As a result of reading this book, I have increased my productivity and my income. I now have an uncluttered mind, desk and computer thanks to the teachings of this book.

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To achieve work-life balance, you have to create more time, and you cannot waste any of it. Figuring out what you want in life and developing the best way to get things done is your answer. If you can figure out ways to spend less time working, you'll have more time to spend on other important aspects of your life. This includes getting organized so you can think more clearly; having clear goals so you can stay focused on the right things; streamlining processes to eliminate useless work; and using technology the right way so you can finish quicker.

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A Bias for Action: How Effective Managers Harness Their Willpower, Achieve Results, and Stop Wasting Time Review

A Bias for Action: How Effective Managers Harness Their Willpower, Achieve Results, and Stop Wasting Time
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I was an avid fan of Harvard Business School Press (HBSP), and their brand of management summaries and knowledge. However, over the years, I've become disillusioned with the HBSP editoral style and model of publishing management/general business books.
Funny how many of their titles are written by Harvard Business School professors. Basically, the professors -- Olympian guardians of all management ideas and "know-how" -- are writing books telling practicing managers (middle to senior level) how to maximize their leadership styles and their corporate profits.
Anyhow, I believe that HBSP has recently released a rather improved book, "A Bias for Action," written by Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal. It strives to explain the idea that effective managers aren't necessarily busy managers. Busy managers being those who find comfort in just being active, without a vision or long-term goal for their group or team. It asks the question: what can we do as a managerial class to become more effective and focused?
What really shines through (and caught my attention) is the book's underlying theme that willpower is a major force for success. Willpower, to the authors, is a combination of energy and focus. There are several traps/pitfalls that are outlined:Trap of overwhelming demands
Trap of unbearable constraints
Trap of unexplored choices

What I've found most favorable is the authors' strategy of finding a goal and protecting your intentions. Inevitable setbacks will occur. Great managers and leaders know how to deflect that and concentrate on the positive energy by thinking about past successes, envisioning the goal, controlling your confidence, or talking with a mentor.
The latter half of the book deals with CEO-level management and how they can program their organizations to exhibit the environment that enable managers to become "purpose-driven." Depending on your role in the organization, this half may not be too useful.

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Times Square Red, Times Square Blue Review

Times Square Red, Times Square Blue
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Chip Delany, the writer/critic with the eight-inch... beard, has done it again. Two books in one, and both will give you lots to think about.
The first ("warm") half is an account of the now-vanished culture of random sexual encounters that once flourished in the Times Square area, especially in the porno theaters: alternately funny and tragic, and quite authentic, as I can attest from my own visits to the Adonis in ancient times.
The second ("cool") half is (indirectly) on the same subject: it's an essay dealing with the difference between "contact" and "networking" (I won't try to explain... read the book). Even though it never mentions the Internet by name, it says a lot about what the Internet is about, and what it's doing to us.

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Lower Your Taxes - Big Time : Wealth-Building, Tax Reduction Secrets from an IRS Insider Review

Lower Your Taxes - Big Time : Wealth-Building, Tax Reduction Secrets from an IRS Insider
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I would have given it 4 and 1/2 stars but that wasn't an option. The only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars was that the book deals with small and home bases business issues and for real estate owners and investors. I am retired and thus, could only benefit from the real estate discussion.However, I did have a business before retirement.
I got this book after reading a great review in the Orlando Sentinal.This book would have saved me a bundle had I known about this information many years ago. It is cleverly written and has a lot of good information that I myself never heard from my accountant. I especially liked all the examples and tips that I found really useful in understanding the tax planning sections I also liked the elaborations, which provided some nice insights into why Congress passed various laws or on what to do about certain laws,with a great deal of clarity and specificity.
One very unsual feature that I found in this book that I never read in any other book was all the information that was provided on how to "audit proof" each and every tax planning strategy. I have used the J.K. Lasser guide in preparing my taxes, and I have never seen as much specific information on how to IRS bullet proof each deduction as Mr. Botkin provides.
Many financial books I read are rather shallow and lack a lot of the details necessary to implement what they are suggesting. Also, there seems to be a trend in financial and real estate books to serve as a giant advertisement for consulting services or for other books. This was NOT the problem in this book,which was frankly very refreshing.
Even as a retired person, I did, however, find the real estate section to be very useful. It will save me a bundle on some real estate mistakes that I didn't know about all these years.
Some reviewer noted that this book doesn't show you how to plan for the various tax laws. He must not have read the same book that I read because this book has a lot of specificity on what to do with each applicable law.
In short: I have given a copy of this book to my son and daughter. That should tell you what I think of the book.

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Strategies from an IRS insider for slashing taxes, maximizing legal deductions, avoiding audits, and more

Completely updated for all of the new 2005 and 2006 Tax Laws!

Through his years as an IRS tax attorney, Sandy Botkin discovered that most Americans could legally­­ and dramatically­­ cut their tax bills by establishing themselves as independent contractors or businesspersons. In Lower Your Taxes--­­Big Time!, fully updated for 2005 and 2006, Botkin explains how, outlining a straightforward program for writing off everything from family vacations to movies and plays, and receiving a subsidy of $5,000 or more from the IRS each and every year.

From tips for launching a business to strategies for audit-proofing a return, Lower Your Taxes­­--Big Time! is a gold mine of information for every frustrated taxpayer. Tax-cutting strategies include:

How, why, and when to incorporate
Fail-safe methods for deducting a home office and family car
Simple but essential record-keeping tips
Tax advantages of being a consultant,independent contractor, or independent businessperson


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The Millionaire in You: Ten Things You Need to Do Now to Have Money and Time to Enjoy It Review

The Millionaire in You: Ten Things You Need to Do Now to Have Money and Time to Enjoy It
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At a time when the public is constantly getting slammed by hyped-up claims of how to become one-minute millionaires, it's refreshing to read a wise book like this.
I was a fan of Michael LeBoeuf's years ago when he wrote "The Greatest Management Principle in the World" which correctly stated that "what gets rewarded gets done." Since then a recently hyped book claims that "what is fun gets done" and we all are skeptical of that one, aren't we?
In this book, LeBoeuf writes a clear, enjoyable, and fundamentally-sound financial guide to wealth and happiness. His background in management, finance, and time-management gives him the mature credibility that we all need for such important life-decisions. Here is a man who is a financial-businessman first and an author second unlike so many others today.
I have a feeling that this book will not become a huge best-seller because of its somewhat understated manner. But that should not take away from its incredible long-term value and excellent writing.
I think this is a 6 star book in a field where best-sellers are really 3 star books. Buy this for yourself and anyone else you really care about. (Especially those who have plenty of money and little time to enjoy it.)
This book is a true financial treasure!

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Wouldn't it be great to have the financial freedom to do whatever you want? Wouldn't it be better if you could also have the time to do it?Most of us would answer a resounding yes to those questions. For many people, the goal of making money is not the accumulation of wealth for wealth's sake; instead, the goal is to have enough money to do the things we're passionate about. Butvery few people have a lot of money and the time to enjoy it.Michael LeBoeuf knows how to obtain both—and he wants to teach you. LeBoeuf shows that there are only four things people need to know about money: how to make it, how to save it, how to invest it, and how to enjoy it. But most people never figure out how to do all four, although almost anyone can. The key to doing so lies in applying a simple principle called LeBoeuf's Law: Invest your time actively and your money passively. Based on LeBoeuf's Law, The Millionaire in You offers ten strategic choices designed to maximize your time and money: * Live the life you want instead of the life others expect.* Stack the odds in your favor instead of against you.* Be a supersaver instead of a big spender.* Increase the market value of your time instead of working long hours.* Do less better instead of trying to do it all.* Capitalize on the unexpected instead of being derailed by it.* Own the market instead of trying to beat the market.* Limit your losses instead of letting bad luck ruin you.* Listen to those who know instead of those who sell.* Do it now instead of regretting it later.LeBoeuf is living proof that this strategy can work. He is a former business professor who retired in 1989 at the age of forty-seven and is living off of his accumulated wealth. He didn't inherit a dime, and he didn't get serious about achieving financial freedom until he was thirty-five. This book is intended to help you do what he's done before you're too old to enjoy the money you've earned or invested.

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The business of Hedging Review

The business of Hedging
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I've read a fair amount on hedging but this is the best one to start with. It uses common sense and easy to understand analogies to get at the "whys" of hedging. It is written for the small to mid size business person, but that only makes it stronger because you get to see the big picture instead of getting lost in the nuances and details of it all.

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In today's financial climate, risk management can no longer remain the preserve of the select few. Every manager in every business must have knowledge and expertise to control the financial challenges they face. Hedging financial risk is the most fundamental and effective technique of protecting a business against adverse market conditions. What is more, in the world of business, profits are largely the result of successful risk-taking.Rocket-science is not a prerequisite of hedging. You don't even need a trading or financial background to be able to learn how to put the principles into good practice. The concepts and many of the executions of hedging are surprisingly simple. So do you need the plain facts? And how can you trim your risk with your eyes open?Starting with the fundamentals, The Business of Hedging is a systematic and clearly explained tour of financial risk management. The Business of Hedging analyses the concept of risk and the various forms it can take, and illustrates how hedging can be used as a countermeasure.The book dispels the mystique of high finance that surrounds the art of hedging and brings it back down to the people that need it most - the ordinary business person.It describes:*the various forms of risk, such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk, and commodity price risk *shows how these can have adverse effects on your business *reviews the different tools available to neutralise these including: forwards, swaps, futures and options, *illustrates how best to apply them to everyday business. *shows the strategies used by top companies around the world over the last century and a half, and describes how you can use the same techniques within your own company.

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The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers Review

The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers
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I read Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" back in college my senior year, all 1200+ pages of it. I've read parts of Communist Manifesto and Capital by Karl Marx and some Joseph Schumpeter. I loved it all (especially Smith and Schumpeter) but it was BRUTAL as the dialects in those days varied so much from today's.
If you are new to economics or want summaries/insights into the greatest economists in history this book is for you. Mr. Heilbroner's book, the Worldly Philosophers, is the best books on economics I have come across and I have endured graduate level economic courses, both macro and micro (along with the undergraduate courses.) This book provides readers with a nice summary and analysis of the great Economic thinkers from Adam Smith, Karl Marx, David Ricardo, Mill, Keynes, Schumpeter and others. I found the book to be very general and not extremely analytical/scholarly if you will.
The summaries of each man's economic concepts and life/times in which he lived were extremely accurate. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the author tries to explain the multi-disciplined nature of economics and how it is a combination of sociology, history, political science and philosophy all rapped into one. If you look at the London School of Economics graduate program you will find over 30 unique Masters Programs in economics as the field is increasingly becoming applied and specialized into different parts of the society. Mr. Heilbroner asks a question at the end such as "are we seeing the end of Worldly Philosophers?" as the field is increasingly getting more specialized and very few economists are tackling the "big picture" anymore and how the various components of an economy (land, labor and capital) are intertwined with each other. Definitely something to think about.....
I found myself sitting down and reading a chapter at a time, 50-60 pages, with no problems at all. Mr. Heilbroner doesn't give you everything but perhaps enough to chomp your teeth into the works of each philosopher on your own. At the end of the book he has a list of suggested readings for those seeking more information on any of the economists/subjects mentioned but, frankly, I don't think many can handle 99% of the stuff.

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The Worldly Philosophers is a bestselling classic that not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us better understand our own times. In this seventh edition, Robert L. Heilbroner provides a new theme that connects thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The theme is the common focus of their highly varied ideas -- namely, the search to understand how a capitalist society works. It is a focus never more needed than in this age of confusing economic headlines. In a bold new concluding chapter entitled "The End of the Worldly Philosophy?" Heilbroner reminds us that the word "end" refers to both the purpose and limits of economics. This chapter conveys a concern that today's increasingly "scientific" economics may overlook fundamental social and political issues that are central to economics. Thus, unlike its predecessors, this new edition provides not just an indispensable illumination of our past but a call to action for our future.

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One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work Review

One Simple Idea: Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work
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I really like this book because it has opened up a whole new avenue for me, and showed me with simple descriptions all the areas where I was doing it wrong. I almost felt stupid that I did not know about provisional patents. I thought the only way to protect your ideas was the traditional patent route, and the 10-20 thousand dollars that route can cost. I did not know that a simple provisional patent, that can be filed for $110 would give me even more protection than a patent the first year I filed it. And that I could get a company to pay for my patent when they license my idea! How can you not love this book?
Stephen Key walks you through the steps of taking your idea from birth all the way through getting some company to send you royalty checks every quarter. You come up with the idea, then follow the steps laid out to getting paid for that idea. You do not need to have really brilliant ideas either. A simple product improvement can be licensed. A manufacturing change can be licensed. A procedure change can be licensed. The list is pretty endless in regards to what you can do. Can you take an existing product, change it slightly, and use it for some other non-related use? Yes you can, and you can get paid to do it!
Here is how this book will help me. I started writing ideas down in a small five inch notebook on may 4, 2004. I date all the ideas, my memory is not that good. I have 7 of these notebooks filled with ideas, changes, upgrades, etc. I take notes on a voice recorder in my car because ideas always pop in my head while I am driving. I know a lot of people get ideas in the shower, but I was on a nuclear submarine a long time ago and got in the habit of taking very fast showers because we can't waste water. So my shower time is very fast and focused, no time for ideas, but driving really works well for me. The positive side of that experience is that many of my ideas relate to saving resources.
I looked through all 7 books this week. My old thinking told me many of these ideas need an expensive, and time consuming patent. Now that I know about provisional patents I am looking at these ideas in a whole new light. I came across 19 ideas that I can follow up with right now. Then there are many more that need some more thought, and quite a few that are already on the market. Someone that knew how to market them beat me to the punch. That will not happen again.
According to Stephen, licensing is a numbers game. You will not get every idea licensed, it is better to be prolific. With the details he gives in this book I am confident I can research the market, protect my idea, target specific companies, create a "sell sheet" and benefits statement, and approach my targeted companies to start discussing a licensing partnership.
If you have ideas that you think can make money, you need to read this book. I normally read a book once, but I have read and reread many chapters in this book. It is an excellent guide which I am positive will make a difference in my life. I look forward to one day meeting with Stephen and thanking him in person.

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Turn your one simple idea into millions—without lifting a finger!
"Mr. Key's brilliance, wisdom, and insight will make you rich. Buy this book!"—Mark Victor Hansen, bestselling author and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series

"Stephen Key has written a book overflowing with the all-important information that inventors need: a step-by-step guide through everything that goes into a successful product introduction."—Gary Dahl, Pet Rock® inventor

"A terrific guide for anyone who wants to be a successful entrepreneur."—John Osher, innovation guru who created SpinBrush®, Stretch Armstrong®, Spin Pop®, and Quattro® Titanium Trimmer Razor

"Tired of working for corporate America? Tired of living paycheck to paycheck?One Simple Idea can teach you how to add a few zeros to your income. Buy this book and live your dreams now!"—Kevin Harrington, infomercial king and featured investor onMark Burnett's Shark Tank

"Stephen Key turns conventional inventing ‘wisdom' on its head and clearly outlines how anyone can earn a meaningful income with One Simple Idea."—Tamara Monosoff, founder of Mom Invented® and author ofThe Mom Inventors Handbook and Your Million Dollar Dream

"Whether you are a creator or a connector, this book will help you turn your ideas into a fulfilling, profitable career. Read it and WIN!"—Patrick Lonergan, former vice president and general manager, Johnson & Johnson, and president/partner of NUMARK Laboratories, Inc.

About the Book:

For as long as you can remember, you've had a dream. You've longed to see your product idea come to fruition so you never have to work for anyone else again.

Stephen Key has been living this dream for 30 years. The developer of such lucrative products as Michael Jordan's WallBall®, the Spinformation® rotating label, and HotPicks® guitar picks, he knows better than anyone how to make a great living as an entrepreneur. Key develops ideas for new products, licenses them out, collects royalty checks, and doesn't look back. You can do it, too. All you need is One Simple Idea.

In this book, Key reveals the secrets that helped him and thousands of his students—including bestselling author Tim Ferriss—turn their creativity into a passive income generator by "renting" an idea to a company, which takes care of R&D, production, marketing, sales, accounting, distribution, and everything else you don't want to do.

You'll be amazed at how simple the process of licensing an idea for profit actually is. Key explains how to:
Keep your ideas safe—without spending time and money on a patent
Be your own boss—without formally opening a business
See your product go to market—without footing a dime in expenses
Make potentially big money—without quitting your day job

The age-old business assumption that ideas must come from within organizations has been shattered. From global corporations to small businesses, companies have become so confident in outside entrepreneurs that licensing is now a $500 billion industry. Businesses need "freelancers" like Key—and you—to provide creative, marketable ideas for new offerings.

With One Simple Idea, there's no prototyping, no patents, and, best of all, no risk. You can make the system work for you—rather than the other way around.


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Politics in Hard Times: Comparative Responses to International Economic Crises (Cornell Studies in Political Economy) Review

Politics in Hard Times: Comparative Responses to International Economic Crises (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)
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This is an excellent book to have a compared vision on the three great crisis of capitalism before the 21th century. It gives us a wide view of economic and political tranformations occurred in countries like the USA, Germany, the UK, Swenden and France. All countries and periods were carefully chosen. The periods because they offered an opportunity to analyse the answers that a set of countries gave to face international crisis. The Countries were selected in function of their similarities as participants of the developed world, with, during most of the time, competitive and plural democracies. They also have similarities on the answer given to the crisis.
The cor dimension of the text is tio demonstrate how each country shaped their interpalys of societal internal actors with the international flows of capital, goods and instabilities. There were times where the inter-class coalitions coincided, but the answers, did not. In other cases, the coalition diferred, but the answers were quite similars.
The only weak point, in my opinion, his the lack of references to primary sources related to the selected countries. By the way, excellent book to have a critical overview of how we get here,in the first crisis of the 21th century, and what are the realtions with the past ones.

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Next Generation Product Development : How to Increase Productivity, Cut Costs, and Reduce Cycle Times Review

Next Generation Product Development : How to Increase Productivity, Cut Costs, and Reduce Cycle Times
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Review of:
"Next Generation Product Development" by Michael E. McGrath
The last paragraph of Michael E. McGrath's newest book "Next Generation Product Development" boldly states that "product development has never been for the faint of heart." And I suspect that most everyone who has ever been involved in such activities will quickly shake their head "yes" to this "truth" statement, and quietly wish there was a better way. Fortunately in his new book McGrath guides us to this better way--a way that offers "more opportunity and promise for getting better new products to market faster, WHILE DOING MORE WITH LESS." The claim is nothing short of a renaissance of product development capability.
I like this book a lot. I like the multi-faceted emphasis on integration. I like the productivity theme and the need for new management processes. And I like the idea that we are only beginning the renaissance of product development capability, especially given the growth of collaborative development.
I confess that I do not like the continued use of the DCM abbreviation (it stands for "development chain management.)" But I suppose I can learn to live with another "alphabet name" because it does get to the heart of the matter--how to manage a lot of INTERDEPENDENT projects, all of which are going on at the same time. Of particular importance are McGrath's thoughts involving a "networked team," new concepts which I think will be fundamental to tomorrow's successful product development.
To join this renaissance, exactly where does one begin? McGrath offers three entry points: changes in resource management, changes in project management, or changes in strategy management. I suppose someone will try all three at once, but frankly just one is probably a lot for an organization to swallow. For different entry points McGrath offers us guidance, with levels of maturity assessments and/or stages of implementation. But even still, there is a lot of material to assimilate and multiple readings of many book sections will be needed to fully comprehend his recommendations.
However I suggest that you don't spend an excessive amount of time studying. Organizations mainly learn by doing, and this book lays out the "learn by doing" path toward success. Past generations of development have emphasized invention, project management, or time-to-market. This next generation is a path toward productivity within the entire development enterprise. It is a path toward "better decision making, better investment in R&D, better return on that investment, more collaboration with external partners, and true empowerment of development activity."
I suggest that you buy the book and begin.
Nils L. Dailey
N.L. Dailey Associates

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A Hands-on manager's guide to making the most of today's product development breakthroughs

A quarter century after MRP first transformed the global manufacturing arena, Next Generation Product Development stands poised to similarly impact new product development. This movement-defining book gives R&D professionals an in-depth explanation of the ways in which companies are able to achieve substantially higher levels of development productivity, while better aligning product development with strategy through new practices and systems.

Processes explored in Next Generation Product Development, and enabled by cutting-edge new-enterprise software, promise to explode the possibilities of what product development professionals can accomplish. This hands-on practitioner's guidebook will:

Establish a common set of frameworks and concepts
Introduce new project portfolio and product strategy management practices
Help R&D professionals increase productivity by 30 to 50 percent


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Applied Econometric Times Series (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics) Review

Applied Econometric Times Series (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
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I bought Walter Enders book several years ago, when I was an undergraduate student. It's a nice manual. Perhaps you won't see the statistical demonstration of the unit-root (Dickey-Fuller) test, but you will understand why it doesn't follow a standard probability distribution and you'll know how to use it. It's the same idea with Perron's unit-root with structural change test. The author introduces the reader to the main topics of interest in the time series field; ARIMA, VAR, ARCH, unit roots, cointegration, and distinction between deterministic trends and stochastic trends. This work is done through an understandable and fun text. You will enjoy reading the book. Besides that, the author illustrates each topic with an economic example perfectly presented and, in general, very interesting (business cycles, PPP, foreign exchange Market efficiency, Unit roots in GNP for example). I particularly enjoyed the unit root and the perron's test chapters. I used them a lot in my final work in college. Here, you will have the simplest explanation of ARCH processes. As someone else said, this is only an introductory book (for applied econometricians it should be seen as an excellent and very intuitive cookbook); if you are interested in time series, you can begin here, but you should then reading more advanced books, such as Hamilton's Time Series Analysis. A great combination of introductory manuals can be achieved if you have Johnston and Dinardo "Econometric models".

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What Works on Wall Street, Fourth Edition: The Classic Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time Review

What Works on Wall Street, Fourth Edition: The Classic Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time
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What Works on Wall Street? According to a study of 45 years of stock market data in a book called "What works on Wall Street" by O'Shaughnesy he came to the conclusion that some strategies would have produced greater returns than the S&P 500 whilst others produced less. He tested a range of strategies, re-balancing the strategies annually, with each strategy involving the 50 stocks which met the criteria for inclusion.
The worst strategy that you could have adopted was to buy last year's losers each year. The message is clear - losers carried on being losers. Sometimes the weak beats the strong, but it's not the way to bet your money.
The next ten worst strategies involved buying Companies on high multiples such as high price to sales ratio companies. These companies were generally on high multiples because they were thought to be high growth or sexy companies with lots of potential. They were the then current stock market darlings that investors were prepared to pay up for in order to join in with the latest investment fad or fashion.
As far as the best performing strategies are concerned, he found that the top 6 strategies all involved buying companies with high relative strength in combination with a value factor such as low p/e or low price to sales ratio. These companies were generally on low multiples because they were in out of favour sectors or old economy share that had been overlooked. By combining it with high relative strength (i.e. shares which were rising), these strategies caught those shares whose under-valuation was finally starting to be recognised by the market.
The book found that over long periods, adopting the following rules would have proved to be more profitable than buying the S&P 500: Low price to sales stocks out-perform the higher p/s stocks. Low price to cash flow stocks do better than high p/cfl stocks. Low price to book stocks tend to perform better than high p/b stocks. Other conclusions reached in the book are as follows: Price to sales ratio is the best single value ratio to use for buying market beating stocks. Last years biggest losers are the worst stocks you can buy. Last years earnings gains alone are worthless when determining if a stock is a good investment. You can do four times as well as the S&P 500 by concentrating on large well known stocks with high dividend yields. Relative strength is the only growth variable that consistently beats the market.
Buying Wall Street's current darlings with the highest price to earnings ratios is one of the worst things you can do.
Other lines from the book: Growth investors believe in a Company's potential and think a stock's price will rise with its earnings.
Value investors believe in a company's balance sheet, thinking a stock's price will eventually rise to meet its intrinsic value.
The S&P 500 tracker strategy is a strategy making disciplined bets on large cap companies. This strategy is just one of hundreds of strategies which could exist. For example another strategy might be to measure the performance of all stocks that begin with the letters h,l,m,n, and p. There are many other strategies which have given higher returns in the past than the S&P 500 strategy, some for no logical reason, others with a certain logic. Examples of logical strategies include a disciplined small cap strategy, or a disciplined low price to sales strategy or a disciplined high yield strategy etc. Some of those strategies also performed more consistently than the S&P 500 strategy, ie with less risk.
For example if in the 1950s the editors at Dow Jones had decided to revamp the index buying the 50 stocks with the lowest price to sales ratio, then the Dow Jones Industrial Index would be at 4 times the level of today.
People want to believe the present is different from the past. The price of a stock is still determined by people. As long as people let fear, greed, hope and ignorance cloud their judgement they will continue to mis-price stocks and provide opportunities to those who rigorously use simple time tested strategies to pick stocks. Names change, industries change. Styles come in and out of fashion, but the underlying characteristics that identify a good or bad investment remain the same.

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The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business Review

The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
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Having graduated from a top business school in Canada, I can safety say that I could have thrown out all my textbooks and used the money I spent on tuition to actually START a business, and used this book as a replacement to my business education.
What makes this book warrant such a strong statement is the fact that it's a comprehensive synthesis of all of the concepts you need to know to understand business inside and out. There are no complex models to learn or outdated theories to memorize just to get marks or pass tests. What you get is a comprehensive set of "mental models" or heuristics on all of the sub parts of creating, operating and working within a business. Why is this important? Because a mental model is like a rule of thumb for any possible scenario you might encounter in running a business - from value creation to delivery to marketing to finance. It helps you look at the world through the lens of what's most important (and thus no fluff to distract you) which ultimately helps you to ask the right questions and ultimately helps guide you to make the right decisions about maneuvering in business. These principles are universal and applicable for small business start ups to Fortune 50 CEOs because they're based on business fundamentals (the mental models) and not just tactics found in most other books.
In addition to a sound business knowledge what this book has is a very extensive section on working with yourself and with others. Achieving great strides in business is sometimes less about knowing the business aspect but more about conquering yourself - either with productivity, with working with people or with overcoming doubts and fears - all things I'm finding out as I work on my own venture. After having read dozens of psychology and self help books I can also say without a doubt that the section on working with yourself trumps them all. Josh delivers a well researched practical guide to understanding how you brain works and how to work with it rather than against it, so you can actually go ahead and apply the concepts in the rest of the book.
Highly recommended if you wish to know more about business, are thinking of starting your own business, or are thinking about joining an MBA program to climb the corporate ladder. Buying this book could end up saving a mortgage worth of student debt, so what have you really got to lose?


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