Book Description
The Leaky Funnel is the marketing strategy book authored by Hugh Macfarlane. This business novel is packed with fresh, key arguments for a major change in the way businesses organise and manage their combined Sales and Marketing resources.
The central argument, that a new framework is needed for the aggregate Sales and Marketing force, is based on Hugh's 20 years-plus experience, and has now been well proven in many leading businesses as a means of accelerating the effectiveness of their endeavours to earn more customers.
Customer Reviews:
The Leaky Funnel - Earn more customers by aligning sales & marketing.......2007-01-03
A great book thanks to the author as you can visualize all the characters in this real life drama. The story line is so real; having worked in professional sales for many years I have seen all the situations framed in this book.
Recommended as a light hearted way to bring sales within the marketing umbrella and to complete the closed loop process between sales and marketing functions, i.e. marketing drive the sales strategy, sales test the strategy on clients-to-be and provide feedback to confirm the strategy, works or does not work, to marketing.
Chris Jordan. January 2007
Break down the barrier between Sales and Marketing.......2006-10-27
One of my favorite business books! There is no better solution for aligning sales and marketing than around the customer funnel. The novel format makes it easy to relate to the issues and envision a realistic application of the critical lessons presented. It's the foundation for becoming more customer centric, putting better marketing ROI measures in place, and breaking down organizational barriers. Make this required reading for your sales managers and marketing managers and the right dialogue and actions will follow.
Witty, Sharp, Amusing and to the Point.......2005-04-21
This book is a very easy read, quite unexpected for this genre. It takes the reader into a company where Sales and Marketing are pulling in different directions - a problem for so many companies. What Hugh presents is a simple, straightforward yet powerful way to get Sales and Marketing, and the rest of the business, pulling in the same direction.
I recommend this book to everyone working in a revenue focused role, Sales, Marketing, CEO - even the CFO!
A fun read in a world of boring sales & marketing text books.......2004-11-12
I have to admit that I'd had the Leaky Funnel for 3 months and hadnt read it because I assumed it was going to be a boring read. Sure it would have good points to make, but in my busy life it was going to be another text book on sales & marketing that would send me to sleep.
I was wrong. I really enjoyed the way it was written as a "novel" in context. I read it in two days (on my annual leave), made heaps of notes and have done some things as a result of reading the book.
A well written book that made me think about what I am doing.
A essential guide to customer-based selling........2004-11-10
Macfarlane is one of the few sales writers to truly look at the issue of selling from the customer's perspective. His discussion of the 'customer's journey' is both enlightening and practical. Through The Leaky Funnel Macfarlane clearly states his argument, and backs it with a series of practical examples.
Product Description
In recent years, stock market investing has been proven unstable and not very rewarding. In fact, many people have seen their retirement and personal holding accounts dwindle. This new book provides an alternate to investors. It provides detailed information on how to put money to work in a relatively safe private mortgage investment with a high return of 12 to 15 percent (or more) in most cases. Private mortgages have grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. This market allows investors to earn substantially higher yieldswhile offering the security of real property to back the loan. Private mortgages have become an important fixed income vehicle for many investors with their personal funds, equity, and self-directed IRA accounts. Private mortgage investing isnt for the get-rich-quick type of person. However, you can comfortably double your money every 4 to 6 years. For example, should you invest in your self-directed IRA and re-invest as notes pay off? $100,000 at 12 percent grows to over $200,000 in six years, to $500,000 in 13 years and to over $1 million in 19 years. Private mortgage loans are backed by real property. Generally, you would not lend more than 55 percent on the value of the property, thus the investment is again relatively safe. Instead of concentrating on the borrowers credit history, private mortgage lenders concentrate their investment decisions on the real property itself. However, like any business or investment, there are a lot of details to learn, and you do not need to learn them on your own. Learning them on your own can be costly. In this economic environment of very low interest rates, you can still earn high yields with virtually little or no risk to your investment.
Customer Reviews:
Solid guide to private mortgage investing.......2007-03-27
Clark's book covers the basics that any investor will need to know, including why to choose private mortgage investing (and what your other options are) and how to go about doing it. It covers all of the different aspects of mortgages such as fees, interest rates, and even has handy tables to help you out. The appendices are the best feature as they have all the forms you will need as well as a comprehensive glossary (very useful!). This book covers everything you need to know to succeed, but were too scared to ask about. It even has case studies and examples explained with real numbers that help tie the whole thing together. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to start earning money with private mortgage investments.
Invest in this book today.......2007-01-03
This book is straightforward and gives you a tremendous amount of information about investing in private mortgages. Unlike a lot of books of the investment genre, it does not try to sell you on services provided by the authors. In fact, I wish the book had a bit more reference material for making contacts to get started with this type of investing.
Desk Reference for ANY Investor!.......2006-12-20
Clark and Tabacchi have created a masterpiece of an educational and supportive tool that should become a desk reference for any investor from amateur through industry mogul. By providing the reader with an organized and easy to understand manual on the otherwise opaque investing industry, Clark & Tabacchi display their expertise in this subject matter by guiding the beginning investor through the processes of choice from traditional savings through stocks and bonds on to the lucrative market of Mortgage Investing.
The explanation of the reasoning behind the private mortgage industry that tells you why you would want to find yourself in this industry gets the juices flowing and interests peaked. Your journey includes a thorough exposure to strategies of Mortgage Investing, this resource is a must have companion.
A complete and honest investment guide.......2006-10-20
This is a well organized and very easy to understand investment manual, whether you are a newcomer or an old pro in the business of real estate. Included case studies and tables are effective in illustrating the process and possible outcomes of private mortgage investing. The author clearly explains all of the parameters to be considered when taking advantage of this type of investment opportunity. Points, fees, and procedures relevant to mortgages are explored in great detail. Safety measures, tax considerations, and foreclosure processes are also discussed, with examples of what could go wrong, and how to avoid losing your investment. This is a complete and honest assessment of private mortgage investing, with excellent references and suggestions of how to get started or increase the success of your investment activity.
Everything you need to know to succeed at private mortgage investing.......2006-10-10
Before reading Private Mortgage Investing, I knew very little about private mortgages. However, after reading it, I feel as though I really have the information I need if I decide to take this path of investing. This book provides an in-depth look at every aspect of private mortgage investing from getting the most out of your IRA to ways to invest your money. One of the most helpful sections of the book was the discussion on how to find potential borrowers - and discovering there are plenty of them out there. In fact, it was surprising to learn that 1.9 million homes were purchased by investors in 2004 - that's 23 percent of all home sales!
For me, the best part of this book is the case studies. Reading about an 18-year-old who is already investing her money and a 73-year-old who turned to private mortgage investing is an inspiration - it proves that anyone can invest their money in private mortgages and make a nice profit. Furthermore, the case studies provide valuable tips - such as the importance of working with a reputable, trustworthy broker - from investors who know what it takes to succeed.
There are also eight exhaustive appendices, one of which includes sample forms, among them an example of a mortgage note and a mortgage commitment letter. The second appendix features a complete loan package from a broker. Everything you need to get started is in this book! All in all, Private Mortgage Investing is a must-read for anyone interested in really learning how to get into private mortgage investing.
Book Description
Controversial and exhaustively researched, gender expert Warren Farrell's latest book Why Men Earn More takes as its stunning argument the idea that bias-based unequal pay for women is largely a myth, and that women are most often paid less than men not because they are discriminated against, but because they have made lifestyle choices that affect their ability to earn.Why Men Earn More argues that while discrimination sometimes plays a part, both men and women unconsciously make trade-offs that affect how much they earn. Farrell clearly defines the 25 different workplace choices that affect women's and men's incomes -- including putting in more hours at work, taking riskier jobs or more hazardous assignments, being willing to change location, and training for technical jobs that involve less people contact -- and provides readers with specific, research-supported ways for women to earn higher pay. Why Men Earn More, with its brashness in the face of political correctness, is sure to ignite a storm of media controversy that will help to make this thoroughly pragmatic exposŽ Warren Farrell's next bestseller.
Customer Reviews:
Not addressing the real wage difference.......2007-09-09
Farrell contends that women make less due to the fact that they pick "easier" or more pleasant jobs than men. This may be the case in some instances, but I picked up this book because I thought it was about the wage imbalance, not what an average man makes compared to the avg woman. The wage imbalance is for the SAME jobs, not different ones.
Farrell says things like women make less because they choose to be day care providers instead of accountants. Again, I'm not saying this is not the case, but that does NOT address why women accountants make LESS than male accountants (with the same education, years of experience, etc). THAT is the real wage imbalance and Farrell just tells one common sense (like that a liberal arts degree gets you less money than a technology degree). I hope this "researcher" didn't get any money for his "research" on this. It's COMMON SENSE, not research!
Don't waste your money on this book!!!
Women and children first.......2006-08-05
If I did not see in author's biography that he is the father of two girls, I would have difficult time accepting some of his statements and explanations as to why is it that men make more money than women do. Advice to women that they should be courageous and enter the male dominated fields is something I have tried many years ago myself. Being willing to travel, relocate, enter the professions traditionally held by men and dedicate life to a career is the path I have followed. While I have had good professional success so far, I still do not find it to ring true that will necesarily generate more money in salary than what people working for me (all men incidentally) do. As a matter of fact, my employees make the same, or more money in salaries and benefits than I do.
What I have found interesting is the notion of the social order that author is trying to break. He is suggesting that women need to be accepting of having "stay at home husband" or what author is also referring to as "wife". Traditionally all women, even the successful ones according to today's standards have always been looking into ways to marry well (i.e. marry up). That made their own professional careers limited, since they always had to consider their own husbands careers too before making their own professional mark. Successful men on the other hand always had stay at home wives that followed them around country or world every time a new career opportunity for their man came along. Women need to free themselves up from the notion that they must have successful professional husbands in order to be successful themselves. I still find it difficult to buy as an idea, since I have a "wife" myself, and yet - money is not as good as it should be. There must be some other answers out there, only this book is not providing me with ones I was hoping for....
An excellent coverage of the subject, incorrect marketing.......2006-08-03
The controversy surrounding this book is not only in its very existence in the gender-political climate of today but also the author's weak choice of his target market. The material is unsettling for the female reader searching for yet another sympathetic ear in the mire of self-help books, an industry with synthetic reality for sale. It's totally ok for a handful male-oriented books to exist amongst the shelves of female self-help "porn." Do universities even offer male-oriented social study ? Oh, wait, that's engineering.
The author systematically discusses the reasons behind the perceived in equality in the inappropriately concocted but very real pay gap. When multiplied by years worked, the "total earnings" difference is a canyon.
The author makes a great point that the workplace has largely changed to accomodate females. Diversity training is about altering male behavior rather than training women to enter the culture of the existing workplace. There is no equivalent training of women to accept men in female-dominated industries, such as teaching, retail clothing sales, medical practice/nursing, childcare, etc. On the contrary, men are increasingly demonized as potential rapists and child molesters.
Men have always been pressured to earn more because they NEED to. Males compete with one another for desirable characteristics that are still in vogue. Just search the on-line dating listings to see that women prefer men that are physically larger (taller), are older (can demonstrate a track record of holding a job and accumulating assets) and , well, make more money. When these selective pressures are reduced, the pay gap may narrow. The gap won't disappear until the advantage of leveraged feminity disappears with it.
A strange book.......2006-03-13
This book is filled with interesting statistics about the job market, and certainly should put an end to the idiotic "59 cents" button we have seen so often.
However, one of the book's key insights was written up long ago by Thomas Sowell: unmarried men and unmarried women are paid just about identically. Married men tend to work much harder because they are now "bringing home the bacon," while married women work much less because they are raising children at home.
So one of the major issues here is a really obvious one: women have children. Of course, men are necessary to make this happen, but the female is the one who is equipped with a complete biological system to carry the infant to term and give birth, plus another complete biological system to nurture the new-born infant during its first years of life. We are called "mammals" because the females have "mammary glands."
If a woman does not want to have children, and wants to strike it rich by working for money, this book is full of good advice for her. It's full of good advice for everyone.
But it also strikes me as a very strange book, mostly because of its "Mindless Egalitarianism." The author seems to think that just anyone can choose to be an engineer, or a brain surgeon, that it is all a question of options, and never a question of cruel necessity. He does not really seem to live in a universe where some children cannot learn beyond the elementary-school level, or beyond the high-school level. Everybody has all these wonderful options -- and nobody has any limitations.
This is, of course, utter nonsense. Speaking from my own experience, I was surprised to discover, in high school, that I was not really very good at math, and that PHYSICS was my worst subject. How, then, could I aspire to be an engineer? As things turned out, I finally became a "software engineer," but any dolt could tell you that a "software engineer" is a computer programmer, and not a real engineer at all.
We are not all equally good at all things. And women cannot do all of the things men do, at the same level of excellence. (OK, shoot me already!) But the author will not tolerate such thinking on any level. The preface is written by a former president of NOW, and the author himself was a committed feminist (and board member of NOW) for many years.
And this is the second strangeness. Aside from admitting, and dealing with, the obvious inequalities among people -- and here I am talking about inequalities of ABILITY, not inequalities of INCOME -- the author simply refuses to admit, or discuss, the idea that men and women are not interchangeable parts. To clownishly simplify: don't send women into combat, and don't send men to suckle the newborn.
A really strange book.
Moronic Logic.......2006-03-02
It's too bad - it could've been an interesting book.
Major flaws:
(1) His assumptions that women lack ambition and competitiveness and are unwilling compared to men to do what it takes. Clearly this man's views have been shaped by the women he personally knows. Do you know a highly aggressive, well-respected, well-liked, sharp woman who knows how to negotiate and who works as hard as any man but STILL doesn't even come close to what a man would make? Well, if you do, and in particular if you know a lot of them, you'll find this book startlingly naive.
(2) The author fails to notice and address the very simple concept that males have made a corporate structure where males succeed.
-----------------------
Here are alternatives:
-----------------------
If you want to feel sympathetic towards the difficult world that men inhabit, read:
"Self Made Man" by Norah Vincent
or
"Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys"
If you want to understand how to get more money, read:
"Getting Even : Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men--And What to Do About It"
by Evelyn Murphy
But save your money.
Book Description
A direct sales superstar offers his tips on how to manage and grow quotabusting sales teams
One of today's fastest-growing enterprise sectors, direct sales employs 10 million people. Of that number, 2 million are managers. The most respected name in the business and a living legend, Michael Malaghan has done more than $2 billion worth of direct sales business over the past decade. In Making Millions in Direct Sales, he shares what he knows about assembling, managing, and motivating supercharged sales teams. Managers and those who aspire to become managers learn:
- Eight essential activities every direct sales manager must master
- 14 great motivators every sales manager should know
- How to combine sales contents and commissions in a unified motivational system
Download Description
A direct sales superstar offers his tips on how to manage and grow quotabusting sales teams
One of todays fastest-growing enterprise sectors, direct sales employs 10 million people. Of that number, 2 million are managers. The most respected name in the business and a living legend, Michael Malaghan has done more than $2 billion worth of direct sales business over the past decade. In Making Millions in Direct Sales, he shares what he knows about assembling, managing, and motivating supercharged sales teams. Managers and those who aspire to become managers learn:
- Eight essential activities every direct sales manager must master
- 14 great motivators every sales manager should know
- How to combine sales contents and commissions in a unified motivational system
'
Amazon.com
Although sometimes derided as "plain vanilla" investments when more exotic financial flavors are the rage, mutual funds designed to mirror precisely the performance of a particular index like the Standard & Poor's 500--called, appropriately enough, index mutual funds--have performed solidly if not spectacularly ever since they were first made available to the public in 1976. In Earn More, Sleep Better: Investing with Index Funds, however, advertising executive Richard E. Evans and Princeton economics professor Burton G. Malkiel argue that these vehicles actually outperform most actively managed funds over time and should therefore be strongly considered by anyone who seeks investments with a simple foundation, low operating costs, and a profitable track record. "It is certainly true that the index-fund investor gives up the chance of boasting to one's golfing partners about the fantastic gains made by picking stock-market winners," they write. "But experience conclusively shows that index-fund buyers obtain results exceeding those of the typical fund managers." The book is divided into two parts: it first compares index and managed funds and discusses development of a relevant financial plan; its second explains how to create and monitor just such a portfolio in order to meet one's individual needs optimally. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
You can make more money than most fund managers, and with more peace of mind, according to Richard E. Evans and Burton G. Malkiel. Just follow the "Five Giant Steps to Wealth" in this book for the most reliable way to invest for college, retirement, and other goals.
Index funds make investing easy because they save you from having to guess which stocks or conventional mutual funds will go up next year. You just buy one fund and you own all the stocks (or bonds) in that group of securities. When you invest this way, you will come out ahead of the majority of fund managers in that group, and you'll always do as well as the market average (minus very low expenses).
You will earn more and sleep better.
If you don't invest on your own, you may not think of yourself as an investor. But if you have a 401(k) or similar plan at work, you could have a lot of money invested in mutual funds. This book explains in plain language why index mutual funds are a better way to invest tax-deferred or taxable money -- better than individual stocks and bonds, better than conventional mutual funds.
If you're saving for college or for the purchase of a house, Earn More (Sleep Better) will tell you exactly what to do: how to set a goal, how much to put aside to reach that goal, and how to choose a combination of index funds for dependable, long-term returns.
If you think of yourself as an active investor, you know a lot about stocks and bonds. You may even own an index fund. But there are some things you might not know: for example, wily index funds are likely to continue to outperform the average mutual fund, in both bull and bear markets; how to combine different kinds of index funds (there are many more than just the familiar S&P 500 index funds) to build a powerful portfolio; and the single decision that may determine up to 92 percent of your investment results.
This book explains it all.
Customer Reviews:
Best Book I Have Read on the Advantages of Index Funds.......2000-08-28
What is an index mutual fund? It is simply any mutual fund that simply mimics a stock index (such as the Standard & Poor's 500, the Mid Cap 400, or an international index). Many people equate these funds with the Vanguard Index 500 Fund, which John Bogle popularized, but many others offer the Standard & Poor's 500 as an index fund . . . and there are many other indexes you can buy mutual funds for. If you want to know more about this subject, this book has excellent explanations in chapter 14.
Let me begin by saying that this book has many flaws. An outstanding book on how to be a very successful index fund investor has yet to be written. But this book goes much further in that direction than any other book I have read on the subject. If you also read Stocks for the Long Run and Common Sense on Mutual Funds, I think these will clear up the missing elements in this book. Some embarrassing typos still remain, but they are annoying rather than fatal.
The book has two parts. The first part compares indexed mutual funds to nonindexed (or actively managed) mutual funds. The second part looks at 5 steps to creating greater wealth using indexed mutual funds.
The arguments in part one basically document that indexed mutual fund returns after taxes and after expenses have been higher than almost all managed (nonindexed) mutual funds over long time period. The reasons mostly relate to higher expenses due to management fees, marketing costs, and commissions caused by more turnover of stocks for the managed funds, disadvantages of a large portfolio for buying and selling, and inefficient tax effects of high turnover in taxable accounts. The authors also look at the effects of perfect information, and how much return you get for how much risk. These arguments are well done and accurate. Two elements that were new in this book included looking at the arguments that Peter Lynch and other active managers have made against indexed mutual funds, and looking at risk versus reward.
The five step process in the second part of the book is:
(1) Get a personal financial plan (with goals stated in dollar terms)
(2) Get a personal investment plan (a strategy to meet your goals)
(3) Invest with a diversified portfolio of index funds, tailored to fit your needs
(4) Get maximum benefits from the tax laws to delay and reduce taxes
(5) Buy and hold your portfolio, after starting as soon as possible.
Each of these points is somewhat detailed with descriptions of various ways to go about it, alternative sources of advice and information, and ways to make contacts with the advice and information. More could have been done on the first category, but the latter two were well done. The reasons for these factors are better explained in most cases in Stocks for the Long Run than here.
I particularly liked the advice to create a worldwide portfolio of indexed funds. Most books on indexing miss that point. The argument is flawed here, however, in only looking backward at what would have worked best in the past. If the rest of the world continues to grow its economies faster than the United States, the best returns will probably be from being overweighted into international indexed funds to reflect the future balance of market values rather than the current one.
The main weakness of the second part is that it lacks much quantification. But if you read the Bogle and Siegel books that I suggested above, those will more than fill in the gaps for you.
You should also be aware that recent evidence suggests that Malkiel's insistence on totally efficient equity markets is coming more and more into question. Our own research at Mitchell and Company supports the growing skepticism. However, active managers have been slow to adapt to the new information about where the markets are inefficient. Eventually, new indexed products should develop to take advantage of these inefficiencies. The main weakness seems to be a preference for basing indices on the financial data that active managers prefer. That's simply our old friend the disbelief stall in action. If the measures that active managers use do not beat the averages, why should indices based on those same measures be the best way to construct an index?
Like all books on index-based investing, this one is long on the arithmetic and short on the psychology needed to be successful. Most people know how to make more money than they do in stock market investing, but do the wrong thing anyway. Until someone makes a more psychologically appealing case for indexed mutual funds, most people will continue to favor the lower-performing nonindexed funds.
Convincing that the index funds are the best way to invest.........2000-04-03
I certainly want my dollars invested to yield ME the most. The authors clearly show that managed funds do not put the investor first nor do they match or beat the index funds.
One word why most financial advisors and mutual fund company advertising do not trumpet index funds - greed - from the the money they skim off the top of your investment dollars in the managed funds.
A great book--the best I've read on this subject!.......1999-03-11
Here is a book on investing that is clear, practical and downright interesting. I've always been afraid of the market, but here, at last, is a book in simple English that makes things understandable. And it's not just information. It really is a guide for an investment strategy that has proven itself not just in this bull market but over the long haul.
Smart, easy to use information about investing in funds........1999-03-05
I came to this book for two good reasons. Now I come back to it regularly and I recommend it to others like me. I am an old pro in the advertising business but an amateur investor. My kids are out of school, business is thriving. I have some money to invest and no special feel for the market. This 270-page guide showed me how easy it is to build an investment program that could outperform most conventional "actively managed" mutual funds--and do it at lower risk. It is written in a conversational style, and intended for a wide range of people, from those who know little about investing to active investors.
The book has two parts. The first, documents the advantages of index mutual funds and explains why they will outperform conventional funds.
Part 2 explains "The 5 Giant Steps to Wealth." Here the reader is taken through a series of simple steps that can lead to a superior investment program. Topics include financial and investment planning, blending stocks and bonds, taxes, and timing. I learned the best way to build a diversified portfolio of index funds, balanced to fit my needs.
Evans explains that managers of conventional funds start out with too many strikes against them--invasive sales charges, higher costs, higher taxes, generally higher risk, and other factors. Most basic of all, he said, is human nature: "Whenever the manager of a conventional fund selects a particular stock to buy or sell, he or she is prediciting the future. Human beings do not have that ability. The times when it seems to work are largely a matter of luck--association, not causation."
I was first drawn to this book because I recognized one of its author. I hadn't spoken with Dick Evans in 15 years, he was my boss when I first broke into advertising. He taught me how to write simply, directly and humanly for some very persnickety corporate clients. Dick taught me how to make people want to read. So I picked the book off the shelf. But I bought this book because in it I found someone who would give me some markers, a simple way to make sense, and ultimately a profit out of the tumultuous and unpredictable stock market.
Dick writes like he talks and he's a compelling speaker. He frames his arguments in concise dramatic vignettes, tells you what you're going to learn, pokes and prods you into understanding, then sums it up before moving on. You travel on step at a time. You end up covering a lot of ground standing at some inescapable conclusions and some very simple how-to directions. This is the first investors guide I ever read all the way through. I did what it said. I sleep better. I wrote Dick a note of thanks. Now I can do back to being an advertising man. Read it and reap.
Blurbs from John Bogle & Beth Kobliner can`t save this book........1999-02-10
To begin with this reviewer owns index funds and most of them are Vanguard Index Funds. I have no problem with index investing but I do have a problem with this book. To begin with, guys, it`s Jason Zwieg at Money Magazine whom you quote not Jason Sweig.I know it`s a little bit picky but, hey, I put down some serious bucks for the book. Part one you proved your point. Index Funds beat most managed funds. Part two doesn`t do it. What I got was some hazy facts and figures and Burton Malkiel`s portfolio for a 30, 48 and 65 year old person. Should we be impressed? I mean he is the famous author of the book " A Random Walk Down Wall Street". Does he tell us how he thinks those portfolios did in the past---Not to my recollection. Does he tell us how he thinks they will do in the years to come? I don`t think so. And why only three different age groups---Is there something mysterious about the age 48 why not 50. Hey, how about Grandma and Grandpa age 75. Maybe we should write off 80 as you have been around too long. Richard Evans mentions 5 year rolling returns does he show me any--No---My point here is part two should be loaded with facts and figures not points on 401k plans, social security, and should I get an investment advisor. Those subjects are all fine but remeber this book is about index funds. I wonder if John Bogle really read this book. Beth kobliner author of "Get a Finacial Life" gave this book a blurb also---Sorry Beth I have life and this book needs help.
Average customer rating:
- For Those Under Forty, Only
- Great way to rethink your money
- The Ms.Spent Money Guide
- Ms. Spent Is Right On The Money!!
- Everyone can relate to MsSpent!
|
The MsSpent Money Guide: Get More of What You Want with What You Earn
Deborah Knuckey
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Book Description
Change your spending habits to achieve your personal and financial goals
The hardest part of personal finance for most people is living within their means. Spreadsheets, budgets, and tables make money management seem like hard work. In
The MsSpent Money Guide, readers are introduced to an innovative approach that focuses spending habits to allow for everyday costs and future expenses while finding money for things you really enjoy.
MsSpent's bottom line is to help people have a more fulfilling life by helping them clarify their financial goals as well as develop systems and habits that manage their spending. We are all unique and there is no single way to manage money.
The MsSpent Money Guide helps each individual discover a way that will work for them. Readers of all ages will benefit from MsSpent's message-if you are clear about your values, you will get more of the life you want with the money you have.
Customer Reviews:
For Those Under Forty, Only.......2007-10-20
This is a good basic guide . . . for young people. The advice is sound and practical, but uninspired. If you're under thirty-five or forty, you'll actually learn something.
The book could have been better if the author delivered on her promise to make it "fun" (it isn't), and if she truly delivered a way to (to paraphrase) free up money for things that enhance your life (she doesn't).
If you've lived long enough to have done All The Right Things (college, a solid job, family, etc.) but have also suffered what I simply call Life (illness, deaths, divorce, accidents, robbery), you know that first twenty-five dollars you put away isn't going to stay in your IRA unless you live under a rock and only crawl out to go to work. Alone. It's unrealistic.
The suggestions the author actually does make are worn out and unreasonable. This is a woman who gives workshops for a living. You'd think one of her priorities would be her appearance. Yet she suggests we all buy only black accessories, for instance, so everything matches. That's absurd. She says the people at Vogue magazine shop at The Gap. They don't (I worked for Vogue). The author, herself, stopped getting manicures due to the cost, although she claims she can't grow out and take care of her own nails. There are ridiculous examples concerning all aspects of life, like coupon-clipping, brown-bagging it to work every day, and other little "tips" that none of us do for a variety of reasons.
In short, when my husband asked me what I thought of the book, I told him the author had basic good advice but I didn't want to meet her. The information may be valid, but it lies flat on the page.
FOR THOSE OVER FORTY: Get a copy of "Start Late, Finish Rich." The author lists specific investments and gives good, solid, later-in-life advice for those of us who are simply running out of time.
Great way to rethink your money.......2003-03-17
I have the hardback edition of this book and love it - it still sits on my desk and I refer to it a fair bit. I like the way the author realizes that the eky to managing spending is more psychological than logical - and she gives easy to follow solid advice about how to get out of your own way and get into good habits.
My advice: if you want to get more for your money - Buy it!
The Ms.Spent Money Guide.......2003-01-05
Many book are interesting to read, and then you forget all about them. Not "The MsSpent Money Guide," which I refer to over and over again. It is a book that has changed my life. Most of us feel helpless before ubiquitous money problems. Deborah Knuckey's book teaches you that you can be in charge of your financial welfare, that you are the architect of your future, and that you can be as well off moneywise as you want to be. She says, "Why spend so much of your life working if you don't use your earning in a way that makes you ahppy? Even if you love your job, most work is siimply not that much fun that we'd do it purely for the joy of it. So take the payment for your work and put it to your own best use." Knuckey believes that each of us has different life values, and it is foolish to go along with everyone else's. What mattters, she writes, is that your spending fit your own needs and not that of the Joneses. Some people like fine clothes, others could care less what they wear. Some of us enjoy eating in fine restaurants, others prefer cooking at home.Whatever it is that you enjoy, that is what you should be spending your money on. What matters is not how much money you have, but that it is invested in what will make you happy. Deborah Knuckey will teach you haow to do it. Don't miss reading this book, if you want to enjoy life to the fullest.
Ms. Spent Is Right On The Money!!.......2001-06-14
I recently saw Deborah Knuckey on Oprah, and her appearance was fantastic! In fact, that is why I bought her book. Everything she said was quite true,and the best part about her book is that it is not a budget book or a "scrimp and save" type plan. She encourages people to align their money with their values. If buying lunch everyday is what makes you happy, then do it. But, if the $5.00 per day you spend is taking away from something you would rather enjoy - like a vacation at the end of the year - then try to find out where you can put your money to make yourself personally satisfied. I also enjoyed the fact that Knuckey never tells you precisely what to do with your money. She simply encourages you to realize and understand exactly where it all goes. I know I spend money, and then at the end of the week, I wonder exactly what I did with it. Knuckey encourages you to be proactive and fully understand that you spend your own money and should track it accordingly. Her advice about retirement plans also helped me. I am in my twenties, and I have never given much thought to my life at the age of 65, but now I realize that I can retire a millionare by investing one hundred dollars or less somewhere else, instead of buying things I don't necessarily want or need. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to become a conscious spender and try to make their money work for them, while remaining happy and enjoying life at the same time. Thanks for the advice Ms. Spent!
Everyone can relate to MsSpent!.......2001-06-14
...I don't make enough money to invest in more than my 401k, but she made me realize I can be happy with what I have and still enjoy life! I especially liked her chapter about 'when your means are not enough' because in the world I live in... they aren't! Thank you MsSpent!
Book Description
For conservative players, Zeke Feinberg has written a goldmine of a book! You'll learn how to use COMPLETELY LEGAL methods to drastically reduce the house edge and increase your profits! You'll see why some published systems are horrendous bets and , what the best bets really are! Get this book and learn how to WIN AT CRAPS!
Customer Reviews:
A Little Dated, But the Principles Still Apply .......2006-05-22
The numbers are a little dated -- you can make $12 an hour plucking chickens nowadays -- but the principles still apply. And Zeke Feinberg (along with Sam Grafstein) is one of the great oldtime maestros of craps advice. You've gotta love the dedication: "This book was written IN SPITE OF MANY PEOPLE!" I know how he feels.
How you can earn a little money on a steady basis.......2005-07-23
The author states in this book that the way to profits in craps is to make a little bit of money on a steady basis. I know, $12 an hour isn't too much but its certainly better than losing. He further states that the only way to do this is to use place bets and never make come or pass bets. He gives a lot of explanation for this, and it seems to make sense. He goes into great detail on how certain bets can reduce the casino's win percentages so they lose and you win. A very worthwhile book, well worth the price!
Eye opening book.......2004-07-27
Really proved for me that place bets were more profitable and more flexible than pass line or come bets.
So where is the system?.......2002-05-21
I got this book hoping to find a system. Something that would explain to me a systematic process of betting that would be backed by theory and evidence.
What I got is a sales book. This book is nothing more than a prelude to the Mega-Charting book that he has written. When I buy a book I want that book to have closure. I don't want to buy a book read it and realize that I have to buy 3 more books of the author to actually get to the system.
He repeats everything about 3 times. So the book is 190 pages, but only 63 pages of true information. Oh btw: Zeke if your reading these that is really 63.3333333333, but for this review purpose I rounded to 63. Sounds like the book.
So what did this book do for me. HMMMM! Let's see. I sit here with the following information. Use Place Bets when your charting tells you to. If you ever feel like the 7 is coming then take your bets down. Buy my book on charting.
I am really disappointed in this book.
full of sincere and sound suggestions to make more money.......2001-12-22
What a good easy to read book! I finally learned why I keep losing money betting on the come bets and pass bets all the time. There are many VERY interesting chapters in this book, I especially like how he writes about how COMBINING place bets will give you an added advantage that you don't have with just single betting. Another VERY intersting part (which I havent seen anywhere else) is how to calculate your insurance factor when you play. He also goes into pre-sets and charting. Of course there is a lot of stuff that shouldnt be here and repetitive but all in all this is a wonderful book, it will change your mind about the best ways to play. I would have been happy learning just one thing from it but there were lots of new systems and ideas, well worth the money.
Average customer rating:
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Referrals : Reap Rewards, Earn More Money In Less Time and Have More Fun
Mark Sheer
Manufacturer: M. Sheer Seminars
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
| Business Ethics
| Consolidation & Merger
| Decision-Making & Problem Solving
| Distribution & Warehouse Management
| Industrial
| Information Management
| Leadership
| Management
| Management Science
| Motivational
| Negotiating
| Operations Research
| Planning & Forecasting
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| Production & Operations
| Project Management
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| Risk Assessment
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| Systems & Planning
| Systems Analysis
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| Training
ASIN: 0963544624 |
Book Description
52 fresh ideas for going from red to black.
Over the course of a lifetime, the average person is likely to spend at least two million dollars. They're also likely to spend more than they earn, fail to realize full earning potential, and buy lots of stuff they don't really want or need. Detox Your Finances helps readers get out of the money pit by offering solid advice on key topics including how to earn more, spend less, invest wisely, manage credit and debt, and create a budget they can actually stick to.
Ideas include:
- Idea #3: Jump start your salary
- Idea #9: Don't max your tax
- Idea #16: Destroy your piggybank
- Idea #22: Sweat the small stuff
- Idea #41: Manage your bricks and mortar
- Idea #52: Review, monitor and act
Amazon.com
How, exactly, does a dog work? The authors use the example of a dog who accompanies its human companion on a jog, chases a couple of squirrels, dives into a pond to cool off, then catches up with its master. Later it might roll in something like sewage or a cow pie, but despite the attendant stink, still maintains its charm and enthusiasm. And by the end of the job, the dog is right there with its favorite human. In other words, the dog has managed to get its "work" finished, while still indulging its curiosities, getting its adrenaline flowing, and even stirring up some trouble. Never mind that someone who actually worked that way would be diagnosed with ADD--the authors' point is that work works best when it's regularly infused with fun. That makes people look forward to work--the way the aforementioned dog looks forward to jogging with its human pal--rather than dreading it.
Among the 50 lessons are specific ideas about scheduling games at work, giving employees unexpected rewards, and treating employees better than customers. Even more useful, though, might be the general tips for stress reduction. For example, in chapter 35, "Learn the Wisdom of Water," you learn to react to problems as water reacts: it flows. If it gets blocked, it flows around the problem, but also gradually wears it down. If it is dammed, it eventually finds a way over, under, or through the problem. So when all else fails, the authors say, watch water flow. If you can't do that in the middle of your workday, open the company fridge and stare at a bottle of Evian. Because in absurdity often comes stress relief. --Lou Schuler
Book Description
Having more fun at work isn't a fantasy.
It's a smart and savvy strategy to becoming a more creative, productive, and dynamic employee.
Work Like Your Dog is an inspiring call to "come out and play" at work. Dogs seem to have endless energy and tackle tasks with enviable enthusiasm, and Matt Weinstein and Luke Barber believe that most people could take a course from their ca-nines. By learning to play more at their jobs, workers can "lick" difficult challenges, take pleasure from tasks previously dreaded, reduce their levels of stress, and recharge their creative side.
People spend more time working, thinking about work, and traveling to and from work than all other waking activities combined. Employees are asked to do more for less--making their work lives more exhausting and less satisfying. More hours are far from the answer; honing a sense of frolic and fun is. This book is a launching pad for fifty fun lessons about frolicking your way to success:
Don't be afraid of being the fool. Be prepared to take risks; your new experiences may well lead to new contacts or new accounts and, if nothing else, will make you feel wonderful.
Celebrate every success, not just your own but your coworker's new account, brilliant idea, or anniversary.
You'll help release tension, underscore positives, and keep people aware of challenges conquered.
Use humor to solve problems. Create a swearing room, where you and coworkers vent frustrations. Use a joke to diffuse verbal abuse from a customer. Humor can help you stay focused on the most important aspects of your job and prevent the worst aspects from getting the upper hand.
Why choose stress? Almost every situation can provoke either stress or laughter. If you choose the highway of humor, your job will be more enjoyable and you'll work more effectively.
And many more suggestions, stories, and ideas to unleash your playful professional and keep you from barking up the wrong tree.
Weinstein and Barber's advice comes from seminar attendees and hundreds of corporate clients, such as American Express, IBM, Federal Express, and AT&T. This book shares the wisdom from these employees and from twenty-plus years of helping people enjoy their way to success.
Customer Reviews:
how-to guide for being a goofball at work.......2001-08-25
Work Like Your Dog contains some nuggets of wisdom, and lots of advice on how to play at your job, approaching it as if it were a game. I LIKE many of the ideas, such as treating your employees even better than your customers, but I can't imagine applying them in my own straight-laced, uptight work environment. Unless you're the president or the CEO (and perhaps, even if you are), implementing most of the ideas in this book would likely undermine your credibility. For example, the authors suggest things like decorating coworkers old shoes with glitter and plastic flowers, and wearing the "fun" shoes at work. One of the authors attached the metal runner statuettes from all of his running tropies to the roof of his car, creating a "race" car -- and suggests that similar activities create a fun environment. (Yes, but if someone drove such a car into the parking lot where I work, they'd be dubbed hopelessly crazy.) The authors also suggest that acting like a fool in the middle of a heated argument can be particularly effective -- In suggesting ways to turn fights into frolics, they suggest cracking a raw egg against your forehead in the middle of a domestic dispute. Some of the advice is funny -- One Shell trainer created a "swearing room" next to her office, a place where her coworkers could sound off. She then gave prizes for the most impressive swearing (which was "Gods' bees, and scrunties alight!) The book is a fun, creative, quick read. How applicable it is to you & your work environment depends, in large part, on you & your work environment. I'm not sure these techniques would get you very far in a large corporate environment, but they'd be great if you run your own business.
Take it from a student!.......2000-02-17
I've just returned from a reading of this book by my philosophy professor, Dr. Luke Barber. Although he only read from a couple chapters, it was easy to figure out that this book is definitely a must have for anyone who loves life (or would like to learn how). Containing good, useful (not to mention funny) stories, you will be able to relate to the text easily and effectively! I plan on purchasing this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested (and even those that are not!).
Fabulously enteraining AND educational........1999-08-01
Do you want to improve YOUR working environment? Buy a copy of this for your CEO or manager. Have a singing messenger deliver it, and watch your place of business turn into a place you WANT to go to. These examples and stories are useful even outside the workplace...in your everyday life. In an period of low unemployment, where employee retention is difficult, these ideas can give your company an edge on your competition.
This is a worthwhile manual on making work fun........1999-04-23
If you ever get the chance to share an office with Matt Weinstein or Luke Barber, don't pass it up. These coauthors, respectively a management consultant and a philosophy professor, tell hilarious stories and exhibit both fiendish creativity and charming warmth in this worthwhile manual of making work fun. The anecdotes are superb. When Barber recounts spending a summer moonlighting from his job as a college professor by working as a yardman, it's as funny as a classic "I Love Lucy" episode. When a con artist scams one of the authors out of $110, you feel for him as deeply as if your own cash had been lost. The lessons live up to the packaging. They're simple, effective, and somehow surprising. Sure, work would be a blast if your company hired a masseuse to roam the cubicles giving out free neck and shoulder rubs. And if your boss gave you $100, took you to the mall, and told you not to report back to the office until you had spent it all, Monday would definitely look less black. Why has no one suggested this before? The authors provide far more than fifty ways to make work fun. They propose an entirely new mind-set about work, one that makes it less about earning a living and more about simply living.
What a great book!.......1999-02-26
What a great book! Matt and Luke spotlight the inanities of life and how your life needs to have more of them. They provide a clear reminder not to take yourself, your circumstances, or your life too seriously. It's the next best thing to having your own personal therapist help you keep things in perspective -- and a lot cheaper as well!!" -- Bob Nelson, President Nelson Motivation, Inc. Author 1001 Ways to Reward Employees & 1001 Ways to Energize Employees
Books:
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)
- The Love Languages of God: How to Feel and Reflect Divine Love (Chapman, Gary)
- The Market for Virtue: The Potential And Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility
- The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of (Motley Fool)
- The Nature of Risk (Contrary Opinion Library)
- The Option Trader's Guide to Probability, Volatility and Timing (A Marketplace Book)
- The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship
Books Index
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