The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies

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"""Guy Cohen is the master when it comes to taming the complexities of options. From buying calls and puts to iron butterflies and condors, Guy explains these strategies in a clear and concise manner that options traders of any level can understand. His chapter on options and taxes is especially welcomed (and needed). The Bible of Options Strategies is a straightforward, easy-to-use reference work that should occupy a space on any options trader's bookshelf."" ¿Bernie Schaeffer, Chairman and CEO, Schaeffer's Investment Research, Inc.

""The author delivers clarity, insight and perception making learning about options a joy, and practicing the art of making money that much easier: truly a bible from a guru."" ¿Alpesh B. Patel, Author and Financial Times Columnist

""Guy Cohen truly makes learning about options easy in this fact-filled guide. Bullet points make for a quick and enlightened read, getting to the heart of what you really need to know about each options strategy. This book is a must for any serious trader's library."" ¿Price Headley, Founder, BigTrends.com

Pick the right options strategies...implement them step-by-step...maximize your profits!

Introducing today's first and only comprehensive reference to contemporary options trading!

OptionEasy creator Guy Cohen identifies today's popular strategies...and tells you exactly how and when to use each one and what hazards to look out for! It's all here....

Basic Strategies including: Buying and shorting shares, calls, and puts. I
ncome Strategies including: Covered Call, Naked Put, Bull Put Spread, Bear Call Spread, Long Iron Butterfly, Long Iron Condor, Calendar Call, Diagonal Call...
Vertical Spreads including: Bull Call Spread, Bull Put Spread, Bear Call Spread, Bear Put Spread, Ladders...
Volatility Strategies including: Straddle, Strangle, Guts, Short Butterflies, Short Condors...
Sideways Strategies including: Short Straddle, Short Strangle, Short Guts, Long Butterflies, Long Condors...
Leveraged Strategies including: Call Ratio Backspread, Put Ratio Backspread, Ratio Spreads...
Synthetic Strategies including: Collar, Synthetic Call, Synthetic Put, Synthetic Straddles, Synthetic Futures, Combos, Box Spread...
...and many more strategies...

Plus essential tax-saving information, and more!

No other book presents this much authoritative, current information on options trading strategies
Covers all of today's best income, volatility, leveraged, synthetic, and sideways market strategies
Discover why each strategy works, when it's appropriate, and how to use it¿step by step
Includes a full chapter on tax issues associated with options strategies
By Guy Cohen, whose OptionEasy application has helped thousands of traders achieve breakthrough results!

The Bible of Options Strategies is the definitive reference to contemporary options trading: the one book you need by your side whenever you trade.

Options expert Guy Cohen systematically presents today's most effective strategies for trading options: how and why they work, when they're appropriate, when they're inappropriate, and how to use each one responsibly and with confidence. The only reference of its kind, this book will help you identify and implement the optimal strategy for every opportunity, trading environment, and goal."

Customer Reviews:

Very Good for Option Traders.......2007-10-16

If you are new to option trading, this is a very good book. It explains all the different kinds of strategies and when to use them. Excellent book for an option trader to have in their library as a reference book.

This is a heavy duty options book but..........2007-10-08

This is a heavy duty options book but don't let this scare you off. The only prerequisite I would say you need is some basic options understanding/experience and you also need to be interested in learning more about options strategies. When I first got this book I thought "Wow! This reminds me of some of my economics text books from college." But I soon found this book to be well organized and chocked full of great information and far more interesting than any college text book.

I have to warn people that this is not a book to teach you the fundamentals of options trading. You need to have learned the basics already.

I won't go into all the details of what this book covers since many other posts have done that. But I do want to say I really like this book. It has now taken up permanent residence on my desk because I use it so much.

Truly the bible of all bibles!.......2007-09-30

I really enjoyed this book and continue to do so. As others have commented, it's not a cover-to-cover type of book, but I can reference any strategy so easily and get the salient information I need at the flick of a page.

I've also got the author's other book (Options Made Easy) and there's something different about the way he explains the subject of options that I previously found much more difficult and now find remarkably easy. Great book.

Great reference, full of errors.......2007-09-15

This book is an excellent reference book for options traders, novice and experts. It describes in great detail most of the strategies for trading options. I like the structure and the organization of the book. It helps easily locate a stragety based on several criteria, like your trading expertice or your perception of where the underlying stock is going.

I'm dissapointed at the amount of errors in the book. I've only read 2 chapters so far and have found, not only mispelled words, but errors related to the description of the strategy, risk and reward calculations and inverted names (call instead of put, for example).

If not for the errors, I would have given 5 stars to the book.

Technical Alanlysis "Bible".......2007-09-11

A large volume that covers just about anything you want to know about charting. I was most interested in Elliott Wave info and it has a good section about EW. For the options trader, this is the book to study.

Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life

Average customer rating:

Thinking Strategically
GT Is In Everyday Life
Good Introduction to game theory..
Changes your perspective
Intro to Game Theory

Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life
Avinash K. Dixit , and Barry J. Nalebuff
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Strategy of Conflict

ASIN: 0393310353

Customer Reviews:

Thinking Strategically.......2007-09-27

This book was short and interesting. Not only does it give points on thinking startegically for business but also in your daily life.

GT Is In Everyday Life.......2007-07-19

"Thinking Strategically" is a helpful and likeable primer for those who want to dabble and/or learn about general everyday concepts of Game Theory. It's also for those who don't want to get too deep into the minutia of the mathematics, calculus, and statistical probability of Game Theory. The real-life examples and matrices used in this book are applied by the author and can be applied by anyone in many everyday-life scenarios: getting a cab, negotiating private contracting work, or general bargaining, for example. In Business, whether two competing magazines should both advertise, have only one advertise, or have both not advertise. (Better for both not to advertise.) Cartels are also examined.

Other matrices, examples, and anecdotes, are applied in this book in business, politics, and sports. E.g., the strategy of an NFL football team's offense and defense, Stalin's "Scorched Earth Defense," and how a pitcher rotates his pitching selection are explained quite well, as examples. It seems a good portion of human instincts and traits are involved in the aspects of Game Theory. We already intuitively know about these elements before reading this introductory book. But we can apply GT with more awareness after being exposed to the theory.

The renown concept of the "Prisoner's Dilemma:" If two suspects work together they can both mutually benefit themselves together and individually by cooperating. Obviously, this is partly why suspects are separated when they're questioned and interrogated. But they can still both cooperate, even if separated. But will one sell out the other, or will both sell out each other, leading to longer sentences and harsher penalties for both, because one or the two of them decided to use the most Dominate Strategy?

In Game Theory, it takes two to Tango. And most of the time it's not beneficial to play the "Dominant Strategy."

One of the many examples was the taxi driver who picked up two people (potential customers) in front of a hotel. After telling the driver where they wanted to go, the driver refused to turn on his meter and said he would charge a lower price than the meter because he liked the country where the passengers were from. The driver the stated the price he would charge. The passengers responded by asking the driver to turn on the meter, and at the end of the ride the driver could charge less than the meter. Ah-ha, but the driver didn't agree. And even grew grew angry and didn't take them. They later proved he was being disingenuous by taking a metered taxi to their destination which was the lower than than the "special discount" offered by the first guy.

One important point above: it's difficult to use Game Theory with a) irrational people and b) people who don't realize the win-win concept of mutual benefits. Unfortunately reality creeps in....when you deal with people who don't practice "Game Theory," who shoot themselves in the foot and waste your time and energy.

Internationally IMO, Game Theory is lacking and sorely needed in certain parts of the world. In Japan this book sold well. Unfortunately it didn't sell much in the surrounding nations.

One of the author's former students recommended this book to me. The author made an astute decision to change the spelling of his name. College undergrads can be puerile at times. :)

A good book. "Look ahead and reason back."

Good Introduction to game theory.........2006-12-31

Although this is a good introduction to game theory, I have to say that half of the book was interesting, the rest was a difficult reading (maybe it was just me but I couldn't focus in some chapters). The good thing about the book is that it change your way on dealing with situations and decisions, always rethinking on the steps to follow.

Changes your perspective.......2006-12-22

This is a good book if you want to pass your everyday decisions through a game theory lense. The reading is dense at times but it has enough memorable stories to draw on at a later time.

If you are looking for a solid introduction to strategic decisions that consider the competitive landscape, then this book is a good choice.

Intro to Game Theory.......2006-10-11

This book is an outstanding introduction to game theory -- free of jargon and mathematics. Concepts are illustrated through examples taken from business, politics, sports, and everyday life. If you'd like to anticipate what people/groups will do, and understand why, read this book.

Practical Steps for Aligning Information Technology with Business Strategies: How to Achieve a Competitive Advantage

Average customer rating:

Bridging business strategy and IT planning: a clear guide
comprehensive ...the only missing part is ROI and IT values

Practical Steps for Aligning Information Technology with Business Strategies: How to Achieve a Competitive Advantage
Bernard H. Boar
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution

ASIN: 0471076376

Book Description

Information Technology

Cutting-edge techniques for equipping your IT organization to meet the challenges of today's business world

Today's leaner, meaner, total quality business organizations look to information technology to provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage. That's why the IT managers who are in greatest demand are those who are well versed in modern strategic planning techniques and capable of developing a dynamic IT organization ever alert to their companies' current and future business needs. Written by an author at the cutting edge of today's IT business strategy revolution, this book offers you a clear, easy-to-implement action plan for reengineering your business's IT organization with an eye to building, sustaining, and expanding a competitive advantage. You will find:

Charts and templates that an IT staff can customize and use today
Techniques for overcoming most architecture problems, including a diagramming technique for drawing exceptionally clear blueprints
An in-depth discussion of business IT alignment
How to design an internal IT business economy
Tips on how to get the biggest bang for the buck while optimizing customer service
Proven techniques that radically improve application development through object-oriented technologies, data servers, and prototyping

Customer Reviews:

Bridging business strategy and IT planning: a clear guide.......2003-08-28

It was about the time this book was written in 1994 that I was facing a difficult time trying to articulate the relationship between business strategy and use of information technology, and the complex set of issues of alignment between the two. I was involved in the complex restructuring of a central bank in an African country and my need to explain these issues to central bankers made my job even more complex.

This book opened my eyes. Even as business thinking and technology have evolved tremendously since this book was published, I still find this text one of the clearest and most concise guides on this subject. The author's approach is highly structured and supported by excellent graphics and charts and he eschews the use of jargon in favor of more straightforwad language.

The strength of the book is its achievement of the difficult balance between business and technolgy issues. Even the concept of strategy is concisely explained with an excellent review of different "schools of strategy." The chapters on technology will definitely seem outdated to many, and the lack of discussion of the Internet and multimedia will be especially striking to a reader today. But this is less important if your interest is to see how to present the issue of alignment between business strategy and technology. The penultimate chapter on management philosophy and style quotes from Machiavelli and Sun Tzu and reminds us that all this technology is really about achieving straegic advanatge and business gain. It is too easy to miss the forest (strategic vision and goals) when the trees (technology tools) become the focus.

I have many other books on similar subjects, but find myself returning to this one whenever I seek inspiration on how to present the issue of effective alignment. It is full of practical straight talk in an area which has unfortunately fallen prey to hype and obfuscation. An illustrative quote from this book: "Clarity is hampered by colloquial definitions of the words. Therefore, we must take some time to uncover what strategic alignment between I/T and the business really means."

comprehensive ...the only missing part is ROI and IT values.......2000-05-06

This is an excellent book for IT leadership who often finds itslef on a different road and cannot justify the value of IT. Unless IT is perfectly aligned with the company strategy this value is never there. This book shows you how to do it...how to align yourself. What is missing are some lessons in showing or developing ROI in IT projects.

Average customer rating:

Common sense? How radical!
My review
Got what I needed and then was done...
A Tool for All Public Sector Organizations
Laugh and learn

Trying Hard is Not Good Enough
Mark Friedman
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Prescription for a Healthy Nation: A New Approach to Improving Our Lives by Fixing Our Everyday World
Winning Grants: Step by Step, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 1412063973
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

This book shows how to make a difference in the lives of customers and communities. It has been used by managers and decision makers in over 40 states and seven countries. Its plain language talk-to-action methods produce results.

Customer Reviews:

Common sense? How radical!.......2007-08-29

Common sense? Lack of jargon? Plain, understandable language? Minimal paper? Humor? How can this be in a text on managing social change?
The writing shows the broad span of Mark's expertise and interests. The structure of the approach reflects linear logic that can only come from a mind trained in math. No mushy thinking here! The style shows some experience with teaching, and the humor shows a person who is comfortable with himself and who has no need to impress. Very useful!

My review.......2007-03-24

This is a short, easy to read book that gets right to the heart of performanace measures in government agencies. A absolute "must read" book for anyone working in the public service.

Got what I needed and then was done..........2007-01-10

Interesting book, hits you over the head with the point. could have been more and less at same time.

A Tool for All Public Sector Organizations.......2006-12-08

"Trying Hard is Not Good Enough" and the Results Accountability framework are proven and effective tools for all federal, state, local and non-profit organizations looking to improve conditions of well being for the clients they serve. Having trained or provided technical assistance in the implemention of Results Accountability to leaders in all sectors, including undergraduate students, I have found that the concepts in the book are easy to grasp by all. The book also shows how to effortlessly get from talk to action on the issues that matter most.

Laugh and learn.......2006-07-26

Finally a book on this topic that is powerful, direct, clear...and funny. Friedman has vast experience in the US and overseas in getting governments to use outcomes and it shows in this book. The advice is extremely well thought-out, effective, and fun to read. This book works if you are just learning about the topic or about to launch a major overhaul. Highly recommended.

Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture

Average customer rating:

Nice Guide for Beginners
A Must-Have for Entrepreneurs
Exellent Book
Brief and to the point
Invaluable advice for the budding entrepreneur

Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture
Steven K. Gold
Manufacturer: Learning Ventures Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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What No One Ever Tells You about Starting Your Own Business: Real-Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs (What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business)
Start Your Own Business (4th Ed.) (Start Your Own)

ASIN: 0976279045

Book Description

Entrepreneur's Notebook propels you on a whirlwind tour of the start-up process. It is an invaluable reference for new and experienced entrepreneurs that includes chapters on a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurial team building to business plans to financing. This excellent book provides an incredible amount of practical information that will help you make smarter decisions and avoid costly mistakes. The author, Steven K. Gold, is an accomplished entrepreneur who has co-founded and led five early-stage ventures. As an investor and mentor, he also advises many entrepreneurs and young companies. He earned his B.S.E. in Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.D. from Brown University Medical School.

Customer Reviews:

Nice Guide for Beginners.......2007-06-16

The author writes a nice overview of the entrepreneurial process. It's basically for novices but it does a good job for this audience. The only problem I have with this book is that it is too basic and is therefore non-unique because it is so low-level. Regardless, I must say that for the right audience, it does a fine job over giving the big picture.

If you are advanced or aspire to become advanced, I would recommend "The Startup Company Bible for Entrepreneurs" but only for high-tech entrepreneurs. Even this author has recommended it.

A Must-Have for Entrepreneurs.......2007-05-14

Steven gives great illustrations to drive home his insightful advice for entrepreneurs. As he's "been there, done that," we can take his advice to heart in the hopes of becoming a success like him!

Exellent Book.......2007-05-11

Great book for getting ready to open a new business. Would refer to anyone thinking about opening a business.

Brief and to the point.......2007-04-27

This is a delightful little book that contains a wealth of useful and helpful information and ideas on starting a small business and ensuring that it is viable and succesful. The book is well written and easy to follow and interesting to read.

This is a must read for entrepreneurs, particularly budding ones as the information the book provides is very practical and can help you avoid making costly errors. The book covers a wide range of topics including the start-up process, marketing the business on a small budget, cash-flow forecasting, among other things.

The book is an excellent companion for the entrepreneur that is well worth having.

Invaluable advice for the budding entrepreneur.......2007-03-04

This book does a terrific job of presenting some of the most important issues entrepreneurs face when embarking on new ventures, touching on topics such as the business plan, funding, team building, and cash flows. Using simple, yet stunningly accurate models of the entrepreneurial process, Steven Gold distills complex subjects into simple, practical, take-away messages. The classification of entrepreneurial personalities (professionals, pragmatists, and inventors) is something I think we can all relate to. I find the metaphor which compares building a new company to making "stone soup" equally compelling. There are countless books out there for budding entrepreneurs, but this one is no fluff. It gets right down to the nuts and bolts so you can concentrate on your business.

A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning

Average customer rating:

Easy Reading
Proven approach and a detailed roadmap
The glass is half full
Simple, Thorough, Comprehensive
Right on Target! Great Examples for Constructing an IS Plan!

A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning
Anita Cassidy
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1574441337

Book Description

Today's technological advances are directly affecting the success of business tomorrow. With recent-- and continual--improvements in technology, many organizations are finding their information systems obsolete, and are having to take a close look at their current Information Systems and answer some tough questions, including:oHow well are our current Information Systems applications meeting the business needs today? How well can they meet the needs of our business tomorrow?oAre we obtaining true value from the investments made in Information Systems?oAre we integrating the Information Systems projects that provide the most value to business?oWhat Information Systems mission, objectives, and strategies are necessary to successfully meet the business challenges of the future?A Practical Guide to Information Systems Strategic Planning helps take the "guess work" out of evaluating current and future Information Systems, and provides the necessary tools for maximizing the investment made in new technology. This invaluable guide shows readers how to take advantage of the latest technology available in Information Systems planning, and how to develop a solid Information Systems plan that is directly linked to their business' goals.In an easy-to-follow, hands-on format, this complete reference describes a process for facilitating communication between business management and the Information Systems functions. Both Information Systems Executives and general business executives will find the information they need to develop a successful, value-added Information Systems plan. Readers will find a step-by-step approach to the process of developing an Information Systems plan that helps them gain a competitive edge well into the future.

Customer Reviews:

Easy Reading.......2006-03-25

I have not worked completely through this book, but have found it to be very readible with sound information. Everything does not apply to my situation (very small organization), but the concepts are clear.

Proven approach and a detailed roadmap.......2002-08-26

This book, like all of Ms. Cassidy's work, is straightforward, to the point and reads like a blueprint for success. In particular, she frames the objectives (Where are we? Where do we need to be? What's the best way to get there?), then gives guidance on answering the questions and a realistic and actionable plan for meeting the objectives.

Her approach is focused on business needs and linked to the overriding imperatives and strategies of that domain. She begins by discussing the business drivers and why strategic planning is necessary, then provides a phased approach to the strategic planning process itself. This approach captures the business and technical "as-is" and "to-be" pictures, performs a gap analysis, and a plan for going from "as-is" to "to-be". On the surface this appears to be common sense, but the devil is in the details, and she provides the details. That is what makes this book so valuable. More importantly, it's obvious that she has extensive experience in strategic planning because all of the subtle issues are addressed, and her advice is on the mark every step of the way.

Of course, one of the big issues in strategic planning is the question of what capital investments to make in software, either as an upgrade or entire replacement of company-critical systems, that align to the slected strategy. This book shows how to select the best fit to meet strategic plans, and how to capture the true costs and support requirements as a matter of due diligence.

This book is, in my opinion, one of the better ones on the topic, and is only exceeded by her most recent book titled "A Practical Guide to Planning for E-Business Success: How to E-enable Your Enterprise". That book contains substantially the same approach as this one, but is aligned to e-business. Regardless of which book you choose, you'll find Ms. Cassidy's approach to reflect best practices, and the advice interspersed throughout the book to be invaluable.

The glass is half full.......2002-03-29

Half of the book deals with strategic planning which is quite helpful. Half the book deals with how to acquire an application which is not.

Simple, Thorough, Comprehensive.......2000-07-25

I work for a large East Coast Utilities company. Our project team was charged with producing an "Information Systems Strategic Plan". A daunting task given multiple platforms, architectures, and technologies. Our team was experienced and knowledgeable, but lacked process direction.

We turned to Anita Cassidy's book and found it amazingly helpful. We found ourselves referring to it many times during the planning and implementation stages of the project.

Her book provides an authoritative reference which allowed us to cut total project time by 25%. We didn't need to argue about process, methodology, or research strategy. We went with Cassidy's suggestions and we were more than pleased with the results.

Cassidy's simple, straightforward approach is easy to follow, meaningful, and very applicable. If you have the task of assembling an IS Strategic Plan, then this book will give you the step-by-step methodology to do so.

Nice job Anita!

Right on Target! Great Examples for Constructing an IS Plan!.......1999-06-06

My graduate IS/IT Strategic Planning course did not assign a text book on writing up an IS/IT Strategic Plan, so I had to track one down on my own. After reviewing at least a dozen books, I found Cassidy's to be the most practical with multiple and varied examples of the critical ideas, sections & components found within an IS Strategic Plan. There are many great examples of Mission and Vission statements and detailed sections on ROI analysis, executive summaries and the entire planning process, etc. The graphics & exhibits are easily understood and well organized, as is the entire book. In fact, other students actually purchased this book during the semester at my recommendation and our professor is looking to add this book as required reading for the course! It is especially good for those who have little to no experience putting together an entire IS plan from ground zero. Thorough, to the point, terrific examples and extremely well organized is how I would sum up this book. It will serve both students and IS/IT professionals extremely well.

Project Portfolio Management: A Practical Guide to Selecting Projects, Managing Portfolios, and Maximizing Benefits (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)

Average customer rating:

Excellent service and good reading
A very easy read to introduce and guide people into the world of PPM

Project Portfolio Management: A Practical Guide to Selecting Projects, Managing Portfolios, and Maximizing Benefits (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)
Harvey A. Levine
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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IT Project Portfolio Management

ASIN: 0787977543

Book Description

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) goes beyond the typical project management approach to offer a set of proven business practices that can help executives, program managers, and project managers bring projects into alignment with the strategies, resources, and executive oversight of the overall enterprise. Step by step, this book shows how to take a project from the inception of a vision to the realization of benefits to the organization. Project Portfolio Management draws on project management expert Harvey A. Levine’s years of research and distills the knowledge and best practices from dozens of leaders in the field to show how to select and implement the projects that will garner the best results. Throughout this important resource, Levine tackles the many challenges associated with PPM, including

Ranking value and benefits
Determining the size of the portfolio pipeline
Assessing the impact of uncertainty on projects and portfolios
Understanding the benefit and risk relationship
Establishing a portfolio governance capability
Managing the portfolio to maximize benefits
Implementing PPM

Download Description

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) goes beyond the typical project management approach to offer a set of proven business practices that can help executives, program managers, and project managers bring projects into alignment with the strategies, resources, and executive oversight of the overall enterprise. Step by step, this book shows how to take a project from the inception of a vision to the realization of benefits to the organization. Project Portfolio Management draws on project management expert Harvey A. Levine's years of research and distills the knowledge and best practices from dozens of leaders in the field to show how to select and implement the projects that will garner the best results. Throughout this important resource, Levine tackles the many challenges associated with PPM, including Ranking value and benefits Determining the size of the portfolio pipeline Assessing the impact of uncertainty on projects and portfolios Understanding the benefit and risk relationship Establishing a portfolio governance capability Managing the portfolio to maximize benefits Implementing PPM

Customer Reviews:

Excellent service and good reading.......2007-10-15

I can't complain about this order, I received it quite quickly and in perfect conditions, I will try to order my next purchases directly from amazon, its delivery and price are pretty good

A very easy read to introduce and guide people into the world of PPM.......2007-03-16

After having evaluated many recent books on the subject of Project Portfolio Management, I found the practical guidance and descriptive clarity as provided by Harvey A. Levine exceptional. Working for Serena Software, I was looking for a single book that could educate and guide a variety of people into PPM, ranging from new Mariner account managers, engineers as well as Mariner customers. Not only does this book provide an easy way to understand the typical Project Portfolio Management process, it is being done using such simple terms, avoiding buzzwords and unnecessary jargon, making it very easy and fast to read, even for a non native English speaking audience. The latter is important if you are operating worldwide. The book does contain some level of repetition, especially in Part Two, but as these are contributing sections and case studies, written by different authors who provide a different angle or viewpoint to the same concepts, I found those especially useful for practitioners (our engineers and customers). The downside of having multiple authors is however that Levine's simple and clear writing style is not always maintained. The advantage of this approach is that within the same book, readers will benefit from learning some related topics such as ways to measure (e.g. earned value, AHP, NPV), Enterprise Project Management, IT Governance, and much more.

As a result, the company has bought over 50 copies to date and I have been recommending this book to our new employees, partners, and customers worldwide who want to build up their knowledge and implementation skills in Project Portfolio Management.

Eddy Pauwels
Serena Software
Antwerp, Belgium

So Sue Me! How to Protect your Assets from the Lawsuit Explosion

Average customer rating:

Good Information if you're a beginner to the topic......
Want to protect yourself!
I Only Wish I'd Had this Book a Few Years Ago

So Sue Me! How to Protect your Assets from the Lawsuit Explosion
Arnold S. Goldstein
Manufacturer: Garrett Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Asset Protection : Concepts and Strategies for Protecting Your Wealth
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How to Use Limited Liability Companies & Limited Partnerships
Cover Your Assets: Lawsuit Protection: How to Safeguard Yourself, Your Family, and Your Business in the Litigation Jungle

ASIN: 1880539608

Book Description

America is lawsuit crazy. We are becoming bankrupted through sky rocketing insurance premiums and ravaged by ludicrous jury awards. Nobody is safe from the million lawyers hunting their next victim.

Can you afford to lose what you have to a frivolous lawsuit? If you are in a car accident, involved in a divorce, or any type of lawsuit-no matter how insignificant it may seem-someone may attempt to leverage a huge settlement. Careful planning before problems arise places your assets securely out of reach from those who would take your hard-earned money.

So Sue Me! provides you with the sound legal financial advice to protect your assets!Arnold S. Goldstein, Ph.D., one of the country's foremost authorities in asset protection, teaches you to safeguard yourself against creditors, lawsuits, divorce, the IRS and bankruptcy.

Read this eye-opening financial primer and defend yorself against those who would rob you of your possessions, money and security.

Customer Reviews:

Good Information if you're a beginner to the topic.............2006-02-08

This book is very easy to read and provides some excellent general advice and information for readers who are unfamiliar with the topic.

However, it does not provide the detailed information needed by someone who wants to formulate their own tailored estate and/or asset protection plan even though the book implies that it does. For example, some of the 'information' relating the differences between states is outdated and/or wrong.

Read this book for fundamental information and as a wake up call for the need for protection rather than as detailed advice on how you can do it!

Want to protect yourself!.......2005-12-06

Author Goldstein has been an asset protection attorney for many years. His first book, Asset Protection Secrets, was a best seller. This one is for everyone: people with money; people with little assets but they don't want to lose them; young and old; married, divorced and single; savvy or naive.

These chilling words set the tone: "You just never know what a jury will do," and "Juries decide if a case has merit." He states that 93% of Americans have absolutely no lawsuit protection aside from their liability insurance--because we procrastinate and don't think it will ever happen to us.

You don't have to do anything wrong to be sued and lose. You only have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time--or come across some greedy lunatic who things he has a reason to be grieved.

Goldstein's advice and strategies show how you can protect yourself against lawsuits, divorce, creditors, the IRS and other deadly threats to your wealth and assets (money, investments, possession, businesses, etc.).

Bulging with easy-to-understand advice, the book might make you to decide TODAY is the time to start protecting your assets and no longer be non-protected.

From personal experience, I know that money and time spent now can save you a lot of both later. It is shocking that only one in five Americans have even a simple will to define their wishes.

The author ends with four important steps:
1.Commit to action: Set a goal and get started.

2.Organize your team of advisors to protect your assets, including family members, business associates, etc.--people you can trust.

3.Recruit the right professionals: your lawyer, accountant, banker, financial planner/investment advisor, insurance professional--and what criteria to use.

4.Stay proactive in maintaining financial security: Be your own counsel in addition to your advisors; learn, read, be proactive.

Armchair Interviews says: So Sue Me should scare you right into your lawyers and accountant's office, place a call to your insurance man, and generally "look over your shoulder" now that you know how easily you can lose your assets.

I Only Wish I'd Had this Book a Few Years Ago.......2005-09-01

This is a book that I wish I'd had (and paid attention to) some years ago, that is, before being sued for divorce. I then had to learn what he says here through talking to attorneys (at $much per hour this is an expensive approach) and by writing my ex-wife big checks (but I got sole custody of the kid so it was worth it).

Dr. Goldstein is talking about protecting what assets you have (after divorce that may be considerably less than you had before). When your major assets have been stripped away, you still need to protect what you have left, but some of the rules change. For instance liability insurance, if you carry a million dollar liability policy and have only $10,000 in assets, this may entice a hungry attorney to sue you while if you only had $20,000 in insurance, he may go look for another target.

Maximizing Your ERP System: A Practical Guide for Managers

Average customer rating:

Broad coverage, but dry as a bone.
Good guide of manufacturing ops for the outsider
Good textbook for ERP practitioner

Maximizing Your ERP System: A Practical Guide for Managers
Scott Hamilton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0071406115

Book Description

Bridging the theory and realities of current ERP systems, Maximizing Your ERP System provides practical guidance for managing manufacturing. Illustrated with case studies from the author's firsthand experience in consulting to more than 1,000 firms, it covers common problems and working solutions across all types of environments as it offers contingency-based approaches for how to effectively implement and use ERP systems. The book particularly addresses the issues facing smaller manufacturers and autonomous plants of larger firms.

Customer Reviews:

Broad coverage, but dry as a bone........2006-06-30

"Maximizing Your ERP System" is broad in its coverage, but skeletal. It is one dry read, like an outline with a lot of repeated boilerplate blown in where the meat was supposed to be. It lays out some details excrutiatingly (like the composition of the manufacturing database) but there's no sense of life or color to hold things together. More of a dictionary than a treatise, I recommend it for the vocabulary you might gain, but don't plan to enjoy it.

Good guide of manufacturing ops for the outsider.......2005-10-04

The title of the book and the table of contents seem to portray the book as a dry guide into the innards of an ERP system. But this is not the case. The author does a great job of keeping business considerations in plain view (primarily); and then showing how to use an ERP system to support those business considerations (secondarily). He calls this a "contingency-based" approach to the use of the ERP system.

This book is not for everyone, but it was excellent for my particular needs. I am a Product Manager. I had already taken an elementary course on manufacturing in business school. And yet, when I sat in meetings with my colleagues from manufacturing, I had only a hazy understanding of their vocabulary and methods. I was looking for a book to bridge that gap. And this book hit the spot.

Good textbook for ERP practitioner.......2003-01-30

The book covers most of common components in the implementation of Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP). It's well organized book, which you can learn in step-by-step manner. IT managers can also have a short-cut reference to some major concepts in the process of ERP implementation and the structure of book can provide easy access to relevant part of concerned area. The book has also provided pros-and-cons for different scenario. For example, it indicate the advantages of using specific costing methods used for specific industries or cases.

Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide and Workbook

Average customer rating:

My Board loved the charts
Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book
good basic introduction
Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers
For those serious about strategic planning!

Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide and Workbook
Michael Allison , and Jude Kaye
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century
Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd Edition
Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement, 3rd Edition
How to Manage an Effective Nonprofit Organization: From Writing and Managing Grants to Fundraising, Board Development, and Strategic Planning
Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices

ASIN: 0471178322

Book Description

Practical, easy-to-follow planning strategies geared to the special requirements of the nonprofit

This very accessible resource from a team of experts in the nonprofit sector adapts basic business concepts to the unique structure and goals of nonprofit organizations. Breaking the planning process into six steps, the book covers it all--from getting ready and articulating the mission to monitoring and adjusting the finished plan.

* Sample worksheets, checklists, and tables are included in the book--and on a 3-1/2" IBM-compatible disk

JUDE KAYE and MIKE ALLISON (both of San Francisco, California) are executives with The Support Centers for Nonprofit Management.

Customer Reviews:

My Board loved the charts.......2007-06-08

The Planning Committee of the Board of Directors at my nonprofit wants to get the full Board engaged in strategic planning within a year. The chart in this book that shows the steps in the process was just what they wanted. It was worth the purchase price...and we haven't started to use it yet!

Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book.......2006-04-23

The authors of this book do a nice job of condensing the content of their book into a diagram at page 15 that they entitle: "The Strategic Planning Process." Then they explain the diagram chapter by chapter. The chapters are full of good information and lots of exhibits, worksheets, and real-life examples. Job well done! I recommend to anybody interested in preparing a business plan for a for-profit or a nonprofit to read this book. And I also recommend all strategic leaders (i.e. executive directors, board chairs, and CEOs) read this book. It should be helpful to them in performing their job duties.

The book basically points out the following series of questions and/or tasks a strategic leader much consider when doing his or her job:

1. What is the organization doing now?
2. What are its strengths?
3. What are its weaknesses?
4. Are we heading in the direction we want?
5. What must we change to get back on track?
6. Prepare a written plan for change.
7. Implement the plan for change.
8. Monitor the implementation.
9. Reevaluate the plan for change.

I would have liked the book better if the authors had more accurately described what a business plan is, and what it is used for. The authors seem to think that a business plan is something that a for-profit entity creates in order to get loans from lenders or capital from investors. While it is true this is one of the reasons for writing a business plan, the more important reason a plan is written is that it acts as a roadmap for the leader and management of the business to follow towards success. Most businesses that do not have a written business plan are doomed for failure. NPOs without a business plan will probably not be successful either.

Another shortcoming I found in the book was that the authors do not point out that NPOs need a "business plan" just as much as does a for-profit. NPOs also need a roadmap to follow. Whether the authors want to admit it or not, a business plan for an NPO is pretty much the same document as a business plan for an organization seeking profits. The difference between the two plans exists in the marketing section - and that is the only difference. NPOs need to market to their customers/clients and to philanthropists that have a connection and commitment to their cause, whereas for-profit businesses need only market to their customers/clients.

Any NPO should have a business plan starting on the day it comes into existence. The strategic planning process described in this book can be used to create that written business plan. Therefore, this book is for NPO founders. After the business plan exists and it is being used as a roadmap to success, then the effectiveness of the plan must be monitored regularly. When it appears the plan is not proving effective, then the strategic planning process described in this book should be used again to implement change to get the NPO back on track to success.

Strategic leadership is a critical role that any leader must play, and if he or she can't, then she has no business assuming a leadership role. A "leader" who does not know how to perform strategic leadership is merely a manager, not a leader. I think it is a sad state of affaires that so many executive directors and board chairs are clueless when it comes to strategic planning - thus they are just managers. The authors, by writing this book, have created a resource for wanta-be leaders to use to learn how to do an important and critical part of their job - lead strategically.

good basic introduction.......2006-03-17

Book provides a good basic introduction to strategic planning from the non-profit perspective. Although I already knew strategic planning from the corporate side, this book showed how it differs when applied to the non-profit arena. The review of the SWOT process was a bit simplistic, but I found the checklist for evaluating projects helpful. The disc and the worksheets were definitely worth the price of the book

Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers.......2005-09-30

This book is a step by step guide with suggested modifications to fit the needs of any group. The worksheets, included on an accompanying CD, are very useful. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in strategic planning for any organization - public, private or non-profit.

For those serious about strategic planning!.......2005-09-12

A great book that does what many non-profit management books don't -- talks about dollars and cents as well as need and impact. CD is underutilized (compared with, say, the CD included with "Non-Profit Kit for Dummies"), but the worksheet concept is good. Their "do either this OR this" might be confusing for novices. Not too far of a stretch to connect this with a "balanced scorecard" evaluation. CompassPoint's Dual Bottom-Line Matrix (p. 188), while complicated-sounding, actually should clarify decision-making for many non-profit managers.

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