Government's Money Monopoly

Book Description

A distinct correlation exists between how free a society is and how much power its government has over money. Because the United State of America was supposed to be a free country, its government was granted comparatively few` monetary powers – only to borrow and coin money, and regulate its value. Yet today the same government possesses total power over every aspect of America’s monetary system. With an octopus-like stranglehold, Washington’s control extends to gold, money, banking and much more.

How and why the Founders’ limited intention was converted into omnipotent government monetary power is the subject of this book – a collection of basic materials which, if properly understood, explain what happened. The author’s thoughtful analysis leads to its concluding proposal: a constitutional amendment wholly separating government from money, the only way – permanently – to eliminate government’s power over the monetary system.

Average customer rating:
Monopoly in Money and Inflation: The Case for a Constitution to Discipline Government. (Hobart Papers)
H. Geoffrey Brennan
Manufacturer: Institute of Economic Affairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0255361386

Book Description

Beginner and novices interested in the basics of investment, finance, retirement; participants in company investment plans.

Customer Reviews:

Hands-on, practical guide for a middle-aged amateur investor.......2007-05-29

This book is a broad introduction to the concept of investing. It is broken into five major sections:

1. Getting Started, which talks about goals, credit card debt, budgets, and basic investment vehicles
2. Doing the Research, which discusses retirement plans and ways to find information you need to invest
3. Mutual Funds, Stocks, and Bonds, which finally dives into the details on those investment vehicles
4. Making Choices, which introduces various investment strategies
5. Working Toward a Goal, which wraps things up with portfolio examples, the level of participation in your investments, and retirement

First off, I want to note the author's tone and his style of writing - Little presents information in a very easy-to-understand manner, with simple examples and witty jokes. The book does not feel tedious, and you can fly through it quickly.

Each of the five sections consists of multiple chapters, which Little calls "Hours." The idea is that you can, of course, learn about investing in 24 hours - so there are 24 chapters. At the end of each chapter is a hands-on workshop and a quiz. While the quizzes are basically a joke (the answer choices are beyond obvious), the workshops are a great practical way to get your hands dirty and start looking at the wealth of information available to investors. Little provides multiple websites (although some are, of course, outdated) and other ways to get the information you need. I suggest you follow through some of the book's workshops - i.e. look over some annual reports, think of investment goals, etc.

A big plus for this book is that it provides very practical information. It describes (although very briefly) the financial documents that a company publishes (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow) and some ways that companies can be evaluated using some basic ratios - EPS, P/E, PEG, P/S, etc. Unfortunately Little does not spend a lot of time on how to use these values to help determine the financial strength of a company. He just instructs the reader to compare the values to those of other companies in the same sector/industry.

In Hour 6, the diagrams used to demonstrate how to read stock/fund price changes are unfortunately botched in a major way. The columns are not wide enough, and values are truncated or carried over to the next line. This is very confusing. In addition, some of the columns referenced in the text don't seem to exist at all in the diagrams. This is a huge miss by the editors - very disappointing.

While Little attempts to target a very broad audience by demonstrating investment strategies, goal planning, and risk management for various age groups, the overall feel of this book is that of one written for a very specific group of people: individuals who are suddenly realizing that retirement is not so far off - and that it's time to start planning for it.

Little constantly reinforces the notion of tax-protected accounts (i.e. the 401k and the IRA family) - yes, we get it, it's nice to have tax-deferred and even tax-free growth, but some of us would like to use the money we make before retirement. Little furthermore explicitly recommends moderate-risk investment strategies (even though he describes aggressive strategies, as well), spending many pages on why mutual funds are great. He also has a section on how to get rid of credit card debt and find money in your budget to begin investing. Finally, Little targets "retirement" as the example of every long-term goal he discusses.

Don't get me wrong - Little does an excellent job making the reader comfortable with the notion of investing. He stresses again and again that you don't have time to lose - and you need to start NOW. But it always feels like he's addressing the middle-aged individual who needs to get his/her finances in order and start thinking about retirement.

I wish Little would spend more time on stocks rather than concentrating so much on mutual funds. He groups stocks into 3 very broad categories - value, growth, and income. While this might be the way that some mutual funds label their holdings, I feel that this classification of stocks is a gross oversimplification. Peter Lynch does a much better job of this in his One Up on Wall Street. But then again, Little's goal is not to teach the reader everything about stocks - but rather get him/her familiar with the basics. His ultimate advice is to go with stock index funds rather than individual stocks.

Finally, I wish Little would spend a bit more time on advanced topics such as options, futures, and shorting. He defines each concept, but he dismisses these vehicles as overly risky - yet he doesn't describe the risks very well. He also mentions that options can be a good hedge to protect your investments, but he stops there. I feel that Little could have spent more time describing HOW to use these vehicles, and WHY they can be so risky. Simply saying that, in options trading, you could lose all of your investment (meaning the premium) is not enough.

In conclusion, I have mixed feelings about the book. I was very skeptical half-way through, but the book picked up in the middle and taught me some things I didn't already know - so I am glad I finished it. It got me to look at a balance sheet for Goldman Sachs and try to figure what's going on. However, keep in mind that, unless you have absolutely no knowledge of investment vehicles and their markets, this book will not teach you a lot. It will get you started - perhaps you will muster up the guts to invest into an S&P 500 index fund via your 401k plan... but to do anything else, you will need more. Nevertheless, if you are new to investing and are realizing that retirement is not far away, this is a great book to get you started.

Pros:
+ easy and quick read, lots of examples, witty jokes
+ practical information - financial docs, stock ratios, general tid-bits of advice, examples of portfolios
+ useful workshops that make you try things on your own

Cons:
- diagram errors in Hour 6
- some things are repeated many times
- could spend a lot more time on stocks and on advanced topics (options, futures)
- feels like it's targeted for a very specific audience

#1 On Investing.......2007-01-16

One of the best books. The best book I ever read on Investing. You will LOVE this book. You will learn a LOT! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Exceptionally organized, easy to follow and read. A joy of a book!.......2006-08-03

Congratulations to Mr. Little for having written a fantastic easy-to-get-through primer on the investing world. All essentials are explained and explained WELL, and no relevant terms are left out. For an investing manual, this read went by fast!

The author didn't make you feel like a dummy, even though the subject matter could've easily led to a condescending approach. Ken Little's tone was like that of a friend. Examples: "Don't get too hung up on being precise with these terms, because their definitions are very fluid. Toward the end of this hour we will introduce you to a widely accepted way of classifying mutual funds that is not arbitrary." (page 163); "The lesson here is that you shouldn't get tripped up over broad terms such as 'growth' when considering stocks. If you want an objective determination, use one of the several systems available, such as Morningstar.com. This will help you compared like stocks and avoid ridiculous questions such as, 'Should I buy AT&T or Amazon.com."

The book was divided into 24 chapters, with each chapter organized to take up one hour of time for the average reader to get through. And because this book is sincere in trying to get the reader to learn and be serious about what he has just read, every chapter/hour has a short multiple-choice quiz to test the reader's understanding and retention of the material for that chapter. That's a nice touch.

This book takes a proactive stance in getting the amateur investor up and running. For beginners who are intimidated about getting their feet wet and those who don't know where to start, the book frequently offers lists of "5 things you can do today."

This book is a great instruction manual for novices, a good reference guide, and is very well-crafted. Bravo.

Alpha Teach Yourself Estate Planning in 24 Hours

Average customer rating:

Alpha Teach Yourself Estate Planning in 24 Hours
Keith R Lyman , and J.D., CFP, Keith R. Lyman
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Estate Planning | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Estates & Trusts | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Practical Guides | Law | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0028641973

Alpha Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours

Average customer rating:

Wish I had read this book sooner!
Wish I had read this book sooner
Sales pitch more than advices good for consumers

Alpha Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours
Janet Bigham Bernstel , and Lea Saslav
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

You realize you have to manage your money. But often you don't decide to do something about it until you want to buy a house or new car. Sams Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours provides a comfortable, straightforward approach for yor to find the best ways to manage your finances. From budgeting for a purchase to avoiding major problems, this book covers today's popular personal finance solutions--and tells why some are not always such a good idea. The authors give you the inside information on bankruptcy, home equity loans, and credit card debt. Content also includes:

Customer Reviews:

Wish I had read this book sooner!.......2002-09-30

Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours contains everything you need to know about getting yourself financially fit. It's interesting, well-written and easy to read, and gives you the tools to start taking control and managing your money right now, no matter what kind of financial shape you're in. Best of all, it gives a hopeful outlook for a brighter future, even to those who feel they're way behind, like me. This book makes a great gift for yourself or just about anyone on your gift list--I want to give a copy to all my friends and relatives!

Wish I had read this book sooner.......2002-09-30

Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours contains everything you need to know about getting yourself financially fit. It's interesting, well-written and easy to read, and gives you the tools to start taking control and managing your money right now, no matter what kind of financial shape you're in. Best of all, it gives a hopeful outlook for a brighter future, even to those who feel they're way behind, like me! This book makes a great gift for yourself or just about anyone you care about--I want to give a copy to all my friends and relatives.

Sales pitch more than advices good for consumers.......2001-03-10

I bought the book to start learning about Personal Finance. I found the book not very satisfactory because it only reiterates information that you can get from any financial product marketing material which contains more sales pitch then facts important for consumers.

Sams Teach Yourself Turbotax Deluxe in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself in 24 Hours Series)

Average customer rating:

Sams Teach Yourself Turbotax Deluxe in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself in 24 Hours Series)
Jill Gilbert , and Jill Gilbert Welytok
Manufacturer: Sams Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Computer Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 067231360X

Amazon.com

Preparing income-tax returns is an inherently complicated process. Although TurboTax Deluxe does an admirable job of hand-holding, TurboTax Deluxe in 24 Hours simplifies matters even further, providing 24 one-hour lesson plans and plenty of user-friendly advice. Chapters on tax code provisions, new regulations, forms, and schedules are interspersed with side notes, timesaving tips, and possible pitfalls and tax traps, each highlighted by icons. The instructional section also aims to satisfy those seeking a greater understanding of how income taxes work, providing analysis of tax liability, explaining possible impacts of new tax laws, and--in hours 21 through 24--preparing users for a (relatively) prosperous tax future. --Rob McDonald

Book Description

The definitive tutorial reference for the new user of TurboTax software for the completion of income taxes. Step-by-step reference to lead the reader through the necessary considerations in preparing his/her taxes while using TurboTax.

-Although TurboTax is the #1 selling tax software and grows more popular each year, there are no current books by any publisher. As the program becomes more sophisticated and complex, users are looking for answers to their questions. Author

Customer Reviews:

Great stuff to learn in here!.......2001-10-20

This book is so helpful and wonderful. I bought two and gave one to my daughter who has just gotten married and she loved it too. A must-read for people to need to get straight with their financial planning!

24 hours to learn financil planning!.......2001-10-14

This book completely lives up to it's 24 hours expectation. After reading it, I feel as though I know exactly what to do with my financial plans. This book has intelligent information with quite a touch of humor to go along with it. I think everyone planning for their future whether they are old or young should definitely read this book. Take it from me, it is incredibly helpful!

Sams Teach Yourself Quicken 2000 in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself -- Hours)

Average customer rating:

A Good All-Around Choice

Sams Teach Yourself Quicken 2000 in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself -- Hours)
Patrice Rutledge
Manufacturer: Sams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0672317621

Book Description

Sams Teach Yourself Quicken Deluxe 2000 in 24 Hours uses a friendly, conversational approach to teach you the basics of Quicken 2000 and personal finance. This book covers everything you need to know to use Quicken, from installation to transaction entry to reporting and analysis. It provides comprehensive coverage of all basic Quicken features in a way that's easy for beginners to follow. Each hour-long chapter teaches you how to perform an essential Quicken task, and the hours progress from the basics to more advanced tasks, such as downloading information from the Internet and analyzing investment portfolios.

Customer Reviews:

A Good All-Around Choice.......2000-02-17

I received this book a few weeks ago and it's helped me get up and running quickly. I know quite a bit about accounting/investments, but am not a computer geek. This book provided the right balance between non-technical explanations and enough detail for me to set up my somewhat complicated finances. I'm originally from Canada, and the appendix for Canadians was a nice touch even though it wasn't pertinent to me right now.

Sam's Teach Yourself Microsoft Money 99 in 24 Hours

Average customer rating:

Sam's Teach Yourself Microsoft Money 99 in 24 Hours
Winston Steward , and David Karlins
Manufacturer: Sams Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

MIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0672313677

Book Description

The reader will be led through the extensive features of Money. He will learn how to set up his accounts for banking, bill paying and investing. He will learn how to develop reports that display his financial growth in meaningful formats.

-Many of the leading computer manufacturers - Gateway, NEC, Dell, Compaq, Acer, and Hewlett Packard are pre-installing individual programs of Microsoft Money or installing full versions of Home Essentials (which contains a full version of MS

-According to PC Data, the finance category of software grew in 1997 over 23%. As Microsoft continues to heavily promote Money in business and computing journals, this number is likely to grow even more in 1998

Amazon.com

A guide for novices of Quicken software, Sams Teach Yourself Quicken Deluxe 99 is composed of 24 one-hour lessons that start with the basics and bring you to Quicken wizardry status. The first four lessons show you how to set up your Quicken checkbook and record your transactions. The second section of the book covers more-detailed tasks, such as setting reminders to pay monthly bills, tracking loan payments, and exporting and importing data with Quicken. The two middle sections help you prepare your household budget and track your investments with the software. The last six hours are devoted to learning how to run various reports on your financial data and to using online resources for gathering information and paying bills. Along the way, lessons provide tips on shortcuts, cautions on possible pitfalls, and additional notes on difficult concepts. A detachable chart of shortcut keys that you can post by your computer is included in the inside cover. Illustrated with adequate screen shots, this guide gives you the exact amount of handholding that you need, without being condescending. --Cristina Vaamonde

Book Description

Part 1: Getting Started. Part 2: Your Personal Finances. Part 3: Financial Planning and Goal Setting. Part 5: Income Taxes. Part 6: Going Online.

-More pages on how to use Quicken for a better price than any other title

-Follows the effective Sams Teach Yourself format with 24 easily understandable lessons and a step-by-step approach to teaching yourself how to accomplish the task at hand

-Sams Teach Yourself Quicken 99 in 24 Hours offers 24 1-hour step-by-step tasks that instruct the reader by example. This book is a quick and easy way for new and intermediate users to get up to speed or learn more about all the new feature

Customer Reviews:

I found it clear, concise, easy to understand and follow.......1999-02-17

Learning Quicken seemed really daunting. But this book made it easy--by covering all the basic financial activities and guiding me literally step by step through each activity. The book is logically organized, and includes great graphics, summaries, and troubleshooting tips. I highly recommend it.

Covers the basics, but not much in depth analysis.......1999-01-24

I recently purchased Quicken Deluxe 99 and found it to be very difficult to set up anything but the most simple investments. I was hoping this book would explain how to handle more complex investment setups and related investment tracking, but I was disappointed. It seems to cover the same areas as the on-line help, but little beyond that.

Average customer rating:

Alpha Teach Yourself Personal Finance in 24 Hours
Janet Bigham; Saslav, Lea Bernstel
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O934IM

Estate Planning (teach yourself in 24 hours, alpha)

Average customer rating:

Estate Planning (teach yourself in 24 hours, alpha)
keith r lyman
Manufacturer: penguin group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000N7VTHS

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