Business Money Books

I read this book in less then a week and I am already putting together a purchase proposal following this books examples. It has many great ideas and explainations of how to flip properties, using first and second mortgages to benefit you, using home equity, taking a mortgage from the seller when they have 100% equity. I have been a minor in real estate for a few years, but this book has opened my eyes to new ways and techniques that I wish I knew many years back.

Jack Cummings is a great author, easy to read and follow. Nice short chaperts.

Investing in RE with OPM is useful if you just came out from a cave or just landed on Earth. Can't make a deal work? Great suggestions from Cummings include asking your family member (THE FAMILY LOAN), borrowing against life insurance policies (MUST really really make sure that its whole and not term)(THE POLICY LOAN) and how about asking for a co-signer (THE AUTOGRAPH COLLECTOR). Only Cummings can manage to write chapters and pages about how to get a loan from a family member or how to add a co-signer to a loan. Investors, please, you have more important things to do.

I've bought many expensive courses and books on real estate investing, from the late-night TV guru to classic books on the subject. They all have some valuable information, BUT I WOULD TRADE HAVING BOUGHT THEM ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ONE LITTLE BOOK UNDER $20. Whereas many real estate experts turned authors would have you believe that their courses give you tricks and secrets to wealth that you won't find anywhere else, Mr. Cummings explains in detail how all of these methods of finance are used all the time in real estate and are the foundations of amazing fortunes through property. Each technique is explained with examples, benefits, and potential pitfalls, each over the course of four to five pages. You can read this book in short snippets and walk away mentally charged with the possibilities or more likely get engrossed in the reading and not break for 100 pages. This isn't pie-in-the-sky, might work for somebody else stuff. This is how it's done all the time by the people that know how to maximize their return while minimizing their risk. I'm an avid reader and for books on financial success, I would place this book at number 2 on the must-read list, right behind Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That book tells you why you must turn to property. This book tells you how to do it. I can't recommend it highly enough! Great, great book! By the way, any reviewers thinking the use of OPM (other people's money) to buy property is only useful if you just crawled out of a cave or just landed on earth must have paid all cash for their houses, otherwise, they used OPM. Any kind of financing IS the use of OPM!

One reviewer obivously stopped reading. Yes Jack Cummings has a chapter on cosigning and one on borrowing against a life insurance policy, but he also has 38 other chapters on very creative ways to finance real estate. But lets face it, these books are written for novices, so cut him some slack. He's covering all bases. And there are a one or two other just as cheesy ones such as chapter 37, "The Root Beer Float" (And in fact, this type of advice is why I didnt rate the book higher - but if you can gleen a couple of ideas to use then I feel a book is worth it).

Every type of financing one could think of is covered in this book from syndication to yes, using a family cosigner. Each idea also includes possible pitfalls. I rate this book 3 1/2 stars and feel it is a solid purchase.

This book is fair reading, but there are far better books, not to mention that its a bit outdated in material. My recommedation is buy a different book, but if you must have it will do.

Save your money. Stuffed with appendices of legislation pertaining to credit industry. Poorly written and worse editing with mispellings and repetition.

Updating would be a good thing with recent changes in the FCRA. I read the reviews by others before I read the material myself. Seeing that other reviewers had looked into Bill Bauer who claimed to be an expert on the topic and gave a very negative review and I saw the book was sound raised my curiousity level and I Googled him as well. I think a new book about him would make fascinating reading. Please do not take the negative reviews seriously. They have an agenda.

This book was disappointing. Buying a book without being able to browse it beforehand makes it difficult to know if its what you want. If I would have been able to skim through this book prior to buying, I would not have bought it. It's not that it's bad, it's just that its not what I needed or the title implied. It is not a comprehensive book at all. The title "guerrilla" makes you think it will offer unique, aggressive, insightful, strategic, or uncommonly known tactics to attack your credit repair. It absolutely fell short of that. But what it does deliver is very detailed, easy to follow understanding of BASIC information (what credit is, how to contact the bureaus, what type of letters to send, etc.) It gives you a decent strategy on how to dispute items on your CR. A huge shortcoming for this book is that 100 pages of the 200 page book was given to printing the FCRA (fair credit reporting act). Helpful but a waste. Instead of giving us some "guerrilla tactics" for 100 pages, they print the act instead. If you are really trying to repair your credit and you need real life information and real "guerrilla" tactics then you MUST prepare yourself mentally (it can get legal, psychological and emotional) and use the vast amounts of FREE information and FREE resources available online. Try joining FREE online communities/forums. Avoid people capitalizing on your despair with over-priced credit repair books, credit repair kits, pay-for services (i.e. now bankrupt AmeriDebt) or other books where gazillionaires bloviate about how rich and debt-free THEY are. Good for you. People with poor financial situations and poor credit do need inspiration but people also need practical aggressive ways to get their backs from against the wall. In conclusion, you'd be better off researching online for a few weeks, seeking FREE professional opinions, or checking out books like this one from the library.

The main idea of this book is that credit reporting is an unfair process to consumers and more legislation is needed to regulate the industry. The authors paint a grim picture of credit agencies and leads you to believe you should be afraid of them. First of all the book is severely outdated. The book falls short due to the amount of mis-information. For example, it convinces readers that anyone that requests their credit report can obtain one; it advises that credit reports are reviewed when a person applies to college and convinces readers that credit reports are so personal that they contain information about a person's grooming habits. LOL - come one, get serious! The book is outdated and at least half of it focuses on trying to teach readers how to manipulate the credit-reporting system to have correct data removed from a credit report. In addition, the book is full of contradictions. It claims that credit reporting is done to punish, even torment consumers and that it's unfair, but a few pages later, the authors state that the intricate system ultimately benefits consumers. Which is it?! It also suggest readers partake in illegal activity in order to obtain a credit report like the ones creditors receive. It tells them to pose as a landlord or employer. This is illegal! Unless you're a deadbeat with low morals, this book is not for you. I'd recommend The Insider's Guide to Credit Repair by K.E. Varner for more useful, practical advice.

"Take This Book to Work" is a great read, not only for young professionals, but for those who may need a reminder that women can (and do) conquer the workplace woes. The book is written in a fun format that is easy to read. Chapters are marked clearly which makes for a quick reference guide when a question arises. I flipped directly to the chapter "How To Ask Smart Questions During an Interview to Help You Land the Job" before my interview with a successful PR firm. Not only did I feel more confident, but I got the internship!

As a career consultant, I will refer clients to this book. I find male clients have questions similar to females and it is important to avoid categorizing a workplace challenge as "women only."

That said, this book fills a need among today's workers. Those who are completely new to a situation will benefit by following the guidelines. You could do worse!

But it's important to realize that when it comes to career strategy, we rarely have simple answers. You're taking a risk regardless of what you do and almost any strategy can backfire. No guarantees!

I particularly like the section on interviewing for information. Few books spell out the differences between new and experienced career changers. As these authors say, senior executives rarely go out on "interviews for information." They're more likely to have coffee or drinks and talk. And at the senior level, you're more of an equal. You may be able to help the person you're meeting -- or you will someday.

We have some areas of disagreement. But as I remind my own clients, every advisor or consultant will be fallible. We all make mistakes and nobody's right all the time. Here are 3 areas where I take a different slant on career change and job search:

(1) When you are job hunting, the authors suggest calling to ask if your resume was received, and then using the opportunity to sell yourself. I say that strategy can pay off handsomely but can also backfire. I wouldn't encourage clients to try to sell themselves to Human Resources. HR typically acts as a gatekeeper: they're only interested in ways to say no.
If you reach the hiring manager you're more likely to win with this strategy.

(2)You need to relocate for personal reasons and your company has a branch in your destination city. The authors suggest you mention your personal reasons ("My mother has cancer") with the request. I encourage my own clients to avoid disclosing personal details. Let's get real: you never know when this information will be distorted and/or used against you. You give up a lot of power when your company knows you aren't marketable because you won't move.

(3) When searching for a mentor, remember the rules change if you approach self-employed professionals. It's not uncommon for mentors to pay for advice and guidance. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between mentors and coaches.

On another note, the authors encourage readers to join Toastmasters or take a public speaking ocurse to gain confidence. Your experience will vary a great deal depending on the club or class. For advice on telephone negotiation and one-to-one meetings, I would recommend hiring a coach or consultant.

The book has gotten rave reviews from famous names. The back cover includes endorsements by Kelly Ripa, Robin Roberts and Barbara Corcoran, all admirable women. I'd like to hear from more in-the-trenches career consultants and recent career changers and job seekers, both men and women.

Tory and Robyn, working women around the world thank you for this invaluable book!

Too often, women do not get what they want from work - simply because they are afraid to ask. "Take This Book To Work" gives us the language and confidence to ask for what we need and deserve. Advising women on how to speak up and take control, this wonderful book covers everything from successful networking, office etiquette, and personal fulfillment. Next time I want to ask for something at work, whether it be a raise or time off, I will be consulting this helpful manual!

A collaboration of two talented and professional writers, this book brings a unique approach to women in the working world. It is the ultimate guidebook to an overall successful career strategy and all of the little bumps along the way. Covering a large range of topics, the authors truly address the needs of women in business of all industries. This book is for women who are just starting their careers, women who are stuck in their careers, and women who just want to continue to maximize their careers to achieve more both personally and professionally. A fantastic resource that is not to be missed! Do "take this book to work"!

"Feng Shui and Money" would be more honest and better off leave OUT the so-called Feng Shui since the book far better as what it really is: A book written by a phychotherapist who basically uses a "soul searching" self-help approach to deal with and suface ones particularly more "negative" ideas about money.
The reader will do lots of journalling/writing, thinking through ones core issues, answering questions in the simple fill in the line manner to get to the heart of what ails or aids you where money/wealth is concerned.

The "Feng Shui" part of the book deals with the "Ba-gua" sections. The information is skimply and simplistic. On its own it would only amount to several pages not worth bothering with.

The author includes mantras, mudras, meditation, visualizations, and empressing energies into ones efforts. This is all good and fine on its own. It has been ADDED to Feng Shui..but its not part of the system of analysis of Feng Shui. Yet, its being marketed as such.

In the first week of the nine week "program" the author is already offering shallow "cures" and telling readers to apply them. Of course, theres no real mature explanation as to why or how these cures work or the deeper theory behind them...e.g:

"Hanging a small wind chime in the tai chi area (center of home) will intergrate the flow of chi for the entire home. Since the area is associated with the number 5, a wind chime with five metal tubes is ideal. By hanging a chime in this position you send a vibration that balances all the areas of the bagua at one time".

The tai-chi area of ones home could be the living room or the toilet!...It could be a back room some odd place. Then what!?. If there is no air; windows, or breeze then there are no moving of the chimes!. If the air; vibration hitting the metal is not strong enough or if the metal is of cheap quality...then there is NO vibration to go anywhere...much less "all the ba-gua at once". What if you live in a large space or a small tiny cramped apartment?. What size chime to use?. None of these issues or related are address in this book..so whats the point.

The author claims to make a living advising people..in person... in their home..yet writes nonsense.

The author advises for the Hsun area (aka..prosperity corner) to put fro e.g. nine plants, purple colors, mirrors, and water;fountains. What if this Hsun area is in the kitchen near the stove...or the area has no windows?.The use of his contant placing of mirrors and plants is cute to redundant. "Good Housekeeping" magazine does better!.

This book is rife with telling what to put in which area without much consideration to anything else.

The author repeats the generic "keep the bathroom door closed at all times". What if you have not windows or general ventilation in your bathroom?. Plants in the bathroom has its pros and cons...but without natural light and air..plus a perpetually closed door makes no sense for most plants..much less general unhealthy hygeine conditions. It makes less sense that such suggestion are doled out like candy; many authors never even address these issues.

One reviewer mentioned that author uses "authentic" feng shui terms. The author uses the chinese names each section of the ba-gua. The rest of the book is in plain english. There is nothing in this to be overwhelmed about.

There A LOT of things in this book that are NOT Feng Shui. Like "Moving Water Cures": call a certain number of people for a certain amount period of time and take on any invites. Maintain this and you'll be instantly popular..money will flow. Yes..to the phone company!. Actually this is really just socializing, networking; its someting teens do all the time...its NOT Feng Shui.

Another one of the authors suggestions is putting bowls of flowers around the house. This is nice. It could be one of grandmas things to do or "101 things to do to decorate or uplift your living space".

Balance and promoting beneficialness in ones life is what these things and Feng Shui have in common. Thus, certain activities or ideas have been INCORPORATED along side or with Feng Shui.. but they are NOT Feng Shui.

Feng Shui like Martial arts is a vast and whole study/world to itself with many areas of substudy. Bruce Lee reruns and Chuck Norris is NOT Martial Arts.


"Feng Shui and Money"..its strong point is as a money management helper book with a "spiritually" and "looking-within" type of approach.

If you are interested getting to your inner issues regarding money and wealth..with a holistic touch then get a book that frankly cuts to that chase. You can get this book of course but for any hope worthwhile Feng Shui instead of the "ancient chinese secrets" lure....look elsewhere.

This author's approach to Feng Shui for prosperity cannot be described as "easy", but it is certainly thorough.

Each chapter covers different areas of your living space, and how you can transform them (for wealth) through the principals of feng shui.

In addition, each chapter includes different activities and meditations which are used along with the physical principals.

Finally, there is a summary at the end of each chapter, done checklist-style, to assist the reader in completing all the chapter's actions.

Though the book is well-written, the problem I had with it was this: the author's use of lots of (authentic) feng shui terms and language. This does NOT make for easy reading for anyone who is a beginner to the uses of Feng Shui.

Now, if you don't mind reading chapter after chapter filled with phrases like "Make one step every day toward the fulfillment of your Chen goal from your Dream Bagua", then you'll probably enjoy the book and get a lot out of it.

As for me, the struggle to keep on wading through the new-to-me language of Feng Shui convinced me that finishing the book would be worthwhile, but starting the program would not be.

I think a more mainstream use of language would have turned this book into a five-star read.

However, for the reasons given above, I can only rate the book three stars. I don't believe the average reader will even finish reading the book unless their interest in Feng Shui is VERY strong.

Reviewer: Linda Painchaud

There are many Religions and within these relions are different belief systems. Within my Christianity are many beliefs of Methodist, Baptist, Church of God, etc. Some believe that if you don't believe like they do you will go to hell. Everybody judging each other like God said not to. Well, what works for you won't work for others. Black Hat Feng Shui works for me because it is more sensible to follow in our day and time. How many people can change their location of their house because it isn't located properly on the property? With Black Hat there are cures. Sensible ones. Anyway, this book is great in breaking down feelings towards money and how you got in the state you are in with what you need to do to get out if it. I thought it was easy to understand and entertaining which makes it easy to understand.

I enjoyed this book. In a sea of simplistic feng shui books, this one was focused and detailed with a nice psychological twist. If you want a mix of psychology and feng shui you will like this book. Plenty of ideas and exercises to choose from - ones that are more feng shui oriented and ones that are more "self help" oriented. The author definitely took ideas from other books, but this was not a bad thing. I found it to be a mix of many ideas on prosperity creation.

Found the book to be very informative and helpful. You will need to realize that you will have to answer some hard questions about yourself in order to take full advantage of his insight. Definitely worth purchasing. However, be careful if you sign up for his conference call class. If you have a cell phone, you can not join in and you will not get your money refunded.

What a terrific guide through the obstacles of life's financial hiways and biways! Written succinctly, intelligently and humorously--this book is a must have for women of all ages who are recognize the importance of understanding how to handle and plan our finances to achieve our life's goals--- while also getting us through the occassional bump in the road or traffic snarls that affect our money issues. Easy read and great maps/questionnaires help to keep us on track while having fun too! A man is not a plan -- and small steps lead to big success are positive themes throughout.

Mystified by money? Using a crystal ball to plan your retirement? Burdened with credit card debt? Lacking health insurance? Budgetless? With humor, charts, user-friendly quizzes, and common sense, this book will prod you into taking the small steps needed to get a grip on money. Your money. Earning it, keeping it, growing it. You'll find the scoop on a broad range of financial topics, sprinkled with quotes from the likes of Confucius, Dear Abby, Mark Twain, and Erma Bombeck. Discover ways to put brains and muscle into your personal money management. I found each chapter to be clear, motivating, specific. A great gift.

Flipped through this book looking for tips on getting out of debt and realized it would help me with all of my money issues. (In fact it made me aware that I had more money issues than I thought I did.) Thanks for a good solid guide that I can understand! These authors should do seminars too.

This book has a wealth of information from getting out of debt to amassing a personal fortune. It's easy to read format helps the reader access topics of personal interest quickly and effortlessly. Get this book if you need to take control of your finances or if you know someone who would benefit from financial help and support. It makes a great gift for the women in your life from mothers and daughters and sisters too.

This is a personal finance book you'll actually ENJOY reading!
It doesn't contain any get-rich-quick schemes, nor does it offer any unrealistic promises or guarantees.

What it does do is help you identify your own "money type" (how you use money in general), and then gives simple lessons on how to best improve what needs improving.

Easy? Not exactly. As I said, there are no quick-fixes offered here. The lessons take time and effort. But if you do them, they're sure to work, because they're based on good sense, and an understanding of how women relate to money issues.

Reviewer: Linda Painchaud

If you are a parent with a child about to enter college, you would be a fool not to purchase this indispensible tool to financial literacy. Take it from me. I've already got three kids at universities across America. The one thing you want to avoid is a desperate call from your son or daughter seeking thousands of dollars to cover an outrageous credit card bill. "Please Send Money" is an easy-to-read book with many (often entertaining) stories illustrating every key point. You don't even realize you're learning!!!!

I checked this book out at the library and found it very interesting. Some of the youth don't know about money management because no one is showing them. Our eductaion system tells us how to work hard for money; it doesn't teach us how to make money work for us. So many of us, even when we become older are grappling with debt and Congress recently passed a bill that that doesn't help make the financial situation any better.
This is a good reference book for both young and mature adults. It helps the young how to manage money and it is also helpful for parents as a guide to teach underage children.
We need to be aware of credit card companies that market to the young preying on their financial illiteracy. It is up to us, parents and teachers to take action and let them know about money management before they come out of college with additional debt they don't need.

Moving out on your own for the first time is stressful enough, without having to constantly worry about money. However, as Dara Duguay says in her book, Please Send Money: A Financial Survival Guide for Young Adults on Their Own, money is a huge problem amoung young people. I was surprised to learn how many college students accumulate thousands of dollars in debt, often getting in over their head by using credit cards irresponibly. Although personal finance can be confusing and full of dangers for young people, this book shows readers how to avoid common problems and set up and manage a budget. Duguay teaches about the dangers of credit cards, loans, and how to deal with bankruptcy. Through many real-life stories, she illustrates that financial problems can effect anyone. However, by creating a budget for yourself, learning about loans and credit cards, and overcoming the temptation to spend too much, young people can learn to handle their money responsibly. I would definitely recommend this helpful, easy-to-read book to anyone, especially young people, who want to learn more about personal finance.

This book was good to read. It is very informative for young adults. I know that this will be very helpful to me next year at college. I liked this book because it was very helpful in demonstrating what should not be done when creating personal financing. The only reason I did not give this book five stars was because while it did say what not to do, I only noticed four instances of when the book mentioned a person doing something correct from the start. Throughout the book the author, Dara Duguay, would tell a person's tale of how they screwed up their financing. Then she would explain how that particular situation could have been better handled. In each of the four instances of someone handling their finances well, it was merely to compare that person to another that didn't do so well.
Overall I liked the book. It gives good advice and is rather easy to read. The lessons the book tries to convey are understood quite well by its target audience (teens). I am glad that I read this book, I will take to heart most of the lessons it teaches.

"Please Send Money!" is a great book for high school seniors to read before they go off to college and are confronted with financial situations of their own.

This book does a great job of relating that material to the age group for which it was written. The book also includes many personal stories and accounts which help the material come together. I feel it would be worthwile for anyone, especially college students, because it explains how to best maintain a positive financial status. The best thing about this book that is it's easy to read and doesn't drag on.

Even though this book is about a boring topic, money, it actually kept me entertained. The facts in this book are very necessary to know, and it taught me a lot. It made me very fearful of credit cards and bankruptcy. This book gives useful advice about maintaining a balanced budget, while still leaving room for fun. It also talks about investing early in the stock market.

The most useful section of this book is the chapter on saving. No savings is a common problem for students and this book deals a lot with how much and when to start saving. I liked how this book gave solutions for any teenager on any budget. It gave options such as investing only $2 per day and still becoming a millionaire by age 65. It seemed like there was someone for everyone.

Another very important chapter is that about investing in the stock market. The book discussed "not putting all your eggs in one basket" and diversifying your money. The best part about this section was the book did not use only "Wall Street Lingo" but also common place words. It was easy to understand, and that is a huge plus for a financial book for college students.

This book was definately worth the [money] because in the end it could help you to make millions. The only bad this about this book was that it made me very fearful of credit cards and debt. :)

very basic charting indicators are explained in this book. Might not be usefull to the novice trader who needs more specific and examples. The diagrams are really hard to distinguish.

You get what you pay for on this one. Clear writing with good examples but a beginners guide only. There isn't anything in this book you could not find on the web. Also have noticed the author not speaking what is obvious in the charts regarding the market when interviewed so far in 2002.

If you look at the table of contents, you will see that the number of pages devoted to basic technical analysis indicators is absolutely minimal (e.g., MACD). This book is only 59 pages and, therefore, omits all but the most basic. I just don't think that it's worth $20. As many of you know, you can go to various technical anaysis web sites and print out---for FREE---equally/ more helpful information. This publication is really more of an introductory pamphlet than a bona fide book on TA.

Shhhh....want to know a secret? This book delivers everything one needs to know about chart reading at a far friendlier price than Murphy's other books or any other technical analysis book. Read and re-read this book then check out Technical Analyst Gary B. Smith's column at thestreet dot com, and explore stockcharts dot com also. You will be ready to use technical analysis to read charts instantly very shortly after doing the above steps. This book, published in year 2000, includes data about the Spring 2000 NASDAQ meltdown. Use the money you save by taking the above mentioned steps to buy some stock. Sensational book, sensational value! A must buy!

This book is very well written, easy to understand and has lots of example graphs that illustrate the concepts. Being a beginner myself, I highly recommend this book. However if you already know what you are doing I would suggest that you look for something more advanced.

The book is excellent for those who really want to know about the strategy of a giant such as P&G. For me, it was particularly useful since I'm writing my disertation thesis on this and the book was exactly what I needed.

Little needs to be said for an account, any account, much less a peppy one that reads like a veritable 'soap' opera, of a company that spends close to US$ 5 billion p.a. on advertising alone.

It is by definition a must-read for anyone even on the periphery of the marketing industry, and Yours Truly can vouch for the insightful trivia you'll pick up along the way if you hang your shingle in the media circles.

But the sheer strategic sweep that the authors have packed into this treatise on what kept Ivory afloat (beyond watery puns) will make it a worthwhile read for just about anyone in business. The singular most significant take-away being the allocation of media budgets a century ago versus how things stand today.

Interesting thoughts and riveting reminiscences wrapped in sprightly prose. Recommended in a blink.