Book recommendation

[Arif]

We are back in Georgia till next week and I always like to visit the bookstore to see what is new. Didn't find anything interesting other than the usual mags so I thought I would pose the question. What books would you guys/gals recommend that deals with finances, retirement, or anything along those lines?

BTW- Anyone want to bet Nords has atleast five books he'll recommend?

 

[Nords]

BTW- Anyone want to bet Nords has atleast five books he'll recommend?

Geez, don't you guys save my "book report" posts?

BTW- What books would you guys/gals recommend that deals with finances, retirement, or anything along those lines?

The most important book on those subjects that I've read lately is Dave Barry's "Money Secrets". It's worth any other five books you'll read! I'm curious how he managed to avoid being simultaneously sued by Suze Ormon, Donald Trump, & Angelina Jolie.

But I digress. Let's do something completely different. Here's the first page of my "To Read" list, some with notes on what inspired the entry. I think there are at least five here meeting the "finances, retirement, or anything along those lines" criteria:
- "The Denial of Aging: Perpetual Youth, Eternal Life, and Other Dangerous Fantasies" (Harvard University Press), Newsweek review. Dr. Muriel R. Gillick has some bad news. No matter how well you hide it, there's no avoiding the truth: growing old is hazardous to your health.
- Freakonomics: "Excellent" recommendation from Scott (Dilbert) Adams.
- The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away from Home by Rosanne Knorr. Sue Stevens on M* re retirement.
- Cell, Stephen King on cell phones turning owners into neck-biting zombies. 3 March 2006 "Slate" review. Classic King; best "The Stand" reprise since he got sober.
- "Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement and Political Manipulation at America's Largest Charitable Trust", Samuel King & Randall Roth. Reviewed by Star-Bulletin. This is a local book about the Bishop Estate Trust for Kamehameha Schools. The scandal ripped the state apart for a couple years (Roth is currently one of the governor's advisors) and is still reflecting shock waves through the Hawaiian community.
- Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life by Eugene O'Kelly. Business Week book review of KPMG CEO's brain cancer.
- Stephen King’s book called On Writing, recommended by Dilbert's Scott Adams. Another excellent memoir & great writing advice. Frightening discussion of his near-death & physical rehab.
- CONFESSIONS OF A WALL STREET ANALYST A True Story of Inside Information and
Corruption in the Stock Market By Dan Reingold with Jennifer Reingold. Business Week review.
- Rock and Roll Gearheads by Billy Gibbons. (Flogged on TV show "Yes Dear".)
- "Wall Street Versus America" by former BusinessWeek writer Gary Weiss. "You will see just how alone you truly are." (Jon Barker's farewell column as he heads into ER.)
- The Wal-Mart Effect, Charles Fishman, Jan 06, Business Week book review.
- "Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts From History's Great Wits & Wordsmiths". Dr. Mardy Grothe is a psychologist, author, and avid quotation collector. For more, visit http://vivalarepartee.com. (From A Word A Day)
- "Retire Early? Make the Smart Choices" by Steven Silbiger. Recommended by Mikey.
- The Light-Years Beneath My Feet, Alan Dean Foster, 2nd in the "Lost & Found" trilogy. Reading it now. It's OK but he seems to be phoning 'em in lately.
- Company, Australian novelist Max Barry, good review in FORBES magazine. "Jennifer Government" was bitingly hilarious.
- Healthy Martial Arts coming Spring 2006 by Dr. Jolie Bookspan.

 

[alphabet soup]

"American Theocracy" by Kevin Phillips.

You'll better understand why this country is going down the tubes.

 

[Eagle43]

"Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  It concerns Lincoln, and 3 of his presidential rivals, Salmon Chase, William H. Seward, and Edward Bates.  All three of his rivals were sharp and contentious, but Lincoln brought them into his cabinet after he was elected. I cannot imagine a modern-day president bringing in competitors like that.  Of course the rivals then didn't have 24-hour news networks to flaunt their superiority and/or differences.  It is long read, 750 pages or so, and I'm just into it 50 pages or so.  Doris is doing her usual superb job, and in this case, it's actually 4 bios, rather than just one. 

In the early reading, I am surprised by how many of these individuals lost family members when they were kids or newly weds.  For Example, Chase lost 3 wives and a kid while he was young and never remarried after age 45. 

Anyway, I would recommend it for reading, if only to compare present day White House occupants and cabinet members with those of the 1860s. 

 

[mickeyd]

I'm reading "The Number" and " The Smartest Guys in the room" now. Both are very interesting and readable.

 

[gtmeouttahere]

Multiplex Building For Dummies!!!

I think you know where that is coming from, could not resist!!!

 

[Arif]

Multiplex Building For Dummies!!!

I think you know where that is coming from, could not resist!!!

No, that's the book that I'M writing!!

 

[TromboneAl]

Just put a library hold on Dave Barry's book -- can't wait!

Brennan's Straight Talk on Investing is a good summary.
Random Walk Down Wall Street was OK.

Plan to read: Four Pillars of Investing
Boglehead's guide to Investing

 

[Arif]

Thanks for all the recommendations and the smart aXX comments

Boglehead's guide to Investing

I think I might buy this on amazon instead of the bookstore ($27 vs. $15)

I picked up "Live More, Work Less" and "The Smartest Guys in the Room" (just $6). Plus a few magazines that should hold me till I return to the states in June. I'll keep this list for when I'm looking for more books.

 

[ESRBob]

Arif,
Glad to see you're reading some quality stuff!

Hope you enjoy the book and keep an eye out for some of the forum regulars in the examples. (Most wanted to be pseudonyms but Nords is in there under his handle here as are a few others).

 

[mb]

Arif,

I've enjoyed Jim Roger's books. Investment Biker is one. I forget the name of the other one.

MB

 

[justin]

My "to read" list from the library:

Atlas shrugged /
by Rand, Ayn.
New York : Plume, 1999, 1992.
Liked Anthem, figured it would be a good (long) read.

The Bogleheads' guide to investing /
by Larimore, Taylor, 1924-, Lindauer, Mel, 1938-, LeBoeuf, Michael.
Hoboken, N.J. : J. Wiley & Sons, 2006.

Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything /
by Levitt, Steven D., Dubner, Stephen J.
New York : William Morrow, c2005.
Looks like it made Nords' list, too.

The intelligent investor /
by Graham, Benjamin, 1894-, Zweig, Jason.
New York : HarperBusiness Essentials, 2003.
An investing basic

The undercover economist : exposing why the rich are rich, the poor are poor--and why you can never buy a decent used car! /
by Harford, Tim, 1973-
This one sounded good - from The Economist magazine's Book Review section

I just watched Chronicles of Narnia on DVD last night, and I just added all 7 of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books to my list.

ESRBob's book is on my list, but not available yet at the local library. (Robert Clyatt)

Recent good reads:

The First National Bank of Dad - David Owen

The Four Pillars of Investing : Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
by William J. Bernstein

The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs - from a Nords book review - great read. It makes sense.

One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen. Good light reading. Entertaining. May be particularly entertaining since you are in a similar position, Arif, with kid and international travel.

 

[Martha]

I just watched Chronicles of Narnia on DVD last night, and I just added all 7 of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books to my list.

I have read all the CS Lewis books, but quite a few years ago. I recommend the essays collected in the Abolition of Man.

 

[justin]

I have read all the CS Lewis books, but quite a few years ago. I recommend the essays collected in the Abolition of Man.

I knew CS Lewis wrote a ton of non-fiction works too. If I had to pick one to read, is the Abolition of Man the one?

 

[Martha]

Well it is my recommendation, but people vary wildly on what they like. It is less Christian than a number of other books. It has several essays so if you don't have to read them all.

 

[justin]

I recall seeing one of his non-fiction works in particular being touted as "the one" to read. I'm not really that familiar with his work, except the Chronicles of Narnia which I read as a kid.

I totally missed the allegorical/allusory nature of the books back then, but when I watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe last night, it became crystal clear. Bizarre. Now I gotta re-read em all to see what I missed.

 

[ESRBob]

We just did Mere Christianity in our church reading group, but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list -- fairly dated and doesn't hold up to current standards of balanced objectivity and open-mindedness. Then again, it was written during WWII -- radio adresses to the troops, actually, so in that context it was probably perfect.