Modelling and Forecasting Financial Data: Techniques of Nonlinear Dynamics (Studies in Computational Finance, Volume 2) (Studies in Computational Finance)

Book Description

Over the last decade, dynamical systems theory and related nonlinear methods have had a major impact on the analysis of time series data from complex systems. Recent developments in mathematical methods of state-space reconstruction, time-delay embedding, and surrogate data analysis, coupled with readily accessible and powerful computational facilities used in gathering and processing massive quantities of high-frequency data, have provided theorists and practitioners unparalleled opportunities for exploratory data analysis, modelling, forecasting, and control.
Until now, research exploring the application of nonlinear dynamics and associated algorithms to the study of economies and markets as complex systems is sparse and fragmentary at best. Modelling and Forecasting Financial Data brings together a coherent and accessible set of chapters on recent research results on this topic. To make such methods readily useful in practice, the contributors to this volume have agreed to make available to readers upon request all computer programs used to implement the methods discussed in their respective chapters.
Modelling and Forecasting Financial Data is a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students studying complex systems in finance, biology, and physics, as well as those applying such methods to nonlinear time series analysis and signal processing.

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A simple and profound method for achievement

Finally Understanding Change Resistance as Useful Information

A great break down of common problems

Superb treatment of the subject

Like a mirror to see yourself in

How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation
Robert Kegan , and Lisa Laskow Lahey
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Running Meetings & Presentations | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life

The Thin Book of Naming Elephants: How to Surface Undiscussables for Greater Organizational Success

The Evolving Self: Problem and Process in Human Development

Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry (2nd edition) (Thin Book Series)

Appreciative Team Building: Positive Questions to Bring Out the Best of Your Team

ASIN: 078796378X

Book Description

Why is the gap so great between our hopes, our intentions, even our decisions-and what we are actually able to bring about? Even when we are able to make important changes-in our own lives or the groups we lead at work-why are the changes are so frequently short-lived and we are soon back to business as usual? What can we do to transform this troubling reality?

In this intensely practical book, Harvard psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey take us on a carefully guided journey designed to help us answer these very questions. And not just generally, or in the abstract. They help each of us arrive at our own particular answers that can solve the puzzling gap between what we intend and what we are able to accomplish. How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work provides you with the tools to create a powerful new build-it-yourself mental technology.

Download Description

With an inspiring mix of organizational analysis, worksheets, and sample dialogues, the authors of this revolutionary new technology for personal learning, leadership, and organizational change, show how all managers and executives are actually leading "language communities". The workplace, they reveal, is a community where certain ways of talking are encouraged and others made apparently impossible. But by using the seven new workplace "languages" presented in this book to reveal the underlying feelings and motivation in one-to-one and group discussion at work, leaders can concentrate individual and social energy to transform communication and culture in the workplace.

Customer Reviews:

A simple and profound method for achievement.......2007-02-17

This book presents a simple worksheet to help you analyze your resistance to change. Once completed, you will understand the inner conflicts that hinder your personal and professional development despite your best intentions. Of course, simply understanding these conflicts isn't enough, so the authors present methods to understand the usefulness of your resistance, eliminate your judgement around it, and harness its power for change.

This method has helped me overcome my greatest dissatisfaction at work and I've experienced amazing results. I must warn, however, that despite being simple it entails quite a bit of self observation and continued effort. But this in itself is a huge asset.

I highly recommend this book for anybody experiencing even the slightest dissatisfaction at work or in life.

Finally Understanding Change Resistance as Useful Information.......2006-07-11

Imagine getting so much perspective on habits you're not happy about that you can actually keep your commitments to yourself. Using language structure as both the diagnostic and the cure, Kegan and Lahey offer up a fresh guide to creating sustainable change.

While it is designed to be used for workplace issues, it can also be used in other aspects of life. This book is clear, well-written, and so easily accessible it can even be used as a workbook. In fact the authors recommend a study group, and give clear steps to applying the model and specific case studies of participants who have successfully used it to create change. The significant difference between this and all other "managing change" books is a respectful recognition of competing commitments. That is, we don't need to conquer resistance, we need to understand it as a legitimate and experienced based reluctance designed for self-protection. Only then can the source and the solution be brought to light. This way of thinking is a treasure.

A great break down of common problems.......2005-08-02

I love the analysis of the way we communicate breaks down common misconceptions. This book shows the things that create negative responses and reactions. I think that while it shows ways to change, very few people actually change. I plan to use these concepts with my employees and see if it has an impact. My supervisor told me about this and advised trying it out with a partner first. I can see ways that I and others I work with fall into patterns that can be changed.
Judy

Superb treatment of the subject.......2002-07-02

The authors do a wonderful job of tying the science of languages and communication to the business of work and life. Filled with great examples from the world, it is easy to understand and digest.

Recommend also: "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills" (Ponder) and "7 Habits" (Covey)

Like a mirror to see yourself in.......2002-06-22

This book does for business leaders and their teams what the 7 Habits (Covey) did for individuals back in the 90s, but it goes a step forward: it's packed with case studies. I won't add to the discussion about the Seven Languages for Transformation, since my fellow reviewers have already gone into extensive detail about them. The key concept that the book left me was the idea of diving into conflicts to have them "solve" you, as opposed to running away from them or trying to solve them. The basis for this idea has to do with the learning opportunities that a conflict has to offer, and the opportunities of self-discovery to dig out blatant inconsistencies between what we say we care about and what our language and actions actually shows.

Overall, the book is a very easy read, whether you do it in order to seriously implement its suggested methodology (and it is one serious set of ideas it carries) or just as a mirror to help you laugh at your so-called professional commitments.

Book Description

Tournament of Lawyers traces in detail the rise of one hundred of the nation's top firms in order to diagnose the health of the business of American law. Galanter and Palay demonstrate that much of the large firm's organizational success stems from its ability to blend the talents of experienced partners with those of energetic junior lawyers driven by a powerful incentive—the race to win "the promotion-to-partner tournament." This calmly reasoned study reveals, however, that the very causes of the spiraling growth of the large law firm may lead to its undoing.

"Galanter and Palay pose questions and offer some answers which are certain to change the way big firm practice is regarded. To describe their work as challenging is something of an understatement: they at times delight, stimulate, frustrate and even depress the reader, but they never disappoint. Tournament of Lawyers is essential to the understanding of the business of the big law firms."—Jean and Colin Fergus, New York Law Journal

Tournament of Lawyers: The Transformation of the Big Law Firm

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Tournament of Lawyers: The Transformation of the Big Law Firm
Marc Galanter
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP3UMQ

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Tournament of Lawyers: The Transformation of the Big Law Firm
Marc Galanter
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP5U6K

Book Description

The evolution of our Universe and the formation of stars and galaxies are mysteries that have long puzzled scientists. Recent years have brought new scientific understanding of these profound and fundamental issues. In lively prose, Professor Padmanabhan paints a picture of contemporary cosmology for the general reader. Unlike other popular books on cosmology, After the First Three Minutes does not gloss over details, or shy away from explaining the underlying concepts. Instead, with a lucid and informal style, the author introduces all the relevant background and then carefully pieces together an engaging story of the evolution of our Universe. Padmanabhan leaves the reader with a state-of-the-art picture of scientists' current understanding in cosmology and a keen taste of the excitement of this fast-moving science. Throughout, no mathematics is used and all technical jargon is clearly introduced and reinforced in a handy glossary at the end of the book. For general readers who want to come to grips with what we really do and don't know about our Universe, this book provides an exciting and uncompromising read. Thanu Padmanabhan is a Professor at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, India. He is the recipient of numerous awards and author of three books, Structure Formation in the Universe (Cambridge, 1994), Cosmology and Astrophysics Through Problems (Cambridge, 1996), and, together with J.V. Narlikar, Gravity, Gauge Theories and Quantum Cosmology. He is also the author of more than one hundred popular science articles, a comic strip serial and several regular columns on astronomy, recreational mathematics, and the history of science.

Customer Reviews:

Challenging but Comprehensible.......2000-05-20

True teachers want their students to understand their subject. Padmanabhan is a true teacher and he has taken the trouble to carefully and simply explain so that the motivated reader can understand. If you are not a professional astronomer and you really want to understand astronomy, buy this book. But don't read it just once - read it again and again because each time you do, you will find your understanding of astronomy growing by leaps and bounds. When you do, you will catch a few minor flaws and typos but these are irrelevancies in what is a tremendous effort by a great teacher.

Good ideas; Needs editorial help.......2000-01-10

The book focuses on the evolution of large structures in the universe. Many other topics are included to supplement/support the general theme.

The biggest downfalls of the book are the writing and editing. It's hard to believe this is a Cambridge University Press book. There are editorial and typographical mistakes. The writing is often repetitive and, sometimes, disorganized, or at least inconcise. I think that with good editorial help, this book could have been shorter and clearer.

The figures are the strongest feature of the book. They appear to be very well thought out and are well executed.

I learned things from this book. I guess that's the bottom line.

Excellent Book, a must read........1999-09-23

When I began reading this book, I thought I made a mistake buying it. But as I read on, I began to realize this book was explaining things other books I have read take for granted. For example, I really appreciate the author explaining why the big bang predicts the primordial hydrogen and helium abundances. I have always known what they are, but until I read this book I not understand why. Thank you. Also, I loved the explanation of why the cold and hot dark matter models don't really fit the observed clumpiness of the present day universe. And there are more subjects treated in detail laymen can easily understand. I wish more authors would elaborate on these subjects with such detail and not just state them as fact. As an amatuer astronomer with an interest in cosmology, I thank the author for the detail in this book concerning particle physics and cosmology. I recommend this book for anyone looking for explanations of some aspects of the big bang theory. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is due to its few, seemingly unnecessary, elementary chapters. I wish the whole book was as good as it's strongest chapters.

Specifically targets origin of Large Structures.......1999-06-07

This book provides an excellent treatment of the formation of large structures (galaxies and clusters of galaxies). It includes discussion of all of the various theories on the origin if these structures and good descriptions of all of the methodologies for collecting information about the early universe.

It does not, however, contains any information about the formation of structure within galaxies, star formation or planet formation.

Masterwork for simplifying a complex topic.......1998-12-19

This book is all strengths. No failures. Manages to describe most of the physics relevant to cosmology with no mathematics. Explains how science works -- excellent interplay of observations, the models they stimulate and the reverse process, as the theorists suggest observations that would distinguish between alternate models. Book focuses on science, not on scientists. The latter (preoccupation with whimsical stories about colleagues) is one of the most annoying features of similar books. Those authors speak down to readers -- this book never speaks down, and never introduces gossip. Really, you couldn't do better if you want to learn the current status of thoughts on cosmology

Book Description

Supramolecular chemistry is a central theme not only in chemistry, but in neighboring disciplines including physics and the biological sciences. The author has introduced this notion and has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements in this area. He presents here the concepts, lines of development and perspectives of this highly interdisciplinary and burgeoning field of research.

Topics include:

- molecular recognition
- catalysis and transport processes
- molecular and supramolecular devices
- self-processes

By placing the basic concepts into a broader perspective, the author succeeds in inspiring, stimulating and challenging the creative imagination of his reader.

Customer Reviews:

A Magnificiant Guide On Supramolecular Chemistry!.......2000-06-04

When I first got into the world of supramolecular chemistry I didn't know where to start, where to gather a general view of the topics. I also wanted to search some interesting examples in the literature. This book helped me achieve these in a very short time. The subjects are up-to-date and the examples given in the text are really impressing. I had the book from our school library and hope to have one to my own- as a guide all the time..

Book Description

This volume may be used as a reference in courses dealing with biological aspects of pollution control. An abbreviated version of the authors' textbook entitled Microbiology for Environmental Scientists and Engineers (McGraw Hill, 1980), the book covers The Life-Support System; Technological Control of Water Quality; Chemical Composition of Cells and the Nature of Organic Matter; The Microorganism; Nutrition and Growth Conditions as Selective Agents in Natural Populations; Quantitative Description of Growth; Energy Generation and Utilization in Biological Systems; Metabolic Classification of Microorganisms; The Central Pathways of Metabolism; Aerobic Metabolism; and Anaerobic Metabolism. Chapters 1 through 10 conclude with references and suggested readings; a glossary and list of symbols are also provided.

Book Description

Whenever you need an amusing story to hold attention, drive home a point in speech making to enliven conversation, or to read just for fun, the more than 4,100 peppery, bubbling stories in this volume will satisfy every demand.

All are arranged alphabetically under subject. The index and cross-index makes it possible to locate the right story quickly.

The range of this volume is far and wide. The stories are about people in all walks of life. All of them are wholesome and clean. And what is more, you will want to remember and retell these stories. Drawn from the vagaries, the foibles, and the peculiarities of human nature, they provide countless chuckles from many different locales.

The ENCYCLOPEDIA of WIT, HUMOR and WISDOM is indispensable for public speakers, toastmasters, lawyers, ministers, educators, writers, salesmen, and those who love a good laugh.

Customer Reviews:

Mom & Pop humor.......2000-09-22

This is a very large collection of humor from the first half of the 20th century. I love it. The Norman Rockwell of humor.

The Encyclopedia of Wit, Humor & Wisdom: The Big Book of Little Anecdotes

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The Encyclopedia of Wit, Humor & Wisdom: The Big Book of Little Anecdotes

Manufacturer: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humor | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000I8FRNO

Customer Reviews:

I knew the author of this book.......1997-10-09

George W. Adams was Chairman of the History Department at Southern Illinois University when I was an undergraduate there.

As a student of Dr. Adams, I had the intestinal fortitude to review his book as a class project.

Not only was I a history major, I had just been discharged from the Army having served three years as a medic.

I was fairly critical of Dr. Adams book. Although history is its long suit, it falls a little short in the "medical facts" department.

For example, he glossed over the infection which could be caused by a slow moving minie-ball travelling through already soiled clothing. Without the benefits of anti-biotics, this was one of the leading causes of death during the Civil War.

Nonetheless, it is an excellent treatment of a rather specialized subject.

P.S. Dr. Adams gave my an "A" on my project.

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Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War
George W. Adams
Manufacturer: Henry Shuman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KPYNCG

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Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War
George Worthington Adams
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KQLZXK

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Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War (Signed)
George Worthington ADAMS
Manufacturer: Henry Schuman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I1TXGS

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Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War (Signed)
George Worthington ADAMS
Manufacturer: Henry Schuman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I1SHLU

Book Description

When The Birth of Fascist Ideology was first published in 1989 in France and in 1993 in Italy, it aroused a storm of response, both positive and negative. In Sternhell's view, fascism was much more than an episode in the history of Italy. He argues here that it possessed a coherent ideology with deep roots in European civilization. Long before fascism became a political force, he maintains, it was a major cultural phenomenon. When The Birth of Fascist Ideology was first published in 1989 in France and in 1993 in Italy, it aroused a storm of response, both positive and negative. In Sternhell's view, fascism was much more than an episode in the history of Italy. He argues here that it possessed a coherent ideology with deep roots in European civilization. Long before fascism became a political force, he maintains, it was a major cultural phenomenon.

Customer Reviews:

A Tumult of Truth.......2003-12-07

After searching for a objective view of the development of this ideology I stumbled upon this book and was gratified by Zeev Sternhell's indepth educational coverage. The typical persistant sophistic demonizing of the philosphers and political ideologs, along with pharisee like critisism of the principles, myths and ideals of Fascism are thankfully nonexistant throughout the book. Instead Mr. Sternhell takes you from the early fomations in late nineteenth century France to the final solidification in post Great War Italy with meticulous perspicacity.

Misconceptions are dispelled--and Mr Sternhell should be thanked for his willingness to not only clearly and concisely separate Fascist principle from Nazi ideology but to also relate the surprising Italian Jewish contribution and memberships from before Fascism's move to government in 1922.

Names of philosphers and political scientists normally left out of other books on Fascism are given healthy coverage and should also be studied to fully understand why this non reactionary movement swept into popularity.

Finally I'd like to say that Mr Sternhell will convince you that parallel to Socialism and Liberalism, Fascism offered a original direction and answer to the development of European society and the problems that that development caused. It is as much the failures of Socialism and Liberalism to address and cure the problems that nineteen and twentieth century modernity created that successfully enacted the Birth of Fascist Ideology.

Worth the Effort.......2001-07-21

I had to read this book for a class on European Nationalism, and it was amazing. It took a very long time to read, as it is a hard book and a complex one, and discusses in-depth unfamiliar ideas and especially unfamiliar people. This, however, is what makes it so good: it is completely original, to me at least and I have read a fair number of history books over my undergraduate career. It is definitely worth picking up if you have any interest in modern European history, or especially if you are teach European history, have a discussion on this one!

The Birth of Fascist Ideology : From Cultural Rebellion to Political Revolution

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The Birth of Fascist Ideology : From Cultural Rebellion to Political Revolution
Zeev; Sznajder, Mario; Asheri, Maia; Maisel, David (translator) Sternhell
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PS0FY8

THE BIRTH OF FASCIST IDEOLOGY: FROM CULTURAL REBELLION TO POLITICAL REVOLUTION. Translated by David Maisel

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THE BIRTH OF FASCIST IDEOLOGY: FROM CULTURAL REBELLION TO POLITICAL REVOLUTION. Translated by David Maisel
Zeev. Sternhell
Manufacturer: Princeton Univ. Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RIVUSQ

Book Description

The principal orchestrator of the passage of women's suffrage in Texas, a founder and national officer of the League of Women Voters, the first woman to run for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas, and a candidate for that state's governor, Minnie Fisher Cunningham was one of the first American women to pursue a career in party politics. Cunningham's professional life spanned a half century, thus illuminating our understanding of women in public life between the Progressive Era and the 1960s feminist movement. Cunningham entered politics through the suffrage movement and women's voluntary association work for health and sanitation in Galveston, Texas. She quickly became one of the most effective state suffrage leaders, helping to pass the bill in a region where opposition to women voters was strongest. In Washington, Cunningham was one of the core group of suffragists who lobbied the Nineteenth Amendment through Congress and then traveled the country campaigning for ratification. After women gained the right to vote across the nation, she helped found the nonpartisan National League of Women Voters and organized training schools to teach women the skills of grassroots organizing, creating publicity campaigns, and lobbying and monitoring legislative bodies. Through the League, she became acquainted with Eleanor Roosevelt, who credited one of her speeches with stimulating her own political activity. Cunningham then turned to the Democratic Party, serving as an officer of the Woman's National Democratic Club and the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee. In 1928 Cunningham became a candidate herself, making an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. An advocate of New Deal reforms, Cunningham was part of the movement in the 1930s to transform the Democratic Party into the women's party, and in 1944 she ran for governor on a pro-New Deal platform. Cunningham's upbringing in rural Texas made her particularly aware of the political needs of farmers, women, union labor, and minorities, and she fought gender, class, and racial discrimination within a conservative power structure. In the postwar years, she was called the "very heart and soul of Texas liberalism" as she helped build an electoral coalition of women, minorities, and male reformers that could sustain liberal politics in the state and bring to office candidates including Ralph Yarborough and Bob Eckhardt. A leader and role model for the post-suffrage generation, Cunningham was not satisfied with simply achieving the vote, but agitated throughout her career to use it to better the lives of others. Her legacy has been carried on by the many women to whom she taught successful grassroots strategies for political organizing.

Minnie Fisher Cunningham: A Suffragist's Life in Politics.(Book Review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History

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Minnie Fisher Cunningham: A Suffragist's Life in Politics.(Book Review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History
Evan Anders
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2005. The length of the article is 628 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Minnie Fisher Cunningham: A Suffragist's Life in Politics.(Book Review)
Author: Evan Anders
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2005
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 71 Issue: 3 Page: 725(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

In 1973 Andrew Tobias published The Best Little Boy in the World under the pseudonym John Reid in order to avoid telling people (including his parents) that he was gay. Since then, he's gone on to become a bestselling finance writer (The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need) and columnist for Worth magazine. "Much of my life," writes Tobias, "the context of this book notwithstanding, has had little to do with being gay...." This may seem like an odd statement to find in the sequel to one of the major gay memoirs of the late 20th century. Yet it's also perhaps the point: as Tobias has "grown up" and fully accepted his sexuality, it has become so natural to him that were it not for other people's attitudes there would be almost no reason to call attention to it.

In this memoir, Tobias avoids discussing his sexuality in detail, and apologizes for even the occasional indirect remarks he makes to get around talking about sex. Instead, he covers his emotional relationships and the significant advances for gays and lesbians in American society that he has both witnessed and experienced since 1973. He writes in a charming, conversational style, frequently following digressions and then forcing himself back on track. Tobias is lavish in his praise of those he admires, including Bill and Hillary Clinton (who have "done more than anyone in the history of the world for gay and lesbian people"), and tries to see the good in those with whom he profoundly disagrees. The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up is a thoughtful, self-assured memoir that shows that one way to start making the world a better place is to become at peace with oneself. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

John Reid's The Best Little Boy in the World was hailed as a classic memoir of growing up gay in a straight world. But "John Reid" didn't write it. Years would pass before the writer could reveal his true identity as Andrew Tobias, America's bestselling financial guru, author of The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need. Now, twenty-five years later, Tobias, proud to use his real name, brings his remarkable life story up to date.

Writing with his customary charm and frank humor, Tobias tells of love affairs and heartbreak, hot New York parties and tough political battles, the excitement of genuine social change and the tragedy of seeing dear friends die young. Here too are the unforgettable scenes of Tobias revealing his sexual orientation not only to his parents but to the president of the United States.

The author is an irresistible companion as he shares with us his proud stories, embarrassing confessions, and hilarious musings on "the homosexual lifestyle." Witty, heartfelt, and wonderfully affirming in every sense, this is Andrew Tobias's finest book to date.

Customer Reviews:

Funny, touching and thought-provoking.......2007-06-07

I found "The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up" well-written, insightful and inspiring. I am a straight female and don't usually read a lot of material about gay men, nor do I read a lot of biographies (boring). So why did I read this in the first place? Actually, because I liked "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" so much.

The investment guide was invaluable to me when I inherited some money and had no clue what to do next. That book transformed me rather rapidly from someone who felt like she needed help but was not even sure where to turn, to feeling that I could handle things just fine on my own, and it's working out very well for me. In addition to being useful, I found that book so well-written and just plain entertaining that I have re-read it several times and started looking for other things he had written.

I tried "My Vast Fortune" but it didn't grab me for some reason, and I liked "The Best Little Boy in the World" better. But I felt this follow-up book about his adult life is extraordinary. I have known quite a few gay folks in my life, but I have to admit this book still made me more aware of their issues than I had been. I'm not very political, and if the book were preachy, I would have tossed it. But Tobias makes his points with deft humor and a variety of fascinating anecdotes. It is quite entertaining as well as emotionally gripping. I highly recommend it.

I have to agree with most reviewers.......2006-09-15

I'm not going to reiterate the negative reviews here, mostly because they're right on the mark. This book is boring, unnecessary, grandiose, and lacking in any editorial judgement. I read his first book many years ago, enjoyed it, and thought that its follow-up would be equally entertaining. Boy was I wrong. I bought it back in '98, tried to read it, and gave up. I recently moved and found the book in a box. I thought I'd give it another try, and it was just as insipid as it was eight years ago. If you want a good memoir, go elsewhere.

tedious bore.......2006-07-30

pretty much useless. for much better memoirs, i would say go look at paul monette, edmund white, or augusten burroughs, all of which are way superior to this narcissistic and charmless writer whose name i won't even bother mentioning. waste of bucks.

What's with all the cynicism here?.......2005-09-12

I've just read this wonderful book and cannot understand how some of the other reviewers here can call Mr. Tobias self-absorbed. I saw him as merely human and in fact found that he was often self-deprecating--and also it is a book about HIM, so what did the other readers here expect him to write about, his mother? Make no mistake, Andrew Tobias is not a saint, and neither is any of us. His writing reflects his very human experience.

Name dropping? Please. Did some of the other reviewers here expect Andrew Tobias to indulge in navel gazing or something? In any case, I found his experiences to be inspiring. His descriptions of how significant others in his life managed later on in life was to me a great way to vicariously learn some of the lessons of life. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I have in fact read this book before I read TBLBITW because I felt that it would be more relevant to present times.

An self-absorbed name-dropping boring memoir.......2002-10-18

What a shock! The Best Little Boy in the World was one of those formative books I read when I was coming out in the 70's. I naturally assumed this was going to be a powerful follow-up to that volume. It was anything but that. Mr. Tobias tells us all about the wonderful, glamorous, rich and political un-gay and then gay-gay life he has had. With references to that book. If not for the fact that the book was cheap, I would've been furious. As it was, I just threw it away when I was done with it.

The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up

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The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up
John Best Little Boy in the World Reid Andrew Tobias
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OW2VXS

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