Managing Downside Risk in Financial Markets (With- CD-ROM) (Quantitative Finance)

Book Description

Quantitative methods have revolutionized the area of trading, regulation, risk management, portfolio construction, asset pricing and treasury activities, and governmental activity such as central banking to name but some of the applications. Downside-risk, as a quantitative method, is an accurate measurement of investment risk, because it captures the risk of not accomplishing the investor's goal.

'Downside Risk in Financial Markets' demonstrates how downside-risk can produce better results in performance measurement and asset allocation than variance modelling. Theory, as well as the practical issues involved in its implementation, is covered and the arguments put forward emphatically show the superiority of downside risk models to variance models in terms of risk measurement and decision making. Variance considers all uncertainty to be risky. Downside-risk only considers returns below that needed to accomplish the investor's goal, to be risky.

Risk is one of the biggest issues facing the financial markets today. 'Downside Risk in Financial Markets' outlines the major issues for Investment Managers and focuses on "downside-risk" as a key activity in managing risk in investment/portfolio management. Managing risk is now THE paramount topic within the financial sector and recurring losses through the 1990s has shocked financial institutions into placing much greater emphasis on risk management and control.

Free Software Enclosed
To help you implement the knowledge you will gain from reading this book, a CD is enclosed that contains free software programs that were previously only available to institutional investors under special licensing agreement to The pension Research Institute. This is our contribution to the advancement of professionalism in portfolio management.

The Forsey-Sortino model is an executable program that:
1. Runs on any PC without the need of any additional software.
2. Uses the bootstrap procedure developed by Dr. Bradley Effron at Stanford University to uncover what could have happened, instead of relying only on what did happen in the past. This is the best procedure we know of for describing the nature of uncertainty in financial markets.
3. Fits a three parameter lognormal distribution to the bootstrapped data to allow downside risk to be calculated from a continuous distribution. This improves the efficacy of the downside risk estimates.
4. Calculates upside potential and downside risk from monthly returns on any portfolio manager.
5. Calculates upside potential and downside risk from any user defined distribution.

Forsey-Sortino Source Code:
1. The source code, written in Visual Basic 5.0, is provided for institutional investors who want to add these calculations to their existing financial services.
2. No royalties are required for this source code, providing institutions inform clients of the source of these calculations. A growing number of services are now calculating downside risk in a manner that we are not comfortable with. Therefore, we want investors to know when downside risk and upside potential are calculated in accordance with the methodology described in this book.

Riddles Spreadsheet:
1. Neil Riddles, former Senior Vice President and Director of Performance Analysis at Templeton Global Advisors, now COO at Hansberger Global Advisors Inc., offers a free spreadsheet in excel format.
2. The spreadsheet calculates downside risk and upside potential relative to the returns on an index

Brings together a range of relevant material, not currently available in a single volume source
Provides practical information on how financial organisations can use downside risk techniques and technological developments to effectively manage risk in their portfolio management
Provides a rigorous theoretical underpinning for the use of downside risk techniques. This is important for the long-run acceptance of the methodology, since such arguments justify consultant's recommendations to pension funds and other plan sponsors

Customer Reviews:

Good book but software demo needs improvement........2007-09-04

This book does a good job of describing the flaws with Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) as well as the proposed solution resulting in Post-MPT (Ch 1 and 4). The Visual Basic software demonstrates Post-MPT risk analysis of a single asset. I would have rated it a 5 if the software had demonstrated Post-MPT asset allocation among multiple assets. As it stands I have a choice of EITHER reverse engineering the software/spreadsheet and adding multiple assets OR purchasing third party software.

Not a book for the average Consumer .......2007-07-07

As a financial planner here in the midwest, I'm always looking to improve my business and the way I manage portfolios. For years I've always adhered to the capital asset pricing methods and Bill Sharpe's work in designing investment portfolios. So after looking for a better mousetrap, I found the Sortino Ratio. I was thinking this book -like many others in the investment realm- would be "dumbed-down" and written for a large scale audience----just the opposite. You better brush up on your math skills. It doesn't take you down a road of how to create/manage the risk in portfolios; it's really for large scale management. The formulas are on every other page. (I'm being facetious, but not too far fetched.) If you're a CFA or maybe a CIMA, you might want to have this on your shelf of reference materials; if you're the average planner dealing with mom and pop day-to-day issues, stick with Sharpe. (If you're a consumer looking to manage your portfolio using this book- you've got either way too much time on your hands or some real OCD issues.)(The CD included is somewhat worthless.) *I'm still going to try and develop portfolios using this method, but need a company like Morningstar to wrap it up in a software package.)

Doesnt Help Individual Investors.......2006-06-18

Like 99% of all books written on the stock market, this one does very little to help the efforts of individual investors. Rather, it is more applicable to funds and money managers, who have much different investment needs and styles. Individual investors need to understand how to determine business risk rather than liquidity risk or beta, which is usually the only kind of risk fund managers look at. Individual investors need to learn technical analysis (which fund managers do not look at typically) and they need to understand market sentiment. Finally, individual investors need to learn how to determine relative valuation--no not valuation methods that analysts go by--most of those are useless and they never consider downside risk. These are the keys to managing risk. I gave the book an average rating only because teaching risk management (and I mean practical risk management) is a very difficult task that I am not sure can be accomplished in a single book. It most certainly cannot be taught in a 270 page book. Most likely, the high price is a reflection of the audience---fund managers who pay for these expensive books with funds made by fund companies for doing nothing more than buy-and-hold.

Excellent Treatment of Risk/Return - A Must Read.......2002-12-05

Though the book is quite pricey, it delivers a wealth of information regarding various treatments of risk and return. This is not the stuff you find in most financial texts, such as outdated modern portfolio theory. In fact, the material is far beyond the old risk/return traditions of yore. Various authors each contribute a chapter including Sortino so one gets a wide range of views (I only found a few chapters irrelevant to my needs). However, the common theme throughout is, "It is high time to view risk/return in a more meaningful and practical light."

This text is not just for portfolio managers. Anyone involved in risk/return assessment will benefit from the material; though much of the book is intended for those with a mathematical slant. The material can easily be applied to discounted cash flow (DCF) financial modeling though this is not discussed in the text. In my opinion, it blows away VAR, Real Options, etc.

If you ever thought T-Bills were riskless assts, you need to read this book or be forever wrong. I also found a wealth of information on Sortino's website that complimented the text. Lastly, each chapter is chocked full of nice reference articles for those desiring to delve deeper into the multitude of ideas presented.

Average customer rating:
MANAGING DOWNSIDE RISK IN FINANCIAL MARKETS
FRANK SORTINO
Manufacturer: ELSEVIER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5L3AS

Book Description

The days of predictability and stability in organizations are gone. In todays world of rapid change, agility is a defining characteristic of successful, high-performance companies. In this environment, say Jeff Evans and Chuck Schaefer, it is essential that the ability of an organization to work at change be institutionalized. In Ten Tasks of Change, the authors offer a whole-systems approach to change at work and present you with a model for dealing with rapid and intentional change in the twenty-first-century organization.

Bridging the gap between theory and practice, Evans and Schaefer give you a logical framework for:

Thinking through the objectives of the work of change

Planning the activities to achieve those objectives

Using a selection of best-practices principles to accomplish them . . . and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Simplifying Change!.......2002-08-08

Much has been written about organizational change. The ability for an organization to successfully change and sustain the change is a key differentiator today's competitive world. I found this book was "manager friendly". I could quickly review the "Points to Remember" and "Common Trip Points" as listed in each task to ensure our team was focused on the right things. The Ten Tasks of Change is a ideal book to simplify every leader's most complex issue: change.
-- Don Langewisch, Performance Systems Manager, ChevronTexaco Corporation

A Practical Guide.......2002-07-14

I've just finished the Ten Tasks of Change and found it to be a practical guide to managing change. In my work in education, I find one of the most challenging hurdles is guiding people through change.

This book provides useful advice from the get-go, translating conceptual principles into plain language, as in "Swiss-cheesing the overwhelming.... poking a few holes in the task by getting on with what you can do now."

The authors also do an excellent job of synthesizing and building upon the work of others, as seen in their `Checklist for a Well-Designed Job'.

Lastly, I found it most useful that they not only stress what to ideally `do and attempt' when facilitating change, but also include advice on what to avoid doing, with a list of `Common Trip Points' at the end of each chapter.

A whole-systems approach to handling and modeling changes.......2002-01-11

Organizations are changing rapidly and unpredictably and such change has now become the norm for successful companies. Ten Tasks Of Change: Demystifying Changing Organizations provides managers and owners with a whole-systems approach to handling and modeling changes, using a basic foundation of planning and managing work to help changes take place smoothly. Chapters provide an easy, pragmatic approach to achieving the basics tasks of the framework presented by the authors.

Impressive and Succinct Approach to Change.......2001-05-11

Jeff Evans and Chuck Schaefer have created an excellent and multifaceted tool for anyone dealing with change - which reads like a road-guide but is not prescriptive - I am already using it to assisting the District of Columbia in creating a new State Level Department of Education, as well as a guide for developing "Requests for Proposals" for contractors helping the City reinvent/restructure its delivery of services.

As an organizational consultant working with local, state, and federal organizations for over 20 years, I have used and seen a variety of strategies/tactics to address a myriad of changes. This easy to use book is a unique approach that provides any user with a simple and effective methodology - that is clear and concrete - and at the same time avoids the danger of being "cookie cutter" in application.

The authors have done a remarkable job anchoring this approach in well researched and time tested theories, without overwhelming the user in the acedemics, and thus loosing site of the real purpose, the need for a powerful, practical tool that transcends the challenging paradox of change; it addresses the true comlexity and chaos found in most organizational contexts - i.e., it addresses the reality of the world we live and work in -in a wonderfully effective yet simple framework - Ten Tasks!

Thanks for capturing the approach that I have felt has been missing thoughout my 20 year career - the nexus of theory and application - in a clear and understandable form(I am glad someone finally wrote the book - and I wouldn't change a thing)!

Thanks, and Best Wishes

Bill Zybach

Business Process Manager, Office of the Chief of Technology Officer, Office of the Mayor, Washington, DC

Book Description

Conifer Seedling Mineral Nutrition provides a comprehensive review of conifer seedling mineral nutrition and its significance to forestry. The book covers relationships between mineral supply and uptake; the effects of nutrition on seedling growth; an integration of the ideas of T. Ingestad with classical growth analysis concepts; practical aspects of assessing nutrient status and details of fertilizing bare root and container nursery stock; and fertilizing vegetative propagules. The book also describes and illustrates Mycorrhizas, assessing their importance to plantation establishment in an analysis of recent papers reporting field trials. The effects of nutrients on stress resistance and establishment when applied in the nursery and while planting are discussed in the final chapter. It will prove useful to reforestation research workers, nurserymen, and silviculturalists and should be considered essential reading for forestry students.

Product Description

Have you ever met anyone who didn't have some behavior he or she couldn't stand? Why do we so often continue to behave in ways that make us unhappy? Why don't we learn from our mistakes? Why does willpower fail? Have you adopted the qualities that you hated in your parents? Do you wonder why? Many of the available self-help books give advice and present general ideas about the cause of our problems but do not provide in-depth insight into the reasons behind our behavior. They don't tell us why it is so difficult to follow their advice or our own desires and to overcome our problems. Why You Behave in Ways You Hate does. Dr. Gootnick explains why children blame themselves for their parents' faults and how this creates hidden, destructive mind-sets that cause the behaviors that plague us. In a clear, straightforward way, he shows you how to see past the psychological blinders that make it difficult for you to see how these mind-sets operate and then to take effective action. Seven charts identify specific behaviors and allow you to look up your personal problem and understand at a glance how it originated or how you may have responded to it. Using individual personality profiles of you and your family members, you will be able to analyze what happened in the past and to institute changes in your thinking and behavior. In addition, because Why You Behave in Ways You Hate is based on family dynamics, it is an invaluable asset for parents working on problems they may have with their children. It will help break the generational cycle of doing to your children what was done to you. Who is this book for? Its for anyone who has difficulty in achieving success in school or a career, who repeatedly get involved in bad relationships, or who have trouble extricating themselves from abusive relationships. It also appeals to parents who have problems with their children, to those who feel insecure, inadequate, or depressed without cause, and to individuals who have problems with addictions or weight control, or who sacrifice their own interests for others.

Customer Reviews:

Half way through.......2003-06-09

This book is excellent in that it shows you how your childhood can lock you in self-defeating behaviors. The charts are repetitive and the book is not well-organized. But the book is not at all dry as some reviewers here mentioned.

The major flaw in this book is actually in the second part of its title "and what you can do about it". The author offers no other actual solution than therapy. So the title is misleading and the book misses the major reason for it: the solution.
Yes, there are ways to solve these issues on your own and it can be explained in a book.
Harder cases can dealt with in a therapy, but most people could have got a major help from this book otherwise!

An amazing book.......2003-04-29

Most authors write 5 books on self-help that all say the same thing but with different titles.

This guy has written 1 book which I think is excellent. It is written quite dry, tends to repeat a lot of the same materials, could be better organized, and is a very difficult read. But let that not take away from the book's information. It is an extremely informative book that discusses you as an adult now and how incidents that occurred in your childhood made you turn out the way you are.

I consider myself a highly educated individual, and I must say that this book is an excellent resource. But don't expect it to be an easy read; I've had the book for 5 years and still haven't finished it.

Hopefully some day I will but it doesn't matter, because I plan on using it the rest of my life. I strongly suggest you give this book a look.

Thank you, Dr. Gootnick.......2002-12-28

Now I know why I do those things. I had always suspected those influences, but wasn't sure - not wanting to blame everything on my family. Thank you for a very enlightening and to the point read.

This book has a very narrow focus........2001-12-24

This book is so narrowly focused, it was of no use to me. A much better book for me was: Negaholics - How to Overcome Negativity and Turn Your Life Around. This may be an opinion which is closely linked to the fact that I'm a woman and Negaholics is written in a very "touchy-feely" style by a woman. The idea for both books is that bad experiences and/or toxic relationships in your childhood deeply affects the way you view yourself and all your relationships. Why You Behave in Ways You Hate really focuses on people who had toxic relationships with their parents. Negaholics does not focus on such specifics, but gives some really positive techniques to try to turn your negativism around.

Fantastic book.......2001-09-11

if you spend any amount of time wondering why you are the way you are, then you won't be sorry that you got this book, it is a wonderful book that will give you some amazing insights to who you are.

Average customer rating:
Strange, sudden & unexpected!: True stories from the files of the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Short-lived Phenomena
James Cornell
Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006E72T2

Average customer rating:

Some events that are unusual simply because they are rare

Strange Sudden & Unexpected!: True Stories from the Files of The Smithsonian Institution's Center for Short-Lived Phenomena
James C Cornell
Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NPNH98

Customer Reviews:

Some events that are unusual simply because they are rare.......2007-06-02

There are many wonders in nature and in many ways the most wondrous are the rare but explainable events. As any statistician will tell you, when events are random, given enough time, there will be strange and unusual outliers. That is the best way to describe the events outlined in this book. Situations such as meteor showers where many survive to hit the ground, floating islands caused by large tracts of soil that fall into the ocean but are kept afloat by plant life lighter than water, where the soil itself catches fire and other unusual modifications of the Earth's surface.
The events chronicled in this book are in no way supernatural or unexplained. They are included because they are events that rarely occur and so are unusual for that reason only. Nature follows some very basic and irrefutable natural laws. However, there is a great deal of randomness to these events, so in the normal course of these natural processes, anomalies will occasionally be generated. Their rareness is what makes them interesting, and I certainly found the 39 stories of nature running sideways to be an enjoyable read.

Average customer rating:

Comprehensive on one hand, incomplete on another

Detailed, thorough, enjoyable.

By far the best hiking guide for Virginia

I highly recommend this book...

Hiking Virginia, 2nd: A Guide to Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures
Bill Burnham , and Mary Burnham
Manufacturer: Falcon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Excursion Guides | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
South Atlantic | South | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Virginia | States | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

The Trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion (Trails of Virginia)

Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park, 2nd (Day & Overnight Hikes - Menasha Ridge)

Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Travel Guide to America's Most Popular Scenic Roadway

Hiking Virginia's National Forests, 7th (Regional Hiking Series)

The Best in Tent Camping: Virginia, 2nd: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge)

ASIN: 0762727470

Book Description

Wherever the destination, Hiking Virginia is indispensable for exploring the Commonwealth. Authors Bill and Mary Burnham breath fresh air into popular Virginia destinations, and explore commonly overlooked yet equally dramatic hikes. Explore the history of a young American nation; watch stories of lost cultures come alive; and imagine the ghosts of Indian raiders, moonshiners, and outlaws haunting the backcountry routes of the past. Packed with notes on plants, trees, and geology, plus a list of local attractions and "good eats and sleeps" for the weary hiker, Hiking Virginia covers the Commonwealth's outdoors from the sea shores to the mountain slopes, past and present.

Also included is a special section detailing the Appalachian Trail through Virginia, taking thru-hikers along the six-week route from Damascus, Virginia to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Inside readers will find: detailed maps, accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each hike, tips on equipment, trip planning, hiking with dogs and children, accurate directions, difficulty ratings, trail contacts, and more.

The previous edition of this guide won the National Outdoor Book Award's Honorable Mention prize for guidebooks.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive on one hand, incomplete on another.......2007-10-01

I have used this guide twice so far for short hikes. Directions to both the parking areas and on the trail were missing crucial details [e.g. I had problems with both for the Scott's Run Nature Preserve in the DC area]. Unless you have extra time and food and water, it is best to have a topo for even the shortest routes. This guide also lacks the grouping section that the VA Mtn Biking guide has [Best Short Hikes, Waterfalls, Views, Weekenders, Multi-day treks] and is grouped only by geography.

Detailed, thorough, enjoyable........2006-09-23

This book is your complete hiking guide to Virginia, whether you're a novice or a pro. There are maps, detailed descriptions of every step of the trails, elevation guides, and even colorful anecdotes from the authors that give each hike an emotional feel. We've brought their step-by-step guides to great fruition on several of the hikes, and hope to do more.

One word of caution: while crowded Northern Virginia is well represented, the best hikes fall along Virginia's spine, from the northernmost part of Shenandoah National Park, down the Appalachian trail, into Washington and Jefferson National Forests and then southwestern Virginia and Mt. Rogers. Residents of Front Royal, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Lexington, Roanoke and Blacksburg will be able to access the best hikes the easiest. As residents of a DC suburb, it's an hour to Shenandoah National Park, 2 hours to some of the great hikes further south, and 6 hours to Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area.

By far the best hiking guide for Virginia.......2006-07-22

This book is by far the best hiking guide you can buy for Virginia. This edition picks off from the original "Hike America Virginia"

I highly recommend this book..........2005-08-24

For anyone looking for great hikes in VA, this is a great place to start. The book contains detailed descriptions of 35 of the best hikes in VA and also list 64 honorable mention hikes. The length of the hikes vary from short day hikes, to 3 day backpacking trips.

What is nice about the book is that for the featured hikes, there is a brief description. Then a ton of information: difficulty rating, available maps, trail contacts, and fees or permits required, available camping etc etc. The book then goes on to describe in detail what you will see on each hike. Each hike contains not only a map, but an 'elavation profile' so you can gauge just how hard the hike will be.

I would recommend buying this book, and when you choose a hike, make a copy of the corresponding pages and laminate them. It will save wear and tear on your book as well as give you a water proof map.. Besides, it's also a lot lighter to carry 3 pages rather then a whole book!!!!

My favorite hikes in the book have been Mount Pleasant, 3 Ridges (a difficult hike) and the hikes around Mount Rogers and Grayson Highlands.

UPDATE: I recently did a few more of the hikes in this book(14, 18, 19). DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT follow the authors' advice for the Old Rag hike, #14. Instead of their route, either 1) Hike the fire rode up and down (this is the easiest way) or take the rock scramble up and the fire rode down. There are two problems with the route suggested by the authors. First, on crowded summer days you will have a hard time getting down as the trail is jammed with people going up. Second, I went during the week when it wasn't as packed and ran into a gentleman going up the scramble as I was going down. He told me that 90% of the people they carry off of the mountain with broken bones are trying to descend using the 'rock scramble' route. So if you are going to climb Old Rag (and YOU REALLY NEED TO, it is amazing) then PLEASE, use the routes I recommended above, and if it's a weekend during the summer, be prepared for a long climb up if you take the rock scramble, as people get jammed up in the narrow crevices.

Good hiking everyone!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The best law school book ever!

Everything my advisor SHOULD have told me!

MUST READING FOR LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS!!!

Not an "ultimate guide"

The best book available about getting into law school

The Ultimate Guide to Law School Admission: Insider Secrets for Getting a "Big Envelope" with Your Acceptance to Law School!
Carol L. Wright
Manufacturer: Marriwell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions: Straight Advice on Essays, Resumes, Interviews, and More

How to Get Into the Top Law Schools

Essays That Worked for Law Schools: 40 Essays from Successful Applications to the Nation's Top Law Schools

How to Get Into Law School

Great Personal Statements for Law School

ASIN: 0974289108

Book Description

Get Into Law School With the Help of Your Own Pre-Law Advisor! Everyone who applies to law school dreams of the day they will open their mailbox to find a big envelope containing their letter of acceptance. During her more than 15 years as a pre-law advisor, attorney Carol L. Wright has helped thousands of applicants realize that dream. Now, she has published this comprehensive and engagingly written guide with the answers to all of your law school admission questions. She leads you step-by-step through the process of identifying and getting into the law school that is right for you. She outlines 15 "Essential Factors" to consider when choosing a law school, and relates "Tales From the Trenches" from her years as a pre-law advisor. In addition, a comprehensive appendix provides data on 187 ABA-accredited law schools to help you determine which fulfill your "15 Essential Factors". She shares secrets that most applicants, and even many advisors, do no know.

Customer Reviews:

The best law school book ever!.......2006-05-12

I can't believe how great this book is. I followed everything Ms. Wright said to do, and was admitted by some of my schools, but not by my dream school. Then, I got a letter from my #1 school telling me I could go on their waitlist. I followed all the instructions in this book, and today I got my letter!!!! Needless to say, I got in, and I am REALLY looking forward to going to law school in the fall. Thank you Ms. Wright for all your wonderful advice! This book is the best.

Everything my advisor SHOULD have told me!.......2005-10-13

My advisor never asked any of the right questions or gave me the kind of information that would have helped me with my plan to study law. While looking for books on the LSAT I found this book and it really helped. It told me everything that the best advisor would have told me. It really helped me evaluate how I felt about law school and how to properly prepare myself. The last time I went back to my advisor he was shocked at how much I knew. I feel really good about my applications and think I have a really good chance of getting a "big envelope".

MUST READING FOR LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS!!!.......2005-07-16

As a college professor who has advised law school applicants for over 25 years, I found that this book is simply the best one I have ever read on applying to law school! I was so impressed by this book that I now require my students to read it before talking to me in detail. This book is so concisely written that it can be read comfortably cover-to-cover, unlike some of the other advising guides, that are so unwieldy that students do not want to wade through them. The comfortable and clear writing style of the book makes you feel like you are sitting down with Ms. Wright for a personal advising session. These students have consistently come back to tell me that this book was THE SINGLE MOST USEFUL thing they read to help them with the law school application process.

Those who critique this book as not having "insider secrets" have clearly not read it thoroughly. I was impressed by the large number of "insider secrets" to the process, that were previously unknown to me and my pre-law advising colleagues. Because of this book I have completely changed the way that I advise my students, and have noticed that their success rate for law school admissions has been rising dramatically. The key in this highly competitive applications environment is to know how to pick the schools you are applying to, and target your applications for those specific schools. The tips in this book tell you how to do that. This book also really goes through the two-stage process of law school admissions today--wherein you can get a variety of "envelopes", or notifications on the status of your applications. Schools do not just admit or deny you these days. There is a whole range of responses, and the wise applicant needs to know how to maximize their chances of turning any of them into an admission letter. This book helps you do just that.

If you want to get into the law school of your choice I urge you to read this book, then read it again carefully, and follow all of its advice! I am confident that your "big envelopes" will be sure to follow!

Not an "ultimate guide".......2005-07-13

Firstly,I enjoyed the format and tone of the book (how the author addressed the reader). However, I did not feel that she imparted any insider secrets that the book promised to reveal. If you are just starting to research law school, and do not know all the requirements of admission, then this book may be a tremendous help. If you have done your homework and are looking for an edge when it comes to admissions, I recommend some more topic-specific books. For example, books on how to write your personal statment, books geared specifically towards LSAT preparation (Powerscore books were the most helpful for me), and there are some websites with great advice geared towards aiding the individuals whom you are asking to write letters of recommendation. Yet, for those new to the entire affair, this book can definitely clarify the requirements for you.

The best book available about getting into law school.......2004-09-09

I have read several other books about getting into law school, and this one is clearly the best. It has many "insider secrets"--many of which are in its "Tales From the Trenches"--that you will find in no other books. For instance, I was surprised to learn that east coast schools differ from west coast schools in what they expect in a personal statement. This book tells you what those differences are, and how to turn that to your advantage.

In addition, the "15 Essential Factors" listed for choosing your law schools will make you see the schools you are considering in a different light. The appendix to the book gives you data on each of the law schools so you can start using the factors right away. Instead of making your choices on one or two factors, such as reputation or a magazine ranking, you will find schools where you will be admitted, be successful, and be happy. You will also learn how to choose the schools that will help get you to the kind of career you most want--or what to do if you are uncertain about what you want to do with a law degree.

I especially like the fact that this book is written for everyone--not just those who believe that they are destined to go to an "elite" law school. The advice in this book is terrific for the elite schools, but also helps those who are not "presumptive admits" to the most competitive schools. It contains a unique system for analyzing your credentials to determine where you will get in--including a system for analyzing your chances when competition for admission is changing from year to year as it is now.

Unlike many books that are filled with a lot of useless information masquerading as advice that make the book larger and more expensive, this book is insightful and concise, and written in a manner that is easy to read and comprehend. It is, I believe, the best purchase you can make for advice on getting into law school.

Book Description

It is the 6th century of the common era. The vampire Saint-Germain, known in this time as Sangi-Ragozh, is peacefully doing business in Asia when, unknown to him-or anyone else in most of the world-Krakatoa explodes in a massive volcanic eruption. The island is nearly completely destroyed; tidal waves swamp harbors hundreds of miles away, ravaging trade ships and their cargoes; tons of ash and dirt are flung into the air. In the months to come, the world grows colder and darker as the massive cloud of dust and ash spreads across the globe, blocking sunlight. Sea trade is ravaged. Crops fail. Livestock, and then people, begin to starve. Disease spreads. Panic rises. What has caused the sun to go dark? With his scientific bent, Sangi-Ragozh suspects a natural cause, but most people assume a supernatural explanation-and begin to seek supernatural remedies. As always in times of trouble, foreigners-and the vampire is always a foreigner, wherever he travels-become targets. Fleeing toward the West, where he hopes to find safety and sanity, the vampire travels with a nomadic tribe led by Dukkai, a female shaman who soon becomes Sangi-Ragozh's lover-and main source of sustenance. But Sangi-Ragozh's problems are far from over. His vampire nature is discovered by an enemy; he is separated from Dukkai and begins to starve; he has lost everything, including his last sack of his native soil. With death no longer a distant possibility, Sangi-Ragozh desperately tries to reach sanctuary in the one place he truly belongs-his homeland, the country he first left centuries earlier. A land we now call Transylvania.

Customer Reviews:

Not the best Saint Germain story.......2007-10-09

The historical part of this book is interesting because it's global history that I didn't know anything about. The details of how the eruption of Krakatoa affected crops, herds, and populations all over the world is an interesting read but the story of Saint Germain's journey from China back to his native land is painfully slow. The detailed conversations are dull and long and (I'm sorry) boring. Much like the Olivia Clemens novel "Crusader's Torch", "Dark of the Sun" is just a plodding account of the characters going from point A to point B. There are no rich relationships, no one foe, and it seemed to me that the Count just wasn't as likable a guy as in other Saint Germain books I've read.

Unlike those others, this will be one I do not read again and again.

And A Darkness Covered The Earth.......2006-09-10

The violent mega-eruption of Krakatoa in AD 535 threw enough volcanic matter into the earth's atmosphere to blot out a huge portion of the sun's rays, and this was the start of several years of almost ice-age-like conditions. Written records and other tangible evidence exists from China to the Americas of the tragic effects this event had on humans everywhere. Crops failed, famine came to pass, stillbirths increased, disease became rampant, trade slowed, and internecine wars were waged for food and also out of a paranoid sense of horror. Most of all humans became reactionary and turned to their gods for answers and for comfort. From Byzantium to India, Saxon England to Coptic Ethiopia, xenophobia reigned, foreigners were persecuted as possible offenders of the gods, and order disintegrated on a frighteningly vast scale. Life across the globe was disrupted as by the tens of millions people wondered if they were truly witnessing the end of the world.

This is the scene of Yarbro's seventeenth Saint-Germain novel. In the pages of Dark of the Sun, the perpetually-exiled Carpathian nobleman goes from a prosperous life as a merchant in Liang-era China to the life-threatening undertaking of traversing the Silk Road, a journey of three-years' duration, in order to return to the west. With Saint-Germain, as always, is his faithful companion Rogers, and along the path of the dauntingly perilous expedition west, Germain witnesses a world gone mad in the wake of unimaginable cataclysm.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro revives a global catastrophe we had somehow forgotten, and uses it as a backdrop for a slow but detailed novel that takes her readers on a trip across nearly the whole of east and central Asia, from China to the Carpathians, sparing no detail or sociological observation along the way.

The Really Dark Ages.......2005-09-21

One of the most recent in the St. Germain series and also one of the most satisfying to read. Set in the early Sixth century (can you name one thing that happened in the Sixth Century?) with the cataclysmic eruption of Krakatoa, blotting out the sun for nearly two years. The effects on the entire world were profound, since nothing was able to grow. Like other books by Yarbro, I feel as though I had slipped through a small window into this world and could experience what was actually happening. Also, this was historically I period I had no knowledge of whatsoever, which added to the mysterious quality of the novel.

For me, the St. Germain series has always been a guilty pleasure, with an emphasis on the pleasure. There is something slightly old fashioned about the writing, but not stilted. It is true that much of the book is dialogue between St. Germain and his (eternal) companion. But I did not find that to be a problem. All in all, Dar of the Sun is a far better book than some of the other "historical" novels coming off the factory lines recently (you know what I mean).

Count St Germain remains one of the best vampires in fiction.......2005-06-06

After more than a dozen novels of the life and times of Count Saint Germain, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro still manages to make his story both relevant and spellbinding. Her beautifully written stories are masterpieces of historical fiction -- being meticulously researched and finely told -- and I never fail to learn something new about the world, and about St. Germain.
In this newest adventure, the Count is a trader in Yang-Chau (Shanghai) China in 535 A.D., a year known as the Year of the Dark Sun. It was named this due to the eruption of Krakatoa -- a rare, once in a millenium scale event that blocked the sun to varying degrees around the world, and caused starvation and panic where ever the clouds of ash prevailed. A fine novel, full of energized plotlines and well rounded characters. Highly recommended.

How a Vampire Survives after a World Cataclysm.......2005-03-23

This is the first "vampire" genre book I read and it nearly became my last. I was fascinated by the cover, the title and the praise on the cover jacket for the "Saint-Germain" novels. I was open to a new reading experience. Being captivated by the music of the Silk Road countries, the most recent of which is Yol Bolsin (CD), I was ready to read some fiction and 'escape' to this exotic locale. My anticipation was further fueled by the "author's introduction" where she describes the research which went into describing "Year of the Yellow Snow" approximately AD 535-6 when the volcano, Krakatoa, erupted and caused worldwide famine. The maps of China and Southeast Asia further whetted my appetite for this novel ... so I looked forward to an adventurous vicarious reading experience.

The book begins via a letter to Zangi-Ragozh, whom we learn is a foreign merchant in China, who owns many ships and a trading company. The captain of one of his ships reports a catastrophe which could have disastrous effects on trade and shipping in Kuang-Chou (Canton). He describes men dying due to a yellow powder in the air ever since the volcano on an island erupted and caused tidal waves and rough seas. Zangi-Ragozh notices the sun is less bright ... There is fear in the air. The local Chinese magistrate is expected to take strong measures against foreigners in the region. The decision by Zangi-Ragozh is to inventory his merchandise, close his home, leave his servants to run the established trading company and return to his homeland ... the Carpa-Ti (Carpathian Mountains). Much of the book chronicles the journey of this vampire and his traveling companion as they go across China, traversing the Silk Road back to Romania, the ancestral home of Saint-Germain, who in this life is named "Zangi-Ragozh".

The main creative device the author uses in this novel is letter-writing, she alternates chapters chronicling Zangi-Ragozh's travels-adventures with detailed letters (some sent to him) by captains of his ships, servants who run his trading house, or a love interest, others are letters written by local magistrates sent to government officials describing the difficulties of the times, unfortunately this technique becomes rather tiresome. Additionally, too much of the book consists of conversations between the vampire and his traveling companion, it becomes a real chore to continue reading. I nearly gave up. Had the author interspersed descriptions of action packed 'man-against-nature' adventures on the ships or had she connected some past life experiences of Saint-Germain with Atta Olivia Clemens (a past love interest), the novel would have been more interesting. This book has all the trappings of a wonderful sizzling 'unable-to-put-it-down' novel but it *nearly* fizzles out. Luckily three-quarters of the way through, the novel *finally* comes to life, is successfully rescusitated. The book is worth reading to discover how the author salvages a dull beginning and middle with an unexpected explosive dramatic event.

In all honesty I can not give the book rave reviews (I really wanted to). The author should have described the natural scenery along the Silk Road, the storms at sea, and the life of that era much better, even the many letters written to Zangi-Ragozh some of which never reach him, seem like a substitute for what is seriously lacking in the plot: creative design (which arrives *almost* too late). The essential story-line is simple and straightforward therefore it needs something exciting to hook the reader's imagination *throughout* the novel, not just at the end. Despite the often flat affect of the supporting characters, the star, Zangi-Ragozh shines very brightly. He has fully developed personality and is very likeable - there is much depth to his actions and behavior. Another huge plus is the book could be made into a film with breath-taking natural beauty and unforgettable action-packed scenes because on film the contents of the letters become *visual*. The suspense and drama would be magnified on film. My prediction is, as a movie it would be a multimillion dollar winner. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

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