Streetsmart Guide to Valuing  A Stock: The Savvy Investor's Key to Beating the Market
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Good practical introduction to discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation
  • Another Disappointment from Academia
  • Getting Streetsmart - your money better spent elsewhere
  • it's all here
  • Sound Economics
Streetsmart Guide to Valuing A Stock: The Savvy Investor's Key to Beating the Market
Gary Gray
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Public FinancePublic Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
IntroductionIntroduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
StocksStocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond (Wiley Finance) Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond (Wiley Finance)
  2. Screening the Market Screening the Market
  3. Applied Equity Analysis: Stock Valuation Techniques for Wall Street Professionals Applied Equity Analysis: Stock Valuation Techniques for Wall Street Professionals
  4. Fire Your Stock Analyst: Analyzing Stocks On Your Own (Definitive Guides (Financial Times/Prentice Hall)) Fire Your Stock Analyst: Analyzing Stocks On Your Own (Definitive Guides (Financial Times/Prentice Hall))
  5. The Streetsmart Guide to Overlooked Stocks : A Guide to Investing in the Best Overlooked Stocks for Superior Returns The Streetsmart Guide to Overlooked Stocks : A Guide to Investing in the Best Overlooked Stocks for Superior Returns

ASIN: 0071345272

Book Description

In the high-level yet down-to-earth style for which McGraw-Hill's Streetsmart Series is known, STREETSMART GUIDE TO VALUING A STOCK covers everything from basic stock valuation to more advanced valuation models and techniques. Its nuts-and-bolts, nontheoretical methods will be invaluable in helping you locate and analyze undervalued stocks. "The book outlines the fundamentals of making an investment decision in a stock based on a reasoned evaluation of that stock's worth. The writing is direct, logical, and remarkably interesting..." - William R. McLucas, Partner, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, Former Director, Division of Enforcement U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. "The authors have taken one of today's rarest commodities—good common sense—and applied it to one of today's most vexing challenges—valuing a stock. This book is a valuable tool for anyone participating in the stock market." - Warren A. Stephens President & CEO, Stephens, Inc. "Today's stock market is more complex and volatile than ever. A stock's price does not necessarily represent the intrinsic value of the company. I believe that we all need the safety net of cash flow valuation to make prudent investment decisions. Many Wall Street analysts would benefit from reading STREETSMART GUIDE TO VALUING A STOCK, and I will recommend it to all of my institutional clients." - M. Clara Tucci, Managing Director—International Equity Sales, ING Baring Furman Seltz. "This is a terrific book for investors! In a witty, fresh style the authors explain how to value a company's stock by using an easy-to-understand, 4-step approach. They explain what numbers are required, where to get them quickly, and how to use them." - Charles C. Snow, Ph.D., International Education Program Lecturer on Strategic Management, Mellon Bank Professor of Business Administration, The Pennsylvania State University.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Good practical introduction to discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation.......2007-01-26

Using discounted cash flow (DCF) to estimate the intrinsic value of a stock is not for those looking for those looking for easy rules of thumb; it requires work. This book, together with the related website, does a good job of showing how, in language that doesn't require you to be an MBA. Recommended.

1 out of 5 stars Another Disappointment from Academia.......2006-12-31

"The Streetsmart Guide to Valuing a Stock," written by three credentialled Penn State University finance professors, prompted this reader to expect the "latest and greatest" thinking on stock valuation. If the prospective reader has similar expectations, he or she should look elsewhere. This reader found the book disappointing in many ways. For openers, it was crafted to target the least discriminating of students leaving the rest of us to wade through endless repetitions of simple ideas and to struggle with more complicated ideas via ambiguous word descriptions where a simple equation would suffice. More importantly though, the authors' discounted cash flow valuation theory (as opposed to more traditional discounted earnings theories) appears to be the wrong approach. Whereas stock investors have an exclusive claim on earnings, they must stand in line behind creditors with their claims on cash flow. Also while the appropriate discount factor in most evaluation theories has to do with the rate of return on the investor's alternative investment options, in the authors' theory it is the corporation's weighted average cost of capital - a very different and seemingly irrelevant concept.

Warren Buffet may be the only one to correctly value stocks, but he's not talking. Until he does the prospective valuer might find Mary Buffett's renditions ("Buffettology" and "The New Buffettology") to be more useful and understandable alternatives to the "Streetsmart Guide to Valuing a Stock."

3 out of 5 stars Getting Streetsmart - your money better spent elsewhere.......2006-03-11

The first half of this book did an admirable job of introducing the reader to various stock valuation terminology & methodology.

Unfortunately, the second half of the book focused almost solely on explaining, applying, and encouraging the purchase of their stock valuation software. Without this software, the second half of the book is somewhate limited in its value and use.

The book's not a total loss, thanks to the first half, but is probably a better exercise in "book valuation". This one's valuation falls somewhere short of its purchase price. If it were a stock and I were to apply the owners valuation principles, it might be best to pass on buying it...

Hope this helps! Cheers!

4 out of 5 stars it's all here.......2006-03-08



If one is patient with this book, one will reap many rewards.

DCF explained from start to finish.

5 out of 5 stars Sound Economics.......2004-05-01

This book offers an economically sound approach to stock valuation. The associated free website is also very useful.
Fundamentals of Hedge Fund Investing: A Professional Investor's Guide
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • fantastic
  • Good primer and useful reference
  • Extremely General
  • Tevfik Aksoy
  • Facts, but somewhat outdated
Fundamentals of Hedge Fund Investing: A Professional Investor's Guide
William J. Crerend , and Robert A. Jaeger
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
FuturesFutures | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. All About Hedge Funds : The Easy Way to Get Started All About Hedge Funds : The Easy Way to Get Started
  2. Handbook of Alternative Assets (Frank J. Fabozzi Series) Handbook of Alternative Assets (Frank J. Fabozzi Series)
  3. Hedge Funds: Investment and Portfolio Strategies for the Institutional Investor Hedge Funds: Investment and Portfolio Strategies for the Institutional Investor
  4. Getting Started in Hedge Funds (Getting Started In.....) Getting Started in Hedge Funds (Getting Started In.....)
  5. Hedgehogging Hedgehogging

ASIN: 0070135223

Book Description

This authoritative overview, written for institutional investors and those with financial oversight responsibilities, reveals strategies, risks, and technical insights into the world of hedge fund investing. Key investment concepts such as evaluation techniques, monitoring tips, and indexation create a solid foundation for making informed investment decisions time after time.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars fantastic.......2006-10-18

I am lucky enough to have Mr. Crerend as one of my closest friends both inside and outside of the workplace. His book is a good one, especially for the new investor who is looking for advice and guidance from someone with years of experience in the field. Mr. Crerend has a unique point of view that makes his book a great one, and also made him successful.

4 out of 5 stars Good primer and useful reference.......2003-02-15

Even though this book is 3 years old, it still serves as a very good primer to the hedge fund industry. Anyone wishing to gain a fundamental understanding of how hedge funds work and how they can be used will find the book easy to read. A lot of details are covered; e.g., a discussion about hedge fund indexes. Even for a professional like myself, I find the book to be a good reference every time I forget a concept or two.

1 out of 5 stars Extremely General.......2002-01-01

Little information other than extremely general data on historic returns. One of the few investment books I have ever read that I did not find something useful to remember.

2 out of 5 stars Tevfik Aksoy.......1999-11-22

Not bad for a someone on the street, however, it has very limited use for a professional. Contains a lot of repeats (and I mean a lot of). Would not recommend if a professional insight to hedge funds is being searched for. The book would be useful for those who are completely hedge fund illiterate or just curious what a hedge fund is.

3 out of 5 stars Facts, but somewhat outdated.......1999-07-16

Contains same facts as other hedge fund books, but seems to be outdated. Little info on recent trends in industry.
Investor's Guide to Economic Fundamentals
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent book on the subject.
Investor's Guide to Economic Fundamentals
John Calverley
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Personal FinancePersonal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Bankruptcy | Budgeting & Money Management | College & Education Costs | Credit Ratings & Repair | Estate Planning | Financial Planning | Financial Planning Workbooks | General | Insurance | Money & Values | Money Management for Women | Money Management for Young People | Personal Taxes | Real Estate | Retirement Planning
GeneralGeneral | Finance | Accounting & Finance | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Professional & TechnicalProfessional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities (2nd Edition) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks) The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities (2nd Edition) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)
  2. Ahead of the Curve: A Commonsense Guide to Forecasting Business and Market Cycles Ahead of the Curve: A Commonsense Guide to Forecasting Business and Market Cycles
  3. Bubbles: And How to Survive Them Bubbles: And How to Survive Them
  4. Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis, Third Edition Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis, Third Edition
  5. The Trader's Guide to Key Economic Indicators The Trader's Guide to Key Economic Indicators

ASIN: 0470846909

Book Description

A complete guide to key market features and their impact on each of the main areas of investment
This comprehensive guide offers practical advice on how to predict and manage market risk and how to allocate assets for the best performance under different market conditions. The Investor's Guide to Market Fundamentals covers both the theory and practice of this often-complicated subject, and gives readers a reliable source of market information.

Download Description

This book examines key market fundamentals such as interest rates, inflation and the business cycle and how they impact on the main areas of investment: money markets, bonds, equities, commodities, currencies, property and emerging markets. It gives practical advice on how to predict and manage market risk and how to allocate assets for best performance under different market conditions. Suitable for market practitioners, individual investors and MBA students.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent book on the subject. .......2005-07-24

This book is excellent, as it delivers exactly what its title suggests. The book is expensive, as it is priced as a textbook. However, after reading it I feel it provides an excellent value. And, I will keep it in my personal library of quantitative books. Although the book is short, it is so hard packed with information that it takes a while to digest. Confirming the intensity of the information conveyed Amazon stats discloses that its Fog Index is 14.7 (years of formal education suggested to understand the book) and its Flesch-Kincaid Index is 11.5 (corresponding to the reading grade level). Those metrics are relatively high. However, the book is very rewarding if you want to learn the subject and manage your own capital in a better informed manner.

The book is divided into two main sections. The first section comprised of 10 chapters makes for an excellent foundation in macroeconomics, international economics, monetary and fiscal policies. The author always makes the topic relevant from an investor's standpoint. Thus, he presents the material in a practical way. Some of the subsections are particularly interesting including explanation of the implication of different yield curve shapes, the sustainability of current account deficits and fiscal budget deficits, the differentiation between the cyclical and structural components of the U.S. budget deficit, the detailed analysis of various emerging markets crisis (Asia, Russia, Brazil, and Argentina) during the nineties. In each cases, the author demonstrates an outstanding knowledge of the historical events and the underlying economic factors.

The second section includes 7 chapters covering each a specific investment (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc...). He explains how an investment is valued, what are the main drivers affecting its value, and how economic indicators and factors affect the value and attractiveness of that given investment. The author does a very good job of disaggregating the different components of economic return associated with each investment. By reading this section, you will learn in great detail how to value stocks, bonds, real estate and other assets.

The author also wrote a short third section that serves as a summary, synthesis, and conclusion. Within this section, he compares how all the different asset classes respond to various economic events. He also builds a rational expectation of real returns for stocks, bonds, and real estate going forward. He also outlines the many different investment styles of the investment pros and the challenges that each investment style faces. Overall, I strongly recommend the book.
Investment Fundamentals: A Guide to Becoming a Knowledgeable Investor
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Buy this book right now
Investment Fundamentals: A Guide to Becoming a Knowledgeable Investor
Lawrence Gitman , and Michael Joehnk
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Public FinancePublic Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
IntroductionIntroduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0060158611

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Buy this book right now.......2000-04-09

A friend of mine loaned me this book, and he may never get it back... Because it was published in 1988, some of the data has become a bit stale, but the concepts described in this book haven't changed: buy and MEMORIZE it before you start to buy stocks, bonds, CDs, or mutual funds. The book starts simple (definitions, why certain things are considered important) and then clearly works up to the complex (options, commodities, futures). It is simple where it should be simple, and complex where it should be complex--which makes this book both easy to read, and easy to learn from.

Executive and Organizational Continuity: Managing the Paradoxes of Stability and Change (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Executive and Organizational Continuity: Managing the Paradoxes of Stability and Change (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series)
    Suresh Srivastva , and Ronald E. Fry
    Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Organizational ChangeOrganizational Change | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Management & LeadershipManagement & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Business Ethics | Consolidation & Merger | Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Distribution & Warehouse Management | Industrial | Information Management | Leadership | Management | Management Science | Motivational | Negotiating | Operations Research | Planning & Forecasting | Pricing | Production & Operations | Project Management | Quality Control | Risk Assessment | Statistics | Strategy & Competition | Systems & Planning | Systems Analysis | Teams | Total Quality Management | Training
    ASIN: 1555424449

    Book Description

    Leading thinkers from a range of disciplinessuch as organizational behavior, management, psychology, and anthropologyexplore the importance of continuity to organizational health and offer insights into how organizations can change while preserving the traditions that make them what they are. Case studies and research reveal the organizational structures, systems, and attitudes that foster a sense of continuity.

    Water Scarcity: Impacts on Western Agriculture
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Water Scarcity: Impacts on Western Agriculture

      Manufacturer: University of California Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      GeneralGeneral | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      Natural ResourcesNatural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      Living on the LandLiving on the Land | Ecology | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books | Architecture | Hunting & Fishing
      ASIN: 0520053001

      Cladistics: A Practical Primer on CD-ROM
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Cladistics: A Practical Primer on CD-ROM
        Peter Skelton , Andrew Smith , and Neale Monks
        Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Paleontology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        All DealsAll Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
        ScienceScience | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy: A How-to Manual, Third Edition Phylogenetic Trees Made Easy: A How-to Manual, Third Edition
        2. Evolution Evolution

        ASIN: 0521523419

        Book Description

        Cladistics and phylogenetic reconstruction are difficult subjects for biology students to learn when taught from conventional textbooks. This interactive CD provides students with a complete self-study, introductory course in phylogenetic reconstruction using cladistic analysis. Including animated sequences, questions at the end of each section, and practical exercises, it is the first exclusively pedagogical CD-ROM devoted to the topic. Students who finish the course should have a basic understanding of cladistics and the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships from morphological and molecular data.

        Introduction to Embryonic Development
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Introduction to Embryonic Development
          S. Oppenheimer
          Manufacturer: Pearson Custom Pub
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          Molecular BiologyMolecular Biology | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
          All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. Atlas of Descriptive Embryology (6th Edition) Atlas of Descriptive Embryology (6th Edition)

          ASIN: 0536754608
          Introduction to Embryonic Development
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Introduction to Embryonic Development
            Steven B. Oppenheimer
            Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000JF424G
            INTRODUCTION TO EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              INTRODUCTION TO EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT
              S.B. LEFEVRE, G. OPPENHEIMER
              Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback
              ASIN: B000OORAAU
              Introduction to Embryonic Development
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Introduction to Embryonic Development
                Steven B. Oppenheimer
                Manufacturer: Allyn and Bacon
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback
                ASIN: B000OOMXQQ
                Syllabus Of Lectures On Human Embryology : An introduction to the study of obstetrics and gynaecology
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Syllabus Of Lectures On Human Embryology : An introduction to the study of obstetrics and gynaecology
                  Walter Porter Manton
                  Manufacturer: F.A. Davis Co
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Unknown Binding

                  EmbryologyEmbryology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books
                  EmbryologyEmbryology | Basic Sciences | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: B00086SMNS

                  What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now? : A Remembrance
                  Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                  • If I didn't love him then, I sure do now !
                  • Ted Williams, Warts and All
                  • Baseball's version of "The Lion In Winter"
                  • Teddy Ballgame At His Finest
                  • Truly a work of art!
                  What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now? : A Remembrance
                  Richard Ben Cramer
                  Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover

                  BaseballBaseball | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
                  Essays & WritingsEssays & Writings | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Sports | Subjects | Books
                  20th Century20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                  Williams, TedWilliams, Ted | ( W ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                  Look Inside Sports BooksLook Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
                  Similar Items:
                  1. Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero
                  2. Joe DiMaggio : The Hero's Life Joe DiMaggio : The Hero's Life
                  3. My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life (Fireside Sports Classics) My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life (Fireside Sports Classics)
                  4. The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship
                  5. NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE: HOW ESPN'S SPORTS GUY FOUND SALVATION, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM NOMAR, PEDRO, SHAWSHANK AND THE 2004 NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE: HOW ESPN'S SPORTS GUY FOUND SALVATION, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM NOMAR, PEDRO, SHAWSHANK AND THE 2004

                  ASIN: 0743246489

                  Book Description

                  When legendary Red Sox hitter Ted Williams died on July 5, 2002, newspapers reviewed the stats, compared him to other legends of the game, and declared him the greatest hitter who ever lived. Richard Ben Cramer, Pulitzer Prize winner and acclaimed biographer of Joe DiMaggio, decodes this oversized icon who dominated the game and finds not just a great player, but also a great man.

                  In 1986, Richard Ben Cramer spent months on a profile of Ted Williams, and the result was the Esquire article that has been acclaimed ever since as one of the finest pieces of sports reporting ever written. Given special acknowledgment in The Best American Sportswriting of the Century and adapted for a coffee-table book called Ted Williams: The Seasons of the Kid, the original piece is now available in this special edition, with new material about Williams's later years. While his decades after Fenway Park were out of the spotlight -- the way Ted preferred it -- they were arguably his richest, as he loved and inspired his family, his fans, the players, and the game itself. This is a remembrance for the ages.

                  Customer Reviews:

                  5 out of 5 stars If I didn't love him then, I sure do now !.......2006-02-25

                  This easy- to- read- page- turner provides new insight into a truly great man. I had admired him for years, but with reservations, due mostly to rumors. After reading this one-on-one report by a man who experienced the good and the bad of Ted Williams, I came away with tremendous insight into a sensitive, caring, loving, beautiful human being. Who knew?? I'm grateful for Richard Ben Cramer's memories of his thought provoking time with Ted Williams, so the rest of us can realize that there was SO much more behind this man than his remarkable life in baseball. I have purchased this book for many of my friends, due to its' uniqueness, and they have all loved it as much as myself. This little book can be read in an evening, but packs a powerful punch!

                  5 out of 5 stars Ted Williams, Warts and All.......2005-11-29

                  In a paper-thin volume, Richard Ben Cramer manages to capture the many contradictions of the greatest hitter who ever lived and the last man to bat over .400, Theodore Samuel (Ted) Williams. His book is must reading for any Red Sox fan, and for that matter anyone who wonders why baseball heroes like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, Joe DiMaggio, and Williams lead such dysfunctional lives, often estranged from their own families.

                  Contradiction: Williams respected authority (never argued with umpires and liked the military life), but he refused to conform to societal customs, e.g. wearing a necktie.

                  Contradiction: He was an obsessive perfectionist, but often half-hearted on defense or while running the bases.

                  Contradiction: He was a self-centered loner, but unfailingly generous toward charities.

                  Contradiction: He resented the Boston sports press, but wanted no publicity for his unselfish work for the Jimmy Fund.

                  Contradiction: He came from poverty, was poorly educated, yet became a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and establishmentarian.

                  One thing Ted never lost was his potty-mouth, which he used to rail against the "knights of the keyboard," Boston's habitually self-righteous sports reporters who attacked him not only for his lackadaisical defensive habits but even for his failure to call his mother on holidays (she was a Salvation Army worker who wasn't home, anyway) or stay home for his daughter's birth (she was born two months prematurely, but he was supposed to have known it would happen). The more Ted cursed at his enemies in the press, the more they'd dig up irrelevant dirt to throw at him. Things never improved. He also refused to tip his cap for the fans after a home run, resentful of earlier booing.

                  So why did Ted Williams enjoy such a renaissance in public aspect, especially in Boston? It wasn't because he changed as a person. On the contrary, as Cramer makes clear, his later life (with his life partner, Louise, whom he settled down with after three unsuccessful marriages), was filled with the same profanity, the same volatile temper, the same need to be right all the time that the younger Ted Williams exhibited.

                  What happened, apparently, was that the public was no longer exposed to the constant friction between Ted and the press, and so remembered only the good stuff: his .406 batting average in 1941, his home run that decided the All-Star game that year, and the home run in his last at bat in 1960, all of which were replayed via TV highlights regularly. John Updike's dissertation on the 1960 home run helped, too.

                  Cramer makes us understand Ted Williams. Like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose and Joe DiMaggio, he was no scholar. Also like them, he was able to cultivate a specific skill set on the baseball diamond. He became (arguably) the greatest hitter who ever lived. Still, his lack of education and lonely childhood left vacuums in his life...he compensated for the first by having to be right all the time, and for the second by finally admitting to Cramer, "I was a terrible husband and father."

                  In the interest of full disclosure, the present writer met Ted Williams at two Red Sox fantasy camps.


                  5 out of 5 stars Baseball's version of "The Lion In Winter".......2005-03-02

                  Ted Williams lived the kind of irrepressible life that Hollywood tried to invent for its toughest actors; old-skool masculinity personified, he was the finest baseball player of a generation (if not all time), a fisherman worthy of Hemingway's prose, and a lifelong Marine who served his country in not one but TWO deadly wars, the second of which nearly cost him his own life.

                  He was the eternal paradox, the New England sports hero with the "When Guns Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Guns" bumper sticker on his pick-up truck, the all-time All-Star outfielder who practiced his swing while playing defense, the surly bane to those in the sports press charged with selling his image to the Boston public, and the eternal cynic who could never fully give himself to the public's adoration because he would always hear the 2 or 3 boos among the thousands of cheers his very presence on the field generated.

                  This book does a fine job of encapsulating the highlights of Williams' career, covered sparingly among a (then) current interview of the man as living legend approaching his 70's. But the real joy and success of the book is the author's capturing the essence of the magnitude of Williams to the point that you can't possibly help but feel that you are listening to the man thunder away in your own living room, rather than from a far-off house in the Florida Keys (or from the more appropriate peak of Mount Olympus). Most enjoyable to me is the author's penchant FOR PRINTING WILLIAMS' QUOTES IN ALL CAPS (wherein I can't help but read them aloud -and at suitable volume- to my fiancee', much to her dismay).

                  We have a suitable account of Williams' life after his time as an active player and manager, but before his health began to rapidly deteriorate. It is a full portrait, balancing the more infamous qualities of the man with those that Williams fiercely guarded during his lifetime; that he was, beneath the callous exterior, as warm and giving a soul that baseball would be far more fortunate than it deserves to have as an ambassador today.
                  It's a joy to read, seemingly almost an afterthought in its brevity, but when considered that it was only ever supposed to be an article for Esquire magazine, it surely ranks among the finest sports writing of all time.

                  5 out of 5 stars Teddy Ballgame At His Finest.......2005-01-02

                  Richard Ben Cramer wrote a somewhat controversial but well-researched biography of Joe DiMaggio. The major difference between this excellent portrait, and the latter project, was that we see and hear the protagonist in his own words. At times, it is a loud, booming voice full of life, stories, regrets, and accomplishments of one of our sporting legends.

                  Mr. Cramer does a masterful job weaving this interesting portrayal. This book is rather brief compared to the DiMaggio biography; however, it has more "life." The bulk of this work concentrates upon an interview that took place in 1986. It is written in such a way that the author fades into the background. In a strange sense, the reader feels present. As if we are sitting with Mr. Williams in his living room, and spellbound to imagine what will come next. The sheer force of his personality makes this a very entertaining and informative read.

                  Compared to the modern day ballplayer, Mr. Williams was indeed a rare bird. He had interesting and intriguing opinions about hitting, fishing, flying jet planes, marriage, lemonade, fickle fans, and the traffic patterns of the Florida Keys. ;-) He is both arrogant and enchanting, if one can imagine such a thing. Mr. Cramer draws out Williams in a way that writers of his own era failed to do. He showed him respect and deference, but like so many of the fish that Williams loved to catch, didn't allow him off the hook on tough subjects. In a way, this interview perhaps was a cathartic exercise for Mr. Williams.

                  The unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his death made this book quite pertinent. What do we think of him now? The best hitter to ever live, a true American patriot, a lover of the great outdoors, and a man who defined life in his own strike zone.

                  Thank you for the opportunity to review this excellent work by Mr. Cramer.

                  5 out of 5 stars Truly a work of art!.......2004-04-10

                  This book is deceptively short, yet like Ted Williams swinging at a baseball in his prime --- it packs one hell of wallop! Amazingly, the reader gets a very well-rounded picture of Williams the man, Williams the out-sized legend, Williams the S.O.B. and of course in his most famous guise as baseball's "greatest hitter who ever lived." The last man ever to hit .400 for a season with 521 career home runs to his credit (including one on his last ever time at bat), he was also the only man ever elected to both the baseball and fly-fishing halls of fame. His life was extremely rich and full and reads like it was five lifetimes rolled into one. A fighter pilot during WWII, many argue he may have even forfeited some of his best years in baseball to serve his country.... Considering his well-established contributions to the science of hitting, that's a scary thought! Anyway, if you're looking for a short and breezy read on one of baseball's all-time-greats look no further than this book by Richard Ben Cramer.
                  What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now
                    Richard Cramer
                    Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER @ TRADE
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000SI5TBO
                    What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?: a Remembrance
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?: a Remembrance
                      Richard Ben Cramer
                      Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000N7DR9Q

                      Clean It! Fix It! Eat It!: Easy Ways to Solve Everyday Problems with Brand-Name Products You've Already Got Around the House
                      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                      • Helpful problem solver
                      • CLEAN UP
                      • Fun reading even if you don't have any white vineger
                      • ZANY AT TIMES, BUT, HEY, IF IT WORKS DON'T KNOCK I
                      Clean It! Fix It! Eat It!: Easy Ways to Solve Everyday Problems with Brand-Name Products You've Already Got Around the House
                      Joey Green
                      Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      Cleaning, Caretaking & RelocatingCleaning, Caretaking & Relocating | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
                      Household HintsHousehold Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
                      Green HousecleaningGreen Housecleaning | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
                      ReferenceReference | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                      GeneralGeneral | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                      GeneralGeneral | Reference | Subjects | Books
                      Similar Items:
                      1. Joey Green's Amazing Kitchen Cures: 1,150 Ways to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments with Brand-Name Products Joey Green's Amazing Kitchen Cures: 1,150 Ways to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments with Brand-Name Products
                      2. Joey Green's Gardening Magic: More Than 1,120 Ingenious Joey Green's Gardening Magic: More Than 1,120 Ingenious
                      3. Polish Your Furniture With Pantyhose: AND HUNDREDS MORE OFFBEAT USES FOR BRAND NAME PRODUCTS Polish Your Furniture With Pantyhose: AND HUNDREDS MORE OFFBEAT USES FOR BRAND NAME PRODUCTS
                      4. Clean Your Clothes with Cheez Whiz: And Hundreds of Offbeat Uses for Dozens More Brand-Name Products Clean Your Clothes with Cheez Whiz: And Hundreds of Offbeat Uses for Dozens More Brand-Name Products
                      5. Joey Green's Incredible Country Store: Potions, Notions and Elixirs of the Past--and How to Make Them Today Joey Green's Incredible Country Store: Potions, Notions and Elixirs of the Past--and How to Make Them Today

                      ASIN: 0735202958
                      Release Date: 2001-08-28

                      Book Description

                      100's of wacky and amazingly helpful uses for ordinary brand-name products!

                      Every day millions of Americans move about their homes using countless, ordinary, household products. They spread mayo on sandwiches, add flour to pancake batter, or scrub sinks with cleanser. Many, however, have stumbled upon special uses for some of these ubiquitous brand-name products-wacky uses that, believe it or not, work.

                      Joey Green's hilarious popular Web site is bombarded on a daily basis with innovative uses for brand-name products, from using Efferdent(r) to clean stainless steel sinks to killing head lice with Hellmann's(r) mayonnaise. Now, Green has culled his "wackyuses" database to present his newest volume of tips, hints, and suggestions for hundreds of brand-name products. Each entry explains what chore or problem the product can be used for, along with the name and hometown of the person who contributed the tip. Readers won't believe what some of these products can be used for-Alka-Seltzer(r) to clean a toilet, Jell-O(r) to deodorize smelly feet, Bounce(r) to dissolve soap scum from shower doors, and how about Wilson(r) Tennis Balls to prevent snoring.

                      Like no other home care resource you've ever seen, Clean It! Fix It Eat It! is sure to prove as entertaining as it is useful.

                      Customer Reviews:

                      5 out of 5 stars Helpful problem solver.......2007-01-21

                      I keep this in my night stand for an easy helpful reference to some frustrating home problems. Terrific book.

                      5 out of 5 stars CLEAN UP.......2005-09-15

                      i've enjoyed reading the material which gives advice on
                      cleaning up what one needs.

                      4 out of 5 stars Fun reading even if you don't have any white vineger.......2002-10-31

                      This book can help just about anyone in cleaning anything around the house. Using baking soda, vodka (!), and other assundry items provides one with enjoyable reading as well as imaginative jobs to do in the bathroom, kitchen, and the car.

                      4 out of 5 stars ZANY AT TIMES, BUT, HEY, IF IT WORKS DON'T KNOCK I.......2001-10-04

                      Most of us know that common househeld products have multiple uses. For example, vinegar and baking soda are almost staples for solving a dozen and one different household problems. However, some of the solutions you learn in this book might seem right off the wall! Alka-Seltzer to clean a toilet bowl - and just why would you WANT to use Alka-Seltzer? Jello, as a foot deodorizer - no doubt, designed just for those who like that squishy feeling between their toes. Alright, those may seem a little extreme, but the book truly does have it's helpful hints and merits. There is no guarantee that all these little tidbits of information are going to work, and some I would dare not try. If I ever suggested to my darling husband that he shave with Reddi-Whip, he might think I was getting just a wee bit kinky! Some of the tips may seem far-fetched, zany and bizarre but others actually do work; for the price of the book, it is still a good deal.

                      The Calligrapher's Studio
                      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                      • It spurred me to creativivity
                      The Calligrapher's Studio
                      Claire Secrett
                      Manufacturer: Reader's Digest
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Spiral-bound

                      GeneralGeneral | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
                      CalligraphyCalligraphy | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: 0276422465

                      Book Description

                      This complete course in a convenient package includes a great book of instructions, plus pens, brushes, ink cartridges, and other necessities for getting started in calligraphy.

                      Customer Reviews:

                      5 out of 5 stars It spurred me to creativivity.......1997-08-29

                      This is one of those rare instruction books that gives you the feeling of sitting in a private class; just you and the teacher discussing the nuances of the craft. It is full of not just side note tips, which are extremely helpful, but all kinds of personal guidance. The one that comes immediately to mind is when the author is talking about drawing roughs. She encourages you to doodle and experiment since no one will see this stage of your finished piece. She even goes so far as to let in in on the little secrets of the creative process; even professionals get butterflies just before the work is done. Besides these wonderful additions, this book is clear and thorough in its instruction. If you are intimidated by the beauty of the penned word, this book is your guiding hand
                      The Calligrapher's Studio
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        The Calligrapher's Studio
                        Claire Secrett
                        Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Gifts
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: 0760722544

                        Product Description

                        An ideal introduction to calligraphy, this handsomely illustrated book and starter kit are just what you need to begin enjoying this fascinating hobby. The book included in the kit is easy-to-follow yet authoritative. It explores a variety of techniques, including traditional pen-and-ink, gliding, and resist work, and shows you how to master the principal writing styles. Contains waterbase and regular paint, brushes, calligraphy pens with caps, and ink.
                        The Calligrapher's Studio Kit
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          The Calligrapher's Studio Kit
                          Claire Secrett
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Spiral-bound
                          ASIN: B000UFO0N8

                          Product Description

                          Ages 14 and over Packed with helpful hints and tips from an experienced Calligrapher. Step-by-step projects show you the whole process-how to complete a piece of work from the simplest beginnings. More than 250 inspiring examples of the calligrapher's art. Spiral binding allows the book to lie flat, making it convenient and easy to use while you work. Kit contains everything yu need to get started.

                          Books:

                          1. Study Guide for African Americans in the U.S. Economy
                          2. Study Guide to accompany Gottheil, Principles of Microeconomics, 4e
                          3. The Big Bing: Black Holes of Time Management, Gaseous Executive Bodies, Exploding Careers, and Other Theories on the Origins of the Business Universe
                          4. The Blood Bankers: Tales from the Global Underground Economy
                          5. The Constitutionalization of the World Trade Organization: Legitimacy, Democracy, and Community in the International Trading System (International Economic Law Series)
                          6. The Economics of Adjustment and Growth: Second Edition
                          7. The Education Gospel: The Economic Power of Schooling
                          8. The European Challenge: Innovation, Policy Learning And Social Cohesion in the New Knowledge Economy
                          9. The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Get Charitable Donations from Individuals in a Houseparty Setting
                          10. The Indebted Society: Anatomy of an Ongoing Disaster

                          Books Index

                          Books Home

                          Recommended Books

                          1. Secrets to Winning at Office Politics: How to Achieve Your Goals and Increase Your Influence at Work
                          2. Physics in Nuclear Medicine
                          3. ENTERPRISE GOVERNANCE STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT, First Edition
                          4. Indecent Exposure: A True Story of Hollywood and Wall Street
                          5. Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Derivatives
                          6. Paradise Park
                          7. Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
                          8. College Accounting, Chapters 1-27
                          9. Making Sense of Social Security Reform
                          10. International Design Yearbook 17