I have studied accounting and finance and took many economic ...
585981
I have studied accounting and finance and took many economic courses. This book not only simplifies the concepts it also broadened my knowledge and taught me a lot of new concepts
1346113
If you are not an economist, this book might be a bit burdensome to read. I have only taken basic microeconomics and macroeconomics classes (which I didn't overly enjoy in the first place) and struggled with a great deal of it. Within the past few months I have read about the Greek financial crisis in a few different volumes...most recently one focused on Austerity and the other focused on Angela Merkel and the EU handling of the situation.

Of them all, I think this one offers the most varied perspective and offers both the larger POV and the way the Greek people felt about the situation. The other books discuss this, but a bit disdainfully. I think this book is entirely respectful to all parties involved.
4102315
I wouldn't call it concise as the title says... but I now know more about Corporate Finance than I have ever wanted to know before.
76926
I read about finance quite a bit, but was looking for something that would be get me thoughts on the world of finance since the economic crisis of 2008.  This fit the bill nicely.

Someone else said that Bill Bernstein's advice sounds like it's coming from your friendly and wise uncle who is looking out for your best interests.  I agree.

The words "unbiased" and "credible" come to mind.

Enjoy
1253764
Thank you for writting this book.  I have just finished attending seminars that cost over $5,000 USD taught by American Investors and I learned more about investing in Canada after reading this book.
I wish I had read this book before spending all that money
4684370
The rage nowadays seems to be how you can circumvent the B school process, save 100,000 dollars, and still come out on top with all the knowledge free.

I got news for you.

It won't happen.

But there are activities and materials you can procure in order to sharpen your business acumen and critical reasoning skills.

This post comes as a result from a recent seminar I attended where deans from top MBA programs in NYC were convened to talk about the admissions process.

There were 5 up there - 3 of them agreed that if it weren't for the networking opportunities at B school, everything you get a B school can be attained by suscribing to the Economist.

I was shocked.

So here we go.

The top five ways to get your portable MBA:

1. Buy the complete Portable MBA Series. There are many more, but you only need these 8:

-  the portable  MBA (start with this one)

-" "  finance/accounting.

-" "  entrepreneurship

-" "  marketing

- " "  management

- " "  strategy

- " "  investments

- "  "  economics

You probably think I'm joking.

I'm not.

The wealth of information here will blow you away.

Be a smart and consider it all as an investment.

Anyways, top b schools cover all the topics listed above.

2. Suscribe to the Economist.

I suscribe to dozens of business periodicals, but the Economist is global in scope.

Remember that word - global.

You'll hear it a lot in Business school should you decide to go.

3. Read Thomas Friedman's new book: THE WORLD IS FLAT. I read over 300 business books a year (on average one a week) and this is so far the best book I've read in 2005.

Get this: Business Week polled some of the top B school professors in the nation and they all said they were planning on reading this over the summer.

I'll let you decide.

4. Be thankful you have the internet at your disposal.

Our parents did not have such a luxury as Google, Investopedia, or Wikipedia.

Read everthing related to business, finance, econ, marketing, technology, media, wall street, stock markets, venture capitalism, & the internet.

That means blogs, too...

5. Get cable and watch either CNNfn, CNBC, or Bloomberg as much as you can.

Even if you're busy, leave it on and let that juice seep into the subconscious.

Use discipline + never change the channel to watch what the rest of America watches.

So there you go.
1966708
this book is a great deal and helped me to understand the concepts in finance and their application in the business world. Thanks to this book,i was able to hit an "A" grade.
337262
I suppose to first understand the book you need to know something of accounting. I apparently do not "get it"...better I should stay a mechanical type of person.
3285763
This book is understandable. I recently used in one of my accounting class and was really hard to understand this book.
4805433
I LOVED this book.  If I had read this book right after I got my bachelor's degree, I would have been happier as well as wiser.  Its book title and premise seem inflammatory to academics of the finance and business fields but Kiyosaki has to sell his book to make the public want to pick it up.  However, you "can't judge a book by its cover."  As far as PRACTICAL knowledge and education, I got more out of this book than I did attending a first semester finance community college class.  It basically explains how society "conditions" us into thinking all we have to do is 1) go to school 2) get a well-paying job afterwards 3) work ALL YOUR LIFE and climb the ladder of corporate success to get promoted 4) save for retirement.  He does this by comparing the financial life of his true father who was an educated professional who became a "wage slave" compared to the financial life of his friend's uneducated but wealthy financially independent free-wheeling father who "took him under his wings" and helped mentor him into becoming financially astute from a very young age.  Unlike the main critical reviewer, if you read the book, Kiyosaki doesn't cite how EASY it is to be rich - in fact he confesses he failed a number of times to start a business even after YEARS of experience learning about business since he was a child and even lived homeless for a while with his wife because he was that desperate and determined to succeed.  His point is that we are "conditioned" to act in certain ways such that our appetite for risk is usually dampened - For example, we're conditioned to strive for better paying jobs but which take up more of our precious time, energy, and effort as well as money RATHER THAN take risks such as starting a business or striving for royalties and patents which could make us money again and again without us PHYSICALLY having to be present EVERY MINUTE in order for $$'s to keep rolling in.  His point is that if you want to be FREE from the daily 9 to 5 rat race, then you have to take risks, make your money work for you rather than spend it all on ipods, playstations, cars, and new houses - Understand what is an expense and what is a liability and what is an asset. For example, buying a bigger house is NOT an asset - it's a liability - and especially after the 2007 mortgage crisis crash, his statement CERTAINLY PROVES TRUE!!  He also introduces certain important concepts such as "leverage" in a simple but clear way without you needing to be a college finance whiz.  If you're looking for a "Get Rich Quick Scheme" book, you'll be disappointed.  Instead, what you should take from the book is that you have to keep your eyes and mind open for opportunities (and there are always a few out there somewhere) just as he did if you wish to escape the 9 to 5 rat race.  Any failures in your quest to make more money should be regarded as helpful experiences for the next time that you continue on your quest.  He brings home the point that the rich and those who strive to be rich look at the world as a GAME and that in order to cross "Go" and collect your $200 and more, you have to think outside of the box, that there are rules but there are also OPPORTUNITES.  His book should be read as inspirational as well educational.

A lot of what he says is repetitive and he's not the best WRITTEN author about business (which he freely admits), but for any layman who knows NOTHING about business and who's initially learning about business and finance and wants to understand it from a REAL WORLD point of view that's BASIC, DOWN-TO-EARTH, his book would be a PRIMER book on MY list and I've even recommended it to others also naive about how making money works and/or who think their economic situations are hopeless.
2080478
I bought Standard Deviants Accounting Part 1 and watched it several times. If I was smarter and used less drugs earlier in life perhaps I could have watched it fewer times. Anyway, I aced accounting 101 and got a recommendation from my teacher who was an IRS accountant to tutor accounting 101 at the community college.
2780370
After 10 years in business I found Profit First. It has been a real eye opener. After using for first quarter, I have seen a steady climb in my income and a change in the way I view my expenses. I don't automatically buy what I think my business needs but analyze if I really need it. Thanks profit first!
2112861
This book, although long-winded and at times rambling, challenges you to look at everything you have learned about finance and accounting in a different way.  Assets are sometimes liabilities in this book.  It is a very interesting approach to building wealth.  Eventhough it may not seem so at first, it is actually makes a lot of sense.
If you can handle the writing style (which I had problems with in the first half of the book) and stick with it, it is a great book to get you started on the road to building real wealth.
2922763
I earned a degree in International Relations so that I could get as broad an education as possible. I took five semesters of economics, including two in graduate school. Over the years I have wondered why everything I learned then is seemingly so irrelevant to the current American economy. David Stockman has the answer. The sound principles I learned long ago still apply, they have just been abandoned to crony capitalism in which the US Treasury has become an ATM for the wealthy and the casinos of Wall Street (aka corporate socialism). You still can't have both guns and butter. The attempt to do so over the last thirty years has resulted in the current crisis of drowning in debt and deficit. This book is clear and concise, easily comprehensible to the common man.
2135112
This book showed me how fragile the economy is and why we need to take control of our finances to create our own economy. More importantly, it has encouraged me to take that journey to become financially free. I have wanted it for as long as I can remember and I have done many things to get there, but this book has helped give me the confidence that I need to step up my game.
1881888
This is a classic in economics. I began reading it and, considering the date it was written, realized it must have been an eye-opener when published. But, with an advanced degree that was heavy in economics, and after working in industry and banking for several decades, I found that it was teaching me what I already know at a deeper level than Adam Smith, so I put it on my reference shelf. This would be perfect for a bright middle school or high school student who thinks they might be interested in a career in business or economics. Come to think of it, I have two grandchildren brothers who I will send it to when the first one reaches middle school.
3098165
I tried reading this book for class. I may just not be cut to understand Economics. I understand radio theory, electronics, computers, but I just can't wrap my head around economics. I failed the class 2 times