349 products in Books

One of the biggest questions of the financial crisis has not been answered until now: What happened at Lehman Brothers and why was it allowed to fail, with aftershocks that rocked the global economy? In this news-making, often astonishing book, a former Lehman Brothers Vice President gives us the straight answers—right from the belly of the beast. In A Colossal Failure of Common Sense, Larry McDonald, a Wall Street insider, reveals, the culture and unspoken rules of the game like no book has ever done. The book is couched in the very human story of Larry McDonald’s Horatio Alger-like rise from a Massachusetts “gateway to nowhere” housing project to the New York headquarters of Lehman Brothers, home of one of the world’s toughest trading floors.   We get a close-up view of the participants in the Lehman collapse, especially those who saw it coming with a helpless, angry certainty. We meet the Brahmins at the top, whose reckless, pedal-to-the-floor addiction to growth finally demolished the nation’ s oldest investment bank. The Wall Street we encounter here is a ruthless place, where brilliance, arrogance, ambition, greed, capacity for relentless toil, and other human traits combine in a potent mix that sometimes fuels prosperity but occasionally destroys it.   The full significance of the dissolution of Lehman Brothers remains to be measured. But this much is certain: it was a devastating blow to America’s—and the world’s—financial system. And it need not have happened. This is the story of why it did.

A Comprehensive Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Money Broken Money explores the history of money through the lens of technology. Politics can affect things temporarily and locally, but technology is what drives things forward globally and permanently. The book's goal is for the reader to walk away with a deep understanding of money and monetary history, both in terms of theoretical foundations and in terms of practical implications. From shells to gold, from papyrus bills of exchange to central banks, and from the invention of the telegraph to the creation of Bitcoin, Lyn Alden walks the reader through the emergence of new technologies that have shaped what we use as money over the ages. And beyond that, Alden explores the concept of what money is at its very foundation to give the reader a framework to analyze and compare different types of monetary technologies and monetary theories. The book also takes a distinctively human look at how money impacts the lives of real people, and how new monetary technologies shape the power structures within society. In the modern era, energy abundance and technological enhancements have broadly improved human well-being, but the global monetary system has been slow to keep up. There are over 160 active currencies in the world, each with a local monopoly over its own country, and with little or no acceptance elsewhere. Many of them are rapidly diluted, which continually devalues the savings and the wages of the billions of people who live and work within those jurisdictions. Being born in the "wrong" country makes saving money far harder than it needs to be. Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people and has averaged 13% annualized inflation over the past decade. Egypt cut its currency in half relative to the dollar twice over the past decade, which instantly devalued the savings and wages of its 100 million citizens. Dozens of countries have experienced at least triple-digit year-over-year inflation within the past four decades, including Brazil that outright hyperinflated in the 1990s while it was the fifth most populous country in the world. Europe and Japan had $18 trillion worth of negative-yielding bonds in 2019, right before a wave of inflation wiped their purchasing power away. In 2021, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve dismissed the idea that the sharp rise in the money supply from the pandemic stimulus would lead to price inflation. By 2022, as major inflation emerged, the chairman rapidly changed his outlook and tightened monetary policy so quickly that it led to the failure of some of the largest banks in the country. How did we get to this point? Why isn't our money better than this in the 21st century? Broken Money answers these questions by examining the current mix of technology that has led to these limitations, and then explores emerging technologies that may be able to provide us with a monetary system that is fit for the modern era.

Lysander Spooner's discontentment with the Constitution of the United States led him to publish No Treason, which revises significant parts of that document to reduce the power of the state versus individuals. The author was an anti-authoritarian philosopher and legal theorist who had spent his earlier life vigorously campaigning against slavery. Following the American Civil War however, he became horrified at the brutality and carnage that had been unleashed. Redoubling his criticisms, Spooner asserts his dismay that the U.S. government was rendered inert by its Constitution - slavery was only abolished after a long and bloody war, whereas had it been forbade at the outset, no such conflict would have arisen. A strong proponent of natural law - the concept that all humans had rights endowed at the point of their birth - Spooner had a sense of revulsion at how American politics had ensued in the early-to-mid 19th century. It was thus that No Treason was written in the hope of moderating the Constitution to ensure that slavery and bloody recriminations for secession would never again occur. In life, many of Spooner's actions versus authority were successful; his abolitionism consisted of circulating pamphlets including those suggesting guerrilla warfare by slaves, and prefaced the Civil War. Later in life his challenge to the postal monopolies successfully resulted in such monopolies being regulated to the point where mailing became much cheaper for all. Furthermore he advanced a cogent theory of self-employment, believing it a way to laborers avoiding or reducing their exploitation by employers.

Frederick Bastiat dismantles Socialism, the Nanny State, the Welfare State, Pro-Business Cronyism, and all the other forms of government interference in people's lives. He destroys the perverse logic of the Do-Gooders who want to help one group or another because, somehow, it's the fair thing to do. Bastiat shows that the result of all this protection and benevolence is to make people poorer and less free. His lessons and logic are up to date and powerful. Amazingly, the book originally came out in 1850! The Law is a quick read for both the beginner and the neophyte... and one you'll choose to re-read.

Praise For Damn Right! From the author of the bestselling WARREN BUFFETT SPEAKS "Charlie Munger, whose reputation is deep and wide, based on an extraordinary record of brilliantly successful business strategies, sees things that others don’t. There is a method to his mastery and, through this book, we get a chance to learn about this rare individual." ――MICHAEL EISNER, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company "Janet Lowe uncovers the iconoclastic genius and subtle charm behind Charlie Munger’s curmudgeonly facade in this richly woven portrait of our era’s heir to Ben Franklin. With a biographer’s detachment, an historian’s thoroughness, and a financial writer’s common sense, Lowe produces a riveting account of the family, personal, and business life of this idiosyncratically complex and endlessly fascinating figure." ――LAWRENCE A. CUNNINGHAM, Cardozo Law School, Author of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America "For years, Berkshire Hathaway shareholders and investors worldwide (me included) have struggled to learn more about Warren Buffett’s cerebral sidekick. Now we can rest and enjoy reading Janet Lowe’s book about this rare intellectual jewel called Charlie Munger." ――ROBERT G. HAGSTROM, Author of The Warren Buffett Way "Charlie has lived by the creed that one should live a life that doesn't need explaining. But his life should be explained. In a city where heroism is too often confused with celebrity, Charlie is a true hero and mentor. He lives the life lessons that he has studiously extracted from other true heroes and mentors, from Ben Franklin to Ben Graham. This book illuminates those life lessons." ――RONALD L. OLSON, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP "Janet Lowe’s unprecedented access to Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett has resulted in a first-class book that investors, academics, and CEOs will find entertaining and highly useful." ――TIMOTHY P. VICK, Money Manager and Author of How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett

UPDATED & EXTENDED 2ND EDITION – with a brand-new foreword by Merryn Somerset Webb Let the market come to you Deep Value Investing by Jeroen Bos is an incredibly candid and revealing guide to the secrets of deep value investment. Written by an investor with a long and remarkable track record, it shares for the first time the ins and outs of finding high-potential undervalued stocks before anyone else. Deep value investing means finding companies that are genuine bargains that can pay back phenomenally over the long term. They are firms so cheap that even if they were to close tomorrow their assets would pay you out at a profit. But if they can turn things around, the rewards will be many times greater ... These were the favourite shares of Benjamin Graham, author of The Intelligent Investor. Inspired by Graham's classic and with a long history of discovering these great value stocks – sometimes known as 'bargain issues' or 'netnets' – author and investor Jeroen Bos reveals: - how to use only publicly available information to discover these shares and filter the gold from the dross - everything he did when analysing, purchasing, monitoring and selling more than ten recent successful deep value investments - the complete philosophy behind deep value investing, and the ins and outs of this strategy in practice - what can go wrong and how to minimise the chances of it happening to you. Deep value investing has a better track record than almost any other approach to the market. Even better, it doesn't require minute and technical knowledge of a company, nor is it fixated on earnings or often-unreliable future projections. It's all about the balance sheet and patience. This makes it the perfect investing approach for those who want to see phenomenal stock market returns without wasting time or commission costs.

A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable . . . an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." ―The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." ―The Wall Street Journal "A lively panoramic book . . . Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." ―Business Week "Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." ―The Economist "[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." ―Worth "No one else could have written a book of such central importance with so much charm and excitement." ―Robert Heilbroner author, The Worldly Philosophers "With his wonderful knowledge of the history and current manifestations of risk, Peter Bernstein brings us Against the Gods. Nothing like it will come out of the financial world this year or ever. I speak carefully: no one should miss it." ―John Kenneth Galbraith Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today. "An extremely readable history of risk." ―Barron's "Fascinating . . . this challenging volume will help you understand the uncertainties that every investor must face." ―Money "A singular achievement." ―Times Literary Supplement "There's a growing market for savants who can render the recondite intelligibly-witness Stephen Jay Gould (natural history), Oliver Sacks (disease), Richard Dawkins (heredity), James Gleick (physics), Paul Krugman (economics)-and Bernstein would mingle well in their company." ―The Australian

FOREWORD BY JAY BHATTACHARYA, MD, PHD You remember the story: some locations did better than others on Covid because those places followed the rules, and others foolishly ignored them. Covid spread was your fault, you science hater! There is precisely zero evidence behind any aspect of this morality play, which is demolished by this book. Diary of a Psychosis is different from all other books on Covid: it traces the development of the government response as it happened, bit by bit, and subjects it to relentless scrutiny: did any of it do any good? It thereby preserves some of the crucial day-to-day details that other chronicles have forgotten. And it's those little details of the bizarre behavior of those years that, presented together, preserve for the reader the full horror of the madness of those dark days. The more people know the information in this book, the harder it will be for the ruling classes to do this to us again.

From the author of The BFG and Matilda! Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Join the technological revolution that's taking the financial world by storm. Mastering Bitcoin is your guide through the seemingly complex world of Bitcoin, providing the knowledge you need to participate in the internet of money. Whether you're building the next killer app, investing in a startup, or simply curious about the technology, this revised and expanded third edition provides essential detail to get you started. Bitcoin, the first successful decentralized digital currency, has already spawned a multibillion-dollar global economy open to anyone with the knowledge and passion to participate. Mastering Bitcoin provides the knowledge. You supply the passion. The third edition includes: * A broad introduction to Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain—ideal for nontechnical users, investors, and business executives * An explanation of Bitcoin's technical foundation and cryptographic currency for developers, engineers, and software and systems architects * Details of the Bitcoin decentralized network, peer-to-peer architecture, transaction lifecycle, and security principles * New developments such as Taproot, Tapscript, Schnorr signatures, and the Lightning Network * A deep dive into Bitcoin applications, including how to combine the building blocks offered by this platform into powerful new tools * User stories, analogies, examples, and code snippets illustrating key technical concepts

Data-science investigations have brought journalism into the 21st century, and—guided by The Intercept’s infosec expert Micah Lee— this book is your blueprint for uncovering hidden secrets in hacked datasets. Unlock the internet’s treasure trove of public interest data with Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations by Micah Lee, an investigative reporter and security engineer. This hands-on guide blends real-world techniques for researching large datasets with lessons on coding, data authentication, and digital security. All of this is spiced up with gripping stories from the front lines of investigative journalism. Dive into exposed datasets from a wide array of sources: the FBI, the DHS, police intelligence agencies, extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, and even a Russian ransomware gang. Lee’s own in-depth case studies on disinformation-peddling pandemic profiteers and neo-Nazi chatrooms serve as blueprints for your research. Gain practical skills in searching massive troves of data for keywords like “antifa” and pinpointing documents with newsworthy revelations. Get a crash course in Python to automate the analysis of millions of files. You will also learn how to: * Master encrypted messaging to safely communicate with whistleblowers. * Secure datasets over encrypted channels using Signal, Tor Browser, OnionShare, and SecureDrop. * Harvest data from the BlueLeaks collection of internal memos, financial records, and more from over 200 state, local, and federal agencies. * Probe leaked email archives about offshore detention centers and the Heritage Foundation. * Analyze metadata from videos of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, sourced from the Parler social network. We live in an age where hacking and whistleblowing can unearth secrets that alter history. Hacks, Leaks, and Revelations is your toolkit for uncovering new stories and hidden truths. Crack open your laptop, plug in a hard drive, and get ready to change history.

"Backgammon – From basics to badass" is the cutting edge, modern backgammon book, which teaches you all the basic concepts and principles in the game. It beats the older backgammon theory books by a mile. It starts out softly, but don't let this fool you! The book is full of insights from a true expert. The philosophy is a thorough and well structured learning, which leaves you no gaps in your game comprehension, as well asbringing new theory to the backgammon literature, for instance ”the value-equation” and probability tables on jumping primes. It is very easy to read even for beginners. The purpose of the book is to connect the basic theory with the advanced theory. All earlier backgammon books tends to focus on just one of these categories. Since publication in Denmark early 2013, this book is now owned by roughly half of the members of the Danish Backgammon Federation, the worlds largest backgammon federation. When writing this book, Marc was ranked frst in the Danish rating system. In 2014 Marc won his frst ”Grand Slam”, the prestigious international tournament: Nordic Open in Copenhagen. Reviews: "It's my humble opinion, that this is a must-read for everyone who wants to take his game to another level. The book is highly informative, easy to read and packed with educational positions. I've been privileged to know Marc for many years, and he is currently the best backgammon tutor in the world. Don't waste this formidable chance, buy this book right away!"- Sander Lylloff, the best backgammon player in the world. "Tremendous all-round book which suits backgammon players of all levels. It presents the concepts in a sharp but still educational way. The book has numerous new approaches to the facets of the game, that can be very complex. It appeals to new, as well as more experienced players. I'm positive that everybody can obtain new knowledge and inspiration. Read it!"- Karsten Bredahl, Super Grand Master and double winner of Nordic Open. "Marc has truly succeeded in writing a book, which starts from the bottom and ends on a very high level, without the usual gaps you can encounter. It is a solid book that everybody can beneft from, regardless of experience. The examples and explanations are top notch."- Peter Hallberg, backgammon world champion 2004.