Monday, December 20, 2010
Military: Israeli forces kill 2, thwart terror attack
The Israeli military said it killed two armed Palestinians and thwarted a terror attack in northern Gaza overnight.
Read more on CNN
Military personnel offered free bridal gowns in Boynton Beach
Military personnel offered free bridal gowns in Boynton Beach
Read more on The Palm Beach Post
Spanish military takes control of aviation amidst chaos< br/>
Madrid - The Spanish military was ordered to take over control of Spain's air space early Saturday in the wake of a wildcat work action by air traffic controllers that plunged Spain's aviation into ch...
Read more on Thailandnews.net
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Last Words: A Memoir
As one of America's preeminent comedic voices, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acer-bic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life.
In 1993 George Carlin asked his friend and bestselling author Tony Hendra to help him write his autobiography. For almost fifteen years, in scores of conversations, many of them recorded, the two discussed Carlin's life, t imes, and evolution as a major artist. When Carlin died at age seventy-one in June 2008 with the book still unpublished, Hendra set out to assemble it as his friend would have wanted. Last Words is the result, the rollicking, wrenching story of Carlin's life from birth -- literally -- to his final years, as well as a parting gift of laughter to the world of comedy he helped create.
George Carlin's journey to stardom began in the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of New York's Upper West Side in the 1940s, where class and culture wars planted the seeds for some of his best known material, including the notorious "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." His early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp honesty that made Carlin one of the best loved comedians in American history.
List Price: $ 26.99
Price: $ 2.44
Friday, December 17, 2010
Cincinnati: Cinergy Field
Image by wallyg
Cinergy Field, formerly known as Riverfront Stadium, was the home of the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Riverfront Stadium was the 3rd of the National Leagueâs infamous "cookie-cutter" stadiums. It was the first stadium to have its entire field covered by Astroturf, except for the cutouts around the bases and pitcherâs mound.
Before Riverfront Stadium opened on June 30, 1970, the Reds had spent 58 years playing at intimate Crosley Field. In 1997, Cinergy Corporation, a Cincinnati based utility, reached an agreement with the Reds to rename the stadium. When the Bengals moved to Paul Brown Stadium, Riverfront was reconfigured as a basbeall only stadium. Cinergy Field was demolished in 2000 to make way for the Great American Ballpark.
High Spen field
Image by immarkcz
High Spen, UK. I am hoping this will be full of yellow blooms in the spring! It's probably hard to see in this size jpg, but there's a small flock of black birds scrounging around in the distant upper right side of the field.
Anche i prati un giorno / Even fields someday
Image by Giampaolo Squarcina
Sting - Fields of Gold (1993)
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold
So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We 'll walk in the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
With approximately 1,400 practice questions - more than any other exam review - this unique book/CD-ROM package provides the most complete, reliable preparation available for the PRAXIS II subject assessment examination. Review questions can be selected to match the style and question distribution of the real exam to familiarize you with the examination experience and help you build test-taking confidence.
- Approximately 1,400 practice questions - more than 10 times the number of questions on the actual examination - offer unparalleled review of key concepts in speech-language pathology.
- A bound-in companion CD-ROM enables you to select questions chapter-by-chapter or in a quizzing format that allows you to create an unlimited number of unique practice tests with instant feedback.
- The timed sample test format on the companion CD-ROM simulates the real examination experience and helps you strengthen your prioritization and time-management skills.
- A detailed rationale accompanies each question to explain correct answers and help you identify areas requiring further review.
- Content experts lend valuable knowledge and insight across every specialty area covered on the exam to ensure the most reliable, well-rounded review.
- Select referen ces point you to specific sources of additional information for fast, efficient research.
List Price: $ 69.95
Price: $ 59.24
Multisensory Teaching Of Basic Language Skills, 2nd Edition
This guide reveals the benefits of using multisensory instruction in any classroom. After they review 50 years of research and clinical experience with children and adults with learning disabilities, the contributing authors explain how and why multisensory methods work.
List Price: $ 69.95
Price: $ 47.25
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
IVF study casts light on role of parenting
A unique long-term study of "test-tube babies" has confirmed that parenting styles as well as genes have major effects on how children turn out.The study has found that angry and aggressive parents are more likely to have angry...
Read more on The New Zealand Herald
Parenting Points - Teach children good manners?Parents should lead by example
Almost every parent will tell you that they want to raise a child with good manners. But what is the best way to go about it? When we think about teaching small children about manners, a familiar scene comes to mind: A friend or relative gives your child a present.
Read more on Brandon Sun
A compilation of thirteen chilling horror stories that explore the dark side of lust and love features selections by noted writers such as Dean Andersson, Tamara Thorne, Lois Tilton, Rick Hautala, and Richard Lee Byers. Original.
List Price: $ 12.00
Price: $ 81.58
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Culturally rich and diverse literature, comprehensive coverage of the writing process, and strong coverage of arguing about literature describe this anthology. The first five chapters are dedicated to writing and arguing about literature followed by an anthology organized around five themes: Family and Friends; Innocence and Experience; Women and Men; Culture and Identity; and Faith and Doubt. Case studies on the work of significant writers and their life and times end every thematic section. Changes to the new edition include the integration of MyLiteratureLab, Pearson's state-of-the-art, web-based interactive learning system; a more unified, step-by-step presentation of the writing process; new selections from contemporary and global writers; an enhanced discussion of peer review; and double the number of "Connecting through Comparison" subtheme clusters throughout the anthology.
List Price: $ 90.67
Price: $ 56.78
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Sunday, December 12, 2010
inclusive, fun, sexy, silly, literary feminism
List Price: $ 27.95
Price: $ 14.41
Friday, December 10, 2010
This Halcyon Classics ebook anthology contains fifty occult, horror, and ghost stories and novellas by more than thirty different authors. The works in this collection were written masters of horror such as by H.P. Lovecraft, Seabury Quinn, Algernon Blackwood, Paul Ernst, Arthur Machen, ETA Hoffman, Sheridan Le Fanu, and many others.
This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table o f contents for easy navigation.
Contents
PAULINE'S PASSION AND PUNISHMENT
By Louisa May Alcott
THE DAMNED THING
By Ambrose Bierce
THE DAMNED
By Algernon Blackwood
THE MAN WHOM THE TREES LOVED
By Algernon Blackwood
THE OLIVE
by Algernon Blackwood
THE WILLOWS
By Algernon Blackwood
THE KING OF YPRES
By John Buchan
BASILISSA
By John Buchan
NO-MAN'S LAND
By John Buchan
RATS IN THE BELFRY
By John York Cabot
THE DIARY OF PHILIP WESTERLY
By Paul Compton
DEATH MAKES A MISTAKE
By P. F. Costello
SATAN'S INCUBATOR
By Randolph Craig
THE MONSTER OF LAKE LAMETRIE
By Wardon Allan Curtis
MASK OF DEATH
By Paul Ernst
ISLE OF THE UNDEAD
By Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
PHANTOM OF THE FOREST
By Lee Francis
THE HALF-BROTHERS
by Elizabeth Gaskell
THE OLD NURSE'S STORY
By Elizabeth Gaskell
THE POOR CLARE
By Elizabeth Gaskell
THE DRUM OF SACCHARINE
by William Hope Hodgson
THE SAND-MAN
By Ernst T.A. Hoffmann
A DEBT OF HONOR
By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
HAUNTED
By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
PICHON & SONS, OF THE CROIX ROUSSE
By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
THE PHANTOM FOURTH
By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
CASTLE OF TERROR
By E. J. Liston
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS
By H.P. Lovecraft
COOL AIR
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE DREAM QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH
By H.P. Lovecraft
DREAMS IN THE WITCH-HOUSE
By H.P. Lovecraft
EX OBLIVIONE
By H.P. Lovecraft
FACTS CONCERNING THE LATE ARTHUR JERMYN AND HIS FAMILY
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE HOUND
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE LURKING FEAR
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE MOON BOG
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE OTHER GODS
By H.P. Lovecraft
THE GREAT GOD PAN
By Arthur Mache n
THE ISLINGTON MYSTERY
By Arthur Machen
THE SHINING PYRAMID
By Arthur Machen
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MRS. MACRECHAM
By Richard Marsh
THE WHITE FEATHER HEX
By Don Peterson
DANGER
by Fletcher Pratt and Irvin Lester
THE LOST DOOR
By Dorothy Quick
PLEDGED TO THE DEAD
By Seabury Quinn
THE STONE IMAGE
by Seabury Quinn
THE LAST OF MRS. DeBRUGH
By H. Sivia
THE DOORS OF DEATH
By Arthur B. Waltermire
LUKUNDOO
by Edward Lucas White
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Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories
- ISBN13: 9780140296389
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Following the immense success of The Art of the Tale, Daniel Halpern has assembled the next generation of short-story writers--those born after 1937--to create a companion volume, The Art of the Story. Attesting to t he depth, range, and continued popularity of short fiction, this collection includes seventy-eight contributors from thirty-five countries. The Art of the Story combines the best of the established masters as well as the fresh, new voices of writers whose work has seldom been translated into English.
Featured writers include:
⢠Ama Ata Aidoo
⢠Julia Alvarez
⢠Martin Amis
⢠Margaret Atwood
⢠Russell Banks
⢠Julian Barnes
⢠Ann Beattie
⢠T. C. Boyle
⢠Peter Carey
⢠Angela Carter
⢠Vikram Chandra
⢠Edwidge Danticat
⢠Daniele del Giudice
⢠Junot D'az
⢠Nathan Englander
⢠Peter Esterhazy
⢠Richard Ford
⢠Peter Hoeg
⢠Kazuo Ishiguro
⢠Bobbie Ann Mason
⢠Ian McEwan
⢠Lorrie Moore
⢠Murathan Mungan
⢠Joyce Carol Oates
⢠Ben Okri
⢠Amos Oz
⢠Salman Rushdie
⢠Graham Swift
⢠Tobias Wolff
⢠Can XueA reader doesn't want to love every story in an anthology. A collection of short fiction by various authors should be just that: various. We want all the stories to be admirable, but not necessarily lovable. This is how anthologies do their job, which is to teach us to love new forms of fiction. And this is how Daniel Halpern, editor of The Art of the Story, does his job. Halpern previously brought us the successful and far-reaching collection The Art of the Tale. Now he has taken upon himself the task of creating an international sampling of the contemporary short story. Seventy-eight writers from 35 countries--i ncluding Banana Yoshimoto, Junot DÃaz, Peter Hoeg, Julian Barnes, T.C. Boyle, Salman Rushdie, Peter Carey, Edwidge Danticat, and Tatyana Tolstaya--demonstrate that the story still brims with unrest and disharmony and, well, variousness. The classical form, the story that implies the world in a truncated scene or two, that implies a life in a single moment, is amply represented in this collection by writers like Ann Beattie ("In Amalfi") and Raymond Carver ("Are These Actual Miles?"). But the new story ranges farther than the personal, making inroads into the parodic, the fantastic, the speculative. As Halpern writes in the preface, "There seems to be a more investigative nature to the fiction of these stories written so close to the end of this century, a tendency, especially among writers from emerging nations, to use the story as a means of orientation, to restate for themselves their position--politically, socially, and artistically--as if for these writers there is radically less separation between reality and the imagination." Certainly this is an apt description of the fiction of Nigeria's Booker Prize winner Ben Okri ("In the Shadow of War") and of American newcomer Nathan Englander, whose "The Twenty-S eventh Man" describes the slaughter of Yiddish writers and contains the unforgettable dictate, "Never outlive your language." --Claire Dederer
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Price: $ 8.74
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Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up
- ISBN13: 9780738703183
- Condition: USED - Very Good
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
2004 COVR AWARD 2ND RUNNER-UP!
How does your magickal garden grow?... With violets, rosemary, and yarrow to attract faeries; an apple tree for love and health; and a circle of stones in some tucked-away corner? Whether you live in a cottage in the woods, a home in the suburbs, or a city apartment with a small balcony, a powerful and enchanted realm awaits you. Discover the secret language and magickal properties of the trees and flowers, herbs and plants found growing around you, and learn how to create your own witch's garden.
Written with down-to-earth humor by a Master Gardener who is also a practicing witch, this creative and encouraging guide will inspire gardeners of all ages and experience levels. It includes a journal section that makes it easy to keep track of your progress, practical gardening advice, personal stories, and garden witchery lore and magick. Inside, you'll get the dirt on:
List Price: $ 17.95
Price: $ 4.44
Wicked Fantasy (The Castle of Dark Dreams, Book 3)
- ISBN13: 9780425209950
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
In an adult theme park, the Castle of Dark Dreams is home to three extraordinary brothers who promise ultimate fulfillment for any woman bold enough to accept their sensual challenge...
Living under a goddess's curse, Conall O'Rourke must "serve and protect" his most bitter-and beautiful-enemy. He plans to do it in the hottest way possible.
List Price: $ 7.99
Price: $ 3.61
- ISBN13: 9780778801313
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
From the experts, the definitive book on home preserving.
Ball Home Canning Products are t he gold standard in home preserving supplies, the trademark jars on display in stores every summer from coast to coast. Now the experts at Ball have written a book destined to become the "bible" of home preserving.
As nutrition and food quality has become more important, home canning and preserving has increased in popularity for the benefits it offers: - Cooks gain control of the ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables - Preserving foods at their freshest point locks in nutrition - The final product is free of chemical additives and preservatives - Store-bought brands cannot match the wonderful flavor of homemade - Only a few hours are needed to put up a batch of jam or relish - Home preserves make a great personal gift any time of year
These 400 innovative and enticing recipes include everything from salsas and savory sauces to pickling, chutneys, relishes and of course, jams, jellies, and fruit spreads, such as: - Mango-Raspberry Jam, Damson Plum Jam - Crab Apple Jelly, Green Pepper Jelly - Spiced Red Cabbage, Pickled Asparagus - Roasted Red Pepper Spread , Tomatillo Salsa - Brandied Apple Rings, Apricot-Date Chutney
The book includes comprehensive directions on safe canning and preserving methods plus lists of required equipment and utensils. Specific instructions for first-timers and handy tips for the experienced make the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving a valuable addition to any kitchen library.
List Price: $ 22.95
Price: $ 14.23
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Completely revised and updated, Fly Fishing in Northern New Mexico is a comprehensive guide to more than thirty streams and twelve lakes. This revised edition contains new, specialized information on access, equipment, stream characteristics, trout species and size, timing of insect hatches, as well as artificial fly patterns likely to result in success. Local anglers and vis itors alike will be able to plan more productive outings while exploring new fishing areas and different species of fish.
From the trophy waters of the San Juan and Rio Grande to the Chama and the Brazos, New Mexico is home to more than four thousand miles of cold-water streams teeming with cutthroat, brown, rainbow, and brook trout. With the state's year-round fishing season, anglers can find water matched to any level of skill and style of fly fishing.
In addition to chapters devoted to specific streams and lakes, the book includes detailed maps, important information on regulations, the fishing year, and environmental concerns.
List Price: $ 15.95
Price: $ 79.15
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Monday, November 15, 2010
In essays on literary images of lesbianism from Defoe and Diderot to Virginia Woolf and Djuna Barnes, on the homosexual reputation of Marie Antoinette, on the lesbian writings of Anne Lister, Sylvia Townsend Warner, and Janet Flanner, and on Henry James's The Bostonians, Castle shows how a lesbian presence can be identified in the literature, history, and culture of the past three centuries.
List Price: $ 32.00
Price: $ 19.95
- ISBN13: 9781416978879
- Condition: USED - Very Good
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
This book catches some of the classic expressions that moms and dads are always trying to elicit when Grandma and Grandpa are visiting: smiles, pouts, wrinkly noses, and more. This new mini edition of the original best-selling board book is perfect for little hands!
List Price: $ 4.99
Price: $ 1.69
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Sunday, November 14, 2010
Study of Christianity, Islam starts Wednesday
A weekly, 13-session study of âChristianity and Islam,â will start tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 6:30 from 7:30 p.m., at White Oak Pond Church at the corner of Barnes Mill Road and Goggins Lane.
Read more on Richmond Register
Krystallnacht and Christianity
I am what could be called a cradle Christian.
Read more on consortiumnews.com
The Murderers of Christianity
Sunday, on the eve of All Saints' Day, Nov. 1, 2010, the faithful gathered at the Assyrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad.
Read more on Pat Buchanan via Yahoo! News
- ISBN13: 9780470562130
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
A new edition, jam-packed with even more practice tests
List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 16.65
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- ISBN13: 9780743224703
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
FROM JAY MCGRAW, THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LIFE STRATEGIES FOR TEENS, COMES A WORKBOOK CHOCK-FULL OF QUIZZES, TESTS, AND QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING.< /b>
So who are you? Are you the Teacher's Pet? The Slacker? The Jock? Do you let yourself be labeled by terms like these because it's easy, because you dress a certain way or listen to a certain rock band? Do you act the way you think others expect you to? Here's a more important question: Who are you really?
Jay McGraw's New York Times bestseller Life Strategies for Teens shows teens that Life Strategies are not just something for their parents, but that teens can use them to take over the driver's seat and steer their own lives as well. Jay speaks to teens as equals, and gives them the straight story he knows and has been through himself.
Now with the Life Strategies for Teens Workbook, Jay McGraw has created a fun-filled companion book to help teens work their way through the Life Strategies, and, in turn, through those tumultuous years between playing like a kid and acting as an adult. In the Workbook, Jay introduces a variety of entertaining quizzes, activities, and questions to help teens better answer the question of who they are. From figuring out the roles they play to determining the things they want to change about their lives, this is the perfect guide to showing teens the power of the Life Strategies, as well as the power of their own lives.Do you have zero control over your life? What are your frustrations? Do you lead a lazy lifestyle? To help teens take charge of their lives, Jay McGraw has created a companion workbook to his bestselling Lif e Strategies for Teens. The workbook is based on 10 "Life Laws" (adapted from his father Phillip C. McGraw's tenets), and is designed to help teens "see your life clearly, to understand what the problems are, what you need to fix, change, get rid of, etc." He encourages readers to put their thoughts, ideas, and dreams into writing to help them through the process. (The workbook is meant to be written in.) He demands that his readers ask themselves hard questions about missed opportunities, perceptions, self-sabotage, and personal shortcomings so they can figure out what's not working and fix it. Why? So that they can turn dreams into goals--with specific timelines and strategies. Here you'll find a variety of quizzes, activities, and questions to help teens answer the question "Who am I?" For example, McGraw asks readers to list 10 times they've dropped the ball--and why. Or, conversely, to list their 15 best achievements to date. The workbook also contains questions designed to challenge assumptions, such as "What are things you automatically, reactively feel and believe about members of the opposi te sex/teachers/parents?" A hardcore guide to removing obstacles from our lives, Life Strategies for Teens Workbook has all the compassion of a drill sergeant... one who knows what's good for you. (Ages 13 and older)
List Price: $ 15.00
Price: $ 1.99
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Saturday, November 13, 2010
From Mom with Love . . . is perhaps the only cookbook that contains:
- Recipes for everyday cooking such as dal, roti and chawal, in addition to fancy food such as Goan Shrimp Curry and Rajasthani Chicken
- A complete list of spices, legumes, beans, and pots and pans you need to start cooking
- A pantry list for beginners and another one for more committed and experienced cooks in a format that you can take right to the store with you
- Ideas about foods you can cook and freeze ahead of time for when you need to produce a meal in a hurry or are too tired to cook
- A complete list of menu combinations for different occasions, both special and everyday
- Suggestions on how to deal with cooking crises such as a sauce that has become too watery
- Tips for storing and preparing precooked masalas and efficient ways to freeze chutneys
- Details on the pots and pans you need and serving suggestions including what the recipe goes best with
- Safety tips such as how to quickly put out a minor fire on your stove
- Guidelines for cleaning and odor removal
- Home remedies for minor ailments such as cough and colds, upset stomachs
List Price: $ 27.95
Price: $ 18.45
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- ISBN13: 9781449381783
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Did your investments take a hit in the recession? You're not alone. Between 2007 and mid-year 2009, the average 401K lost 31% of its value. Ouch. It's time to take control of your investments with Personal Investing: The Missing Manual. Financial experts agree that with the right guidance, consumers can make investments better than many professionals. This lively and easy-to-understand guide gives you the confidence, tools, and insight you need to evaluate financial products and make smart investments that target success over the long term.
You'll learn how to set long-term goals for critical, high-cost events such as retirement, your children's education, and future health care needs. Then you'll learn what types of investments will best help you achieve those goals. In step-by-step fashion, this book shows you how to research mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and other financial products to create a portfolio of diversified investments.
- Get crystal-clear, practical advice from personal finance expert Bonnie Biafore, author of Missing Manuals on the Quicken personal-finance program and QuickBooks business finance program
- Understand why you need to invest -- Biafore shows you how savings accounts simply won't outpace in flation or give you the returns you need for long-term goals
- Learn how to evaluate and buy traditional investments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
- Discover lesser-known investments, such as index funds and exchange-traded funds, which cost you less and provide more tax advantages
- Choose the best funds offered by your employer for your 401K, and learn how to get the greatest tax advantages
How Investing Makes Your Money Work Harder
With inflationâs 3.41% price increases compounding year after year, figuring your expenses produces some galactic numbers. Sadly, you canât choose whether to accept the compounding of inflation. But what if you could use compounding to inflate the money you save? It turns out that you can, by investing your money and reinvesting all your earnings. You can choose the compounding of the returns you earn on your money, so itâs important to understand just how powerful this strategy is. True, investment returns arenât as steady as the inflation rate. Some years are better than others, and some years are downright dogs. But for now, assume that your investments increase 7% each year (thatâs the return most financial planners tell their clients they can expect on a diversified investment portfolio). Say you se ed a retirement account with ,000, as the table below shows. If you earn 7% the first year, youâll have ,700 at the end of the year. The second year, you earn 9 (7% on ,700) and end up with ,449. If you earn 7% each year for 40 years (from the time you start working until you retire), youâd have almost 0,000! Thatâs 0,000 of earnings on a single ,000 investment.
On the other hand, what if you invested ,000 and earned 7%, but withdrew each yearâs earnings? (That return is called simple interest, because you earn the same amount on your original investment each year.) Youâd earn 0 each year for 40 years, for total earnings of ,000 on your original ,000 investment. By letting your investment returns compound, your total earnings are five times what youâd earn with simple interest. The graph below shows how your nest egg grows like wildfire when you let your earnings compound.
Compounding is a powerful force, even when the rate is small, as youâve seen with inflation. But this technique really shines when you earn higher returns, like the 7% from a diversified portfolio, and give your portfolio time to mature. The graph below shows how a ,000 nest egg grows when you put your money in diversified investments, bonds, money market funds, and savings accounts. Compare the line for inflation to see how investing can help you beat the steady rise in prices. You can see how investments start to take off after 15 years. Thatâs compounding at work, and thatâs why itâs important to start investing for long-term goals as early as you can.
Investing for the Long Term
Although well-diversified investing works like magic when you give it time, it doesnât make sense for short-term goals. Thatâs because you hav e to accept some risk to earn higher returns. Investments in the stock market can decrease during a single year--and do so every several years. The good news is that the risk of losing money decreases the longer you keep your money invested (think decades). During recessions, the stock market can really tank, like the almost 50% drop it suffered in 2001. You wouldnât want to see half your nest egg go away the year before you retire. However, since 1929, the average annual return on stocks is more than 11% despite battering from the Great Depression and several recessions. Besides, a diversified portfolio isnât invested solely in the stock market, as youâll learn in Chapter 9. By investing in stocks, bonds, and real estate, you wonât see drops as big as the ones for stocks alone. Chapters 9, 10, and 11 also tell you how to move money that you need in the next few year s into ultrasafe savings so itâs around when you need it. Lots of folks would rather be certain of having a small amount of money than worry about whether a large nest egg might falter right when they need it. You might think that putting money into a guaranteed money market account means you wonât lose money. Think again. If your money doesnât keep up with inflation, you lose buying power, which is the same as losing money.
List Price: $ 21.99
Price: $ 14.08