A Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers

Book Description

From Inverness to the Outer Hebrides and Shetland, this guide reveals some of the last wildernesses of Europe. The guide features all sides of the Highlands and Islands, exploring both the tourist honey-traps and Scotland¿s most remote regions. It highlights thriving traditions such as caber-tossing, Ceilidh music and story-telling, alongside the history of clans, tartans, and the Highland Clearances. The author¿s intimate knowledge of Highland life provides a unique insight into the region, its people, and their culture and beliefs; she offers sound advice as only an insider could. The guide also packs in a wealth of essential and up-to-date practical information, the latest listings, extensive maps and travel timetables, and expert advice on where to ski, walk, windsurf, fish, and star-gaze.

Book Description

A SUCKER'S DIARY chronicles the author's disastrous personal experience with stock market gambling addiction. It contains very accurate and thorough recollections of his involvement in the stock and option markets on money borrowed from credit cards at teaser rates; his insidiously slow transformation from a cautious investor to a reckless compulsive gambler; the eventual wipeout; and the hangover, during which he has had to repay an amount greater than his gross annual salary at regular credit card interest rates.

Readers of this shockingly revealing account have the chance to learn from the mistakes of their next-door neighbor, since the author preceded the majority of today's day traders in sentiment and experience by at least three years. Embarrassed to reveal anything about the biggest financial blunder of his life, he had to overcome a lot before writing about it.

Day trading catapults to emotional extremes. A SUCKER'S DIARY exposes the emotional roller coaster of a compulsive daytrader and the possible social implications of the explosion in online day-trading. The book delivers a bold message about the enormous risks and poor rewards of day trading, opening peoples' eyes to the perils of the online world.

Customer Reviews:

A Little Financial Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing..........2002-01-08

Told with matter-of-fact honesty and methodical detail, A Sucker's Diary details one man's four-year nightmare in the stock market. Inspired by Peter Lynch's One Up on Wall Street, among other things, the author aspired to be a player in high finance.

By true day trading standards, this person was numerically a small player, controlling perhaps $300,000 in financial assets at his peak in mid-1996 and trading perhaps a few times a week. Many of his later trades in options were hard to follow (for me) so it's hard to tell the exact situation. However, despite the fact that he may be "small time", his story is told with heart and he really helps you get into his shoes (with holes in them, at that).

It's worth wondering if the author "Mr. Katzman" had used an even deeper discount broker ($8 per trade instead of $30), or had been in a more bubble-friendly environment such as 1997-2000 instead of 1994-1997, if he might still be with us, and a millionaire. Particularly in the later stages of his mania he seems to have been bent on destruction, and perhaps his wipeout would have been even more spectacular. One has to admire his dedication to pay off his massive debts following his financial collapse. However, he shows you his ugly traits in this novella as well as his positive qualities, giving the whole tale a good ring of truth.

This book is most helpful to someone new to the financial markets, who might have just read "One Up on Wall Street", thinking, "Hey, I can trade stocks like Peter Lynch too!" I doubt if true day traders, manic-depressive and otherwise, will get much out of this book except the pungent atmosphere.

What did Mr. Katzman do wrong? Without going through the whole book I think there were three key mistakes that he made regularly:

Leverage - Mr. Katzman financed his stock purchases with $50,000+ in credit card debt, and margin debt on top of that. Were he not maximally leveraged with the credit card debt, he might have been able to hold on better when the market went against him. In addition, the added anxiety arising from his leveraged position tended to cloud his thinking.

Lack of Diversification - He normally concentrated his portfolio in fewer than five stocks (it seemed like three) - although with options this is more difficult to measure.

Half-Baked Thinking - Some of the ideas he had for his portfolio would be along the lines of the following: A Business Week article says that global warming is going to increase risk of skin cancer in Americans, so he goes out and buys a company that has a skin cancer treatment. Well, if Business Week has thought of it the market probably discounted it last year, let alone last week. You need to take things to the next level when you think of investing ideas (I am prone to this weakness as well).

If you think you can't make the mistakes Mr. Katzman did, please try to read this book with a little humility. Would that every investor in the market could learn this man's lessons.

TOO TECHNICAL, SMALL TIME PLAYER.......2001-07-11

I myself am a daytrader and thought this book would be interesting. First of all the guy uses all false names from his own, to even the firms he did his trades with. Second, the options trades are way too technical and every single one is mentioned Just give us the net gain/loss per trade. Third, the guy does maybe 100 to 200 trades in a couple years. I don't consider myself a huge trader but i did over 2000 trades in last year alone. He also blames the discount brokerage firm for letting him trade options so recklessly when he himself had been warned by so many people and articles and even went as far as to change his option paperwork so he could continue trading after the firm had restricted his account. The amounts he writes about are so small (big loss of maybe 18k) it's just not that engrossing...Again i don't consider myself a big player. My account was maybe 300k last year and i had losses and gains of over 130k on some days....if you want my story send me an email..its a lot more exciting!

Read This Book Before You Make Your Next Trade.......2001-01-09

I read this book on my ebook, where I stumbled on it while browsing the new catalogue. It was an excellent read and I finished it in a day. The most fascinating part of the book is the story of how the author slowly got suckered in to each level of trading, and set himself up so he could do nothing but fail. The other part of the book I most enjoyed was how vividly he described the methods that brokerages use to rip off the average investor, and how bad the odds are stacked against the active trader. Finally, the author quotes the brilliant speculator Bernard Baruch who wrote that "speculating is a full time profession." Nothing could be more true. I would definitely recommend this book to any investors or traders who want to get a clearer picture of why this game is so difficult to beat.

unique and personal!.......2000-05-03

I admit that I am not an avid book reader unless it involves techno-books. I came across this title in a web search for a book on "stock-market experiences, successes and failures" -- preferably one written by a non-financial professional -- to help me in my personal investment ventures. After reading the web abstract, I bought the book and begun reading it casually. I read the first few pages after which the book grabbed my full attention. I found it very interesting and kept mental notes of "Yeah, I am glad I did not do this or that" and "Oh no! I wish I had also done this and that". In summary, my kind of book, most-likely your kind of book too.

A personal account of the dangers of daytrading.......2000-04-14

This is a sobering and very personal account of the dangers of daytrading from the perspective of an obviously smart and resourceful person. Katzman describes in detail how he slowly became addicted to the stock market, the huge amounts of energy that he invested and the financial disaster that followed. However, Katzman does not give up and proves that it is possible even in the face of a tremendous failure, to retain his dignity, learn from his mistakes and find his true calling. This book was entertaining, educational and inspiring all at once, and will strike a chord in anyone who has felt the allure of the stock market.

Average customer rating:

Excellent

Five Plus Stars

Wisdom I wish I'd known years ago

I loved both her books

Never Call Your Broker on Monday: And 300 Other Financial Lessons You Can't Afford Not to Know
Nancy Dunnan
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 006273475X

Book Description

Whether readers are eighteen or eighty, Never Call Your Broker on Monday covers the entire spectrum of finances, including real estate, bank accounts, insurance premiums, wills and estates, taxes, loans, investment clubs, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, credit cards, home improvements, child care, education, shopping, and debt reduction. A mixture of both practical and sophisticated strategies-from visit the ATM once a week and write off your investment expenses, to invest in multinational companies when the U.S. dollar is down and buy a car in December-makes this invaluable volume unique in today's marketplace. And just by following three or four of the lessons found here, readers are virtually guaranteed to save money-or make more of it.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2004-03-07

This wonderfully written (and quick read) has over 300 great tips ranging from filled how to save money, earn more money, and how to invest your money. A lot of this information is common sense but it is very nice to have it in a handy book form (also would make an excellent stocking stuffer, it's February and I'm already thinking of next Christmas....)

So why listen to Nancy Dunnan?

Well she is a well respected financial advisor that has been on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg she writes for Your Money magazine among others.

One of my favorite tips in this book is this and I quote:

"After writing your rent or mortgage check, make the next one out for savings. Begin saving 1% of your take-home pay and increase it by 1% each month. By the end of a year you'll be saving a respectable 12%."

Now I think that is wonderful since in my opinion I think a lot of people don't save money because it seems like they can't "live" without all of the money they make. This one tip explains to me that if I just live on 1% less each month (and save the money) I will have more money later on. The other tips in this book are very good as well, check it out.

Reed Floren

Five Plus Stars.......2003-10-28

Found this book in a bag of books sent by a friend. Discovered it to be extremely down to earth. Being at the other end of the financial ruler(Retired) I discovered much of the content of this book I had learned and exercised which brought me to financial security in my fiftys.It is all in there for the young to learn. I will add one though. Watch the rich and live the way they do. The rich are not the flamboyant spenders,you will have to search for the quiet ones, they have the money and will always have it.Wealth is held, not thrown around like a football.One more tip; When you eleminate debt and stay out of it you are in todays world earning at least 8 to 18 percent per annum. That will give you a good start.

Wisdom I wish I'd known years ago.......1998-08-11

This is a fun book of handy advice about handling your money from somebody who obviously knows what she's talking about. I liked this so much I bought five copies for my nephews and nieces so they'll get a good start with their money.

I loved both her books.......1998-02-20

Nancy Dunnan's book should be on one of those page-a-day calendar cubes.

Never Call Your Broker on Monday: And 300 Other Financial Lessons You Can't Afford Not to Know

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Never Call Your Broker on Monday: And 300 Other Financial Lessons You Can't Afford Not to Know
Nancy Dunnan
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF0OUW

Book Description

A new edition of the book that sets the standard.

Customer Reviews:

Don't know what I can trust in this book........2004-06-20

While reading through this book, I decided to stop and review what was written about my own breed, the Brittany. I was absolutely stunned to see the complete opposite description of what our breed truly is like... Roger says "The breed is by nature agressive" and also "They are not keen on strangers...they should be watched around strangers, for they can be too tough and quite intimidating." The strangest comment I saw was "they tend to be one personish." This is completely WRONG! For all of you out there that wanted a Brittany and rethought your decision after reading this description, don't give up on them! They are an extremely family oriented dog and love just about every person they meet, unless the person gives them a reason to dislike them. Loud, rough people often make a brittany shy. Agressive? Lord, no! The only agression you will encounter in a britt is their enormous intensity in the field. They love their birds and will do anything to go after them. Agression is sometimes seen between britts and other dogs when not well socialized as a puppy, but absolutely never between britts and people.

After seeing this incredibly faulted description of a breed I know well after 5 years of living with them, I wonder what else I can believe in this book! I don't think Roger did his homework and I don't think you can trust his descriptions of these AKC breeds. I would visit their parent clubs on the net and see what the people that know their breed in and out have to say about each one.

The Roger Caras Dog Book.......2000-12-02

One of the most indepth books on breed description. The author goes into great detail on the personality and description of each breed. Whether it is suited for apartment, suburban, or estate living. He also gives coat care and exercise requirements. The Photographs are of beautiful representatives of their breed.

Average customer rating:

Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving

The Only Book There Is

A real life-saver

Great for beginners

A rare find, a book on ridge hettle weaving..

Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving (Hands on)
Betty Linn Davenport
Manufacturer: Interweave Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Learning to Weave, Revised Edition

The Weaver's Companion (Companion series, The)

The Magic of Handweaving

Tapestry Weaving: A Comprehensive Study Guide

Tapestry Weaving

ASIN: 0934026254

Book Description

This easy-to-use guide covers choosing, setting up, and weaving on a rigid heddle loom, plus all sorts of wonderful things to make with plain-weave variations. Instructions are included for all projects.

Customer Reviews:

Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving.......2007-01-25

wanted it as a Christmas present, arrived late. Receipent was very happy with descriptions and pictures.

The Only Book There Is.......2007-01-16

When it comes to rigid heddle weaving, this is the only reference there is, unless you want to turn to a video. The author is complete and communicates clearly through the text. The illustrations are a bit confusing until you actually go through the steps and then it all becomes clear. The color photographs are beautiful. I've had only this book to teach me to use my loom and it's been more than enough. I would like to see more books on rigid heddle weaving, but I suppose it's not in fashion, so we'll all have to wait until it becomes popular.

The projects in the book go through a logical progression from simple to difficult and the results are lovely. Each and every project turns out just as the pictures show if you follow the directions. My selvage edges are certainly not as even as the author's but that's a matter of practice and experience. I've been waiting for three years for Ms. Davenport to come out with a second volume, but so far, it looks like this is going to be it.

A real life-saver.......2005-07-04

Although I was primarily a knitter, the weaving bug recently bit me, and hard. The only weaving I'd ever done was Jersey loop potholders and more recently, rugs made on a homemade loom out of cut-up t-shirts, so I had no idea where to start when it came to looms and so on. I'm fortunate enough to have an excellent fiber store within driving distance, so I headed there to purchase my 32" Kromski Harp rigid heddle loom and this book, and proceeded to teach myself to weave with the help of this text.

The instructions on warping and dressing the loom have so far been of the most help to me - they are clear, concise, and easily applicable to the Kromski Harp. I'm still a rank beginner, but I definitely have my eye on the beautiful placemats for a future project, and the extras, like how to calculate warp and weft and information on finishing and making neater selvedges are priceless. It's a great book to have on hand for both the actual process of weaving and the inevitable dreaming about future adventures, and a valuable resource for anyone interested in weaving on a rigid heddle loom.

Great for beginners.......2002-10-17

Being mostly a self taught weaver, when I put out the money for a really nice rigid heddle loom, I bought this book. It took me through all the basics with ease. I've made several of the projects with wonderful results (the shawl is especially nice). This book will continue to be a valuable resource for me.

A rare find, a book on ridge hettle weaving.........2000-12-01

I looked for a long time to find a book strictly on rigid hettle weaving, looking even at the weaving shop where I learned to weave. I was starting to believe that no one had written a book on this piece of equipment I had bought. I found her book very good for beginning weavers such as myself. It goes through putting the warp on the hettle to having small projects to take you through creating woven pieces.When you don't have a teacher available, or need a refresher, this is a very good book.

Average customer rating:

Rigid Heddle Weaving
Karen Swanson
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving (Hands on)

ASIN: 0823045552

Moorman inlay technique for rigid heddle frame looms

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Moorman inlay technique for rigid heddle frame looms
Karen Searle
Manufacturer: DOS Tejedoras
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Weaving | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006YOV82

Average customer rating:

Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving
Betty Linn Davenport
Manufacturer: Interweave Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0934926254

Average customer rating:

Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving
Betty Linn Davenport
Manufacturer: Interweave Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBEC2E

Textures and patterns for the rigid heddle loom

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Textures and patterns for the rigid heddle loom
Betty Linn Davenport
Manufacturer: Dos Tejedoras
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006XOBP6

Customer Reviews:

Best book I've read on playing NT contracts.......2006-03-09

Clear, concise, with plenty of problems. Intermediate level.
The Bird books (Bridge Technique) are ok, this is better, with more problems.

Bridge: Step by step card play--no-trumps (Batsford bridge series)

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Bridge: Step by step card play--no-trumps (Batsford bridge series)
Robert Berthe
Manufacturer: Batsford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0713441534

Customer Reviews:

Simple book to point you in the right directions.......2006-04-28

This book should be given to any new single father. I bought it as an experienced single father looking for some moral support and a deep look at being a single father. This book is more like it's title. It's a survival guide. It won't tell you everything you need to know but at least get you thinking about things you need to worry about. While it didn't provide what I needed, I all ready knew much of what the book was telling, it would be excellent for a new single father due to divorce.

If your a single father due to the death of your spouse this book may not be as helpfull. There is a lot of material on dealing objectively with your ex on support and custody. It doesn't deal with specific laws but more general wisdom for less confrontation while protecting your child and your rights. I found the chapters on dating not much help. As a single father your dating like is as close to dead as it can get.

A book like this is bound to make some (mainly divorced female) people angry. It trys to be practical heads up to a new single father. Unfortunately in the world of divorce there is a take no prisoners mentality. This book doesn't look to stoke the fires of these wars, just protect a father's relationship to his children.

This book is worth the money spent.......2004-08-09

Wow! This book is worth the money spent and then some. The author defines `the single father' as any man who isn't living with his child's mother. Illustrated with cartoons, this is an indispensable resource for single dads about the joys of fathering. It helps to give dads the knowledge, skills, and support they need to become actively involved fathers.

The most practical guide I eveer seen.......2003-02-06

I'm adopting a 9 year old boy, and even I'm not in any of the categories this book describes, every page of it had become very useful. I live the same ups and downs, the same joy and the same frustration, so, I'm practicing every advice the author wrote, with extraordinary results.
For the first time since I took the decision of becoming a single father, I found an empathic word and a shoulder to cry in this book.

Difficult subject, helpful book.......2000-07-11

As a single father (never married to my child's mother), I've looked at as many books as I could find to get assistance in being a good father under the circumstances. I've only bought two - Live-Away Dads by William Klatte, and this one.

Mr Brott's book is informative, interesting, easy to read and easy to understand. Contrary to so many books on this subject, I didn't get any sense of anti-anything or anti-anyone posturing. Instead, I got the sense that Mr Brott values children and believes that they need fathers in their lives. His book is designed to encourage fathers to accept and embrace their relationships with their kids, despite limitations or changes in their circumstances. The thrust of the book is that the father-child relationship is important and necessary, and he suggests that fathers pursue and protect those relationships. To that end, he offers suggestions and advice about how to do so (from the big subjects, like meeting someone new, to the small, like setting aside space in your place for your kids, even if they don't live with you). I found it extremely helpful, if for no other reason than I felt less alone.

He seemed to me to be saying that preserving your relationship with your kids doesn't have to be to the exclusion of anyone else, and doesn't have to be a destructive process, which it all too frequently is. Would that more people agreed.

Some useful information, but a lot of anger at mothers.......2000-06-15

I took a look at this book to see if it might be something Icould recommend to my son's father, now that we're separated. Whilethere is some good parenting information, there are also some serious problems. Brott clearly isn't completely over his divorce yet. Little digs against mothers crop up even when he is discussing unrelated topics (for example, when he is discussing becoming a stepfather, he feels compelled to claim that mothers are more likely to abuse children than are stepfathers (he gives no reference to back up this bizarre claim). He condemns giving the mother sole or primary custody for various reasons, but supports *fathers* getting sole or primary custody--in his discussions of custody, he fails to focus on the children's best interests, but instead emphasizes the father's rights. Ditto his discussion of child support--he seems to think that mothers use child support payments to indulge themselves, without considering that adequate child support is what is the children's best interest. Furthermore, his proposed visitation schedules for breastfeeding infants are ludicrous--for example, for a one month old, breastfed, he suggests at least 3 hours a day, plus 8 to 12 hours on the weekends--a schedule that is highly likely to prevent breastfeeding from being successfully established. He also claims that extended breastfeeding (past 1 year) is merely a ploy to interfere with the father's relationship with the child. He also suggests giving "tastes" of food to very young babies (newborn to 6 months), apparently unaware that early introduction of solids can increase the risk of allergies developing. One good thing about this book is that he has included lots of information for gay fathers throughout, but I suspect that there are other books for gay fathers which do not have the problems of this book. I decided not to recommend this book to my son's fathers. Instead, I gave him a copy of _Helping_Your_Kids_Cope_With_Divorce_the_Sandcastles_Way_, which includes a wealth of balanced, compassionate, realistic advice for divorced parents of both genders.

The Single Father - A Dad's Guide To Parenting Without A Partner - The New Father

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The Single Father - A Dad's Guide To Parenting Without A Partner - The New Father
Armin A. Brott
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IXD2SG

Book Description

Horace King (1807-1885) built covered bridges over every large river in the South from Georgia through Alabama to eastern Mississippi. That King, who began life as a slave in Cheraw, South Carolina, received no formal training makes his story all the more remarkable. This is the first major biography of the gifted architect and engineer who used his skills to transcend the limits of slavery and segregation and become a successful entrepreneur and builder.

John S. Lupold and Thomas L. French Jr. add considerably to our knowledge of a man whose accomplishments demand wider recognition. As a slave and then as a freedman, King built bridges, courthouses, warehouses, factories, and houses in the three-state area. The authors separate legend from facts as they carefully document King's life in the Chattahoochee Valley on the Georgia-Alabama border. We learn about King's freedom from slavery in 1846, his reluctant support of the Confederacy, and his two terms in Alabama's Reconstruction legislature. In addition, the biography reveals King's relationship with his fellow (white) contractors and investors, especially John Godwin, his master and business partner, and Robert Jemison Jr., the Alabama entrepreneur and legislator who helped secure King's freedom. The story does not end with Horace, however, because he passed his skills on to his three sons, who also became prominent builders and businessmen.

In King's world few other blacks had his opportunities to excel. King seized on his chances and became the most celebrated bridge builder in the Deep South. The reader comes away from King's story with respect for the man; insight into the problems of financing, building, and maintaining covered bridges; and a new sense of how essential bridges were to the southern market economy.

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Bridging Deep South Rivers: The Life and Legend of Horace King.(Book Review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History
Michael J. Gagnon
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | France | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000CETTBK
Release Date: 2005-11-21

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2005. The length of the article is 580 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bridging Deep South Rivers: The Life and Legend of Horace King.(Book Review)
Author: Michael J. Gagnon
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 71 Issue: 4 Page: 883(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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