This is an excellent book for first time home buyers. It covers everything you need to know, from selecting a home, financing and tax advantages to owning. It has sample contracts, goes over the closing process and amortization tables. I also reccomend, "106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make" which also covers similar topics. This book really focuses on financing options and has a detailed explanation of costs associated with closing. It also provides tips and techniques of how to negotiate. I liked the sample forms provided in the book. The forms are very accurate. This book helped familarize me with the process of buying a home. It also prepared me to know what to expect when seeking financing and typical costs at closing. The book is a very good value and the information provided was a great help.

This book has plenty recipes from all over and the few that I have tried are indeed DELICIOUS. I do recommend this book highly but for those who have the basics of cooking already. If you have some basics in cooking you will find this book very helpful and rate it as 5 stars.

Online trading can be a very foreign concept. Just getting online can be a challenge, yet once you are here, and you obviously are, the principles of researching and investing online will become very important to you.

If you are seeking practical explanations to help you prepare to take advantage of opportunities and protect yourself from risks, this is a step-by-step guide to help you place an order and track your online investments.

Here you will find how to join the online revolution, develop a plan, deal with a broker, understand costs and fees, open an account, start to invest, control trades, track your portfolio performance, and tap into the online grapevine.

Day Trading, Seeing the Market First hand and After-Hours trading are discussed and there is a big difference between online investing, online trading and day trading. Day trading is a tough game for small investors to win. In this book they warn against Day Trading and say that the vast majority of day traders do lose money as it is very stressful and very expensive.

"The day trader is thrust into a cyber-environment of multiple screens, flashing colors, and fast-changing numbers. be sure that's for you." -Hint 35

You will find many Web site addresses so you can do more research. This is an excellent starting point for the journey of your own investing discoveries.

This is a well-organized and insightful book on technology stocks and how to invest in them. Murphy's thesis is that R&D is what makes tech companies unique, and he adjusts P/E's for R&D for what he calls "growth flow". BioTech stocks are rated by an "M" score that compares the stock price to the amount of R&D per share. Coverage of mutual funds is sparse; this is really a stock-investing book. I have also read Ginaturco's "How to Buy Technology Stocks" book; Murphy's book is much more specific both about the technology and his stock-selection methods. While Gianturco is qualitative, Murphy is quantitative and more thorough.

I read michael murphey's High-tech stocks & mutual funds (first eddition). It was a wonderful book about technology stocks. He has described what is high-tech stocks and how to pick the winners etc.. in detail and has provided good strategies. I think he (Mr.Murphy) has to review again his recommended stocks for blue-chips 2010 list. Some of them are not good for today. Anyhow I am waiting for his Second Edition eagerly...

Murphy gives a very concise means of evaluating these difficult to value companies based primarily on their 12 month trailing EPS and past fiscal year expenditures on R&D, that one expense that will make or break a high technology company.

Anyone that is thinking of buying stocks of high tech companies should read this book to gain insight into the best means of placing a value on the company in question to know when the price is right for that company.

Traditional means of valuation are just not valid for these companies according to Murphy.

Michael Murphy's 1972 novel "Golf In The Kingdom" deservedly became a cult classic in spite of some fairly dodgy attempts at portraying Scots dialect and culture. This was because he got it right with the golf while the mystical, metaphysical elements of the story added an extra angle of interest despite being a wee bit hokey in places.

This time out, with the sequel "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons", the golf seems to take a back seat to the metaphysical, New Age stuff, while his portrayal of the Scots comes across as patronising and ridiculous. Indeed, by halfway through the novel one begins to wonder whether Murphy has ever even been to Scotland and experienced anything of the people and culture besides spending time on the country's spectacular golf links.

Buy "Golf In The Kingdom" and enjoy. But beware of the sequel, "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons", which is unfortunately second-rate and adds nothing worthwhile to Murphy's original vision.

This follow-up to 1972's "Golf In the Kingdom" is, to say the least, a mixed bag.

On the positive side, Murphy's use of language to describe and evoke physical landscapes and the natural environment is, as in its predecessor, breathtaking. The novel's structure and pace are also sound.

On the negative side, some of the characters in "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons" ring false from the outset, to the point of being laughable. For example, the Scots physicist Buck Hannigan, one of the major characters: I would be surprised if there was a single person in Scotland named "Buck". Sure, this kind of Americanism is a minor detail, but it calls into question how much Murphy really knows about the land where golf was born and the nation of people who established it. Because of this, the storyteller's credibility is somewhat devalued.

Murphy's novel explores golf not as a mere game but as a sort of grand metaphysical experiment, dipping into a hodge-podge of New Age beliefs towards which the sceptical reader may sometimes wince. This aspect of the book reminded me that while open-mindedness is generally a virtue, there's also a saying that "An open mind may let in falsehoods as well as truths". "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons" contains some interesting ideas but a lot of utter nonsense and psychobabble as well.

Worthwhile reading, but only when taken with a pinch of salt beforehand.

While it's always difficult to follow-up a blockbuster novel, movie etc Michael Murphy has done so with remarkable style and panache. Although written almost 30 years after 'Golf in the Kingdom' first debuted, 'The Kingdom of Shivas Irons' is definitely worth the read. Murphy goes back to Scotland to try to track down the elusive and enlightened Shivas with mixed results. Several adventures along the way make the reader think about the true meanings of golf and life as metaphysical happenings deeper than what's on the surface. If you liked G.I.T.K, you will not be disappointed with this sequal. This book, like the first one is similar to an onion--- peeling off several layers of meaning only reveals to you several more. Digging into this book and it's liquid smooth plot make you feel like you're out on the course 170 yards from the hole with a five-iron in hand ready to go for broke over a pond. It draws you in slowly and very subtley, but the effect is still the same--- you come away shaking your head in amazement!

HEY I HAVE TWO WEEKS WAITING! I REALLY NEED MY BOOK!

A Must have Pre Calculus Book. I'm really satisfied with the text. Author did a great job explaning whole different aspects of pre cal. He gives nice slick introduction to Limits to prepare you for calculus. My teacher wasnt so great, I dont know how I could have made it in class with any other book. I'm never selling this book. Its a best Math book so far for me. Highly recommended !

This book is very well laid out. It has easy to follow examples in the introduction to the chapters. After each example, you are referred to a homework problem patterned after the example. As you read the introduction, it explains how to solve a particular problem then refers you to say problem 7. If you then go and work problem 7, the ideas you just read are fresh in your mind and and get cemented even more because you are then applying the concept or method you just learned. Its a great way to begin recognizing types of problems and how to go about solving them. I am very pleased over all. I just wish I could get a hold of the solutions manual for this particular edition.

Read this book, and you'll really want to be a better golfer. It may not help your score (in fact, it will make you stop cheating and you'll have to deal with your real score), but it will give voice to strong feelings you probably have always had about the game, but may not have realized out on the muni.

What is our true relationship with nature? Shivas takes dead aim, and one round of golf will change you forever.

If you are one of those who understands that Caddyshack (the best movie about golf), like all great comedy, not only is fun to watch, but also actually changes the way you play golf (and do everything else), then you will find that GITK (the best book about golf), like all great philosophical art, not only is fun to read, but also actually changes the way you play golf (and do everything else).

Many people ask why we play golf. This book helps explain it. It shows that golf is not only a game, but a science, love and religon. Reading about that 1 night that Shivas played golf, will forever last in my mind. This is a must read for people that enjoy playing golf for the inner love and complexities.

I read this book when it first came out and found it to be awe-inspiring. I've actually never read a book that has captivated me in the way in which this one has -- while reading it and the after-effect it has had on my life. Michael Murphy's writing abilities to captivate you on a mystical journey about golf of all things -- is just amazing! And the sequel "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons" is just as incredible. I love many things about golfing and these books have opened my interest to the world of golf even further. I was surprised by a few of the reviews which had a different experience reading this book. I think you either understand the essence of these stories or you don't, but if you do they leave you with an overwhelmingly profound feeling and deeper interest in golf.

If you visit Ms. Breathnac's site, you will find helpful advice for meditating and a new outlook on incidents in your life. The book did not offer that, though it proposed to. Her charity work is tremendous and the woman seems to have an endless amount of love and energy. The book seemed more like Chicken Soup for the Soul with a test at the end than anything that offered daily guidance and affirmations. But like I said, maybe it just wasn't for me.

Despite professing a desire to get away from stereotypes, the book reaffirmed the idea that men and women can't understand each other without the aid of trite touchy-feely books like this one. I felt that this book didn't cohesively address ANY of the issues of manhood. Some of the essays were genuinely touching, but most of the ones I really liked didn't illuminate manhood but personhood. Breathnach's introductions and comments were by far the worst parts. They framed the simple musings of the essays awkwardly, imposing structure and themes where they didn't belong.

The writers seemed to be reaching hard to delve some deep female part inside when they would rather be marlin-fishing or something. I found the discussions of intimacy the most readable, possibly because having sex is apparently the only thing men have in common with women. In trying so excruciatingly hard to show feelings, many of the writers turned to, you guessed it, life and death situations such as a spouse's cancer, war in Africa, parental loss. The kinds of things it takes to get guys to emote, I suppose. Could you perhaps let us know how you felt to see your child be born? Ease a child's anxiety over some imagined terror? Let us know why you hate, really hate, the guy in the car in front of you? So you would throw yourself down the stairs if it would make the Vikings win. Uhuh. And sex is the closest thing to God. Gotcha. Now we know you write with it, in addition to thinking with it.

I'm a huge fan of the Mrs. Murphy series; they're my favourites of all the cat/crime genre. Unfortunately, the latest volume doesn't come up to the standard set forth in the series so far. It reads like a rough draft turned in under a deadline. While the actual premise is interesting enough, it's both unoriginal and so far-fetched that it's hard for this ordinary person to care about it. The writing is wooden and stilted, more a recitation of events than a good story. The new characters are lifeless -- not even a budding romance has any real zing -- and the old characters are predictable. Nothing new is happening in the town of Crozet; let's eat some orange glazed cinnamon buns. Even the animals can't really save this one; they talk a lot but don't really contribute much. A fan of the series will want to read _Catch as Cat Can_, but get it out of the library.

I should say first that I have read and own all of the books in the Mrs. Murphy series. Secondly, I assure you that I don't compare them to the Sharon McCone series or others with more serious plots. These books are so much fun! They are quick to read, perfect for a flight, a waiting room, anywhere that you want to be quickly absorbed into a story. What more can you ask from a "cozy"? This is one of my favorites. The variety of new characters mixed into the familiar Crozet crowd during spring social events was tantalizing. I also found the illustrations to be excellent. If you are reading for fun and you can "suspend disbelief" long enough to allow for talking animals, try these. You just might like them!

In the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia lies the small bucolic town of Crozet located in the middle of Albermarle County. It is a special, magical town unlike any other because all the animals are sentient and can talk to each other including cross-species communication with one "muted" exception: that of the inferior humans who have not evolved enough to be on their level. Since man is the only species who kills for reasons other than food and defense, the animals of Crozet may have a point.

Currently Crozet is suffering from a crime wave with three murders, a stolen truck, an unexplained $530,000 in one of the homicide victim's safe, and other lesser felonies. Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, her gray tiger cat Mrs. Murphy, Pewter a fat gray cat, and Tucker the Welsh Corgi are as usual in the middle of the investigation and hope to close the case soon.

Any new Mrs. Murphy mystery is a joyful reading experience and CATCH AS CAT CAN is no exception. Rita Mae Brown and her feline Sneaky Pie have co-authored an adult mystery that appeals to the child in all of us. Although Harry and her ex-husband are still dating, the fair maiden has a gorgeous new suitor who seems to good to be true. Still Harry and her "owners" will never allow her romance to get in the way of justice; but then again she is human.

Harriet Klausner

This book is not up to Brookings Institute standards, perhaps that explains the forward written by the Brookings chief, where he says the books 'conspiracy' theme is interesting, to deflect criticism that the book relies too much on secondary sources.

Basically the premise is old news: Japan runs a current account surplus because it refuses to import and only exports, which creates a weaker than normal yen. The dollar surplus then has to be either invested overseas (hence the Japanese overpay for US investments), or plowed into assets by JP banks to avoid the yen from being strengthened. But that this is part of a 'conspiracy' is not really fleshed out. The book relies too much on secondary sources. And it is not clear to me that the currency imbalance is the root of Japan's ills (this is the central premise of the book). Note that Japan import/exports are only 10% of the GNP, (not unlike the 15% in the US), and thus the lack of demand in JP from the remaining 90% of the GNP is perhaps the real cause of the 10 year recession there. Also other Asian countries do the same thing as JP (namely, keep their currency weaker than it should; ration credit; restrict labor mobility and labor wage rates); how do their economies escape the JP trap of recession? Can it be that other reasons are at fault for JP's demise, such as JP is getting older? These issues are not discussed.

Basically the book is a 20 page white paper made into a several hundred page book, and the tone is too 'alarmist'. The most interesting points are made when discussing politics, and how the Ministry of Trade decides who is going to live or die vis-a-vis the 'walking zombie' companies. Of course the same things happened in the US (credit rationing until the 1970s; bank failures in the late 1980s, where the government decided which banks were to be taken over; and a merchantilist philosophy of keeping the dollar strong, which keeps inflation low in the US but results in the mirror opposite but also dangerous problem as in Japan--current account deficits, or living beyond your means).

Japan has $400 billion in a New York bank. Whose problem is that? People like me wrote checks for Toyotas etc which never got to Japan. If your checkbook shows $400 oustanding is that good or bad? Brookings - a Washington think-tank hired two banker types to solve the puzzle; their book is a bomb. "The Yen is both too strong and too weak."

Banking is not history. The $400 billion is a diplomatic problem - Japan and America have a joint history that explains the $400 billion, where it came from and what inevitably must be done. America is the one in the trap.

To keep Japan from Indonesian oil we sank their fleet. We incinerated innocent city people to get unconditional surrender. We imposed juvenile law, government and banking systems. We put their businessmen in prison and their politicians on the CIA payroll.

As people, we get along very well. We we all eat raw fish now.

Japan's immediate big problem is China. China and Japan have tons of history; the bottom line is that they are emerging with comfortable global joint hegemony. That leaves America trapped out in the cold. If I were Mr. Bookings that's what I would hire brains to write about. (A chart shows Japanese land is wrorth 2,455 TRILLION Yen! How do you pronounce that? Within memory the US dollar has bought between 14.5 Yen and 360 Yen.)

So what's a few New York bucks?

Akio Mikuni & R. Taggart Murphy have produced an excellent critical piece on the multiple troubles that Japan now finds itself, as well as realistically outlining how the elites are still very much unaware of the full consequences of their actions, and indeed inaction. This book also raises a number of interesting indepth parallels in Japanese history, illustrating that Japan has been in similar waters before and like the past, cannot adapt and change policy before disaster causes havoc. It is furthermore explained that, like all previous merchantile and/or socialist regimes, Japan's production capacity approach to trade is of little use unless profits and risk management are approached seriously. There is some hope for Japan, but the authors wisely find that Japan's war production approach (which is indeed ancient), coupled with its ministerial fiefdoms (whom act like warlords of old.....and control things like banks and until recently the Japanese equity markets), weak liberal democratic structures, non-guilded unions, and lambish populous, coupled with a mountain sized foreign (US$) currency reserve, {which as they argue convincingly, cannot ever really be swapped for Yen....it would destroy Japan (and cause much angst elsewhere)}, all need fundamental revision. Fundamentally, this book highlights the enigma of Japanese power. It should be read along with books like Cartels of the Mind (Ivan Hall); Japan's Big Bang (Declan Hayes); Dogs and Demons (Alex Kerr);The Enigma of Japanese Power (Karel van Wolferan); and Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan (Herbert P. Bix). Having lived in Japan for four years, I would highly recommend this book.