This book is, without a doubt, the best common-sense book I have yet read on investing in common stocks (and I have read MANY). Although I don't feel O'Neil tries to hype his newspaper (Investors Business Daily) in the book, he does mention it a lot. The reason I say this is because so many other stock market books are really just a bunch of hype to get you to subscribe to investment services, attend seminars, ect. This book is none of that. It is straightforward, common sense ideas stated in terms that can be understood. However, I do feel perfectly comfortable reccomending IBD, I don't think any other financial publication comes close to IBD in quality (even the venerable WSJ). Do yourself a service, buy and read this book and subscribe to IBD. It is money WELL spent !

Bill O'Neil lays out a very objective, acurate and evidence-based method to choosing stocks. He explains 7 key aspects of a stock that you should check off before you should think about buying. He then explains how paramount it is to know the market direction because 3 out of 4 stocks will follow that trend. I'm also baffled with the reviews about people losing money with this book. It's clear they didn't read it to begin with as he explains in clear, everyday english when to cut your losses. He reminds us of the most common mistakes investors make as well. I started picking stocks back in November and 3/4 of them have double digit % gains while the market has tanked. Here's to you Bill O'Neil!

How to Make Money in Stocks? If you can make it through this book, you're half way there. Not written for beginners, Bill's book tells you in detail- what, when, and how to select a winner. This would be a great beginner's book if used in conjunction with Barron's Financial Hand Book or Dictionary of Financial Terms- just to fill in some basics..

The selection method detailed in this book is called CANSLIM. The information, and CANSLIM method, is based on years of research and number crunching with main frame computers some years ago. O'Neil and his associates profiled 100s of already successful companies to determine what characteristics made a company's stock rise BEFORE it was a winner. His findings, and the CANSLIM selection method, are explained in great detail.

William O'Neil is also the CEO and Editor of the Investors Business Daily. His CANSLIM method of stock selection can best be executed using his IBD Newspaper. Surprise! Bound inside, there is a coupon for 10 free issues.

"How To Make Money In Stocks" is not the easiest book to understand for the beginner. It's information though will help narrow down 1000s of stocks to just one or two. I use it as a reference book and refer to it often. Take some notes on the inside cover- your going to need them.

An excellent buy, this book is destined to be a classic. As William himself says of one of his chapters: "one of the most valuable chapters in this book.... should be worth several hundred times what you paid for [it]. I agree.

One of the comments on the back cover says it pretty aptly: "A compassionate, shattering character study, more short story than play." This is basically a 30-page monologue by one of the characters, with an occasional interjection by the other. It centers around the feelings of Erie (the main character) for the previous night clerk at the hotel where he lives (Hughie), who has died. I found it hard to really like Erie, and I was disappointed with the sudden transformation of the new Night Clerk at the end. However, it has to be said that this play would be great for choosing a monologue for acting class or an audition.

My class had to read Hughie as an assignment. I have read Beyond the Horizon and have fallen in love with the complete intimacy in which O'neill writes his plays. He used personal experience and showed us a new way to think. This is an incredible play to read and even better on stage.

Birds in Brazil is a big book, beautifully produced on quality paper. It is exhaustive but never exhausting on the topic of Brazilian birds . The color illustrations are beautiful, but unfortunately they are separate from the text about the birds. That is the book's only fault. The text is in smooth and enticing English, and where the same birds are to be found migrating to the United States, the information is quite comparable in completion and interest to the American field guides of Roger T. Peterson. That leads me to believe that the information about birds that we don't experience will be equally accurate. This book is captivating and well worth the price. It is a coffee-table style book that we will be proud to use and to display.

In late 1698, four ships sailed from France under the command of Pierre le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville.Aboard were some two hundred people destined to become the first settlers of a French post in the lower Mississippi River. Iberville landed first at Dauphin Island near modern Mobile, then moved further East to Ship Island. Sailing up to the great River Iberville visited with the bayou goula Indians on the west bank. Rene Robert cavalier Sieur de la Salle who were a wealthy important immigrant to Canada who heard of the voyage of Marqette and Joliet and comprehended the strategic significance of a fort at the mouth of Mississippi. During the winter of 1682, La Salle led an expedition of fifty-six persons, including ten indians women and three children down the Mississippi to its mouth.He reached salt water on April 6, placed a cross in the mud and claimed the Country for France. He gave the name of Louisiana, in honor of king Louis XIV. That's was the basis for France's claim to Louisiana,though the Spanish Explorer Hernando De Soto had discover the Mississippi and crossed it 140 years earlier. Louisiana was a French-Speaking Spanish colony when the nineteenth century began. Twelve years later Loisiana was one of the United States, successfully operating a system of goverment radically different from the autocracy tempered by ineffiency that had gone before.

I am beginning to wonder of ANY of these people have read a single Objectivist book. I cannot vouch for Rand as the most sane person (I would think she was most likely a mild schizophreniac), but her philosophy is far from mad. Another thing, there is no such thing as selfishness harming others--harming people is not good for anyone, even you people know what, and is most certainly not selfish.

In 1971, professor of philosophy William O'Neill published the first book-length critique of Ayn Rand's philosophy, known as Objectivism. (Albert Ellis's 1968, IS OBJECTIVISM A RELIGION?, was a discussion of Rand and psychology, from what I recall.) This book isn't bad, but it has been superseded as a critique of Objectivism by Robbins's work (ANSWER TO AYN RAND, which has been updated as WITHOUT A PRAYER) and Scott Ryan's recently released OBJECTIVISM AND THE CORRUPTION OF RATIONALITY.

O'Neill's discussion of Rand's thought is informative and more or less accurate. On the other hand, he doesn't make enough of an effort to integrate Rand's thought into a coherent whole (granted, this isn't easy to do). So I don't think that someone new to Ayn Rand would understand why Rand has influenced so many people. Yet O'Neill does do a good job at bringing to light of some of the contradictions in Rand's work. For example, Rand preached that compromise was evil; yet she supported candidates for president who were anything but Objectivists. However, some of the alleged contradictions Prof. O'Neill finds would disappear if he had used a bit more "charity" in interpreting Rand.

If you want to read a sympathetic integration of Rand's thought, I recommend Chris Sciabarra's AYN RAND: THE RUSSIAN RADICAL.

O'Neill delivered a concise academic and philosophical critique of Objectivism and Ayn Rand's work.

His work was informed by an exhaustive survey of objectivist literature. He left no stone unturned either in giving Rand the benefit of the doubt or in pinning down the definitions Rand herself or other Objectivists gave to the terms they used.

He makes no extreme claims about objectivism. The book is an analysis, not a polemic.

Albert Ellis' book, _Is Objectivism a Religion?_ is a good companion to this book. Both books have ramifications for libertarianism and even for the somewhat reified and theological capitalism that dominates America politically. This is because the same inconsistencies and factual errors that the objectivists are guilty of permeate libertarianism and the debunked but still influential economic theories like supply-side or Austrian economics that have political power long after working economists despaired of finding any practical use for them.

Objectivity, or a shot at it, is, admittedly, not something one should always expect to find in a historical work, especially if it is aimed at a broad audience. But if a book is opinionated, it should at least be an fun read. O'Neil's volume fails on both counts - it is blatantly subjective and painfully boring, in addition to being rambly. The author includes a lot of detail where a brief summary would surfice, and brushes over important issues, leaving a reader with pages of generalities. The chapter on minority discrimination, for exapmle, is perfunctory, and shot through with anachronic assumptions, providing little insight into the issue beyond the (selective) listing of facts. The technicalities of descriptions of military operations will quickly put you to sleep. Frustrating reading!

I have to read this book for my World War II history class thats taught by the author himself. By all accounts, the author - Professor O'Neill is a splendid lecturer whose emotionative, compelling narratives can often leave the listener wanting for more once the class had ended. A master story teller who can weave together the boring, mundane historical facts associated with every history class to bring to the audience a sense of the nature of the times being studied, of the people involved, and most importantly of its consequences and significance that shaped how our present society evolved from the past. It is with these high expectations that I began reading "A democracy at War" a week before my midterm. To my dissappointment the book was littered with facts, dates, and confusing battle descriptions. The book was well written overall. Had I not been one of lucky ones to listen to one of Professor O'Neill's lectures, I would've given this book a five star rating.

I had to read this book for my course on twentieth-century American history (which was taught by the author). I will admit that the book reads like one of his lectures, where it is up to the reader to discern his main points. However, O'Neill does try to touch base with the various aspects of the war effort, from the men in the trenches to the millions at home who took up factory jobs to keep America moving. That in itself is a daunting task, and O'Neill does it quite well. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in World War II!

This book, published in the early 1950's, summarizes the changes to our society during the first half of the 20th century. Comparing these changes to those of the second half, it can be inferred that the pace of historical change has actually slowed down. The world is actually becoming more stable. A fascinating perspective on modern times

Well, this book was recommended to me by a teacher who was surprised by the fact I went through my US History class without learning much about the first half of the twentieth century. I only knew about the New Deal & FDR. This book is wonderful. It gives a more colorful perspective on the first half of the twentieth than a textbook could ever and what's ironic is it doesn't talk about the New Deal as much as my US History teacher did. From this book, I've learned more what America was like and who were the truly big movers and shakers, and it wasn't always the president! If you like history and you want to read something from someone who actually lived through the "big change" (and want to read something less formal that a textbook and chuckle about situations of the past), I truly recommend this book. What's even more ironic is the book I have was one of the original copies which only cost 85 cents. Now it's up to about $25. For a paperback! What a change!

Nice piece of work that does a good job of tracing the transformations that took place in the first half of the century. I found an old copy at a bookstore for $20 in mint condition...on-line you may find it cheaper at an auction. Writing style is a bit dry, so the book does plod in some places. Still, a good starter for anyone wanting to better understand the growth of the USA from rural/isolationist to global superpower.