I have spent the last three months researching index funds for purposes of writing a professional paper, and this book is by far the best source of information on the topic that I have found. But it's more than that. In making the case for index funds, Mr. Simon provides a succinct, yet intelligible, description of modern portfolio theory and its place in the world of finance.

If you are interested in subjects like portfolio theory, decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, the efficient market hypotheses, game theory, the Third Restatement of Trusts and zero sum games, and just the mention of people as diverse as Peter L. Bernstein, John C. Bogle, Warren Buffett, Alfred Cowles, III, Eugene Fama, Mario Gabelli, Elaine Gazarelli, Edward C. Halbach, Jr., Roger Ibbotson, Peter Lynch, Burton G. Malkiel, Harry Markowitz, John Neff, William F. Sharpe, and Rex Sinquefield causes you to hyperventilate, then this book is for you.

Don't let the tacky cover put you off (It would be more appropriate for "How I Went From Nothing to Being a Billionaire in Three Weeks.") This is a well-written and useful book.

Scott Simon's book thoroughly reviews the many advantages of index funds, and the disadvantages of actively managed mutual funds. Many of the standard arguments are presented--the cost advantage of index funds, the difficulty in picking a superior actively managed mutual fund in advance, etc. But, the author has managed to add a few wrinkles here and there. Did you know that investing in index funds can reduce your stress? Well, according to this book that is one of the more important advantages.

The book is well documented (as you would expect from a former tax lawyer). Of note is a chapter devoted to the "nuts and bolts" of index funds which gives thorough details about the operations of index mutual funds. The appendix also contains good descriptions of the major indexes.

This book is an excellent and comprehensive study of index mutual funds. By discussing the theories behind index funds, Mr. Simon makes a compelling case as to why they are a superior investment vehicle for most, if not all, investors. In short, decreased costs and decreased risk will create, in the long run, a higher return for invetors. Specifically, Mr. Simon states that index funds will outperform conventional methods of investment (stock picking and convemtional mutual funds) due to decreased management costs and taxes. Active management strategies (again, stock picking and convemtional mutual funds) churn a lot of fees and create many taxable events. Index funds, however, mirror the market -- no such acitve stock picking is necessary. Instead of employing expensive stock pickers and research teams to choose stocks, index funds use mathematical formulas to mirror the index. Instead of constantly buying and selling stock (and creating taxable events), index funds buy and hold. Therefore, there is an inherent cost advanatage in index funds. This cost advantage is especially significant when compounded over the long term. Also, because an index fund is more diversified that a typical portfolio or fund, the risk is lessened, thereby increasing overall performance. The book cites numerous studies and invokes Nobel laureates to support this diversification theory. A stock picker may have some big winners, but on average his losers will make him underperfrom the index, especially when the increased costs and taxes are taken into account. The book documents how some of the greatest investment success stories in recent years inevitably, over the long run, "regress to the mean" (i.e., fall back to the average). The logical and restrained message of this book sets it apart from many other investment books. These books promise results based on investment strategies that are risky or difficult at best and foolish at worst. Mr. Simon's stategies are simple, solid, and proven. In fact, the book cites numerous examples of major pension funds and companies now utilizing index funds. The book also displays a healthy skepticism for the traditional investment information delivery system, and shows why it is not in the best interest of the investment community to promote index funds. Compared to other books and articles on the market, this book is an extremely comprehensive, even scholarly, treatment of index funds. This book should be read by all would-be investors -- before putting any money into the stock market.

What a lovely surprise this book turned out to be!

Those of us who work in news research might fancy we know the implications of Internet research in our newsrooms, but absorbing the ideas of "the best in the business" helps to fill out the larger picture. Super Searchers in the News is a quick read and contains a few useful gems. The surprise was a higher degree of insight than you might expect from the format.

The interview format is not one I usually find very useful but Paula Hane got a lot from her subjects. Her writing is good and she lets the voice of her subjects be heard. There is an interesting mix of professional news researchers and journalists each with a point of view and something valuable to say.

There are plenty of ideas in this book that range far outside news research:

Nora Paul-"...there is a new job for the news researcher and an evaluator and qualifier of sources", "...a coordinator of the group effort to make collective intelligence available to everyone".

C.B. Hayden "The Intranet is the main focus of our activity. On-demand research is still our biggest product".

The diminishing reliance on commercial vendors and the implications that has in news libraries and newsrooms.

The growing training and teaching aspects of news researchers.

This book shaped my thinking about the kind of library I run and the tools and techniques I use to manage our research service. As a result we are more focused on the Intranet as a research platform and the growing importance of news researchers.

I highly recommend this book.

This book is worthwhile and inspirational reading for the news research pros and for the "news junkies" of the world. Paula Hane has done an impressive job interviewing stellar news researchers and investigative journalists. These two professional groups (news librarians and reporters) may not share identical strategies or resources, but their common goal is shared: to get the information first and to get it right. The experiences offered in this book are worth telling and retelling. I enthusiastically recommend "Super Searchers in the News" for the perfectionistic research pros and for those who are simply fascinated with the endless challenge of tracking down data on deadline. J-School students as well as library/information science students could profit from these true life stories. It should be required reading.

I have choosen to write a review of the book I edited because I truly feel that the interested reader will find various topics and orientations related to the specialty of group psychotherapy. The included authors are leading professionals in their specialties who have generously given their time to making this book an interesting and worthwhile edition to the library of the serious and erudite group therapy practitioner. As you are aware, very few people live in total isolation but interact with the society in which they live. Group therapy is a microcosm of that society and thus elicits for the therapist and patient/client the opportunity to analyze the nature of those interactions creating an awareness for the possibility of change in ones interpersonal relationships. After reading the galleys of this book, I walked away feeling most satisfied and respectful of the efforts of my colleagues.

I love Scott's work. Many people accuse me of still being to much of a "beat"- and if that is a name they want to stick on me- I'll wear it proudly. Scott's work is highly implicative of the entire beat movement and I find that very enlivening. He runs a movie reel stream of consciousness for us to peer, and experience the

Interior workings of one man's Mind, a man of OUR time. Many people (mostly those that don't access the internet) feel that poetry is dead. A past life form. Poets like Scott breathe vitality into the new, the next, the "our" generation of poets- which is alive and flourishing due to the networking we writers and poets are doing via the internet. Scott is an important part of the structure we're creating on the web. A SAMPLE POEM

Halloween, 1998

Shaved head, mascara, black eyeliner & black lipstick, wearing my Shadow Project t-shirt, the one with Rozz holding a large knife above a naked girl behind swirling veiled curtains i cut myself the blood runs deep and ruby covering my arm it congeals in lumps while some drips off people walk widely around me as i go into a bookstore and buy Soldier of Fortune then on to Tower to get two new My Dying Bride CDs and then on for Japanese i might go see London After Midnight at Coven 13 tonight i might sit at home and write lousy poems i might play with my cat and then go trick people to death it's a freeze frame happenstance reality of sickness and i pop 3 Xanax and fight back the urge to go out and murder the bitch sitting in the bank's parking lot beside me

1999 Scott C. Holstad Leslie Blanchard

Editor A Writer's Choice Literary Journal ISSN: 1521-2319

Every once in awhile, a book comes along in our field that sheds new light on an important topic in a clear, understandable manner without diluting the information. Dr. Fehr's practical guide to group is one such example. He has provided something for everyone, from the beginning group therapist to the experienced clinician. His real life vignettes highlight technical aspects of conducting group therapy, provide the reader with often poignant, sometimes funny, and highly illustrative examples of various group phenomena, and bring to life what too often in our field is dryly presented. Dr. Fehr's communiction style challenges us, makes us laugh, take pause, reflect, and ultimately come away feeling revitalized in our work with groups. His review of the history of group therapy is the most compelling I have ever read. A must read for graduate students and senior group therapists alike.

I have been a participent in the Group Therapy process for a long time. It has been both a painful and rewarding combination of experiences. Braving the expressed feelings of Group Members in response to my verbal output has opened me up to different options in facing my demons.

This book has made me feel that I understand my sleepless nights and difficult thoughts and put them in context so that I feel even more rewarded for not only having been part of it but for continuing this learning experience into the present.

Dr. Fher's years of clinical and life experience plus his ability to sift through the complex and make sense of it is truly unique. This text is full of clear, relevant information for anyone who is curious at all about Group Psychotherapy. Students, practioners, group members, and referral agencies will benefit from accessing this compact resource. Dr. Fehr's sharing of his own experiences adds life and humor to material which sometimes can be dense. I highly recommend this text to any institute, training program, or practioners' important reference materials.

Daniel Pinkwater's excellent formula of humor and imagination makes among the funniest but exciting books. I have found that in almost every book of Mr. Pinkwater's, his imagination can take you anywhere from halfway around the globe to a magical backyard. Here lollipops can dance and time is like a map of New Jersey. Humor dominates in the Kingdom of Pinkwater. Two books that I read were: The Worms of Kukumlima and The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror. In The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror: Winston Bongo and Walter Garr are two teenagers who snarkout. Snarking is when you sneak out of the house to go see a movie. At the Snarkout Theater, the two boys meet a girl named Rat. When something horrible happens and secrets starts to damage things around the city of Baconburg, it is up to the three friends to figure out what is happening. The strange thing is shredding things with what seems to be claws. Meeting odd characters and people who can help them makes a perfect plot and an exciting story. You never know what is lurking around the corner, and it's up to you to decide who is friend and who is foe.

Daniel Pinkwater is such a great guy. He doesn't bother with the New York Times when he needs jacket quotes, he goes straight to his fans! These are some of the best books in the world, all here in one volume. Borgel changed my life. It says so on the inside cover so it's true. Yobgorgle is a modern day Flying Dutchman. The Worms of Kukumlima comes complete with giant intelligent worms, and the second Snarkout book is poetry in motion. These books cannot be found in print individually anymore, so for a quadruple dose of funny freaky fantasy, 4 Fantastic Novels is your Rx.

Daniel Pinkwater is a fabulous author. His skewed take on life is not only funny and entertaining but reminds every reader that there's more to life than meets the eye. You'll discover something new each time you read (and re-read) Pinkwater's stories, making Pinkwater loved by kids and adults alike. If you buy this book, prepare to have your views on life broadened -- all while being wildly entertained.

Any sports fan (especially from the Chicago area) will definitely enjoy this story of growing up as a fan in Chicago. The only thing that keeps me from giving this book 4 stars is the inaccuracies. In several instances, Simon gives incorrect scores, dates and places. You would think it would be easy for someone in his position to have the correct info, so this unfortunately distracted me from an otherwise fine read.

I'm not a sports fan and I absolutely LOVED this book. I've been an avid listener of Scott Simon's Weekend Edition for many years and have always enjoyed his view of the world. When I heard he had a book coming out, I trotted out to buy it (locally, not on Amazon where I could have saved some money - groan!) and read it on a beach vacation. I couldn't put it down. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a delight to read. (Hey - when I was in Chicago last week for business, I called up an old college friend and convinced him to go with me to a Chicago Cubs game - and had a blast!) Thanks, Scott, for the book, and hurry up and write more!

The reviews are starting to come in now and I don't want to hyperbolize. I picked up Home and Away because I had heard some good things about it and liked the few pages I read in the bookstore. I'm in a big baseball reading mode right now and Home and Away seemed to be definitely up my alley. After finishing it last night, I can say without hesitation that this is the best book I've read in a long time. Yes, it is a memoir of a fan but much much more. Simon is a gifted writer and his stories: the heartbreak of the Cubs, decline, ascension and decline of the Bears and the once in a lifetime experience of rooting for the Michael Jordan Bulls are all beautifully crafted - Simon puts you there, at Wrigley, Comiskey, Soldier Field, Chicago Stadium and the United Center, but he does so much more. He tells about the many setbacks suffered as boy, living in a loving but dysfunctional family, he brings the misery of Sarajevo and Grenada home through his experiences as a reporter in the same vivid detail as he describes the many games he has seen. He also writes about his transformation from 60s radical to 80s and 90s war correspondent. But he also, without gushing, illustrates how/why sports play such a seminal part in his and our lives. We meet fascinating people - Jack Brickhouse, Leo Durocher, Luc Longley, Mike Ditka, etc. Additionally, this book is great for its uniqueness. Somehow Simon brings all of these diverse elements together in a way where everything is connected. I'm not a Chicagoan but imaginine how moved one is when sharing Simon's memories. Above all, one does not have to be a sports fan to derive great pleasure - it is truly a human story without the cliche. We will be hearing a lot more about this book.

I recently did a sailing course in the BVI and this book came as part of the package. It was an invaluable asset to sailing in the Virgin Islands and I highly recommend it before going there. Details on restaurants, places to anchor for the day and overnight anchorages. This is a great reference book!

If you only had one publication to take on a trip to the Virgin Islands this would be it. The updates are good which means their research is working and I am really pleased to see the return to a spiral binding. This works so well when you want it to stay opened to a particular page.

I wouldn't sail the Virgin Islands without the latest copy of this guide. It is one of the better cruising guides to the busiest charter area in the world. I did like it better with the spiral binding in the earlier editions. Much easier to turn to a section and leave it open.

It does not take much skill to catalog the various ills of our modern society, particularly the unhealthy influences of Madison Ave. and Hollywood. This book does a fine job summarizing today's cultural pressures to spend and consume, to make more money and spend more time making it, all at the expnse of our families and personal sanity. Indeed, many books do the same thing; pointing out what is wrong with our spend-spend-spend culture these days is like shooting fish in a barrel. The authors provide several good examples of folks who got caught up in the world of consumption, credit card debt and keeping up with the Jones's. If you are looking for practical solutions for simplifying your life on an everyday, prectical level, however, this is not the book to read. As I feared they would, the authors rely almost exclusively on radical, unrealistic eco-solutions based upon environmental activism to recommend ways of living more simply. That might be OK for states, nations and communities to use, but for the individual looking for ways to cut back, relax, spend more time at home with loved ones, Affluenza is decidedly lacking. For folks trying to find realistic ways of not working so many hours and spending too much on possessions, the authors' recommendations of not eating red meat and eliminating your annual vacation to the beach border on absurd. Even more absurd is the conclusion: this book recommends heavy-handed, intrusive governtment solutions (including legistlation to cut back the work week) as "the answer" along with radical environmentalism. Nowhere do the authors recommend religous or spiritual ideas to help people reduce their work hours and conspicuous consumption, a serious flaw to this study. Big government is not the answer to this issue.

It's hard sometimes to live a simple life surrounded by "affluenza" and its effects. So for me, the book "Affluenza" has been really helpful in reminding me what's important in my life - it's not the "stuff." It's my life that I value. It's not all that's advertised to make me hungry for what I don't want. It's remembering what I do want in my life, and prioritizing that above those tantalizing baubles that are offered over and over again to deplete my bank account - to put me in debt - to put me in slavery to my possessions.

So, thank the authors for writing this important book that reminds me again and again who I am and why I have chosen to step back from all the glitter and acquisition. It reminds me why I work a 30 hour week, instead of a 40 hour week, and why I even hope to pare that down to a 25 hour week - so that the rest of my time can be spent on my life!

I like it that "Affluenza" isn't preachy or grim. It's light and humorous. It's fast-paced, like a television program - only without commercials. It's stock full of information about how we got to this place where money and things outweigh time with our families and time volunteering to make our communities stronger. And it gives examples and ideas about how to move forward into a place where each of us can get out of debt, and shift our priorities to what we truly value in this life that we only get to live one time.

David Horsey's cartoons are right on the money. They're witty and apt. The writing is visual and well-paced. Can you tell - I like this book! And it couldn't have come at a better time. A lot of us need to see its message. As for me, it's one of those books that I'll keep around to refer to when I feel particularly plagued by the lure of keeping up with any Joneses.

I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit, but I was saddened to see just how materialistic American society has become. The average American household carries over $7000 in credit card debt. My question is "What the HECK are they buying and WHY do they need itso badly that they would go into debt for it?" I was brought up to only buy things you need and can afford - what was everyone else teaching their children? Money doesn't buy happiness, but the average person doesn't seem to know that. Or, if they do, they don't know quite how to stop the rampant consumerism from ruling their lives. I didn't realize exactly how much of a burden our consumer society is on the planet until I read this book. The authors did a fabulous job of exposing the facts about our economic conditions while making the book entertaining at the same time. There's even a quiz to help you see how badly you are infected with the Affluenza bug. A great read, especially if you borrow it from the library!

I agree with the previous reviewer that the photographs are of excellent quality. However, I do not think that they are a very good aid to navigation. Nautical charts provide all the necessary information (water depths, buoy locations, length scales, navigation hazards, etc.) in a more useful manner. In addition, there is very little supporting text to augment the photos. So unless you want a collection of pretty pictures, I recommend that you save your money and buy a cruising guide and a set of up-to-date charts.

We just finished a bareboat charter trip to BVI and found that we were frequently referring to this book. It was extremely usefull in locating moorings and anchorages. I would recommend it highly. The only negative is that there were some areas missing.

This is a beautiful photo guide to the most popular anchorages of the US and British Virgin Islands. If you are planning a sail of the islands, this is a _must_ have.

I spent ten years growing up in the Virgin Islands, and went back to sail after several years away. The charter company included this book, with which I fell in love. It offers a bird's-eye view of the anchorages available throughout the VI. The clear waters and high vantage allow you to see the reefs on the page, providing the most intuitive navigation possible. It definitely makes cruising easier and more enjoyable.

Weak points are that it does not cover some major beaches (more focus on harbors) and it has little supporting text. You should also get Scott's "Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands" or another guide book for more information about restaurants, night-life and other attractions available near the anchorages.