Smart Money: The Story of Bill Gates (Notable Americans)

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Special. Don't Waste Your Time or Money........2005-05-13

Simply put, "Smart Money: The Story of Bill Gates" by Aaron Boyd is an average and ordinary book. Although it didn't bore me to death, it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat either.

This book is about a young entrepreneur who starts out as a genius with a geeky personality and ends up as the CEO of the world's most profitable company. Born on October, 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, William Henry Gates III was picked on entirely too much because of his genius and cocky attitude and personality. Through all of his elementary school years, Bill Gates was one of those boys who would always be the one to hold their hand up when the teacher asked a question.

Bill's cocky attitude didn't just get him high-level marks in school, it also gave him a bad reputation as the boy who always laughed in the faces of those who weren't as bright as him. Whenever one of his classmates answered a question wrong, Bill would always be there to throw it up in their faces and rub-in the fact that their answer was incorrect. Bill's parents assumed that their son's cocky attitude was due to his immaturity; Bill was short with big ears and big feet. His parents would later learn that Bill's problem was not immaturity, but rather, boredom. In 1967, Bill's parents sent Bill off to Lakeside Preparatory School.

It was at this new school that Bill's future would be decided. Because of the fear by Lakeside teachers that Bill still would not be challenged enough, they were forced to lease a computer. Bill took immediate fascination in the newly leased computer, although it did nothing but type. He soon spent all of his free-time in the school's computer room. It was on that same computer that Bill wrote his first games and software using the BASIC programming language. His expertise in computer programming later ended him up at a higher level: the CEO of Microsoft.

Probably the main thing in this book that caught my attention were the numerous typos and spelling mistakes. As I read, I would sporadically spot the number "1" in the middle of various words. It was quite distracting. The most interesting part of the book was towards the beginning with the discussion of Bill's life before going corporate. I started to lose interest with the discussion of Microsoft in the late 80's and early 90's. There are a lot of good and interesting books on shelves across the world, and I can safely tell you that this is not one of them.

Average customer rating:

Smart Money the Story of Bill Gates
Aaron Boyd
Manufacturer: Morgan Reynolds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VI93OK

Book Description

The remarkable story of the man who has walked to the south pole and has climbed the highest mountain in every continent in the world. David Hempleman Adams ranks alongside Ranulph Fiennes and Chris Bonnington in the pantheon of British explorers and adventurers. Taking us close to his triumphs and to his near disasters - he describes his concerns about how his wife and children are coping without him at Christmas; his terror on Mount Everest, when a step in the wrong direction could result in death; and his feelings of euphoria when, 59 days after starting out across the Atlantic wastes, he sees the South Pole station glinting in the distance.

Book Description

This new study guide provides a simple framework for understanding real estate appraisal and preparing for state appraisal examinations. The reader-friendly text summarizes the topics addressed in the classic valuation work,The Appraisal of Real Estate,12th edition, and adds practical examples, key words, and problems for in-class discussion or self-study.

How to Use the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report

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How to Use the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report
Martha R. Williams , and William L. Ventolo
Manufacturer: Dearborn Real Estate Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Fundamentals of Real Estate Appraisal
Art of Real Estate Appraisal
How to Get Started in the Real Estate Appraisal Business
Language of Real Estate Appraisal
Questions and Answers to Help You Pass the Real Estate Appraisal Exams (Questions & Answers to Help You Pass the Real Estate Appraisal Exams)

ASIN: 0793108071

A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

good conceptual overview
Great resource for novices
....unnecessarily and excruciatingly verbose!
Professional approach with simple expaniations, easy to use
Excellent on both the "art" and "science" of valuation.

A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company, 2nd Edition
Wilbur M. Yegge
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Corporate Finance | Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Consolidation & Merger | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Small Business Valuation Book (Adams Expert Advice for Small Business)
A Basic Guide for Buying and Selling a Company
What Every Business Owner Should Know About Valuing Their Business
Buying Your Own Business: Identifying Opportunities, Analyzing True Value, Negotiating the Best Terms, Closing the Deal (Expert Advice for Small Business)
Unlocking The Value Of Your Business : How to increase it, measure it and negotiate an actual sale price - in easy, step-by-step terms.

ASIN: 0471150479

Book Description

The Groundwork of Company Valuation for First-time Buyers and Sellers

A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company has helped thousands of first-time buyers and sellers realize a fair, substantiated value for small businesses. Now in its Second Edition, this book covers common valuation techniques and myths, tips for determining tangible and intangible values, sample balance sheets and income statements, and approaches to valuing start-up technology and dot-com businesses.

This nuts-and-bolts guide addresses publicly traded and privately held firms, including traditional brick-and-mortar companies and the intellectual property industry. With a clear, concise writing style, the author walks readers through common practices for valuing, from collecting data to arriving at a saleable figure for all types of businesses, including professional practice, manufacturing, wholesale distributors, and a variety of retail operations. This new edition features perspectives on nontraditional valuation practices, guidance for using an excess earnings method, and an abundance of case studies from actual companies.

In order to make the most profitable decisions, before putting a business on the market or making an offer to acquire one, every beginning business purchaser and seller should read A Basic Guide for Valuing a Company, Second Edition.

Customer Reviews:

good conceptual overview.......2001-01-01

Good overview of valuation concepts, but if you want to sit down and actually come up with a number, try "Unlocking the Value of Your Business".

Great resource for novices.......2000-05-11

Will Yegge has the unique ability of being able to present a difficult subject in a logical, intelligent, concise and interesting manner.

Even though I have no background whatsoever in accounting, I was able to follow the information in this book and use it as my primary guide in valuing a company that I was interested in purchasing. It is a great resource for novices.

....unnecessarily and excruciatingly verbose!.......1999-11-27

Although his work on valuation techniques is straightforward in later chapters, the 1st several chapters do not do an adequate job of explaining the psychology of business valuation, buying or selling or the 'intangible' of business value. Words such as 'steeds' and 'pestilence' belong in literature, not reference manuals. Are Cliff Notes available to decipher just what these chapters are trying to communicate? I am trying to buy a business;lots of hard work lay ahead. Why must this book start off so unclear?

Professional approach with simple expaniations, easy to use.......1999-07-25

In preparation to sell my business for appx $10MM I sought many references on how to make a professional presentation and and use methodology that would be reasonable and logical to lead to a sale. Wilbur has doen a great job with this and his other book, How To Sell A business. I recommend that anyone read there two before putting a package together. I have had many favorable comments from both principals and brokers concerning the structure of the presentation I was able do make using Wilbur's help.

Excellent on both the "art" and "science" of valuation........1998-12-10

Just what I needed as a small business owner who needed a basic understanding of both the art and the science of valuing my company. Heavier read than it looks, since I didn't needed to know everything about non-related businesses. I did need to know how what factors must be considered and how complex some deals could be. Yegge speaks from experience and that is obvious, helpful and most comforting.

Valuation of Marinas (An Appraisal Institute Handbook)

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Valuation of Marinas (An Appraisal Institute Handbook)
John A. Simpson
Manufacturer: Appraisal Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Resorts: Management and Operation

ASIN: 0922154511

Book Description

Valuation of Marinas provides background information, definitions, a brief investment history, and a description of all the factors that affect marinas. Readers will learn about site and building characteristics, the need for specialized management, and other business elements that distinguish marinas from other types of property. A case study based on an actual appraisal assignment is included.

Using Residential Appraisal Report Forms: URAR 2005 (Form 1004) and Exterior Inspection (Form 2055)

Average customer rating:

Using Residential Appraisal Report Forms: URAR 2005 (Form 1004) and Exterior Inspection (Form 2055)
Mark R. Rattermann
Manufacturer: Appraisal Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Residential Report Writing
Residential Sales Comparison Approach: Deriving, Documenting, and Defending Your Value Opinion

ASIN: 0922154856

Book Description

This new guide addresses changes to the URAR (Fannie Mae Form 1004) and Form 2055, providing line-by-line instructions for completion, dozens of real-world examples, and strategies for achieving best practice and overcoming common mistakes.

Average customer rating:

The Appraisal Writing Handbook
Alan Blankenship
Manufacturer: Appraisal Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Appraising the Tough Ones: Creative Ways to Value Complex Residential Properties (0654M)
Appraising the Appraisal: The Art of Appraisal Review
How to Use the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report
Houses: The Illustrated Guide to Construction, Design and Systems
The Appraisal of Real Estate, 12th Edition

ASIN: 0922154465

Book Description

The Appraisal Writing Handbook is a guide to written composition designed for the special requirements of the appraisal profession. It provide step-by-step instructions on writing concise, well-organized appraisal reports.

Financial Analyst's Indispensible Pocket Guide

Average customer rating:

I recommend !
Useful overview, but not perfect
A great book for those studying or who've completed the CFA
Good starting point

Financial Analyst's Indispensible Pocket Guide
Ram Ramesh
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Options | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Pricing | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

CFA Fundamentals
Schaum's Quick Guide to Business Formulas: 201 Decision-Making Tools for Business, Finance, and Accounting Students
The Portable Financial Analyst: What Practitioners Need to Know, 2nd Edition
Examwise to Cfa 2006 Level I Certification: The Candidates Question And Answer Workbook for Chartered Financial Analyst (With Download Software)
Schaum's Outline of Mathematics of Finance

ASIN: 0071361561

Book Description

Financial Analyst’s Indispensable Pocketguide is the first reference to give the more than 20,000 candidates who take AIMR-administered CFA exams annually—and the 60,000-plus CFAs and finance professionals who currently practice investment management—a single broad-based resource for specific terminology and information. Much more than just a dictionary, this dynamic book explains and expands upon the fundamental concepts that comprise a financial analyst’s lexicon.Within each section, Ramesh arranges fundamental terms alphabetically, then provides CFA-related tips and profiles of industry leaders. Key topics include:
*Timeless tips for CFA candidates and practitioners
*Graphics and mnemonics to help with important concepts
*Derivatives, equity valuation, and portfolio management

Customer Reviews:

I recommend !.......2007-05-14

It is a very practical guide for handy information. It is quite usefull for my daily work needs.

Useful overview, but not perfect.......2001-06-14

I'm not a CFA candidate, but I've been an investor for years and always appreciate learning more about the field. My father was president of the CFA for a couple of years, and after 15 years working on Wall Street I have a reasonably broad understanding of some finance.

What impressed me most about the book was how short and terse the definitions were. Clearly they are useful and present good insight into what's important and why.

What impressed me least was the lack of mathematical rigour (perhaps one can't have both brievity and exactness?). For example, many of the formulas only work for specific instances, and details about yield/rate conventions are omitted.

Overall, it struck me as useful overview and quick reminder to financial analysis and the language/terms used. It's not really indispensable, and is not authoritative. But for a quick refresher, or ballpark estimates it's fine.

A great book for those studying or who've completed the CFA.......2001-05-13

This is the only book of its kind, so far. The author compiled this pocket guide after completing his CFA program and realising that the vast concepts, terms and designations learnt were soon being forgotten.

That being the case, candidates of, as well as those who have completed, the CFA program would find this book a useful one-stop guide to all those concepts, terms and designations learnt in the pursuit of the CFA designation.

The book is arranged broadly around the various topics of the CFA program i.e. Quantitative Methods, Economics, Financial Statements Analysis, Equities, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Ethics, Behavioural Finance. As such, the CFA candidate would find this book more useful than say, a general finance/business masters student.

But I reckon that this book, though published as recent as this year, is already in need of an update. The CFA syllabus is constantly evolving. As a result, a number of concepts in say, Level 1 of the CFA Program, are not found in this book. Also, a number of the textbooks used in the CFA program which the author had based his book on, have either been superseded by newer editions or replaced all together.

All in all, I found this to be a useful book and a unique concept. Until a better book comes along, I will be using this book religiously to prepare for the CFA exams as well as to refresh my memory.

Good starting point.......2001-04-02

As a CFA candidate, I find this to be a useful summary of the key concepts that we are taught during the course of the programme. However, regard it as more of a "Cliff's Notes" of the programme -- with all its inevitable shortcomings -- but a handy little reference piece nonetheless. After completion of the programme and years down the road, I am sure that I will find it quite useful in helping to jog my memory and the sleepless nights that the CFA programme gave me! -- I hope, however, that a revised version will be introduced and perhaps with a less odd title. It is not a book for everyone, but anyone who wishes that s/he had made notes whilst studying for the CFA programme will find this book useful.

The Residential Real Estate Appraiser's Portable Handbook

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The Residential Real Estate Appraiser's Portable Handbook
Leland R. Hill , and Phyllis M. Hill
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

New Business Enterprises | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0137753217

Appraising manual;: A real estate appraising handbook for use in field work and advanced study courses

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Appraising manual;: A real estate appraising handbook for use in field work and advanced study courses
Stanley L McMichael
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007DLICY

Estate Valuation Handbook (Wiley Tax Library)

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Estate Valuation Handbook (Wiley Tax Library)
Lawrence W. Averill
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471898597

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