EVA Challenge was OK. It is more geared towards senior managers who are thinking about EVA as a model for their companies. In that regard, this books does a fine job.

I was hoping the book would deal with more of the matamatics associated with defining EVA in relation to various projects and business decisions. This book contailed very little information in this regard.

Authors Joel Stern and John Shiely advocate a total revolution in the way companies are valued and measured. They make a convincing case for using EVA ("Economic Value Added") as the primary measure of corporate performance. The authors argue that the SEC's yardstick for corporate reporting, the "Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures" (GAAP), was designed to protect lenders by depicting a company's liquidation value. As such, GAAP provides an overly conservative and only marginally accurate picture of financial health. EVA principles - at least according to the consultants who advise companies on using them - evaluate intangible assets more realistically and correspond more closely to stock market performance. We from getAbstract recommend this book to executives who seek improved corporate financial and market performance, and to investors interested in understanding how value is created and maintained.

One of the most difficult questions to answer is what a company's worth is. Two developments in American Capitalism have contributed to the question's complexity. First, shareholders have divorced themselves from the corporations operation, leaving the task to professional managers.

Second, generally accepted accounting principles do not align expenses with benefits, distorting economic reality. As a result, investors who want to compare the cash they can take out of a company with the cash they have invested are hampered.

The authors argue Economic Value Added (EVA) is a true measure of a company's economic performance, in addition to being a strategy for creating shareholder value. Properly implemented, they state, EVA frees the measurement of corporate performance from the vagaries of accounting principles and gives both shareholders and management a clear picture of the value the company creates.

EVA is the profit that remains after deducting the cost of the capital invested to generate that profit or EVA = Net Operating Profit After-Tax minus capital charge. Effectively implemented, the tool becomes the basis for an incentive plan that rewards managers for actions that increase shareholder returns and vice versa.

John S. Shiely, president of Briggs and Stratton and co-author of the book, notes this strategy provided the foundation of his company's turnaround. In 1989, the world's largest producer of air-cooled engines had an EVA of negative $62 million based on $1.3 billion in sales. By re-organizing and focusing its strategy while developing its EVA program, the company staged a dramatic turnaround. By 1999, it reported a record positive EVA of $50.9 million. Shareholders, who bought $100 worth of stock at the beginning of the program, saw it increase in value to $673 in 1999.

The authors claim EVA is ideal for knowledge-based companies making heavy infrastructure investments today for any anticipated return later. EVA treats cash outlays that represent investments as capital rather than expenses. The capital in these knowledge based industries consists of research, development, marketing, advertising and start-up costs. Accounts view these expenditures as expenses, but it is realistic to capitalize them and amortize them over their useful lives.

I highly recommend this book! As a person preparing for this "walk in the woods" I found this book to be uplifting. It has beautiful illustrations and makes your feet itch to hit the trail. There are a lot of references to God, and those that are not comfortable with this should steer clear. I found it personally to be a nice touch. For those who want the experience of the trail without hiking it, this is a great book.

This book makes even a non hiker want to take to the trail. Although the diety is frequently mentioned, it is not a sermon, merely Mr. Wadness's perspective on the beauty he sees. Put this book on a coffee table, and allow others to browse the trail.

Exceptional photography documents one trek on the Appalachian Trail. At least the equal of National Geographic's book. Wadness has a passion for photographs that are technically accurate and artistically beautiful.

The narrative conveys more than a "walk in the woods." It relates a unified drama. A remarkable cast of characters! The details should be left to the enjoyment of the reader.

On a literary and religious level, "Sojourn in the Wilderness" relates to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as the title of the book suggests. Wadness found himself composing poetry at peak moments on the trail.

This true-life story demonstrates how one person adapted to the rigors of the trail by faith. How anyone with limited experience could carry a 70-80 pound pack on a rocky trail for seven months is a miracle.

I'm buying additional copies as gifts for friends.

If the poor were to benefit from neoliberal policies, Dying for Growth argues, Mexico should provide an exemplary case. With constant encouragement from the United States, Mexico has aggressively implemented neoliberal policies for more than 20 years. The maquiladora sector of the economy, industrial plants owned by transnational corporations (TNCs) manufacturing products to export primarily to the United States, has grown quickly since the implementation of NAFTA, but this has been at the expense of other sectors of the economy. Competition with TNCs has undermined 30 000 small businesses and millions of subsistence farmers. Millions of permanently displaced peasants have made their way to urban shantytowns or tried to immigrate to the United States.
Read what does it mean to privatize health care system and industry in many countries around the world.
Learn how rich get richer and poor get poorer virtually everywhere, including USA and other developed nations.
How realy "free" is trade, market and for whom ?
Who controls "New World Order" - politicians elected by citizens or corporations ?
If you are not sure what is the answer - get this very interesting and disturbing research/analysis coming from Institute for Health and Social Justice.

This book provides a very thorough examination of how unequal patterns of growth and social inequality on a global scale have resulted in dire consequences for those many unfortunate who cannot afford health care. Many individuals, especially those residing in the United States, are already aware of the growing costs of health care. But imagine what it is like to live in a developing country where medical care is rudimentary at best and you're at the mercy of industrial pollution from the nearby TNC factory?

Using health as an indicator of social inequality, the authors examine the connections between poverty and illness. Aggregate statistics depicting the health status on a global scale are improving is debunked. Rather, there is an uneven distribution of health improvements: the wealthy have access to comprehensive medical care while the poor are dying from preventable diseases. Access to resources is restricted, even in the midst of technological advancements in medicine. The goal of this book is to examine how international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, and WTO along with TNCs influence political and economic structures of nations which in turn affect the accessibility , cost, and quality of health care provided (if any). The central question raised concerns what pattern of growth will benefit those in need the most? How can we redistribute global resources from the powerful few to the many of the world's poor?

There is no doubt that the subject matter of this book is very extensive and the book itself is pretty thick, but reading this book will enable one to gain a better understanding of how recent trends in globalization have had devasting effects on the world's population. The authors provide good case studies that illustrate their main arguments. This book continues to serve as a vital reference source for my studies.

Unless you are not committed with the international situation and have a blind vision of how the world and the globalization are changind our living world, this book will improve your knowledge in many aspects.

It is very sad that people like the reader from New Yourk could express the opinion in his(her)review. The fact the he(she)didn't even signed his(her) opinion put his(her) criticism out of any kind of consideration.

I am very happy that there are another people that I even don't know personally, like Stephen Yhu that have a broader vision. I am also glad that other readers from USA, have expressed intelligent points of view.

As an international consultant in the field of International Health I just can say that the more you read, analize, avaliate and discuss the problems of our world, the bigger will be the possibility that it will be better. I am sure that this book is not the owner of the TRUE but nobody is. I am also sure that this GREAT BOOK will help people see the world from alternative perspectives.

I'm half way though this book and its obvious to me that much of what he suggests is unknowable. Buy when the market is going up. Don't buy on the way down. Don't wait for the absolute bottom. Ask Jean Dixon for advice....

So what is one to do? Aside from the fact that housing is something everybody needs, all I know is that people who bought houses in California for outrageously high prices...are now selling them for even higher prices.

And the same economic conditions that cause house prices to go up, also raise interest rates, making housing unaffordable.

The best time to buy a house is when you need one and can afford it. As I write this the good news is that interest rates are incredibly low; the bad news is George Junior is running this country off a cliff. Sure, its disconcerting but if you follow everything in this book the only home you'll be in the market for is a nursing home.

This book gives cookie cutter advice without much elaboration for those of us who don't fit into the mold of "20% down, sterling credit" home-buyers. If you've read any other books then most of the information isn't new and a lot of it is just common sense (although some of it it is outdated now). I would only recommend this book to someone who knows nothing and is ready to read other books in order to put the advice in perspective. If you're going to read anything, read "The 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make". It's a lot better!

Excellent Book! A must read! Really goes into detail about what to avoid.

This was probably the worst written book I have ever read. I only had to read it because I was doing a repport on child abuse. The author only said one paragraph on the abuse. It was incredibly unreal and reading about Chip's boring life was like a punishment. The author skipped around too much and had no real sense of time. It was confusing, since it made no sense. Do not read it! Pick another book! Anything is better!

I love this book. Every significant character is real, appealing, and three-dimensional. Even Abby's abusive father is portrayed as a person with both good and bad traits, not a monster. There's wonderful detail, humor, drama, and a sweet, tentative love story. It's a mistake to bill this as an "issue book". Sexual abuse is not the main focus, Chip and Abby's relationship is.

I was never really into reading until I grabbed this book! I was so interested in it that the next week, I went to the school library and got other books to read! It's amazing how just by reading one book, u can read so much more! It's really interesting how Chip stays by Abby's side while she's going through tough times with her family. I recommend this book to anyone who likes novels that deal with teens and how a friend can help you deal with family problems. Sometimes, the person u think is least likely to help you, is the first person to help you.

At a time when the question, "Who are America's intellectuals?" was circulating, and the mention of Susan Sontag in this regard left me queasy, I remembered my exhilaration reading Thompson's books in the 70's and 80's and wondered what he was doing lately. I didn't finish this book--some of the "texts" weren't of that much personal interest--but the first three-fourths were wonderful. The introductory essay, which was prophetic in its emphasis on the terrorist-fundamentalist forces at work in the world--is alone worth the price of admission. A brilliant, incisive mind with an insatiable curiosity to expand its range, and we are the beneficiaries.

With Thompson in the lists, I think we Americans can hold our own with intellectuals the world over.

Reading this book is a bit like watching a Baz Lurhrmann film like "Moulin Rouge" or "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet." Although the text, superficially, is the printed record of a 1992-1994 lecture series, the lectures themselves were not designed as a linear narrative exposition, but in Thompson's words, operated as a form of mind-jazz -- an improvisational riff on ancient texts.

The texts function in the book very much the way an archetypal storyline does in Luhrmann's films -- as a structural anchor for a great whirl of pop references and images that have no temporal relationship to one another but are perceived to occupy the same ideational space. When this strategy works, the results are exhilarating.

Thompson's focus is the living interaction of consciousness and communicative form -- the way in which a consensual instrument of communication serves as the performance of tacit assumptions about what it means to be human. Influenced in this enterprise by the theories of Marshall McLuhan, Thompson demonstrates in diverse communicative fields -- art, literature, religion, myth, history, archaeology, poetry, pop imagery -- how new possibilities for meaning take hold in a culture, relegating displaced forms to folk art, and setting in motion fundamentalist movements in which the frankly archaic returns nativistically, a vocabulary wielded by those disenfranchised by the process of ideational change.

Thompson has been taken to task, in this respect, for the so-called Whig fallacy of history -- that is, for treating past social orders as though they'd been groping along, step by step, to reach our own point of conscious development. But these reviewers are equally irritated by Thompson's multidimensional approach to his subject, regarding it as a rejection of western narrative convention.

It seems to me that the book's structure is more profitably understood as a deliberate reflection of the thesis that Thompson is advancing: that all variants of a conscious perspective exist at once as performances of that perspective, whether or not they served to reflect or influence the society in which they found expression. This thematic consistency both unifies the material and allows for expansive variation, much as an ostinato binds a musical composition while allowing for constantly changing contrapuntal parts.

Although some of his ideas are certainly familiar from post-modern theory, Thompson rejects the nihilism and political utilitarianism that so often attend a deconstructionist perspective on great literature. He appeals, rather, to the reader's imagination, that intermediate psychological ground between matter and spirit, where language serves as a form of currency: a means of exchange between the sensorium and dimensions that lie beyond its direct perceptual acquisition.

This felicitous analogy allows Thompson to introduce the evidence of texts that are not usually understood to have relevance in a technologically oriented society. Like a marriage contract, whose value is not in its material existence as a piece of paper, some texts operate as a "consensual instrument," allowing, as Thompson puts it, a domain of meaning to come into play.

Like Thompson's other books, this one is not an easy read. It's in the business of limning texts as performances of the worldview in which they were generated, determined not only by culture but by gender and adaptive context. And it attempts, by its very form, to invoke as well as to describe what Thompson calls a hermeneutic of the imagination.

Understanding our current state of cultural organization as a bifurcation point, a time in which the traditional forms of literate civilization are undergoing an electronic meltdown, Thompson regards the present communicative medium as the concrete performance of a state of consciousness that is collective rather than individual. Our consensual vocabulary for understanding this evolution, however, is unremittingly technological, which has paved the way for immense corporate interests to define the emerging global landscape. Spirituality, accordingly, is devolving into archaic personal cosmologies.

"Coming into Being" is an attempt to jump, feet first, into that perceived breach between science and mysticism, between abstract scholarship and embodied folk wisdom, between self and Other, between being and Being, in order to celebrate the many textual images, both ancient and contemporary, of their potential integration. I loved this book -- even its recapitulation of "The Time Falling Bodies Take To Light" as though it were a text like any other, important for its ideas and images and not because Thompson happened to write it.

See my review of the hardback with 284 pages and twelve essays compared with 336 pages and fifteen essays. Hint: the last three essays bring Thompson's thoughts to a higher and more mature plane. Hence the hardback should merit four stars and the paperback rates five stars with me. Buy it! Gordon E. Beck, Ph. D., Emeritus Professor, The Evergreen State College, Olympia.

It was wonderful to see the first stories ever to show the original Green Lantern. Gotta love that costume, particulary odd looking when he is trying to hide in the shadows with that gaudy delight of an outfit.

The art is primitive and generally unimaginative and the stories also show as little imagination, at the beginning at least. They do grow a little more imaginative in the portrayal of the use of his power (generally underused considering what he must have been capable of doing). He needed a powerful and interesting villain, or two. Adding Doiby Dickles seemed to help spice up the stories, though.

It was still wonderful reading these stories as I had never seen a story with the original Green Lantern before the 1960's, outside of his adventures alongside the Justice Society of America. An interesting selection for the DC Archives Series.

O.K., O.K. the storyline is a little, well, little. But when the original Lantern goes into action, this book comes alive and is pretty exciting. Even for 1st time readers.

Definitely a must have book for any GL fan whether you were a fan of the Golden Age, Silver Age, or Modern Age Green Lanterns. It sure beats paying over $1000 for just the first issue/appearance of Alan Scott. Now, his adventures are readily available and affordable in this archive. I like how the stories back then were so much simpler. Strange how Alan was always referred as this "weird" figure as he changes to his GL outfit. Still, its a great addition to any GL collector enthusiast like me. And with the DC Direct Alan Scott figure coming, it makes for a good backdrop for an Alan Scott diorama.

Instead of explaining the details of "How" you will find bargains, Mr.Irwin mostly gives you a general overview of different bargain opportunities. This is not a step by step guide on how and where to find the bargains.

But the book does a good service in explaining the possible risks involved with each bargain property.

To the unitiated, this book may help you decide which bargain avenue to specialize in and investigate further (REO, distressed property, foreclosure, etc...) Otherwise, it is quite useless.

The chapters on financing, starting with a shoestring, and purchasing property in a falling market are dated (Resolution Trust Corporation - isn't it disolved???) or mostly motivational ("... if you really need to raise cash for a terrific deal, then in most cases you'll find the money.").

I liked this book and would recommend it as an introduction to investing, a book to give you an idea of different methods to investing. But if you need a "how-to" book, keep researching other books and attending investor meetings.

I found this book very informative and to the point. Unlike many "how to get rich" authors, Irwin stays more on the task than on the "rah-rah" stuff. His tips and traps make good references for the uninitiated investor or purchaser. Best of all, his style is smooth and easy to read. If you're looking for a good "getting started" book, this is it.

#10 of year's 10 top real estate books. This survey book explains how to profit from virtually all bargain properties, such as foreclosures, probates, government property sales, REO (real estate owned by lenders) and other distressed-property situations. Emphasis is on low-cash purchase methods, along with methods for discovering these often-obscure realty bargains. by Robert J. Bruss

Financial literacy is one of the basic keys to achieving Financial Independence. Money is seen with the mind, not with the eyes. Those who can read financial numbers and news will eventually control those who cannot. Many people make decisions to buy real estate or stocks, or enter into businesses, based on their emotions and not on any understanding of the financial rationale behind it. That's why 9 out 10 people don't make money.

The Wall Street Journal is the best source of all the financial, economics and investment news, figures and data you need to get started on acquiring financial literacy. Having said that, for one who has not studied economics or obtained a finance degree, it can be quite a task trying to understand all that information. This is where The Irwin Guide to Using The Wall Street Journal helps the interested reader to make full use of The Wall Street Journal to become his/her own economist.

Not many books like this book come this far. This book is now into its 6th edition, having been first published in 1984. This edition has been updated with more current and post-1996 examples and illustrations.

I like how this book takes the various sections found in The Wall Street Journal and explains the significance of the information, figures and data and then relates it to the reader's understanding of finance and economics. This certainly enhances the reader's appreciation of the nuggets of information found in The Wall Street Journal. This book also enlightens the reader as to the various choices of investments out there - from stocks, to commodities and metals, and to money market investments.

All in all, I found this to be good book for those who have no prior education in finance and economics but who are willing to take action to learn more. Even those with a basic knowledge of economics will stand to gain from this book.

For those who may require a more basic book on understanding economics, I would like to recommend Economic Literacy by Jacob De Rooy or The Wall Street Journal's Guide to Understanding Money & Investing. And for those ready to take on more complex readings, I would recommend R Mark Rogers' Handbook of Key Economic Indicators.

This book is a good introduction to the principles of the macro economy.

The author explains the basics of the federal reserve system, monetary policy, the causes and effects of inflation, and various personal investment products such as stocks, mutual funds, commodities, and money market accounts. The basics of each is explained, and the author shows how each is tracked daily in the Wall Street Journal. The purpose is to allow individuals to understand their investments, track their progress, and be able to react to changing market conditions. Its all sounds very axiomatic, but the great thing about this book is that it states basic principles that are often assumed, and thus left unstated.

For example, if the following excerpts are helpful to you, then this would be a great book for you:

Page 15: "The forces of supply and demand condition every business cycle."

Page 25: "Bank lending finances spending, and spending generates inflation. The Fed controls bank lending and can thereby control inflation."

Page 33: "Every commodity has a price; the interest rate is the price of money. As with any commodity, the price fluctuates according the the laws of supply and demand."

Page 165: "Mutual funds are popular with individual investors because they permit diversification in a wide variety of securities with a very small capital outlay."

These are examples of the points covered, and the level at which they are covered. If the above quotes sounded obvious, this book may be below your expertise. But if you finally want to understand the jargon you hear on CNNfn, this book will do the job.

This would be a great book to buy as a graduation gift for a high school senior, or anyone without a background in finance.

Whether you are a mutual fund manager or a private investor, a CEO of a multinational firm or the owner of a small business, a retired millionaire or a young professional just starting out, a new capitalist or an old Marxist, this is the book for you. Whoever you are, this book gives you the tools to intelligently read and use the premier business publication of today--The Wall Street Journal. The writing, the charts, and the statistical analyses are so crystal clear that you can truly use the Wall Street Journal to be your own economist. Complex concepts such as the price earnings (P/E) ratio for the Dow stocks, for example, are fully explained, placed in their historical and contemporary context, and are shown to have important implications for the investor, the business person, and the financial advisor. Statistical reports in the Wall Street Journal are explained as more than isolated pieces of data, but rather as part of the economic matrix of the world economy. The classic business cycle is the economic and literary tool that the author uses to organize his book and to advance the reader's understanding of what is happening in the world economy--and why. In short, the author has done a masterful job in explaining how we can use the Journal to understand the past, the present, and the future of our economic world. Read this book, and your perceptions of that world will never be the same.

I have two corp fin books by Ross and company. This book was purchased while studing for the Level I of the CFA exam. The other book was used in graduate school. Both books are sub par in quality and were not cheap either. Save your money. Don't use this text.

I have a master degree in finance and I believe this is the best work from Stepehen Ross. The book can be utilized for graduate students as well as undergraduate. If you are looking for a book which is extensively comprehensive and at the same time friendly you are looking for this book. It also contains diverse examples involving the use of financial calculators and software. It furnishes a preview on mergers and acquisitions and constantly tends to go beyond corporate to multinational

I have used this text in two corporate finance courses that I have taken at university and it was very helpful in allowing me to understand the concepts that were being presented in class.