The Tao of Meow

Book Description

Every millenium produces its own original thinkers—brave, independent sages who look at life from completely fresh perspectives and leave behind them a glorious legacy of truth and wisdom for the benefit of us all. Such is the case again with "The Tao of Meow," a collection of 81 reflections on life and the way to total self-gratification as only a cat can tell it.

Any resemblance between these verses and the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is entirely deliberate and indicates that you are a discerning reader.

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious, and thought provoking.......2003-08-28

This book is, quite simply, a masterpiece. It manages, at one time, to be a book that anyone who has ever owned (or been owned by!) a cat will find laughing-out-loud funny while at the same time being a fascinating look at Lao Tzu's classic 'Tao Te Ching'.

Each of the poems in Tao of Meow have a lot of similarities to 'Tao Te Ching', which makes the book a fascinating dialogue with Lao Tzu's work. It's an interesting way to gain some new understanding of it. All philosophy should be studied with such a sense of irreverent joy!

This is a book that you'll want to own and have on hand so that you can thumb through it -- either to learn or to laugh -- again and again.

Translation by a Master.......2000-10-25

There have been many translations of the Tao Te Ching, but who better to do it than a cat? Cats just naturally understand the wisdom of the Tao. Although this is categorized as a humour book, and is very funny, it in fact a good interpretation of the Tao. Yes, it is meant to be read by humans.

Besides, this book is worth buying just for the sweet picture on the cover.

Look at life from a cat's point of view.......1998-02-20

If you have ever been owned by a cat, you have probably wondered what your pet is thinking at those moments when their smug, aloof feline behavior has you endlessly opening and closing doors, worrying over what cat food will entice their taste buds, or hoping they will come and play with you today. Carl Japikse's cat, Waldo, provides us with many wonderful insights into cat thinking. "The Tao of Meow" is full of anecdotes and cat tales about the simple, common-sense thinking that gives cats access to nine lives, while we, as their faithful nameless ones, have but one life to live in service to them. "Tao of Meow" is a series of 81 short poetry-like pieces reflecting cat thoughts on subjects that range from cats raiding rabbit nests, through a cat's view of human luggage, to insights on what control really means. "Tao" is funny and thought-provoking. Many of Waldo's guideliens for everyday cat living serve as excellent advice for how we humans can live our lives more effectively. This book is a must for anyone who has loved cats and been mystified by their uncanny knack for controlling our human behavior.

Average customer rating:

Eastern Philosophy of Cats

The Cat and the Tao
Kwong Kuen Shan
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743453352
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Book Description

Timeless and elegant, The Cat and the Tao is a rich selection of sayings and quotes from the ancient Chinese masters that weds the inspired creativity of The Tao of Pooh with the spare beauty of calligraphic art. Artist and author Kwong Kuen Shan has combined the quiet power of eastern philosophy with the serene and playful beauty of her cat paintings, creating a book sure to comfort and move readers with its infectious appreciation for the wisdom of both. Her exquisite watercolor-and-ink paintings portray a variety of cats in settings ranging from the garden to the pond to the windowsill, each scene bringing to life the specific Taoist or Confucian text that accompanies it.

With special, masterfully stroked Chinese characters and authentic seals whose meanings are explained and interpreted on the facing page, The Cat and the Tao is an inspired combination of art and thought. Readers can experience the enchanting world of Kwong Kuen Shan's paintings while encountering meditations on the benefits of simplicity, the rewards of friendship, the tenets of living our lives with humanity -- and, of course, the invaluable lessons to be learned in both mischievousness and stillness, qualities which no creature exemplifies better than the beloved cat.

Customer Reviews:

Eastern Philosophy of Cats.......2005-01-24

This book is less on cats and more on the philosophy about Tao and sayings of the ancient Chinese masters, just that the author uses cats as a medium and theme for delivering the adages of the ancient masters. However, I don’t question the point that cats somehow seem to fit into the way of Tao, so the book, coupled with the beautifully-done paintings and sayings, makes for a really thought-invoking read.

Indeed, the book is both elegant and refreshing with a strong tinge of Eastern influence, and the calligraphic painting of the cats in a variety of poses and actions are really exquisite and beautiful in their own ways. Each art is accompanied by short Taoist or Confucian maxims, and if one pauses to think about it, the cats paintings and sayings certainly tell us something about the aspects of life.

No doubt, the book is simple with more focus on art than words, but then, a picture is sometimes, worth a thousand words.

Average customer rating:

The Way of Tao

The Tao of Meow
Deborah Wood
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Taoism | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0440508673
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Book Description

Use the gentle principles of Taoism to forge a profound and joyful relationship with your cat.

The epitome of yin-yang, the cat is perfectly balanced between tame and wild, sociability and solitude, action and rest. Called inscrutable and mysterious, perhaps even recalcitrant, felines have been deemed difficult to understand and train. Not anymore. Using the kind, gentle principles of Taoism, veteran trainer Deborah Wood introduces her revolutionary "no force, no punishment" method of creating a loving, harmonious relationship with your cat . . . a companionship filled with unparalleled rewards and unconditional love. Discover:

Step-by-step remedies for difficult problems: refusal to use the litter box, aggression, clawing furniture, and spraying urine
Cat massage and other techniques to increase the flow of qi and create telepathic communication between human and animal
Interactive human-cat games to give the cat essential mental and physical stimulation
The practice of wu wei, action through nonaction, to enrich your relationship
Taoist diet needs, a path to understanding a cat's finicky eating, and the best foods for glowing health

Customer Reviews:

The Way of Tao.......2005-01-24

This is a rather refreshing change from normal cat guides out there, as it uses the concept and principles of Tao to let you gain a better understanding of your cat.

The author strives to relate cats to the philosophy of Tao as closely as she could, and the step-by-step remedies for kitty problems areas are useful and I find the additional information such as cat massage a nice, additional treat. This book focus more on building a strong and close bond with your cat via the ways of Tao, and it also offers certain insights which I found to be really true with my little kitty boy! Certains points in the book are also thought-provoking, and apart from learning about cats, we might also learn a thing or two about life from them.

Although this is not a full or complete guide to cat matters, this is still, a very nice and refreshing book to enjoy in your armchair. If you’re looking for something to complement or enhance your readings of cats, get this! It’ll surely provide you with hours of reading joy. : )

Average customer rating:

The Cat and the Tao
Kwong Kuen Shan
Manufacturer: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLN746

The Tao of Meow: Life's Little Instruction Book Fur Cats

Average customer rating:

The Tao of Meow: Life's Little Instruction Book Fur Cats
Margaret Gee
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0898155886

Average customer rating:

Tao of Meow, the 8c MIX Prepack
Deborah Wood
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0440795494
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Average customer rating:

X12 Cat and Tao Counterpack
Kwong K Shan
Manufacturer: Arrow (A Division of Random House Group)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0434883530

Book Description

This is his tenth book--and Garfield and the gang want to celebrate. Millions of fans just can't get enough of Garfield and company, so join them for an old-fashioned hoe-down and then sit down so you can read all about the fun!

Customer Reviews:

Gardfield Makes it Big.......2005-02-12

My book title is Garfield makes it Big. It is about a fat cat that does not like to do anything. It's a good book because he sleeps all of the time. The mice are his friends. He likes lasagna so every time John cooks it Garfield eats it. The authors name is Jim Davis. I would recommend this book to the people who like comely. My name is Bryant Mathaw Stevens. Hop you like this book.

A non-stop laugh riot.......2004-03-31

It is hard for me to pick out a favorite Garfield book because everything Garfield does makes me laugh. "Garfield Makes It Big" is a non-stop laugh riot. One of my personal favorite moments in Garfield history is when Jim Davis used the classic Xmas story "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and just visualized the story using his comic characters. It was both funny and appropriate at the time he did that back in '83. I love Garfield's neverending practical jokes on Jon, like loosening up the top of the salt shaker. And of course I just love it when Nermal comes to visit and manages to make Garfield look bad in front of Jon's eyes. The reader also sees Garfield attempt to mail Nermal to Abu Dhabi for the first time. And of course there are the times that Garfield terrorizes the mailman. I love it when Jon takes Garfield on vacation. The strip where Jon tries to board the plane in peace is hilarious because he doesn't want to be known for having to sit in third class. Whenever I am down, I can always count on Garfield making me laugh.

Garfield makes it big.......2000-06-26

Jim Davis has once again used his expertise to charm and captivate our minds in his explosive 10th collection of comics. His wit and humor make America's favorite fat cat come to life, now more gluttonous and hilarious than ever before. My only complaint is that the Sunday strips are not printed in color, but overall this is a wonderful arrangement of comics.

GARFIELD RULES!.......2000-06-24

Everybody out there keep buying Garfield books! They can be worth a lot of money someday and can become collector's items! I'm always going to keep all of mine so when I have kids they can read them!

GARFILED RULES!.......2000-06-24

Everybody out there keep buying Garfield books! They can be worth a lot of money someday and can become collector's items! I'm always going to keep all of mine so when I have kids they can read them!

Garfield Makes It Big. No. 13. Chinese/English Text.

Average customer rating:

Garfield Makes It Big. No. 13. Chinese/English Text.
Jim. Davis
Manufacturer: Shuang Dah Books.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garfield | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9576181038

Average customer rating:

Garfield Makes It Big

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0099894408

Average customer rating:

Garfield Makes it Big
Jim Davis
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Garfield | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0000EE2FF

Book Description

Despite the long history of Menippean satire, from antiquity through the early modern era in Europe and up to the present, the genre often has resisted precise definition and has evoked critical controversy. In this magisterial work, Howard D. Weinbrot offers a new and lucid account of this complex literary category. He argues that in the wake of twentieth-century critics, notably Frye and Bakhtin, Menippean satire has been too broadly associated with "philosophic ideas" expressed in dialogic voices or languages.

He proposes instead a set of more rigorous but still fluid criteria incorporating several key elements: the use of varied historical periods, voices, languages, or genres that challenge a threatening orthodoxy; an outcome either of failure and the satirist's renewed anger or of resistance without counter-orthodoxy; and the use of one or more of several identified rhetorical devices. He then explores in detail how these elements of Menippean satire combine and operate in the literatures of classical Rome and early modern France and England, considering major texts by Varro, Petronius, Lucian, Swift, Boileau, Pope, and Richardson.

Amazon.com

In this important book, Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy present an enormous amount of information about 2,000 series and features, detailing their plots and relationships to other anime properties. In these areas, the book is definitive, and readers can only wish a comparable volume existed for American animation. The authors are less sure about non-Japanese influences (Cowboy Bebop owes more to noir detective films than to Route 66), and they focus more on storylines and the business of anime than on visuals. They don't discuss the influence of American Saturday morning TV on early anime designs (Speed Racer, the component series of Robotech) or the art nouveau styling in Revolutionary Girl Utena. The editorial evaluations are much harsher than McCarthy's The Anime Movie Guide: some of the most popular anime series in America--Tenchi, Evangelion, Ranma 1/2--receive sharp criticism. The result is a book that anime fans will either love or love to argue with. --Charles Solomon

Book Description

Bigger and better! Our first edition rocked the anime world with its in-depth entries on anime famous and obscure and its superb index/film finder. Now this fantastic book is 40 percent larger-with all-new entries on hundreds of anime released after 2001, updates on older entries, and over fifty thousand words on anime creators (like Tezuka and Otomo) and genres ("Early Anime," "Science Fiction and Robots," etc.). An absolute must-have for every anime shelf!

Customer Reviews:

Only as good as the latest edition.......2007-05-14

There haven't been any major format changes or content revisions since the prior edition. More content has simply been added, which is fine, I suppose.

It's a fun encyclopedia for browsing and perhaps stumbling across an anime you'd never heard of before. However, due to the haphazard and inconsistent amount of detail provided on each entry I wouldn't really recommend this as a serious research tool.

Bought it as a gift........2007-03-20

The friend I bought this book for has not put it done since.

I recommend this book especially if you are buying it as a gift and know nothing about Anime.

You cannot go wrong.

Good idea, bad execution.......2006-08-12

The idea of a book like this was a great one, and the fact is you are able to find out about a lot of anime in this book that are completely overlooked, not just by companies in the US, but fansubbers as well. The book sure is epic, and covers an absurd amount of stuff.

That said, this is a severly flawed book. First off, the amount of errors in this book is absurd. Its obvious that the authors are completely unfamiliar with many of the animes in this book, and have not seen many of them. Take just one example, Space Runaway Ideon, which contains by my count, 5 errors:
1)The book claims it has 38 episodes, it actually has 39.
2)The book claims the second movie recaps episodes 35 to 38, it actually recaps the final episode and then features all new footage
3)The book describes a character as a pilot when they are not one
4)The book states that multiple adults are children
5)The book claims one of the characters pilots the Ideon when they don't

Or how about Angel's Egg, which the book states is 101 minutes when its actually only 71 minutes? And the book states one of the characters kills themself when the character is shown clearly still alive at the end of the film.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, the book lumps entire franchises together, not giving them enough space. The various Gundam series for example are barely given a sentence since they're all grouped into one section.

The author's bias at times is absurd. For example, the labelling of every single mecha show after 1995 as an Eva ripoff, no matter how different the show is from Eva. They bash many shows with little to back up their argument.

I have a tough time recommending this one. Use the internet instead, you'll get more objective and factual help.

the seventh wonder of the anime world.......2004-11-05

if the first wonder of the anime world is astro boy

osamu tezuka the second

akira the third

hayao miyazaki the fourth

ninja scroll the fifth

ghost in the shell the sixth

then this book is the seventh.

full of useful and really appreciated information about the diverse and colorful world of anime. you'll get mostly everything you want to know about your favourite anime. from writer to director to animator to studios to the english and japanese titles and date of production.plus the enjoyable and amazing information of the cross-references. every few pages you turn in this book you discover an anime you saw ,heard about or looking for.which makes reading this book a long and very enjoyable read.

written by jonathan clements. a former editor of manga max magazine and contributing editor to the online edition of newtype.

and helen mccarthy .a founding editor of anime uk/fx magzine and subsequently editor of manga mania. she is also the author of anime! a beginners guide.which was the first english language book on the medium.

both authors won the japan festival award for outstanding contribution to the understanding of japanese culture.

the writers deserve more credit than the half page about the authors ,in the last page of this book.

this book is a cherished property no anime fan can resist owning.

the ultimate anime guide.......2004-02-13

This is the only one of my college text books that I hung onto last year when it was all over. Why? Because i love it so much. It has something contentious or fascinating to say about most of the anime in the world, and it draws the most incredible links; the authors really know their film, TV and popular culture references, which is a refreshing change from certain other authorities, who have either watched no anime at all, or nothing *but* anime. Either way Clements and McCarthy beat them all. Before this book, anime was a wasteland.

Product Description

A premium-quality rock guitar tablature book. Each tear-out page presents 5 stave systems, with the top staff for writing music in tablature. Blank chord grids are offered at the bottom of each page to further clarify the notation and tab for the beginner. Features tear-out sheets.

Book Description

Three Million Years. Infinite Dimensions. Unlimited Possibilities. Staggering drunkenly from the long-running BBC sci-fi comedy series, Red Dwarf - The Roleplaying Game brings all the fun, creativity and personal abuse of the TV show to a dining table near you! Play a Human, Hologram, Mechanoid, Gelf, Simulant, Evolved Pet, even a Skutter or a Wax Droid! Create your own alternate Red Dwarf dimension and scour the universe in search of adventure, romance and the edible pot noodle! -12 profiled character types with infinite variations. -Complete cinematic roleplaying system. -Ships, hardware & personnel listings. -Handy primer on roleplaying Red Dwarf. -AI section with valuable gameplay tips (pencils, standard dice and friends not included). Three-million years! Infinite dimensions! Unlimited possibilities! Staggering drunkenly from the long-running BBC sci-fi comedy series, Red Dwarf - The Roleplaying Game brings all the fun, creativity, and personal abuse of the TV show to the tabletop arena. Powered by the XPG system featuring easy, cinematic play, the Red Dwarf RPG boasts more than fourteen primary character types, profiles of the people, ships, and tech, a primer on comedy roleplaying for the novice, and numerous photographs and original artwork. The universe is vast, and you have no clean socks. If Earth is a small coin on your dining table, then you are somewhere over here - just outside Guam. That is to say, you're a long way from home (unless you live in Guam, in which case... oh, just bear with the analogy). In all likelihood, you are the last of your species, or close to it. Your companions are a bizarre collection of losers, drifters, madmen... even accountants! Well, probably not accountants. This isn't a horror game, after all, but you get the idea. Before you start shaking your head and muttering, "but I already hang out with losers, drifters and madmen," just remember these are wholly and entirely different losers, drifters and madmen... in space. Red Dwarf features: An intuitive character generation system, including odd personality quirks Integrated XPG system that supports the setting, not vice versa "Self-test" skill mechanics Skill-based character improvement Easy-to-learn combat system All the popular, and not so popular, worlds, creatures and items found in the TV series Supported at its source, with graphics, adventures and supplements, fiction and forum interaction

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended........2004-12-25

Deep7 publishing took on the nearly impossible task of converting the massive Red Dwarf universe of TV and making it into a fun RPG experience. Amazingly, they pull it off nearly flawlessly.

The game mechanics are designed in such a way that even a total novice can easily memorize them (unlike other, more complicated systems). This is not to say, however, that the game is overly simplistic. The depth of the game is such that experienced RP'ers will find enough material keep them engaged in the game.

I've run dozens of games using just this book and have never had a bad experience. Those new to the idea of role-playing love the comic nature of the game and the simplistic game mechanics. Long-time players will love the chance to really let loose with their characters and outrageous plot.

In short, buy this book. You won't regret it.

Average customer rating:

Red Dwarf RPG (Series Sourcebook)
Todd Downing
Manufacturer: Deep 7 / XPG
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Red Dwarf | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971082057

Product Description

Popular BBC Sci-Fi comedy, broken down into playabe elements.

Average customer rating:

Red Dwarf RPG AI Screen
Various
Manufacturer: Impressions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Red Dwarf | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971082049

Average customer rating:

Best Mutual Fund Book

Morningstar Funds 500: 2006 (Morningstar Funds 500)
Morningstar Inc.
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Morningstar ETFs 100: 2006 (Morningstar Etfs 100)

Morningstar Stocks 500: 2007

Morningstar Funds 500: 2007 (Morningstar Funds 500)

Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: Five-Star Strategies for Success (Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds)

Find the Right Mutual Fund: Morningstar Mutual Fund Investing Workbook, Level 1

ASIN: 0471743364

Book Description

Stewardship Grade Easily find funds that put you first

Star Rating Quickly see how well a fund has balanced risk and return

Historical Style Boxes See if a fund has invested consistently from year to year

Over 50 Investment Categories Put together diversified portfolios, assess potential risk, and spot top funds within peer groups

Manager Profile Know the qualifications of the people who are running each fund

Results for up to 12 Years Easily evaluate a fund's performance

Portfolio Holdings Review the top 20 holdings for each fund to see the securities that drive the performance

Investment Style Boxes Quickly determine if a fund's true investment strategy matches your goal

Tax Analysis Tax-adjusted returns and potential capital-gains exposure help you decide whether a fund is best suited as a tax-deferred or taxable investment

Analysis Get independent insight into how and why a fund is a good choice—or a poor one

Sector Weightings Avoid overconcentration in certain areas of the economy

Expenses, Fees, Addresses, Phone Numbers Find everything you need to obtain more information before you invest in a fund

Year-end fund reports from the world's foremost mutual fund expert

In this completely new reference guide, you'll find the best information and independent opinion available on 500 of the largest and most popular mutual funds—the very funds you likely own or follow. Morningstar's Fund Reports are the industry standard and are trusted by financial professionals nationwide. Have a look inside to see how Morningstar's independent analysis, ratings, and detailed data can help you make better fund-investing decisions.

This book can help you:

Position your portfolio for a big 2006
Steer clear of "me-first" management
Start a new portfolio

You'll also benefit from:

Morningstar's exclusive Analyst Picks
An expanded management section
Incisive, independent analysis

For nearly 20 years, Morningstar has helped individuals and financial advisors make better investment decisions. Our information and analysis is trusted and independent, and provide a level of insight unavailable from other sources.

For more information about other Morningstar products and services visit us online at www.morningstar.com.

Customer Reviews:

Best Mutual Fund Book.......2006-06-17

This is the fourth edition of this book that I have purchased. It comes out yearly and lists the 500 funds (stock and bond) that morningstar beleives are the best risked adjusted funds we should invest in.

Pros: The book has all of the information you need to evaluate each fund, including analyst's advice. You cannot go wrong if you on the funds in this book. It would be hard to find one with a ten year losing recod.

Cons: Reading mutual fund technical stuff puts be to sleep.

Morningstar Stocks 500: 2006 (Morningstar Stocks 500)

Average customer rating:

If you are interested in buying individual stocks, this is a good place to spend some of your research time and money
A great resource to supplement your research
Excellent tool for the patient investor
Let Experts pick the winners for you !

Morningstar Stocks 500: 2006 (Morningstar Stocks 500)
Morningstar Inc.
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0471743348

Book Description

Star Rating Indicates if the stock is overvalued, undervalued, or fairly priced

Morningstar Fair Value Our analysts' estimate of the stock's fair value price

Buy/Sell Prices Incorporating a margin of safety, we give our estimate of when you should buy—or sell

Major Competitors How the company stacks up against its main rivals

Business Risk Each stock's risk is rated as below average, average, or above average

Moat Size A measure of the company's competitive advantages

Morningstar Style Box A snapshot of the company's size and value or growth characteristics

Expanded Management Section Even more information about the backgrounds and strategies of top management teams

Stewardship Grade An easy way to tell if management is working for you or itself

Price History Five years of price history and the stock's strength relative to the S&P 500

Five-Year Financial History Key measures for the past five years and trailing 12 months

Valuation Ratios How the stock measures up to its industry and the S&P 500

Major Fund Holders Which funds have big percentages of their assets in this stock

Morningstar Grades A snapshot of the company's growth, profitability, and financial health

Thesis Our independent opinion of the company, including detailed analysis of its strengths and weaknesses

Let our stock research help you find tomorrow's winners today

Morningstar's independent analysis and exclusive tools can help you easily find the best companies at the best prices. The Morningstar Rating for stocks helps you spot companies that are undervalued. Our Consider Buying/Consider Selling prices provide the benchmarks you need in order to make informed buying and selling decisions. Our Stewardship Grades lead you to managers who value shareholders. And our easy-to-use one-page report format allows you to compare stocks head-to-head.

This book can help you:

Start a new portfolio
Position your portfolio for a big 2006
Find this year's best values

You'll also benefit from:

Tips for picking great companies
Guidance on the best and worst management
Trends to watch in 2006

For nearly 20 years, Morningstar has helped individuals and financial planners make better investment decisions. Our information and analysis is trusted and independent, and provide a level of insight unavailable from other sources.

For more information about other Morningstar products and services visit us online at www.morningstar.com.

Customer Reviews:

If you are interested in buying individual stocks, this is a good place to spend some of your research time and money.......2007-03-02

There is an old saying that people spend more time studying which refrigerator to buy than how they invest for their retirement. It is a sad saying because it is probably true in more cases than we would like to admit. There is also an awful lot of evidence that people are more often better off with a very low cost index fund than in picking stocks or even investing in mutual funds. Why? Because over the long haul, there aren't many who can consistently provide higher than market returns. And it is even more difficult to identify who those folks will be in advance.

Still, it is nice to look for the next Microsoft, or to figure out when it would be a good time to get into a good company. What too many people do is buy after the run has started and they end up providing capital gains possibilities for others. You may have heard of the greater fool theory. If not, feel free to email me and I can explain it to you.

While the web is full of information about companies, one has to do an awful lot of analysis and develop one's own perspectives about when to buy, when to hold, and when to sell. Again, during the learning curve one makes it possible for others to make money by taking your hard earned money away from you in transaction costs and in helping you buy high and sell low.

This terrific book has several virtues for the person wanting to buy some stock in companies that are likely to be good. However, the authors don't simply list 500 stocks and say, "Have at it." Far from it. They provide a very interesting page on each one of the companies and that page is crammed full of valuable information.

The obvious eye catcher are the star ratings. However, they do not say whether or not this is a sound company. Morningstar uses its star ratings to communicate the relative attractiveness of the company as an investment at its (then) current price given all the other aspects of its condition and position. I also appreciate the fair value price (the discounted cash flow value divided by the number of outstanding shares as Morningstar has evaluated their likely future cash flows). The last close, consider buy, consider sell, and yield are also interesting indicators for a person trying to understand that company.

Morningstar also provides a brief summary of the business, a rating of the stewardship of present management and why they gave that rating. There is also a good amount of historical financial information, ratios, competitors, comparisons of financial performance to those competitors, and about a third of a page "thesis" on the condition and prospects of that company as the named Morningstar analyst sees it on the date given for that article.

There are also about fifty pages of interesting short articles at the front of the book that explain these reports to the reader, the thinking behind some of their concepts like the competitive moat size. These pages also provide all the companies simply by name. Some are also singled out for being attractive and other for not being least attractive. The companies are also presented by sector and also the performance of various market sectors are also given. The back of the book has a helpful glossary.
Now, we all know that financial information becomes dated very quickly. So, Morningstar provides access to their online services that have more up to date information. When you buy this book you get access to fifty reports you can download at no additional cost before the end of December 2007. This is a very nice way to overcome the aging factor of the information in a book.

Still, this book is a wonderful study for anyone wanting to learn more about any of these 500 companies, business students, and prep work for folks getting ready to invest. It is quite interesting to compare what Morningstar thought months ago and what current markets have shown about those judgments.

A very useful and helpful book. Morningstar also offers other books in this series for bonds and mutual funds.

A great resource to supplement your research.......2006-12-21

It's best to do your own research first, but of course a second opinion can never hurt. That's how I used this book for most part, but also got some ideas. I used this book for an experiment; I made up a mock porfolio of stocks I had done research on, and then took 16 totally random companies that this pick had rated with 5 stars, which is the highest rating. 12 of the 16 companies made money, while 4 didn't. Over 9 months, I gained about 10.5%, which doesn't factor in dividends, or fees for that matter. On the other hand, the stocks that I had actually researched, did about the same, 10%.

Overall, the book gets a 4.5. They strike a good balance between information, and quantity of top stocks. A beginner may not enjoy this book off the bat, because there are no explanations of the numbers, but after you learn a few things, the rest falls into place. They have the basic numbers for all the companies listed, but certainly, by the time the book comes out, those numbers will have changed, and at years' end, they will most likely be quite different. The vital info is across the top, and makes for quick reference.

Do your own research, use this book for a second opinion. Morningstar is without a doubt one of the most trusted names in the business.

Excellent tool for the patient investor.......2006-03-09

This is without doubt an excellent starting point for investors (traders beware, this is of not much use to you!). By using traditional value analysis and their own business model analysis, Morningstar provides a "fair/intrisinc value" along with what it considers are "Buy below" and "Sell above" prices. In addition, the analysts assign a "moat" for the company reflecting its competitive advantage. Based on the current price and the fair value, the analysts provide star ratings for each stock. The book provides all this information and more for 500 stocks. The early parts of the book provide information on their methodology. The book also organizes their stocks into the sectors and according to different parameters such as price/earnings ratio, etc. While 500 stocks may be considered to be too big a sample for a "short list" for investments, it is still extremely valuable. For the price, no other source can provide such detailed, independent research. A must buy for any investor.

Let Experts pick the winners for you !.......2006-02-04

Morningstar grades the stocks in its universe with one to five stars. This book has one page overviews of the best 500 stocks in that universe, rated and discussed in some detail.

Morningstar uses a "value investor" approach to stock evaluation.

I use this book in conjunction with Morningstar's StockInvestor newsletter, and I am pleased with the results.

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