Sissi, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria (Albums)

Customer Reviews:

Helpful Guide.......2002-12-04

Hamann's little book on Elisabeth has some great pictures and a fairly good accounting of Sissi's life. This is a good starter book, if you're just curious about her. But if you're looking for the who shebang, I'd go with Joan Haslip's "The Lonely Empress" which is much more detailed and gives a more all-inclusive look into Elisabeth's life and the people who were a part of it.

Great book!.......2000-04-13

A wonderfully illustrated book with a short but complete biography. The text is written by acclaimed historian Brigitte Hamann and is accurate though sometimes overly simplified by comparison to her 500+ pages biography about Empress Elisabeth. A very good book which shows another side of Elisabeth of Austria and a must for every admirer of Sissi.

Nice book with great photos, but rather biased historically........1999-03-06

A nice little book. Great photos, however, when compared to contemporary commentaries by person's whom actually knew the Empress this book seems a bit biased toward the "official" and "political" interpretation of Sissi's life, personality and problems. I have kept it for the lovely photos. I prefer to garner a less biased history from a myriad of other sources.

Excellent, proper perspective of a legend!.......1998-08-24

Excellent reading, appropriate for both the novice in history as well as the versed reader.

Well written, easy to read and put in the proper historical perspective, recommendable to all!!

Average customer rating:
La resurrección de Sissí. (aprecio popular de emperatriz Elisabeth de Austria-Hungría)(TT: The resurrection of Sissí) (TA: popular appreciation of empress ... of Austria-Hungary): An article from: Epoca
Maite Alfageme
Manufacturer: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00098D8R0
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on September 21, 1998. The length of the article is 1427 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: La resurrección de Sissí. (aprecio popular de emperatriz Elisabeth de Austria-Hungría)(TT: The resurrection of Sissí) (TA: popular appreciation of empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary)
Author: Maite Alfageme
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 21, 1998
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Issue: n708 Page: p42(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Sissi, das Ungarmadel: Tatsachen, Irrtumer, Vermutungen

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Sissi, das Ungarmadel: Tatsachen, Irrtumer, Vermutungen
Anni Stern-Braunberg
Manufacturer: Verlag Osterreich
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3704611824

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Sissi, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria
Grigitte Hamann
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NSGSDC

Sissi: Elisabetta d'Austria : l'impossibile altrove

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Sissi: Elisabetta d'Austria : l'impossibile altrove

Manufacturer: Silvana
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 8882152367

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"If you consider baseball to be sports theater, a drama played out in green cathedrals," suggests Loverro in this spirited exploration of how one ballpark changed the essential experience of the fans and a city's image of itself, "then Camden Yards has become the stage for the game." Indeed it has, and the model for things to come as well. In the first half of his Camden yarn, Loverro reconstructs the complex thinking and planning that went into creating the archetype of new-wave retro ballparks. As he examines the confluence of events (including the remarkable collaboration between baseball and Baltimore) required to raise a mecca for the game and a renaissance for a city in decline, he also offers a smartly concise history of stadium evolution and shows the influence Camden Yards has had on every park built since. The book's second half is devoted to memorable moments on the field itself--none, of course, more dramatic and inspirational than the thrilling 1995 series against the Angels in which Cal Ripkin tied and then broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game streak. It was an event that first stirred baseball from its poststrike doldrums, a high drama played out on a stage that seemed custom-built for its very occasion. --Jeff Silverman

Customer Reviews:

Angelos Apologism Mars This!.......1999-11-03

The story of the construction of Camden Yards is well-told and there are also some good accounts of Baltimore Oriole history since the park opened, particularly the controversy surrounding Cito Gaston's refusal to let Mike Mussina pitch during the 1993 All Star Game.

I was very surprised though to discover as I read, that author Loverro is the biggest apologist for Oriole owner Peter Angleos on the face of the earth. Every one of Angelos's actions that have helped turn the Orioles into a lousy team today are defended at every turn for all intents and purposes. I really can not figure out Loverro's defense of Angelos overriding GM Pat Gillick who wanted to trade Bobby Bonilla and David Wells during the 96 season. Sure, Baltimore got to an ALCS where they got outclassed by a superior Yankee team, but what Loverro fails to grasp is that the Orioles mortgaged their future way too much in going for a postseason where they had little chance of going all the way.

I would love to see an Orioles beat reporter one day write a defninitve history of the Angelos years, one that recognizes how Angelos today acts more like George Steinbrenner than Steinbrenner himself. This book unfortunately, despite its virtues in other areas, isn't it.

Book Description

When someone offered Michael DiPaolo $5,000 to help make a Digital Video horror film, he jumped at the chance to test a theory: an ultra-low budget feature, shot in less than a week, with a paid cast and crew, could be successful if meticulously planned. Using one computer and one camcorder, he produced and edited Daddy, which had its theatrical premier in New York City in 2004.

This book breaks down the production through a detailed daily diary, emphasizing that the most important aspects of successful producing are careful planning and camaraderie in the group. The work covers many points important for the low-budget filmmaker, including selecting a story; budgeting; scheduling; picking cast and crew; scouting locations; finding wardrobe, food, and transportation; and what to do if you run out of time or money. Postproduction is also covered (editing, computer work, and sound design), as is the result of all this hard work: screenings, festivals, and distributors. One chapter covers the primacy of cinematic point-of-view, and another profiles some role models for the aspiring low-budget filmmaker: Edgar Ulmer, Val Lewton, Roger Corman, John Cassavetes, Ed Wood, Jr., and Jean-Luc Godard. Later chapters explain strategy and tactics of guerrilla filmmaking and show the budding filmmaker how to recognize both his limitations and his strengths.

Customer Reviews:

DESERVES A NEGATIVE.......2006-11-04

1: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
2: THIS BOOK IS TOTAL CRAP!
3: A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME!
4: THE HORROR IS ITS PATHETIC WRITING AND EDITING!
5: HAVE YOU HEARD OR SEEN THE MOVIE THAT THIS WAS "BASED" ON? IF YOU HAVE THEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN FOR A PILE OF SELF-RIGHTEOUS DUNG!!!
6: GET SOMETHING ELSE.
7: GET SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!!!! PLEASE!

The Gigli of Filmmaking Books.......2006-03-28

This book was overly general regarding all aspects of filmmaking it covered. It might give someone completely new to the subject an idea of the difficulties to be faced, along with some idea of how they can be solved, but nothing of any real value.

Of the more than 200 pages in the book, only about 33 were actually devoted to the "six day horror movie."

There are many grammatical and copy editing problems. I kept thinking this was a self-published vanity book, but it in fact was just poorly edited by the publisher

The photos in the book are poor quality black and white stills from "Daddy," the previously mentioned film that was barely profiled in the book, and the photos don't seem to serve any purpose. There are a few illustrations (two or three, I think), but they're nothing really more than scribbles to illustrate a couple of rock bottom basic camera blocking concepts.

Thankfully, I bought this book using a gift card. Even though I didn't spend my own money on this, I felt ripped off. You could easily buy three quality filmmaking books for the price of this one.

Caveat emptor.

Book Description

Here David Oshinsky tells the gripping story of the polio terror and of the intense effort to find a cure, from the March of Dimes to the discovery of the Salk and Sabin vaccines--and beyond. Drawing on newly available papers of Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin and other key players, Oshinsky paints a suspenseful portrait of the race for the cure, weaving a dramatic tale centered on the furious rivalry between Salk and Sabin. He also tells the story of Isabel Morgan, perhaps the most talented of all polio researchers, who might have beaten Salk to the prize if she had not retired to raise a family. Oshinsky offers an insightful look at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which was founded in the 1930s by FDR and Basil O'Connor, it revolutionized fundraising and the perception of disease in America. Oshinsky also shows how the polio experience revolutionized the way in which the government licensed and tested new drugs before allowing them on the market, and the way in which the legal system dealt with manufacturers' liability for unsafe products. Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, Oshinsky reveals that polio was never the raging epidemic portrayed by the media, but in truth a relatively uncommon disease. But in baby-booming America--increasingly suburban, family-oriented, and hygiene-obsessed--the specter of polio, like the specter of the atomic bomb, soon became a cloud of terror over daily life. Both a gripping scientific suspense story and a provocative social and cultural history, Polio opens a fresh window onto postwar America.

Customer Reviews:

Worthy of Attention.......2007-09-04

This is a solid treatment of the popular history of polio in the US and the process of discovering and implementing an effective vaccine. The book is quite strong on the history and political machinations involved, but I would like to have seen a bit more detail on the science side. From a 2007 vantage point, it is difficult to appreciate the fear and helplessness that polio visited on children of the 20's through 50's, and the book does a good job painting a vivid and believable picture. For example, there is a detailed treatment of an outbreak in Hickory, NC, near my hometown, that I later discussed with people I knew of that age in the area, all of whom confirmed so much of what the book had to say.

Also a very strong treatment of the development of disease-related fundraising "business" in the US, and FDR's very significant role in the formation of the March of Dimes and the popularization of popular, mass-based philanthropy in the US. That treatment alone would justify reading the book.

Riveting. You Won't Put it Down!.......2007-09-04

Horrifying (entombment in an iron lung); uplifting (the indomitable human spirit); suspenseful (which tortoise won?); and forboding (the origin of AIDS?). Riveting. You won't put it down!

Remember the Sugar Cubes.......2007-08-11

As someone born in the mid-50's, I found this to be a fascinating history of the conquering of polio and learn that my generation was one of the first recipients of that benefits of the years of effort that resulted in teh vaccine.

Polio: An American Story presents various sides of this undertaking touching on science, history, mystery, philanthropy, politics and human emotion. It is a wonderful read and helped me understand the people and energy behind how the sugar cube with the pink dot that I consumed in the early 60's came about.

Compelling reading.......2007-07-28

As an adult old enough to remember the infamous 'polio summers' of the early 1950s, the Salk vs. Sabin vaccine controversies and the massive Salk vaccine trials in the summer of 1954, I knew before I opened this book that it would interest me. What I did not expect was that I would be riveted by a quintessentially American story spanning the twists and turns of American medicine, science, advertising, politics, celebrity, and culture in the 20th century as these were influenced by the ongoing polio crisis.

The book is highly readable, clearly explaining the killed (Salk) vs. live (Sabin) vaccine arguments together with the ironic twists of scientific innovation that led first to the abandonment of the Salk vaccine in favor of the Sabin vaccine and later to the replacement of the Sabin vaccine with the Salk. In a sense, both men won the vaccine competition and both men also lost the competition.

The book clarifies important role that polio, described by the enormously successful March of Dimes as a children's disease (although it struck FDR at age 39), played in turning the US into the intensely child-oriented society we live in today. The profound impact of the March of Dimes on the world of advertising also makes for compelling reading.

Even if you are too young to have personally experienced the polio battle, the picture of the US at mid-century is not to be missed since it contributed so much to who as a society we are now. Highly recommended.

Pretty good.......2007-07-24

This book was interesting and held my attention. It glosses over some things in order to focus on the personalities and politics of the time. For example, the author makes the point several times that polio was a disease that hit more affluent families harder than poorer families... and hit cleaner homes harder than dirtier homes... yet, I still don't know why. It never really talked about the disease itself (how it's transmitted, etc), other than to touch on its paralytic effects. It felt somewhat unfinished.

The Virus and the Vaccine: The True Story of a Cancer-Causing Monkey Virus, Contaminated Polio Vaccine, and the Millions of Americans Exposed

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If You Liked This Book...
And our government wants us to trust them?
This Book Should Be Required Reading For ALL Doctors, Lawyers, Parents and High School Students.
The Virus and the Vaccine
Good Condition

The Virus and the Vaccine: The True Story of a Cancer-Causing Monkey Virus, Contaminated Polio Vaccine, and the Millions of Americans Exposed
Debbie Bookchin , and Jim Schumacher
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312278721

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Past tragedies caused by "miracle drugs" have taught the public to approach cures with caution, and vaccines, in particular, have come under public scrutiny. In The Virus and the Vaccine, journalists Debbie Bookchin and Jim Schumacher uncover the true tale of the polio vaccine and its past and present dangers. Like many medical detective stories before it, this book starts with a chilling anecdote, then flashes back to slowly set the stage for disaster. Baby boomers who only know Jonas Salk and his virus-fighting colleagues as heroes will be disturbed at how some of them downplayed concerns about a monkey virus called SV40 that was present in the polio vaccine. The links between SV40 and human cancer took a long time to define, and breakthroughs in molecular biology made the job more realistic in later decades. Nevertheless, Bookchin and Schumacher argue that a biased scientific bureaucracy in combination with a desperate public and money-hungry pharmaceutical! companies fostered the use of a vaccine that may have increased cancer risk. "The vast majority of baby boomers--almost all of whom received polio vaccine in the late 1950s and early 1960s--have potentially been exposed to the virus," they write. But baby boomers aren't the only ones at risk. The authors reveal that Lederle Laboratories continued to produce potentially contaminated oral polio vaccines well into the 1990s. Although the authors point fingers of blame at some specific targets, they carefully balance their accusations with reminders that public demands for cures must be balanced with careful assessment of new medical treatments. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Jonas Salk's polio vaccine has taken on an almost legendary quality as a medical miracle, for it largely eradicated one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century. But the story of the vaccine has a dark side, one that has never been fully told before....Between 1954 and 1963, close to 98 million Americans received polio vaccinations contaminated with a carcinogenic monkey virus, now known as SV40. A concerted government effort downplayed the incident, and it was generally accepted that although oncogenic to laboratory animals, SV40 was harmless to humans. But now SV40 in showing up in human cancers, and prominent researchers are demanding a serious public health response to this forgotten polio vaccine contaminant. A gripping medical detective story, The Virus and the Vaccine raises major questions about vaccine policy.

Customer Reviews:

If You Liked This Book..........2007-09-16

If you enjoyed reading this book, I suggest you also read The River, by Edward Hooper. Hoopers book posits a similar Frankensteinesque consequence of the race for a polio vaccine: the emergence of HIV in central Africa resulting from a batch of experimental polio vaccine, created in Zaire, using infected monkey kidneys.

And our government wants us to trust them?.......2007-02-12

This book shows just how much the corporations and even our own government do not care about you or me, they care about continuing their domination of our lives and making money.

I've likely had the polio shot that is described in this book, and you probably have too, it was around for four DECADES.

My mother fell into the years where the first horrible joke of a vaccine was first introduced in the United States by Jonas Salk, and she died from ALS in 1995. Maybe there is no connection, Lord knows there are other toxins in our world that could have been responsible, but was it their right to continue to vaccinate us with trash viruses from monkey kidneys? Is this the US or Hitler's Germany?

This book is meticulously researched and written. It's the one book I've run across on vaccines that none of the "pro-vaccine" people I've talked to have been able to debunk.

If you haven't already read this book, do so. It's scary, but I would rather know than not know.

And these are some of the same type of corporations currently pushing for legislation for the HPV vaccine to be mandatory - I don't trust them, do you?

Someone remarked in a previous review that this was a horrible mistake -- no, it wasn't. A mistake is when you shut your finger in the door and then realize how and why you did it, so that it doesn't happen again. This was calculated crime, in my opinion, by the "powers that are" on millions of Americans. They knew it was there [SV40] and they made choices to leave it there. What other viruses are in there that no one has found, or even bothered to look for?

This Book Should Be Required Reading For ALL Doctors, Lawyers, Parents and High School Students. .......2006-05-21

The other reviews have more than expressed the high level of journalism these authors have attained. Suffice it to say they should be inundated with movie offers by now. This is indeed the most compelling read in a very long time.
It is appalling to know just how reckless (and criminal) the vaccine programs really are and how deep the disregard for the public health. I promptly sent "Virus and the Vaccine" to a friend who is a top cancer specialist, to get an outside opinion. He too was blown away, horrified and found the book a powerful read. If your here and wondering if you should get this book..YES READ THIS BOOK. You will not regret it.
It is my opinion that the authors have done a great service to this country (and humanity) by dedicating their talents and time to uncovering this outrageous tale of woe. A Nobel Prize might just be in order! I am buying this book in lots, and sending copies to the most influential people I know (and my family). Bravo! S.A. Sarnoff, Founder & Pres. Health Advocacy in the Public Interest, Santa Barbara CA

The Virus and the Vaccine.......2006-03-25

This book is a frightening expose of the potential damage done to millions of unsuspecting Americans who were receiptents of polio vaccines that may have been carelessly contaminated with monkey virus that somehow eluded the best intended manufacturing processes of that day.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning for themselves whether vaccines may have caused more harm than good over decades of use. Let us hope the authors are wrong, because if they are right, the harm done will be uncomprehensible.

Good Condition.......2005-08-02

One of the basis for reading is to read a book in good condition.

Thanks to all those who sell and share their books.

March + Polio : An American Story + Imperial Reckoning : The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya + Late Wife + American Prometheus : The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (THE 2006 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - Limited SIGNED Edition, FICTION + NON-FICTION + BIOGRAPHY + HISTORY + POETRY)

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March + Polio : An American Story + Imperial Reckoning : The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya + Late Wife + American Prometheus : The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (THE 2006 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - Limited SIGNED Edition, FICTION + NON-FICTION + BIOGRAPHY + HISTORY + POETRY)
Geraldine Brooks , David M. Oshinsky , Caroline Elkins , Claudia Emerson , Kai Bird , and Martin J. Sherwin
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000JI6YGC

Product Description

This 5 volume matched set is a Limited Edition of 2006 Pulitzer Prize winners and each volume is signed by the respective author.

POLIO : An American Story (THE 2006 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - Limited SIGNED Edition, HISTORY)

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POLIO : An American Story (THE 2006 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - Limited SIGNED Edition, HISTORY)
David M. Oshinsky
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000JI8J38

Polio: An American Story (2006 Pulitzer Price Winners Set)

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Polio: An American Story (2006 Pulitzer Price Winners Set)
David Oshinsky
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000KW8COY

Product Description

Brand new! LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold!

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The Virus and the Vaccine: The True Story of a Cancer-Causing Monkey Virus, Contaminated Polio Vaccine, and the Millions of Americans Exposed
Debbie / Schumacher, Jim Bookchin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTAKKC

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Starting Place.......2000-04-16

Although some of the techniques in this book are outdated, it is one of the best books I have found that teaches the foundations of 3D computer graphics. Despite having newer references, such as The Zen of Graphics Programming, by Michael Abrash, I often find myself going back to this book to debug my applications and to develop new techniques for 3D graphics.

This book starts with the most basic methods for 3D graphics, and goes through step by step optimizations, ending with the code for a flight simulator. With the understanding of 3D graphics that this book provides, one can confidently tackle the more advanced 3D techniques used in Quake, Quake 2, and beyond.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Message. Sweeps some exceptions (particularly those noted herein) under the rug.

Disappointed Purchaser

A reality check for the long term investor

A Random Walk

Index oriented

A Random Walk Down Wall Street Seventh Edition
Burton G. Malkiel
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need

Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk

The Random Walk Guide to Investing: Ten Rules for Financial Success

The Intelligent Asset Allocator: How to Build Your Portfolio to Maximize Returns and Minimize Risk

ASIN: 0393320405

Amazon.com

It's unlikely that you'll spot many dog-eared copies of A Random Walk floating amongst the Wall Street set (although bookshelves at home may prove otherwise). After all, a "random walk"--in market terms--suggests that a "blindfolded monkey" would have as much luck selecting a portfolio as a pro. But Burton Malkiel's classic investment book is anything but random. Since stock prices cannot be predicted in the short term, argues Malkiel, individual investors are better off buying and holding onto index funds than meddling with securities or actively managing mutual funds. Not only will a broad range of index funds outperform a professionally managed portfolio in the long run, but investors can avoid expense charges and trading costs, which decrease returns.

First published in 1973, this seventh printing of a A Random Walk looks forward and does so broadly, examining a new range of investment choices facing the turn-of-the-century investor: money-market accounts, tax-exempt funds, Roth IRAs, and equity REITs, as well as the potential benefits and pitfalls of the emerging global economy. In his updated "life-cycle guide to investing," Malkiel offers age-related investment strategies that consider one's capacity for risk. (A 30-year-old who can depend on wages to offset investment losses has a different risk capacity from a 60-year-old.) In his assessment of rocketing Internet stocks, Malkiel defends his "random" position well, explaining how "the market eventually corrects any irrationality--albeit in its own slow, inexorable fashion. Anomalies can crop up, markets can get irrationally optimistic, and often they attract unwary investors. But eventually, true value is recognized by the market, and this is the main lesson investors must heed." Written for the financial layperson but bolstered by 30 years of research, A Random Walk will help individual investors take charge of their financial future. Recommended. --Rob McDonald

Book Description

This gimmick-free, irreverent, and vastly informative guide--with over half a million copies sold--shows how to navigate the turbulence on Wall Street and beat the pros at their own game. Skilled at puncturing financial bubbles and other delusions of the Wall Street crowd, Burton Malkiel shows why a broad portfolio of stocks selected at random will match the performance of one carefully chosen by experts. Taking a shrewd look at the high-tech boom and its aftermath, Malkiel shows how to maximize gains and minimize losses in this era of electronic brokers, virtual gurus, and flashy investment vehicles. Learn how to analyze the potential returns, not only for stocks and bonds, but for the full range of investment opportunities, from money market accounts and real estate investment trusts to insurance, home owning, and tangible assets like gold and collectibles. Decode the rating game for mutual funds and discover the unique advantages of index mutual funds over the wide range of riskier alternatives. Year in and year out the best investing guide money can buy, this enhanced edition includes an update of Malkiel's famous "Life-Cycle Guide to Investing," showing how to match an investment strategy to your stage in life.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Message. Sweeps some exceptions (particularly those noted herein) under the rug........2007-10-02

Particularly in a day and age where mutual funds are often touting themselves on the television, this book has an excellent, largely unbiased message for the average investor: buy low cost index funds and stay in them for the long haul.

The book is exceptionally well written, covering most of the lessons of an introductory to intermediate finance course in a very accessible format (i.e. all the right *ideas* without the confusing math). He utilizes dozens of powerful examples and good data to show that his basic premise, despite now being 30 years old, is sound. Due to its theoretical strength and accessible style, this book could be of particular value to Undergrad Business and MBA students who find the professor's academic approach to an Introductory Finance course confusing. Get the big picture here, making the math just that much easier to follow. (5 stars for making difficult financial concepts readable and interesting)

Despite my strong recommendation for both his message and style, the book does have some drawbacks. Number one is that he has clearly taken a side on the issue and has thrown impartiality to the wind. Regularly, the author depends on "transaction costs" (the cost to trade) to ensure that a trading strategy cannot beat his preferred portfolio (implying that it would have succeeded without the transaction costs). This "sweeps under the rug" several clear counter-examples to the basic efficient market thesis in order to reinforce his index-investment message. While I understand his reasoning for doing so -- a desire not to encourage investment in high cost funds or heaven forbid day trading -- it does lead to some skepticism about his willingness to admit any possibility that his thesis has weaknesses. To that end, I would discourage readers who are familiar with CAPM and efficient-markets from reading the book (2 stars as a brush up).

In the end, however, I think the message is sound. Rather than cite trading costs, I think the message can effectively be said another way: If you spent 5h a day investigating stocks, what are the odds that you can beat a professional manager? If a manager has a staff of 20 that invest 8h per day investigating stocks, what are the odds that they're going to beat the whole financial services industry? If the whole industry is taking advantage of every opportunity to profit from small deviations, and you're going to pay a manager most if not all of that profit anyway, investing in an index basically gets you the benefit of thousands of mutual funds and investment bankers without the cost of any of them (or of your time to do research).

With qualifications to the highly technical reader, who should pass on the book, I can't, in good conscience, fail to give this book 5 stars for a profoundly valuable message targeted at the individual investor.

Disappointed Purchaser.......2007-09-13

This is an excellent book, well written and informative. I highly recommend it. I ordered this book in July. I have a 1990 version of the book in my library but wanted the latest version. Imagine my disappointment when I completed most of the book and discovered that this was the 2003 version and not the 2007 version. You'll notice Amazon makes no distinction.

A reality check for the long term investor .......2007-08-21

Malkiel provides convincing arguments for the efficient markets theory accessible to the economically illiterate and gives some useful tips on how to invest for the long term in a world in which securities move in a random walk.

Even if you're already familiar with the theory of financial markets this book is still a worthwhile read because of the oftentimes satirical depiction of the very human reality behind the graphs and numbers.
For a book about the world of investing it is therefore anything but dull. Stories about the tulip mania and the .com revolution make for amusing reading and his writing style is very entertaining.

A Random Walk.......2007-08-09

Outstanding. I don't know why I waited so long to read this. It answered a lot of questions I had for a long time.

Index oriented.......2007-08-08

Intersting read but talks of index funds all the time. I need to more to be successful at stock market.

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