Tim Ferro

Relax people, this is about the book featured on my favorite show: Californication. I would describe it as similar to Catcher in the Rye but over a longer period of time. If you are a fan of the show, it will help explain season 1 where this book is turned into a movie and Hank hates it. Though it was contrived completely as a tie-in to the show, it is a decent and short read. As fiction goes, it’s right up my alley as I also like The Cosmic Burrito and want to read Chronic City. This is a bit of a scatter brained review but I liked the book and would recommend it if you liked any of the other 3 books I have referenced or if you watch the show. If you don’t, start watching and read the book!

– Tim Ferro

So I was out of town with only a couple of books and I ended up reading a ton and finished them rather quick, so I picked up the nearest book that looked interesting. My sister had read the book previously and I read an excerpt while visiting her, so I thought ‘what the heck’, and began reading.

It’s not long and though it’s heavy on the Veganism, it’s still an entertaining and interesting read. I could not believe all of the things it reported about the meat, dairy, and sugar substitute industries. It was eye opening. No, I am not turning into a Vegan but I am glad I know all the information. Even if you don’t change a thing, it’s still good to know all the facts. This was interesting enough that I am reading the book for males called Skinny Bastard.

– Tim Ferro

As a prerequisite to reading this book, first read Jim Cramer’s Stay Mad for Life. Once you have gotten a solid hold on your finances and retirement, then you are ready for this book.

Yes the market tanked. Yes we got screwed by others’ mistakes. Yes the market is less reliable than it ever has been. No, you should not take your money elsewhere. Now is the time to be in the market, and this is the book that will tell and show you how. Jim Cramer’s Getting Back to Even is the must read financial book of 2010 for every investor.

Jim lays out his financial advice in easy to follow steps and tells the real deal about the market. I have incorporated his advice into my own portfolio and have already seen gains. My advice is to read the whole book and latch on to certain investing strategies that can help short and long term. For the advanced investor, the chapter on options is a MUST READ. Once explained, it is both simple and genius. Long term, Jim’s advice on high dividend stocks and China are crucial to your strategy.

This book will help you make more money than any other book you read this year so move it to the top of your reading list!

– Tim Ferro

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana

Truer words were never spoken, especially on the topic of credit and debt. In Jack Cashill’s Popes & Bankers: A Cultural History of Credit and Debt, from Aristotle to AIG, Cashill educates, entertains and enlightens the readers with numerous historical stories about the progression of credit and debt starting with Aristotle and ending with the epic failure of AIG.

This must read book will give everyone a new perspective on the history of credit, debt, and finance. If you want to know how we got into this most recent crisis, this book will not only explain that but also the thousands of years that led up to it. I could not believe how many times history has repeated itself. The most in depth parts of the book dealt with American financial history and the chapters about the foundation of the Federal Reserve and J.P. Morgan were especially interesting.

This book is incredibly well written and researched. Cashill’s style, though he utilizes his massive vocabulary, is easy to read and understand. This book is for both finance buffs and history buffs. I enjoyed every chapter and back story.

– Tim Ferro

I like finance. I like finance a lot. I like it more than most people. I like it enough to go out and read a book titled: The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means by George Soros. But I really struggled through over half of this book. Soros is a brilliant financial mind but he spends over half of this book extolling his personal theory on human sociology and how that relates to financial markets and creates a “super bubble”. Early in the book, when he says to skip ahead, do it. Trust me.

Now the parts of the book, though brief, that deal with the topics depicted in the title of the book are very good but it left me wanting more. A follow up sequel is desperately needed as the book leaves off during the peak of the financial crisis of 2008. I respect George Soros and I know that he is definitely a financial genius but I just cannot recommend this book. A second edition or sequel would possibly change my mind; in fact, I volunteer to ghost write it with him. If you do pick up this book, I suggest you skip ahead where he suggests you do and just read the financially focused sections.

Has anyone else read this book? What did you think? Can you recommend any better books on the same topic?

– Tim Ferro

Rob Gifford’s China Road is wonderfully written and will hold your interest throughout his entire journey. From the super-modern city of Shanghai to the end of route 312 at the border of Kazakhstan, Rob Gifford chronicles the people and places that define China.

China is a surprisingly complex country and empire. Their emergence again as a world power will affect everyone whether they know it or not. This spectacularly written book is a cross between Kerouac’s On the Road and a supremely knowledgeable and insightful review of China’s history and current status from someone who lived there for years.

This book should be at the top of everyone’s reading list for 2010. Gifford’s writing style makes for easy reading and he holds your interest on every page. I especially recommend this for Gen Y as China will impact our lives more than it has an other generation. This book provides the insight needed to understand and interact with the “new” China.

– Tim Ferro

I saw this morning that sometime yesterday Seth Godin released a new eBook titled What Matters Now. I decided then and there to fight off my ADHD and read it straight through. While reading it, I went through a gamut of emotions about how I felt about it. I started out loving it. The first 13 pages, or so, were great. It was interesting and intreguing. Then I got to the middle of the book. It seemed that one person after another wrote a blurb that was bite size Gen Y feel good babble. This actually kind of annoyed me, but I read on. As I approached the end, I had an epiphany about the book. I was looking at it in the wrong context.

I had been reading it, hoping for a series of blog post quality articles. What I should have been thinking the whole time was “What a great collection of modern thinkers.”. Once I realized I should also be looking at the whole message and how it’s presented, I enjoyed it much more. I took the perspective of, do I like what this person is saying and how they are saying it AND would I like to know more about them. I then began considering each author and whether or not I want to read their blog or books. It was a great introduction to wonderful blogs, twitters, books, etc. I recommend reading this book as an exploration into new ideas and blogs that you currently aren’t exploring.

– Tim Ferro

As part of my August “Little Things” post, I listened to all 5 podcasts from MOSS Gone Wild. They were incredibly insightful and immediately helpful. Through the 5 podcasts, I learned a good number of helpful and important tidbits of information. Whether you administer or develop for SharePoint, these podcasts are for you. Even though they are slightly out of date (the last podcast was released about a year ago), they lay a great foundation for MOSS 2007. You can download the podcasts from either their website or through iTunes. If anyone knows why they stopped making these podcasts or if they are making another one, please let me know. If anyone has any other podcasts that they recommend, please leave a comment with a link.

– Tim Ferro

I came across this blog post the other day and it inspired me to write about some recent books that I have read. I recommend them all and hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have. Comment with your thoughts!

Closing Time by Joseph Heller – I am currently reading this amazing sequel to Catch-22. I first learned about this book a number of years ago but I decided to reread Catch-22 to make sure I remembered everything. I incorrectly assumed that the story would pick right up after the ending of the first book, but it did not. It actually takes place about 40 years later and is not solely based around the main character. The book is wonderful and Heller’s style, descriptions, and storytelling is the same as the first. This is a must read if you liked Catch-22.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -This is my all time favorite book. Rereading it was even better the second time around. I noticed a greater depth to the story and appreciated Heller’s style even more. This is arguably the best novel of the 20th century and a must read if you have not already.

Confessions of a Street Addict by James J. Cramer – I decided to read Jim Cramer’s autobiography after reading 3 of his other books. He has an electric personality and a fantastic and interesting life. Jim faced incredible odds all his life and has come out on top. A true tale of perseverance. If you want to know about the real man behind CNBC’s “Mad Money“, this book is for you.

Real Money by James J. Cramer
Mad Money by James J. Cramer
Stay Mad for Life by James J. Cramer

I am grouping these 3 books together so that I can talk about them in a fluid manner. I read the last book first, not knowing that I would like it enough to read the other 2. The 3rd book is about more than just investing in stocks, it discusses all types of investments from mutual funds to bonds. It is incredibly informative and I have loaned it out numerous times to friends and family. This is a must read for everyone since all of you have investments and retirement accounts. If not, read this and start one.

The first book, Real Money, and it’s sequel, Mad Money, are all about how to pick and invest in stocks. They offer solid investment advice and an incredibly deep understanding of how “the market” works. Cramer has a great, easy to understand style of writing that is intuitive and informative. I can’t wait for the next book.

Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk – This book is a fresh and real look at the modern work environment. I read this book after being invited to become a blogger for the Brazen Careerist website. That website, her blog, and this book are great resources for Generation Y. I recommend you check out all 3.

The Cosmic Burrito by David Shiffman – What a trippy escape. Reading this was a nice relaxing time. The cross country trip taken by 2 unique friends, made for a great ride. This book is so much more than the search for a great burrito. It is about life, existence, and soul. Read this if you are in college now, a recent graduate, or you just want an awesome read.

Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean – My favorite graphic novel of all time. This story blurs the line between sanity and insanity. Arkham is overwhelming to Batman, and in my favorite scene, he stabs himself through the hand with a piece of broken glass. A must read for Batman fans, but an interesting read in its own right.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond – For open source and Linux geeks like myself, this was an incredibly interesting read about the origins of a number of open source software. But this is more than that, it’s a motivating experience to continue furthering the open source movement.

– Tim Ferro

by Patrick Dunne

I just recently switched careers, two college friends are getting married this summer and my college roommate – and his wife – just bought a house.

Sounds like Of a Revolution is growing up, too.

Many, many O.A.R. fans will undoubtedly appreciate the new tunes on “All Sides,” but this one wishes they were as catchy and fun as their previous records.

Gone are the days of Crazy Games of Poker, there are no more road trips that left About an Hour Ago and no one is talking to Mr. Brown anymore.

Of A Revolution has finished the revolt, left the frat parties completely behind and wrote songs songs about talking with wives and than crafting party anthems for another generation of college kids.

“All Sides,” O.A.R.’s second post-college album, takes the mellow love sing vibe ten times further than the previous record, “Stories of a Stranger.”

“Stranger” was full of the acoustic-reggae numbers that made the band sound unique and popular from 1999-2003, but there is not one head-nodding chorus to be found in the new record.

The new sound is mature, that’s for sure, but it sounds more like a baby-boomer’s idea of mature and not a band four years out of a major party school like Ohio State.

It’s stated clearly in “What is Mine” when (singer) says the post-Ohio State craziness has taken its toll: “Seen the big show a thousand times/ Got to get back what is mine.”

Maybe the guys should leave Virgin Fest and massive summer tours behind and stick with college arenas.

“This Town” and “Try Me” harken back to the better parts of “Stranger,” but everything else is comprised of whispering to their wives and fondly recalling the party days the band clearly wants to leave behind.

There’s almost nothing left of the up-and-down, nod your head tunes like “Risen.” Songs like “Something Coming Over” harkens back to the days when they recorded the successful and popular live album “Any Time Now.”

That’s it. One song.

The guys are also better musicians on this record than in the past. There are genuine lead lines to hum along with and melodies flow from saxophones and guitars. It’s a far departure from your half-drunk college roommate strumming through “Black Rock” and sounding exactly like the band that recorded the number.

However, it is a shame that the guys haven’t realized that you can still have fun in your old(er) age.

O.A.R. “All Sides”
3 out of 5 crazy games of poker