The Little Book of Alternative Investments. Reaping Rewards by Daring to be Different

The rewards of carefully chosen alternative investments can be great. But many investors don’t know enough about unfamiliar investments to make wise choices. For that reason, financial advisers Larry Swedroe and Jared Kizer designed this book to bring investors up to speed on the twenty most popular alternative investments: Real estate, Inflation-protected securities, Commodities, International equities, Fixed annuities, Stable-value funds, High-yield (junk) bonds, Private equity (venture capital), Covered calls, Socially responsible mutual funds, Precious metals equities, Preferred stocks, Convertible bonds, Emerging market bonds, Hedge funds, Leveraged buyouts, Variable annuities, Equity-indexed annuities, Structured investment products, Leveraged funds The authors describe how the investments work, the pros and cons of each, which to consider, which to avoid, and how to get started. Swedroe and Kizer evaluate each investment in terms of: Expected returns Volatility Distribution of returns Diversification potential Fees Trading and operating expenses Liquidity Tax efficiency Account location Role in an asset-allocation program Any investor who is considering or just curious about investment opportunities outside the traditional world of stocks, bonds, and bank certificates of deposit would be well-advised to read this book.

A detailed guide to overcoming the most frequently encountered psychological pitfalls of investing Bias, emotion, and overconfidence are just three of the many behavioral traits that can lead investors to lose money or achieve lower returns. Behavioral finance, which recognizes that there is a psychological element to all investor decision-making, can help you overcome this obstacle. In The Little Book of Behavioral Investing, expert James Montier takes you through some of the most important behavioral challenges faced by investors. Montier reveals the most common psychological barriers, clearly showing how emotion, overconfidence, and a multitude of other behavioral traits, can affect investment decision-making. Offers time-tested ways to identify and avoid the pitfalls of investor bias Author James Montier is one of the world's foremost behavioral analysts Discusses how to learn from our investment mistakes instead of repeating them Explores the behavioral principles that will allow you to maintain a successful investment portfolio Written in a straightforward and accessible style, The Little Book of Behavioral Investing will enable you to identify and eliminate behavioral traits that can hinder your investment endeavors and show you how to go about achieving superior returns in the process. Praise for The Little Book Of Behavioral Investing «The Little Book of Behavioral Investing is an important book for anyone who is interested in understanding the ways that human nature and financial markets interact.» —Dan Ariely, James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics, Duke University, and author of Predictably Irrational «In investing, success means?being on the right side of most trades. No book provides a better starting point toward that goal than this one.» —Bruce Greenwald, Robert Heilbrunn Professor of Finance and Asset Management, Columbia Business School «'Know thyself.' Overcoming human instinct is key to becoming a better investor.? You would be irrational if you did not read this book.» —Edward Bonham-Carter, Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer, Jupiter Asset Management «There is not an investor anywhere who wouldn't profit from reading this book.» —Jeff Hochman, Director of Technical Strategy, Fidelity Investment Services Limited «James Montier gives us a very accessible version of why we as investors are so predictably irrational, and a guide to help us channel our 'Inner Spock' to make better investment decisions. Bravo!» —John Mauldin, President, Millennium Wave Investments

In The Little Book That Builds Wealth, author Pat Dorsey—the Director of Equity Research for leading independent investment research provider Morningstar, Inc.—reveals why competitive advantages, or economic moats, are such strong indicators of great long-term investments and examines four of their most common sources: intangible assets, cost advantages, customer-switching costs, and network economics. Along the way, he skillfully outlines this proven approach and reveals how you can effectively apply it to your own investment endeavors.

'It is easier to complicate than to simplify' – this book takes up that challenge and aims to refine and clarify the theories in the original Results to produce a more succinct route to clarity and better results for the reader – because we all want to see results at home, at work and in life! Using transformational coaching techniques, examples, exercises and metaphors, Jamie talks the reader through the three key changes they need to achieve the results they are after and inspire others to do the same. Based on the principles of The Clarity Coaching Model, the reader will learn how to de-congest their mind to think more clearly, make better decisions and improve performance – achieving the ‘flow’ state attributed to the results of top-flight individuals. Clearer thinking removes the stress and anxiety from decision making and allows you to focus on your goals. Rather than a step-by-step process, the reader is encouraged to form a deep understanding of themselves to awaken their inner potential and improve their innate abilities including better listening, deeper connections, more motivation and greater innovation and creativity.

In the past, the European social sciences labelled and discredited knowledge that did not follow the definition for scientific knowledge as applied by the European social sciences as an alternative concept of knowledge, as “indigenous” knowledge. Perception has changed with time: Not only has indigenous knowledge become an entrance ticket to the European social science world, but the indigenization of European theories is seen by some as the contribution of “peripheral” social sciences to join the theories of the “centers”. This book offers contributions to the discourses about alternative concepts of knowledge, inviting the reader to decide if they are alternative, indigenous, or European types of knowledge. However, in order to make this decision, the reader must know what the nature of the European concepts of science and of scientific knowledge is; this might be a motivation to read a book that presents thoughts claiming to be alternative concepts of knowledge, alternative to the European concept of science.

The Little Book of Hedge Funds that's big on explanations even the casual investor can use An accessible overview of hedge funds, from their historical origin, to their perceived effect on the global economy, to why individual investors should understand how they work, The Little Book of Hedge Funds is essential reading for anyone seeking the tools and information needed to invest in this lucrative yet mysterious world. Authored by wealth management expert Anthony Scaramucci, and providing a comprehensive overview of this shadowy corner of high finance, the book is written in a straightforward and entertaining style. Packed with introspective commentary, highly applicable advice, and engaging anecdotes, this Little Book: Explains why the future of hedge funds lies in their ability to provide greater transparency and access in order to attract investors currently put off because they do not understand how they work Shows that hedge funds have grown in both size and importance in the investment community and why individual investors need to be aware of their activities Demystifies hedge fund myths, by analyzing the infamous 2 and 20 performance fee and addressing claims that there is an increased risk in investing in hedge funds Explores a variety of financial instruments—including leverage, short selling and hedging—that hedge funds use to reduce risk, enhance returns, and minimize correlation with equity and bond markets Written to provide novice investors, experienced financiers, and financial institutions with the tools and information needed to invest in hedge funds, this book is a must read for anyone with outstanding questions about this key part of the twenty-first century economy.

The world has changed and so too has investing. The market is shell shocked and yesterday's momentum stocks are today's slow-motion stocks. But in the new reality of low-growth investing, commodities are hot and getting hotter. A rapidly industrializing and urbanizing Asia will be demanding lots more copper, zinc, iron ore, coal, fertilizers, gold and oil to transform their societies. Commodities are it and that's great news for investors who want to profit from the next great bull market in commodities. In fact, commodities may be about the only asset class that is likely to outperform the broad market in the future. Although they are without a doubt important to the global economy, commodities are among the most misunderstood of all asset classes. Stocks, bonds and real estate all have legions of followers and plenty of experts agree on their importance within an investment portfolio, but venture into the world of commodities and you are into an area that's intimidating to the average investor, where suspicions run deep and understanding is limited. As a result, commodities get short-shrift in most investment accounts and investors miss out on some important opportunities. The Little Book of Commodity Investing is an indispensible guide to learning the ins and outs of commodity investing. It's about identifying opportunities to profit from the coming bull market in commodities. It explains the benefits of commodities as part of a well diversified investment portfolio; covers all of the major commodities markets; what makes commodities and the companies that produce them tick; why commodities sometimes zig and then zag; what to buy and when to buy it; and why commodities are the next big thing. Today's world is a very different world-a world where an understanding of commodities is a prerequisite for investment success. And The Little Book of Commodity Investing is the roadmap you need to discover where the opportunities of the future lie, and what to do about it.

The latest and greatest insights on happiness from around the world The Little Book of Being Brilliant is a ‘greatest hits’ compilation of the best and the latest information from the science of positive psychology. Top-selling author Andy Cope exercises his PhD in happiness, along with his decades of experience bringing ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ to rapt audiences around the world, to distill the tips, techniques, facts and ideas you need to know to achieve sustainable wellbeing and happiness in your own life. Andy’s keen for you to know that he wants you to enjoy the experience, hence his ‘laugh ‘n’ learn’ approach. Inside, you’ll find guidance for taking action in the form of activities and challenges that will help you implement the latest empirical evidence on happiness. You’ll learn why most people are miles away from feeling as great as they could, and what to do about it. Whether you’re motivated to improve your daily life or looking for the insights that will super-charge your career, or in search of inspiration for your students or your team, this little book will set you in motion toward living brilliantly. Develop resilience and embrace positivity by setting goals and taking charge of your life Learn, once and for all, what science says about the connection between money and happiness Overcome road rage and other forms of negativity that are dragging you down in the day-to-day Internalize the latest positivity wisdom for work, sport, parenting, relationships, and more There’s absolutely no filler in The Little Book of Being Brilliant , and no need to sift through half-baked ideas or wisdom that researchers have already overturned. For the latest proven techniques on getting happy and achieving success, along with the motivation required to put those techniques into practice, pick up this energetic and inspiring book today.

There are many ways to make money in today’s market, but the one strategy that has truly proven itself over the years is value investing. Now, with The Little Book of Value Investing, Christopher Browne shows you how to use this wealth-building strategy to successfully buy bargain stocks around the world.

Over 200 pages of legends, spells, facts and mermaid crafts! Do you need a little more magic in your life? What about shimmer? Look no further. Mermania is here! Packed full of over 200 enchanting pages of legends, spells, and facts, plus mermaid-inspired recipes and crafts, Mermania: The Little Book of Mermaids is the ultimate compendium of all things mer-people and their mystical aquatic lore. Did you know?This is the year of the mermaid – The mer-man film The Shape of Water won Best Picture Oscar and Netflix’s live action The Little Mermaid streams this summer – with Disney and Universal hot on their heels*Mermaids had a heyday in Israel in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2012, where they halted government works until beer and rituals were offered*Throughout history, everything from manatees and sea-cows to skate and seals have been mistaken for beautiful mermaids!*Mermaids are believed to cure asthma and earache, and to warn of danger Full of gorgeous full-colour illustrations and plenty of joyful whimsy throughout, Mermania includes everything you could ever want to know about these magical creatures, all in a gorgeous, covetable, iridescent package!