Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-30
The book is clearly satire, and definitely exaggerates a bit, but it still gives you a sense of the Wall Street culture, where people are extremely wealthy but also extremely unrefined (scarfing greasy cheeseburgers while making millions). Very funny. Also extremely informative on topics such as the rise of mortgage bonds and junk bonds as financial tools. The book gives a great portrayal of the genius of the people behind these financial innovations. In fact, its portrayal of people in general is very funny and memorable. One final upside: there are some books, where, if you don't read them for about a week, you have no clue what's going on anymore. This is not one of those. There are relatively few people to keep track of, and they are described so well that you can't forget them.
I would DEFINITELY recommend this book. Funny and informative, a window onto a strange culture known as Wall Street.
Mildly Amusing.......2007-08-28
Michael Lewis' inside look at the heady days of Salomon Brothers during the 1980s and the decay that followed is a mildly amusing, albeit disjointed narrative with little new information. It is funny in parts and some of the character sketches make you pause but overall a strictly average book.
Read "Moneyball" or "The Blind Side" Before This.......2007-07-25
Long before "Moneyball" and "The Blind Side," Michael Lewis wrote "Liar's Poker." It is a short, entertaining story about Salomon Brothers during the highs and lows of the 80's. Salomon created the mortgage bond market. And like many first movers, it exploited its advantage for years. Sellers and buyers barely understood the market. No one understood the bonds' valuations. The only sure thing was that Salomon was going to make money. But ungodly profits enticed competition, and competitors poached Salomon's best traders. Even worse, bond underwriters thought they were more clever each day and created more complicated trading vehicles. Eventually, the market crashed because of excessive supply, complexity, and hubris. In some ways, it parallels what we see with hedge funds today.
Although the book is a simple and entertaining story, it lacks much of the rigorous analytics and insights that are present in Lewis's more recent books. His younger rhetoric is less mature and prone to hyperbole. He desperately tries to hide his arrogance (something you don't see in his later writing). If you're looking for a quick read during a plane ride, then this is a decent story. If you've heard favorable things about Michael Lewis and you want to read one of his books, buy "Moneyball" or "The Blind Side" before "Liar's Poker."
Interesting but not exceptional.......2007-06-27
It provides a good picture of the Wall Street during the 80's but it is sometimes tiring when describing the personality of some characters.
A good recount of some heady times..........2007-06-19
This was a story which had to be told. And it had to be told from the inside. It couldn't have been done any other way, and Michael Lewis does a fairly god job of it.
The book essentially tells the story of the rise and fall from wealth (and grace) of Salomon Brothers, and in particular, their mortgage trading group. Those times were clearly heady ones, with the creation and destruction of ridiculous amounts of wealth - from thin air. (It's a more common phenomenon now given the increasing sizes and reaches of the global financial markets, but this probably represented the earliest of the really big cycles.) Lewis takes us deep into that world, giving us a view from a prime seat in the middle of the best action of those times - at Salomon Brothers. In doing so, he is able to create a fairly strong feel for that world, with all its extravagances and idiosyncrasies, while simultaneously providing a fair amount of objective narrative on the internal and external events. His fleshing out of the characters in the book is well done too, which allows the reader a fair level of involvement and empathy with the events. Another strength of the book is that Lewis never gets too technical, and is able to explain fairly complicated markets in terms simple enough for most people to understand.
On the flip side, I have to caution you that at the end of the day, Lewis might have been a good banker, but he's not a great writer. The book could have been taken to a different level altogether in the hands of a better writer, and much of the strength of this book is eventually derived from the story. That said, overall, I still think Lewis has done a very credible job, and the book is a very worthwhile read for everybody, not just bankers.
Book Description
Written with humor and insight, 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me provides hands on advice that will help agents start, or maintain, a sucessful career in real estate. This has real life stories from dozens of sucessful, top producing, real estate professionals will help new agents know what to expect and how to succeed.
Customer Reviews:
FIne book, Easy read--.......2007-09-21
This book is ok. It's nothing really new that most people with some common sense don't already know....If you can get it in a library or borrow it, go that route. Not worth it.
Brass Tactics.......2007-07-30
Excellent book! I have been taking classes online and this book has kept me interested in real estate. It gives you plenty of tips on how to gain the edge in real estate.
Must have for new agents.......2007-06-14
If you are new to real estate, this is a must read... I still have mine 3 years later and although I haven't gone back to read it again - I won't get rid of it!
Great for a new agent!.......2007-06-12
Not knowing what to expect as a brand new agent, I found this book to be a really excellent training resource. It was a great way to get a glimpse of what to do and not to do. I highly recommend it! Also, it's a very easy read.
21 THINGS I WISH MY BROKER TOLD ME.......2007-05-16
Great book! if you go with a smaller, less pressure brokerage house that has bare bones training, this is perfect. it reminds you of all your responsibilities to yourself and your clients. it gives you direction in finding clients. i highly recommend this book.
Product Description
This book is an exploration of the key concepts of real eestate finance and investment strategy. It is not a mere formulaic analysis of numbers designed to give you "the answer" to any and all real estate investment decisions. Instead, this book is designed to help you understand that ther is no singular or judgment and experience, with an eye to the numbers. The goal is to help you evaluate the risks and opportunities of real estate assets and investments, and will hopefully help you embark upon the long and unending road of stregthening your judgment.
Customer Reviews:
Linneman Real Estate Finance Textbook--Thumbs Up!.......2007-05-28
As a University of Chicago economics PhD and Professor of Real Estate Finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the few business schools that teaches the real estate business in a thoroughgoing way, Peter Linneman is the top real estate finance academic in the country. I recently heard him speak at a conference on real estate mergers in NYC, and he was one of the best professional speakers of any kind that I have ever heard in 20 years of real estate law practice. His splendid textbook, Real Estate Finance & Investments, reads almost exactly like he speaks. It's like a superb, clear, and witty set of lectures, all encapsulated in a textbook. Linneman is not only a topflight academic, but has substantial direct involvement in the real estate business. This very much shows in the book, which takes the most abstract scholarly knowledge and makes it easy to understand through examples of crystalline clarity. It is a godsend to those who work in the real estate sector that someone as smart as Linneman would take the time to write this awesome textbook, which not only must be the best textbook on real estate finance, but is one of the best textbooks of any kind I have ever read.
There are only opportunitities, and no risks in buying and reading this super textbook.
Book Description
So you want to be a mortgage broker?
Or maybe you're not sure yet.
Let's imagine a little.
Imagine a world, where you are your own master:
You have the time to do whatever you wish.
You have the ability to live up to your true potential.
No limits, no barriers. No handicaps or favoritism or discrimination. Nothing can hold you back.
You can be as successful as you wish. Your income is only limited by your desire.
No menial labor required. You can work whenever you want, wherever you wish. No time clocks to punch or bosses to bother you.
You can have a respectable white-collar universe. Computers, paper, and air-conditioned offices are your domain. High finance is your game.
Your market is virtually unlimited. Everyone wants and needs your product: money. And they will do what it takes to get it.
But you don't need any money to get started, you have nothing to risk. The money belongs to someone else, and you make money by helping them distribute it.
No formal education is required. Just be yourself, and through honesty and integrity you can succeed.
This is the world of the mortgage broker. And a world you can join, if you have what it takes to make a decision.
The trails are already worn. No new territory here. Thousands of successful brokers have walked this way before. And all you have to do is follow their path. No guesswork. No risk.
This is not a new opportunity. It has been around since there was money. And it will continue to be around as long as man walks the earth. The only question is, will you be a part of it?
What is it you desire out of life?
· More money?
· Financial security?
· A good future for your family?
· A chance to help others?
· Freedom?
All these can be yours, easily. If thousands of regular, everyday people can do it, so can you.
Mortgage brokerage is one of the last few remaining businesses, in which you are judged by your output, and not who you know, or where you went to school. It doesn't matter if you went to school at all. It might actually be better if you didn't.
Your income is unlimited. You alone determine your success. No external factors can stop you.
If you ever thought you could do great things, this is the opportunity to show what you can really do.
You don't need any money to get started. You don't even need a computer. All you need is the belief that you can succeed, and the desire to do so.
You can provide a much needed service. Imagine how it feels to get a hug from a man and a woman, who just bought their first house- a dream of there's for years, and one which they know was made possible only because you were there to help them.
That is the life of a mortgage broker. And our company will fill you in on all the details of this life: both the good and the bad.
First let me explain why I am writing this letter: My company, Kamrock Publishing has a website. This is our main site for mortgage professionals. We have several training and marketing resources available at this site.
But what we didn't have was a way to help people get into the mortgage business. And everyday we would get multiple emails from people wanting to know how to get a license, where do they start, how do they find a company to work for, etc.
And after a while, we got tired of answering these emails, so we put together the only book available that shows people how to get into the business. It's called,
So You Want To Be A Mortgage Broker?
If you have any questions about what to do to become a mortgage broker, or if you want a behind the scenes look at the world of mortgage brokerage this book will be invaluable to you.
In it, we cover all the questions we were asked repeatedly including several that people need to know but did not know to ask.
Some of the questions answered are:
· What does a broker do?
· How does a broker make money?
· W
Customer Reviews:
..........2007-07-16
Save yourself time and money - run a Google search to get info on the subject. This book is worthless, the author mainly advertises their websites.
Very Disappointed.......2007-03-15
This book was extremely BASIC. Hardly any useful information at all. If you have ever taken out a mortgage, you already know most of this. It was almost a total waste of money. The main focus of this book is to sell you a much more expensive program(s).
Going to enter the mortgage business.......2007-01-25
I loved this book.
For someone who knows very little about the industry and wants to get into it, this book is a great place to start.
The last review said that this information can be found on the internet. Maybe it is, BUT I doubt it. Anyway, I am not willing to waste countless hours and search through hundreds of websites to try to find it. Especially when the book is so cheap.
I really liked the section on what a typical day is like for a loan officer. But the best part, and something no one I talked to in the mortgage business was willing to talk about, was the section of how loan officers get paid. The author explains the frontend and the backend and how a loan officer can manipulate the numbers to make the client think they are getting a deal, but the loan officer is still making his money too.
If you are thinking about getting into the mortgage business, like I am, this book is a great place to start. Once you understand all the concepts in it, you will know what to talk about to propestive employers, and what questions to ask. Otherwise you are just going in blind.
Just the tips on getting a higher commission will pay for the book several times over.
Good Luck, God Bless.
Not worth the money or time..........2007-01-23
This book is definitely not worth the money or time.
The primary reason why you should NOT buy this book is that you can get the information that is found in this book (and MUCH more) by inquiring on any major search engine. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are only a FEW professions which have only ups and no downs. Being a loan officer or mortgage broker is not one of them. Almost all other information contained in this book is freely distributed on the net and I see no reason to spend my money to read something that I could read for free.
The second reason you should not buy this book, is the amount of unprofessionalism with which the book was written, that was unnecessary on Ameen's part and COULD be avoided if he chose to. But he chose not to. I've read quite a few books on many topics, including the mortgage industry, and I've never come across an author who had come even close to surpassing Ameen's ability to fill their book with as much promotion of their other products, as possible, to the point where the book could be considered to be only half book and half advertisement.
If that's what you're looking for, then buy this book.
So you Want to Be a Mortgage Broker.......2007-01-17
Great book that provided a lot of insight into the mortgage brokering.
Product Description
This book answers the question, "How do I become a successful loan officer?" In simple English, the author explains some of the most effective strategies he teaches to other loan officers. "Jump Start" covers all the marketing essentials you need to start generating loans today. Implement the 30 Day Plan for a crash course in mortgage success. Discover how to make yourself stand out from your competition. 32 niche markets that desperately need your help. Why you don't have to lower your rates to be successful. The secret of avoiding peaks and valley in income. What Realtors really want from their lender and how to give it to them. And too much more to list here!
Customer Reviews:
How to Jump Start Mr. Kamadia's Courses.......2007-06-15
This book had some nuggets of somewhat useful information for cheap marketing ideas. I especially liked the idea of putting your card in books at the bookstore. Enough to justify the price of this book? No, not in my opinion.
His other tips for new loan Officers are to have a Unique Selling Proposition, to stand out from the crowd; have a business plan. Yeah, no duh Kamadia.
The book is filled with self-promotion, which in my opinion lowers the author's credibility.
When day 30 of his 30 Day Mortgage Career Jump Start Campaign is to take his courses, you know something ain't right.
There is a much better book on starting a mortgage career and marketing yourself, for less money. I give this book a 'C'.
Not worth $1, one star is too much. .......2007-06-12
This without a doubt, the worse book on sales I have ever read. The book in my opinion is a con. The author was deceitful. The name of the book, the title of the chapters, implied he was providing marketing ideas on "how" to build your business. But all he did was state the obvious, without not even one example in the entire book of a letter, marketing piece, conversation with a customer, how he built his business. He tells you several times in the book to develop you own marketing plan, where the title of the book implies he would show you one. Oh yeah, he does he refer you several times to other websites to buy more worthless promises.
THIS REALLY WORKS!.......2007-02-13
THIS BOOK HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS MISSING IN MY BUSINESS. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT BEING SELF EMPLOYED MEANS TO WORK WITH YOURSELF BY BUILDING A BUSINESS PLANS AND FULFILLING GOALS. THE BEST PART OF THIS BOOK IS THE MARKETING TECHNIQUES!
Jump Start Your Mortgage Career.......2006-12-08
As a mortgage banker for over 30 years there have been a number of imformative publications on th market. However, this book offers the reader who wants to get involved to make money while understanding the mortgage business from someone that has climb the rungs of the ladder. This book should be on every ones book to read it and reread it when wanting to earn additional money.
Product Description
The most extensive research available on change, business models and trends impacting the residential real estate industry. The 159-page Report is based on over 500 hours of research and monitors shifts in thinking, evaluate innovation and track existing trends that according to our analysis show a strong tendency towards longer term growth and possible structural impact on the residential real estate industry. Information and opinions provided are based on the following factors: Origin of the concept or trend, the driving force behind it, its lifecycle and maturity, the industry demand or need for the result, its growth pattern and its potential impact on the Industry.
Customer Reviews:
Speaker - Author - Edutainer.......2007-04-20
Annual he pours his work into a new Trends Report and annually I think it'll be a repeat, but no! Stefan's writings are always fresh, on tempo, and FULL of useable information.
Stefan is totally on top of the real estate industry, its actions, reactions, fads, trends, and new views. His insight and more over his foresight make reading him a necessity if you own real estate, lease real estate, sell real estate, or manage those who do.
You have to read this one !.......2007-04-11
Everybody with Any exposure to the real estate market should read this report. GREAT BOOK ! I recommend it !
Definitely recommended! .......2007-04-10
Extremely insightful and well thought through based on extensive research and knowledge of the industry and whole environment of the real estate arena and surrounding services. Mutliple power forces at play in the ever changing and evolving industry. Changing dynamic lead by technology and benefits to consumers as influenced by emerging companies seeking to compete.
Fantastic Information! A Must Read .......2007-04-10
Mr. Swanepoel has done it again, providing cutting edge information about the real estate industry. This report is packed with information progessive agents and brokers can't be with out. I'm recommending that all of my students immidiately obtain their own personal copy. - Jim Remley, author of Make Millions Selling Real Estate & Real Estate Presentations that Make Millions.
A must have for residential real estate executives.......2007-04-09
This book is more amazing each year. Stefan has a handle on the trends impacting residential real estate that are a must read if you are in the business as an owner, executive, real estatte agent or service provider.
I have this report as a standing order each year and have had Stefan present a synopsis of his report to influential Realtors(R)who met his content and views with tremendous enthusiasm.
The real estate industry is going through changes at a never before imagined rate and the only way to stay on top of trends that will impact your business is to take full advantage of tools such as this. They come along rarely but when they do you had better obtain, absorb and utilize the valuable information.
Book Description
The most comprehensive guide to starting a business in today's most lucrative and fastest-growing industry
Last year more than two-thirds of the $3 trillion in home financing in the United States originated with mortgage brokers. Darrin Seppinni, a broker with a quarter century in the business, gives you the knowledge and expertise needed to begin your own brokerage company-and consistently develop your full growth and profit potential. The Millionaire Mortgage Broker is an all-in-one resource to tap into the vast potential of the brokerage business.
Customer Reviews:
The Mortgage Career Guide.......2007-06-25
Darrin doesn't have to rely upon shameless self-promotion within his books, because his writing speaks for itself.
This a great guide for starting a career in mortgage business, and it is very inspirational as well.
In my opinion, Darrin Seppinni and David Reed are the best writers to buy mortgage books from. These guys have integrity and go way beyond the fortune-cookie advice some other mortgage authors tout.
New Mortgage Broker.......2007-04-25
These books have assisted me in getting my mortgage broker shop off the gound. With out a doubt I would purchase both of the books "The Millionaire Mortgage Broker" and "The Mortgage Originator Success Kit". You won't be disappointed.
Best Mortgage Book Available!!! .......2007-02-24
I first purchased the 'The Mortgage Originator Success Kit' about four weeks ago. Then, I purchased 'The Millionaire Mortgage Broker' a few weeks ago.
After reading the Success kit, this book gave me the foundation neccessary (the 'nuts and bolts') as a new loan orginator. The Millionaire Mortgage Broker book outlined the next steps like, how to get started, trusted key marketing and sales strategies and tactics (ones that REALLY work) and services that will experience market growth (Insight + Vision = Destiny).
When I read this book, I jotted down a few questions. I emailed Darrin with my questions and also provided my phone number as an option. And, to my surprise, he telephoned me directly! Not only did he answer my questions, but he also gave me sound advice that I believe will help me have an edge and become successful!
THANKS Darrin for authoring these books and sharing your experience and knowledge with all of us!
Rob
the millionaire mortgage broker.......2007-02-09
Another Great Book!
I am new to the business and bought the author's first book; The Mortgage
Originator Sucess Kit. That book is my bible! It has helped my career tremendously and I refer to it on a regular basis. I just bought The Millionaire Mortgage Broker because my goals are to eventually venture out on my own and work independently. This book teaches you just how to do that. It's great inspiration. Great job!
Good Place to Get Book Learning.......2007-02-07
First, the mortgage business is indeed a good business, and thousands of people have started successful businesses in that area.
Second, this book does an excellent job of telling you how to start a company, and specifically tells you a lot about the mortgage industry.
BUT
I think your chances of starting a successful mortgage company from just book learning is slim. The book starts out with several success stories. Notice that almost all of the entrepreneurs who became the successes spent some time in the mortgage business first.
My suggestions: First read this book, and several others on real estate. Then, get a job in the real estate business. It could be working for a mortgage company. It could be working as a salesman for a realtor. Or you could work for a title company. Maybe you want to spend six months or a year in each of these kinds of companies. Consider it the equivalent of getting a college degree except that they pay you for working.
Then with some real world experience in your area of the country, you'll be much better prepared to start your own business, regardless of the specialty area you pick. Or perhaps like many others you want to have companies in each of these areas to offer the customer a one stop shop.
Average customer rating:
- MONEY WASTED
- I agree with the others.....
- An entertaining story with a fast moving plot
- Boring up until the last 30 pages.
- Fantastic Realism
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The Broker
John Grisham
Manufacturer: Delta
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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The Last Juror
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State of Fear
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Bleachers
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The Summons
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The Testament
ASIN: 0385340540
Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Amazon.com
Before he was sent to federal prison for treason (among other things), Joel Backman was an extremely powerful man. Known as "the broker," Backman was a high roller--a lawyer making $10 million a year who could "open any door in Washington." That is, until he tried to broker a deal selling access to the world's most powerful satellite surveillance system to the highest bidder. When caught, Backman accepted prison as the one option that would keep him safe and alive, since the interested parties (the Israelis, the Saudis, the Russians, and the Chinese) were all itching to get their hands on his secrets at any cost. Little does he know that his own government has designs on accessing that information--or at least letting it die with him. Now, six years after his incarceration, the director of the CIA convinces a lame duck president to pardon Backman, and the broker becomes a free man--and an open target.
The Broker marries the best of John Grisham's many talents--his ability to immerse himself in the culture of small town life (in this case, Bologna, Italy), and his uncanny mastery of the chase. The first half of the book focuses on Backman's transformation from infamous power broker to helpless victim in his own game. Upon his release from prison, Backman is taken into "protective custody" and whisked off to Italy where he is assigned a new identity, and a tutor to help him blend in. Sure he is on the run, but some readers may feel that Backman's time spent in Bologna is a bit too leisurely--readers join him on an almost cinematic tour through the Italian town, complete with language and history lessons. Impatient readers will be happy to know that the final half of the novel is classic Grisham--a fast-paced, thrilling cat and mouse chase pitting Backman against the numerous agencies that want him dead--as the broker makes a move to take back his life. --Daphne Durham
Exclusive Video Interview with John Grisham
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Grisham: The Books
- A Time to Kill, 1989
- The Firm, 1991
- The Pelican Brief, 1992
- The Client, 1993
- The Chamber, 1994
- The Rainmaker, 1995
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- The Runaway Jury, 1996
- The Partner, 1997
- The Street Lawyer, 1998
- The Testament, 1999
- The Brethren, 2000
- A Painted House, 2001
|
- Skipping Christmas, 2001
- The Summons, 2002
- The King of Torts, 2003
- Bleachers, 2003
- The Last Juror, 2004
- The Broker, 2005
|
Essential Grisham
Amazon Editor Favorites
A Time to Kill |
The Firm |
A Painted House |
The Client |
The Rainmaker |
The Pelican Brief |
Bestselling Grisham
Amazon Customer Favorites
The Last Juror |
Skipping Christmas |
Bleachers |
The Testament |
The Partner |
The King of Torts |
If You Like Grisham, You'll Love...
- John Lescroart
- Richard North Patterson
- David Baldacci
|
- Lisa Scottoline
- Robert Crais
- Michael Crichton
|
- Harlan Coben
- Dennis Lehane
- Ken Follett
|
Best Grisham Books on DVD
A Time to Kill |
The Pelican Brief |
The Client |
The Firm |
The Rainmaker |
The Chamber |
Book Description
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems Backman, in his power broker heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.
Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, who will kill him?
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
MONEY WASTED.......2007-10-09
THIS HAD TO BE GRISHAM'S WORST BOOK EVER. I THINK HE WAS SHORT OF CASH AND JUST PUT "THE BROKER"TOGETHER TO PICK UP A FEW BUCKS. THE BOOK WAS MORE OF A LANGUAGE LESSON AND TRAVEL BROCHURE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. GRISHAM IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS WHO I WILL NOW READ REVIEWS BEFORE PURCHASING ANYMORE OF HIS WORKS. VERY DISSAPOINTED,
I agree with the others............2007-09-14
This is not Grisham's best work. He spends way too much time discussing language lessons, and there's not a lot of suspense. He should stick to writing legal thrillers set in Mississippi.
An entertaining story with a fast moving plot.......2007-08-23
I had an urge last week to read a story by John Grisham and The Broker was my selection. Before that I had read "The Summons"(It was a fair read). I don't read his novels in sequences which fortunately for someone like me there is no need, because each of Mr. Grisham's books will stand on their own. I thought The Broker was an easy read that was very entertaining. There was a lot of intrigue woven into a fast moving plot. I thought the class room instructions on the topography of Italy and the language was a bit too much. Actually, this part of the book got really boring. The main character, Joel Backman gave me fits. I never was really sure if he was decent sort of a fellow or just a down right crook. I could never get the feeling that I should root for him or just hope for his quick exit from the story. In summary, there were parts of the story that I didn't care for, but overall I thought it was real decent book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to all my friends.
Another Mystery that is written in a highly effective and uncluttered fashion is The Monopoly Factor by Robert L. Saunders. This story of corporate, deceit, murder, and greed shows the author's abilities to plot a legal drama that is full of meat. It's a warm, but awesome story that you can't help but cheer on Barry Foreman, his brother Noah, and Susan as they try to stay one step ahead of the evil Carl Rudd. I am enthralled with Saunders' story telling abilities. Check it out you won't be disappointed. Have a good day!.
Boring up until the last 30 pages........2007-08-02
It's been so long since I've read a good Grisham book, I was hoping this would be a return to the style and pace of his initial blockbusters. Not so. Most of the book has the main character lounging around Bologna with the reader just waiting for something to happen. Finally, the book picks up the pace in the last 30 or so pages. The story also has lots of rather large logical flaws, but it's main fault is simply that it's boring.
Fantastic Realism.......2007-07-29
As someone who was a Washington lobbyist and has visited Italy, I can say with some authority that Grisham has written another masterpiece. He describes rather accurately how things get done in Washington. His account of the chase through northern Italy was also well done. The intrigue keeps you in suspense until the very end. The only disappointment is the usual Grisham ploy of leaving to the reader the completion of the story line.
Amazon.com
The whole point of a monastic existence is to put aside worldly things. Brother Ty, the narrator of God Is My Broker, has put them aside with a vengeance, and his task is all the more impressive when you consider just how many he used to possess. "I had traded the life of a Wall Street trader," he tells us, "for the contemplative life, my briefcase for a rosary, the roar of the trading floor for Gregorian chant." Hunkered down in a rural monastery, he seems finally to have escaped the iniquities of Mammon, along with rush-hour traffic and a major drinking problem.
A vow of poverty, however, isn't what it used to be. The monastery of Cana is falling to pieces. And Cana Nouveau--the wine the brothers have always produced to sustain themselves--has hit a new, undrinkable low. As the desperate abbot looks to Deepak Chopra and Anthony Robbins for advice, Brother Ty begins to get financial tips from the Supreme Insider: "That day God had revealed Himself to be our broker." Sometimes, of course, the Lord speaks in mysterious ways. Even a stray line from the Song of Solomon may encourage the narrator to take a flier on Apple Computer stock: "Comfort me with apples. It sounded like a 'buy' recommendation to me." By heeding his divine broker at every turn, however, Brother Ty manages to transform the monastery into a financial powerhouse. His story amounts to the funniest bit of ecclesiastical satire since J. F. Powers's Morte D'Urban. What's more, the authors send up the entire self-help industry with hilarious expertise, concluding God Is My Broker with what even Deepak Chopra would recognize as a home truth: "The only way to get rich from get-rich books is to write one."
Book Description
This is an incredible story. The author, a failed, alcoholic Wall Street trader, had retreated to a monastery. It, too, was failing. Then, one fateful day, Brother Ty decided to let God be his broker--and not only saved the monastery but discovered the 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth. Brother Ty's remarkable success has been studied at the nation's leading business schools and scrutinized by Wall Street's greatest minds, but until now the secret to his 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth have been available only to a select few:
- 87 percent of America's billionaires
- 28 recent Academy Award winners
- Over half the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize
- No members of the U.S. Congress
Now, for the first time, Brother Ty reveals the secrets he has gleaned from the ancient texts of the monks, and tells how you can get God to be your broker. God Is My Broker is the first truly great self-help business novel. Open this book and open your heart. It will change your life.
Customer Reviews:
Investors advice.......2007-05-29
This book is hilarious to read - a MUST for every broker and investor!!
More than a parody.......2007-02-06
Anyone who's read Christopher Buckley's collection of essays, Wry Martinis, might expect his novels to exhibit a similar degree of hilarity. Buckley's essays often take the form of parodic fictionalizations such as memos, journals, and letters, and occasionally fictional personal anecdotes that serve to prove his larger points (Art Buchwald often employed the same technique). God Is My Broker meets, and exceeds, this expectation, being a book-length expansion of the concept that also gains something in the expansion.
This is, in part, a parody of the crop of self-help books that has sprung up over the last few decades, as typified by the works of Deepak Chopra (whom the authors confront directly in the novel, including excerpts of Chopra's work, complete with page numbers for reference). But it's important to emphasize that God Is My Broker is a great deal more than that; anybody could mimic the format and style of Chopra's (or some other guru's) works, and produce something that's funny...for a while. But who would want to read a book-length Chopra parody? All the laughs would be wrung out of it in the first few pages (and frankly, most of the joke could probably be gleaned from the table of contents). The "7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth" of the book's title are interspersed throughout a legitimate story of a New York monastery and the monks who make its ill-tasting and unprofitable wine. Brother Ty, the ostensible "author" of this Buckley-and-Tierney-"edited" book, is a quite likeable, fully-realized character whom we follow through his skewering of Chopra's platitudes (which have become a new fad at the financially-struggling monastery) and his exploration of the Bible as a dispensary of financial advice.
I imagine this was probably shelved in the humor section of bookstores, and though it is a parody, it's labeled, quite justly, as fiction, and hilarious fiction it is. Store placement doesn't matter now, of course, since it's out of print as of this writing. Rumor has it that this has been shopped around as a potential film. I can't imagine it translating to the screen as well as Buckley's Thank You For Smoking did, but such a venture would at least get the book back in stores. In the meantime, if you see a copy, grab it. Come for the parody, stay for the plot.
A Classic From America's Foremost Satirist.......2004-11-10
Christopher Buckley's brilliant satire of get rich quick books and self help muck that might strike a bit too close to home, mocking catholicisms wanning prevelance in society and its eagerness to catch up with modern culture as well as the books themselves. Some might think it as obvious, and thus chastise it for being superficial. I like to think that it's blunt, and a little more truthfull to a somewhat touchy public making it less popular, as is common for true satires to be. Critics sometimes want satires to be subtle and vague, but Buckley once again presents his readers with the obvious hilarity rather than the mundane and snobbish.
Ignore the bleating of sheep!.......2004-06-09
If you're at this site, then chances are you're sort of sick of business books. Probably, that's a kind way of saying it. Seeing another book by Stephen Covey or some other idiot spouting out laws, truths, and platitudes in big print, wide-margined, brightly colored business books inscribed with fulsome praise from every other author of big print, wide-margined, brightly colored business books probably makes you ill like you just ate something slimy that fell out of the nostril of a leprous hippopotamus.
Or else it makes you so angry that the rest of the business world (that is to say, all those bleating sheep that come up with words like "consens" and "mute points") expects you to converse in this stuff that you have to read it and be able to remember authors when you could be using your time more wisely like beating your head over and over and over again with bowling pin.
If that's the case, this is the book for you.
Buckley and Tierney have written the book that everyone who ever wanted to scream in despair and fury at The Oz Principle can worship. It is an excoriation of all the senseless business books that infect our lives.
It is the story of a group of monks who begin to become wealthy by pure happenstance (or perhaps through miracles) and find themselves suddenly regarded as business men. So, to run their business they hire marketing people, public relations people, and all begin to read books by Deepak Chopra and the like.
The result, as you might imagine, is not a very sound fiscal enterprise.
The wit is sharp and biting. It is required reading for anyone who ever read one of the 7 habits and thought that their life was changed.
It's an amazingly fresh example of why acumen, expertise, and intelligence can never be truly replaced.
It teaches the businessman to ignore the bleating of sheep.
READ MORE AT INCHOATUS.COM
Help yourself.......2004-04-28
I guess I'm firmly in the growing Christopher Buckley fan base, and so I'm not sure how objective I am when I write a review of one of his books. Suffice it to say that this one -- written with collaborator John Tierney-- has the same crisp writing, the same kinds of unusual story lines and plot twists, the same kinds of colorful characters that made Mr. Buckley's other novels wonderful examples of worthwhile light reading.
In this story, a failed investment banker becomes a monk and in the incarnation of Brother Ty, he somehow becomes a catalyst in the ethically flawed rebirth of the monastery's wine. The story is a satire that takes aim at self-help books, but as someone raised Catholic (and practically living in the shadow of the Vatican), a former financial journalist, and a wine lover ... well, a story line that among other things takes aim at the Holy See, Wall Street, and Napa Valley hit close to home in too many ways for me not to love it.
Book Description
The Regulators is a fresh look at how the regulatory system works in Washington and how it affects the life of every American. Visit our website for sample chapters!
Customer Reviews:
Fun (?) with Regulation.......2003-05-21
Cindy Skrzycki's weekly column titled "The Regulators" has captured the attention of readers of the Washington Post for more than a decade, uncovering the power struggles, political intrigue, special interests and legal battles that go on behind the scenes in Washington. Now, her wit and humor help make the seemingly arcane topic of regulation accessible (and even fun) for readers of her new book, The Regulators: Anonymous Power Brokers in American Politics.
The book, punctuated by some of her most interesting and amusing columns over the years, will make interesting reading for anyone interested in American politics and regulation. Skrzycki's goal in writing the book was to "take a complicated and sometimes inscrutable topic and make it a comprehensible, important lesson in government," (XII), and she succeeds. The Regulators does not provide an academic treatment of the theories of regulation nor details of legal or economic principles. Rather, it addresses the more personal side of regulation: who are these anonymous power brokers determining the legal size of holes in Swiss cheese or the definition of a breath mint? By whom are they influenced and how ubiquitous is their influence in our daily lives?
Followers of her column will be pleased to see that, like her Post stories, each chapter is humorously illustrated by Keith Bendis.
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