Forum Archive Index - December 2001

["G Stolwyk" <stolwyk@wave.co.nz>]

1. Introduction.

    Aids, book reviews and book sellers:

 

 < www.investorwords.com/ > has 5000 definitions and 15000 links between related terms.( Recom. by Snoopy, a main contributor to FIG or Focus Investing Group ). 

 

The technical site: < www.stanz.co.nz >, click on Education, click on Web sites, click on < www.elder.com >, click on products and books may be ordered.

 

The massive site: < www.nt-tech.com.au/guppy/gup35.htm > gives technical book reviews.( Rec. by one of FIG's main contributors, Philip Robinson, and Phaedrus ).

 

< www.guppytraders.com/gup64.htm > allows TA sample chapters to be downloaded from this web site. Rec. by Phaedrus and he also recommends: 

 

< www.echarts.com/AnalysisToday/Articles/ > This explains many definitions of terms used in Charting.

 

< www.bestbookbuys.com > Rating for least cost: 1.BooksAMillion.[[ 2.Traders Press ( Financial books ): www.traderspress.com 

not registered with best buys ]] 3. Barnes and Noble. 4. Amazon. 5. Powell's ( Good range, including rare and used ). Enquire about shipping costs to NZ. ( Rec. and rated by David Adams ). Note that ratings may change.

 

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2. Books.

 

Symbols :   A:  Must have, or highly desirable.    AB:  As A but either superseded or may be rated slighly less.   B: Very useful.

C:  Other.    ( T ):  Technical.

 

 

AA: " The Buffettology Workbook " by Mary Buffett. It is a practical book with chapters devoted to Warren's " Understanding Value investing " and " Intrinsic Value Equations ". Specific sections discuss definitions and calculations. Intermediate to advanced. About 200 pages, paperb. $ 30 - $ 39. ISBN: 0684871718 ( Rec. by Philip Robinson, Brian Brakenridge, G. S ).    

 

A: " Buffettology " by Mary Buffett and David Clark. This is the forerunner to: " The Buffettology Workbook ", see above.

Highly rated. It concentrates on the methods of pinpointing stocks worth investing in. $ 40.( Rec. by Hugh Webber, Philip. Robinson ).

 

A: " The Warren Buffett Portfolio " by Hagstrom. It discusses Warren B.'s ability to discover investment trends and his concentration on " Focus investing " ). Warren's business manager was quoted as saying it is the best book written on Buffett, to date. It is a sequel to " The Warren Buffett's way ". IBSN: 0471247669. About $ 75.( Rec. by B. Brakenridge ).    

 

A: " The Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Council ", by Benjamin Graham. " B.Graham is considered by many to be the father of value investing and modern security analysis ". W. Buffett studied with B.Graham. Publ. 1949, ISBN: 0060155477. Hardcover, 368 pages, about $US 25. ( Rec. by David Adams ).  

 

B: " Buffett Step - by - Step ", by R Pitman. It teaches to analyse and apply the techniques of W. Buffett, analytical techniques and rules, followed by case studies. 223 pages. ( Rec. by H. Webber ).

 

C: " The Motley Fool's Investment Guide " by David and Tom Gardner. The reader is introduced to names like Ben Graham, Philip Fisher, W. Buffett and C Munger. $ 39.( Rec. by B. Brakenridge ).

 

A: " Beyond the Zulu principle " by Jim Slater. Various aspects of investment are covered, eg. learning when to buy and when to sell, value investing, portfolio management, creative accounting, overseas markets. Begin. to immediate. Paperback, 214 pages, $ 50 ( Rec. by P. Maiden, P. Robinson ). 

 

A: " Guerrilla Investing " by Peter Siris. It covers company valuations, details of analyst's reports , charting, and how the market mind works. Intermediate to advanced. $ 42 ( Rec. by P. Maiden ). 

 

B: " Shortening the Odds - Selecting good NZ shares " by Nigel McCarter. A good seller! The author shows how to identify stocks which have good value. He uses NZ examples and tracks NZ shares.

 

AB: " A random walk down Wall St." by Burton Gordon Malkiel. Malkiel holds an endowed economics professorship at Princeton. First written in 1973. His basic premise is that it is impossible to outperform the market over the long run. This reasoning has assisted in the growth of Index funds. Each revision includes an evaluation of newer forms of investment vehicles.( Rec. by Mike Hudson )   

 

AB: Contrarian Investment Strategies: The Next Generation..... by David Dreman. This book offers four contrarian investment tactics that could produce high-percentage returns, regardless of the size of the reader's portfolio. Interm. to advanced. $ 45 ( Rec. by David Maunsell ).

 

A: " Analysing Company Accounts: A guide for Australian investors ", 3rd edition, by Martin Roth.   Phil. Robinson, who recommends it, mentions that this a good book for the beginner, intermediate or advanced investor.

He says that the book has chapters on analysing banks, I P O prospectuses, annual reports and others devoted to profitability, margins, cash flows, revenues, balance sheets and many other items. $ 41.

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( T ) AA: " Trading for a living " by Dr Alex Elder. Translated in 7 languages. His words: " Successful trading requires 3 M's: Mind ( trading psychology ), Method and Money ( controlling risk )". The book is richly endowed with charts. $ 107.( Rec. by Phyllis Bergquist, Paedrus). Dr Elder is well known to STANZ. Most traders will have a copy.

 

( T ) AA: " Technical Analysis from A -Z " by Steven Achelis. The developer of MetaStock software describes every indicator that a trader may use. He arms the trader with about 100 technical tools. A very clearly written book. H. cover, 331 pages. $ 125. ( Rec. by Peter Maiden, Phaedrus ). 

 

( T ) A: " Technical Analysis of the financial markets, Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications " by John Murphy. This is a comprehensive guide to trading methods and applications. It provides an excellent overview of most aspects of technical analysis. Phaedrus recommends it and says that the book is suitable for readers at all levels. 542 pages. ISBN: 0735200661. About $221.

 

( T ) A+: "Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns", by Thomas Bulkowsky, 672 pages, $US56. Phaedrus, who recommends this book, says that it describes and evaluates over 50 chart patterns, giving full statistics as to the reliability and usefulness of each. Not suitable for beginners. Full review at < http://www.stanz.co.nz >.

( T ) A: " Technical Analysis of Stock Trends ", 7th edition, by Edwards and Magee. According to Phaedrus, who recommends this book, this 1940 classic remains the bible on technical stock analysis. It explains every aspect of charting and basic technical analysis through to advanced trading techniques. Interm. to advanced. 700 pages, $ US 75. 

 

( T ) A: " Beginners Guide to Computer Assisted Trading ", by Peter Alexander. Easy to read and learn from. Charts are explained with each style in basic fashion and diagrams. It also explains the reasons for computer trading, the rules to follow and concepts behind it. Paperback, 188 pages, size A4. Published by Traders Press Inc. of USA.  ISBN: 0934380376. ( Recommended by N. Kearney ).

  

( T ) AB: " Technical Analysis Explained " by Martin Pring. Phaedrus recommends this book and says that it is one of two books on the reading list for the American Certified Market Technicians Course. It discusses Trend-determining techniques, Market structure, The influence of Interest rates, Market Sentiment Indicators, Analysis of other markets and Candlestick Charts, also Elliott wave principles. Suitable for beginners but is meant for more advanced traders. 480 pages, $ US 50. 

 

 

Notes: Reviews have been checked against those from other sources and found to be consistent with those issued by these experienced contributors. I also perused some of these books. Note that all selected books are of high quality. Some readers may not agree with these ratings. Quoted prices can be lower in book shops!  

 

Acknowledgement: I want to thank the contributors who donated this information to the Forum.

 

Disclaimer: All data subject to confirmation.

 

Gerry Stolwyk

( Revised 10/11/01 )