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Title : Mrs. Ted Bliss
Author : Stanley Elkin
Rating : 3 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Beautiful language, ugly plot
Mr. Elkin has a wonderful style, with phrases that you reread and say out loud to yourself, that you remember when you put the book down. But that's about all you remember, because the plot and the characters leave much to be desired. I think Elkin put a little too much into forming the most perfect, most beautiful sentences, and not enough into the actual story. I never cared about what happened to Dorothy, or anyone else in her mundane existance. Literature is not literature if it doesn't move you, and Mrs. Ted Bliss most definetly failed in that regard.

Title : How to Retire Rich: Time-Tested Strategies to Beat the Market and Retire in Style
Author : James P. O'Shaughnessy
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Illuminating!!!
A must read for anyone who cares about their financial future. The cloud of confusion that shrouds Wall Street has been blown away. Finally, a simple, easy to understand investment guide that gives actionable advice. Forget about the 5,000 mutual funds that consistently underperform the market. Forget about this year's genius or this year's hot fund. Follow a discipline and stick to it through thick or thin. Thanks, O'Shaughnessy. This book summarizes everything I've learned about investing over the years, but, of course, not yet acted upon. That will change. ----Three things to count in life: death, taxes, and dismal stock market returns without an invesment strategy!----

Title : Senior Savvy: How to Make the Most of Your Life Savings Before and After Retire
Author : Kenneth A. Stern
Rating : 1 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Pass on this one.
Would pass on this one...lots of words but not very informative...

Title : Invest Like Warren Buffett, Live Like Jimmy Buffett: A Money Manual for Those Who Haven't Won the Lottery
Author : Luki Vail
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Disappointment for fans of either Buffett.
If you are looking for some insights into Warren Buffett's investing success, look elsewhere. If you are looking for insights into Jimmy Buffett's lifestyle success, again, look elsewhere. This book takes some very pedestrian financial advice and wraps it up in a catchy title. I strongly suggest you avoid this book and search for more serious financial planning assistance.

Title : The Late-Start Investor
Author : John F. Wasik
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Here's how to retire well if if you haven't planned earlier
For years, retirement and financial pundits have presented their mandates for financial planning for retirement. Unfortunately, for most of us, we read these books as they shower us with guilt if he had not started saving ten percent of our salary from age eighteen.
John Wasik knows better as a senior editor with Consumer's Digest magazine. We are each and all imperfect against the mandated forumlas and ponderous pundits. In this book he tackles the subject for the gain of the arrives or is about to arrive at retirement age having started saving too late which, I trust, includes most of us.
The author/expert allays our fears and then provides the most practical analyses and recommended steps I've read anywhere. And,he writes not in complex formulas but in a straightforward and easily-understandable way.
From his recommendations, I've been able to accelerate my own retirement finance program. I have bought the books for others, each who has told me that they have gained by it.
A remarkable book.

Title : How to Retire Rich
Author : James O'Shaughnessy
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Reasonable runaways - Best way to lose big monies!
Mr. O'Shaughnessy outlines several of his investment strategies and in particular his "reasonable runaways". If you look at his numbers AND factor in costs of establishing a similar group of stocks (something he neglects to do)the SP 500 is the clear winner.
A VERY IMPORTANT piece of investing advice that Mr. O'Shaughnessy advises against is the use of stop-limit orders in his portfolios. By neglecting to use this very important investment tool, you open yourself up to huge losses in the very questionable turnaround stocks that have just been run up in price. Most of these WILL go down and many they will go down big and not recover. Take the advise of someone that has been watching (and burned very badly) by taking his advice and not using stop-limit prices, USE THEM IF YOU EMPLOY THIS VERY RISKY STRATEGIE!!!
If you look at ANY of his mutual funds, you will clearly see that the performance of all of his funds badly trails the SP 500. His expense ratios are also out of line to the high side, something that he warns against in this book.
The three pieces of advice that are of any value in the entire book are to establish a plan, stick to it, and, if 87% (or so) of mutual funds (including his) do not match the performance of the SP 500, why are you investing in anything other than the SP 500?
Good luck to all!!!