Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking (with linked TOC) Order Now

Pragmatism delves into the extremely thought-provoking topic of philosophizing about philosophy itself. This book / lecture is a must read for all those interested in thinking for themselves!Get more detail about Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking (with linked TOC).

Where To Buy Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally

Great read with lots of stories to challenge you while at the same time leave their mark. The author seems approachable and friendly in her writing style. I love the visual attraction of the book and the author has scored a "10" with the format. I have purchased several copies for friends as gifts. Even if you do not agree with every view point there is value in seeing some things from another's perspective - this book highlighted that aspect for me. I have thought about some of the content long after I closed the book and will at times refer to it I am sure.
Get more detail about Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally.

Purchase Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

The book is entertaining and peppered with anecdotes and generally a good read. The authors basic premise is that in markets it is hard to tell the difference between luck and skill, and that given a large enough initial population, there will always be a handful of 'lucky idiots' who make it big for a given period of time. He uses probability theory to justify this - e.g., given 10,000 money managers and a 50% chance of being successful each year, there will be a couple of hundred left after five years who survived just by random luck. This is fundamentally incorrect because, unlike coin flips, the behaviour of those 10,000 managers is not independent of each other. More accurately, given 10,000 managers there might be a 100 trading strategies that are truly independent of each other, and even then when you throw in factors like leverage, margin calls, interest rates, political events and human behaviour, there are a lot fewer 'degrees of freedom' in the market. In fact, if everybody pursued trading strategies that were truly independent there would be far volatility in the market than we see today. When it comes to judging companies, the author is even further off the mark. Here, past performance is a pretty strong indicator of future performance. I would rather invest in a company with a 10 year track record of delivering strong profits in a manner that I can understand than the newest, flashiest kid on the block - then again I'm an investor not a 'trader', and I've ridden out highs and lows for the last 10 years with a moderate degree of success.

I agree with a few things he says - like the fact that daily 'news' is corrosive to the human brain, especially to the investor and that there are 'black swan' events that catch people off guard. However I couldn't help but think of Donald Rumsfeld's humorous "known unknows" and "unknown unknowns" comment as I read about black swans. As the author appropriately quotes, "There is nothing new under the sun".Get more detail about Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets.

Buy Getting the Love You Want, 20th Anniversary Edition: A Guide for Couples

This is an excellent book that is thought provoking as well as a guide to true growth in a partnership. The first part of the book goes through many examples of how and why we are attracted to the people we end up being with and the second part guides you through a 12 week program that you can embark upon with your partner to heal your relationship. It is all about healing our childhood wounds and wanting our partner to heal them for us. Oh wouldn't that be good!! If both parties are willing, it has a lot to offer. But it is also good for the single person to reflect upon past painful relationships and why they may not have worked.
Dr Gunta Krumins-Caldwell author of On Silver WingsGet more detail about Getting the Love You Want, 20th Anniversary Edition: A Guide for Couples.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life Buy Now

Donald Miller seems to be going through a midlife crisis. Given his age and accomplishments, this should be no surprise. It seems that he is dealing with the reality that success does not satisfy and he is now looking for experiences and relationships to provide meaning in his life. It is not a bad wakeup call for all of us to review what it is we are spending our resources on. The book is filled with Miller's great writing, finding humor in everyday things. There are also plenty of touching stories of those in his life who have faced obstacles and those who have lived creatively. If you have enjoyed Miller's other books you will love his most recent offering.Get more detail about A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life.