Bad Money or The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and The Gospel of Wealth

Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism

Author: Kevin Phillips

The bestselling author reveals how the U.S. financial sector has hijacked our economy and put America's global future at risk

In American Theocracy, Kevin Phillips warned us of the perilous interaction of debt, financial recklessness, and the increasing cost of scarce oil. The current housing and mortgage debacle is proof once more of Phillips's prescience, and only the first harbinger of a national crisis. In Bad Money, Phillips describes the consequences of our misguided economic policies, our mounting debt, our collapsing housing market, our threatened oil, and the end of American domination of world markets. America's current challenges (and failures) run striking parallels to the decline of previous leading world economic powers-especially the Dutch and British. Global overreach, worn-out politics, excessive debt, and exhausted energy regimes are all chilling signals that the United States is crumbling as the world superpower.

"Bad money" refers to a new phenomenon in wayward megafinance-the emergence of a U.S. economy that is globally dependent and dominated by hubris-driven financial services. Also "bad" are the risk miscalculations and strategic abuses of new multitrillion-dollar products such as asset-backed securities and the lure of buccaneering vehicles like hedge funds. Finally, the U.S. dollar has been turned into bad money as it has weakened and become vulnerable to the world's other currencies. In all these ways, "bad" finance has failed the American people and pointed U.S. capitalism toward a global crisis. Bad Money is the perfect follow- up to Phillips's last book, whose dire warnings are now proving frighteningly accurate.

The New York Times - Daniel Gross

Bad Money is perfectly timed for the present, as the foul stench of moldering debt and American decline lingers in the concrete canyons of Manhattan…Phillips is an entertaining writer. His prose is full of jabs and one-two combinations that keep things moving briskly.

Dale Farris - Library Journal

Longtime political and economic commentator Phillips continues the theme of his American Theocracy(2006)-also narrated by Scott Brick (www.scottbrickpresents.com)-with this gloomy projection of a major economic storm brewing on the horizon. Here, Phillips again draws parallels between our current situation and the declines of 17thcentury Spain, the 18thcentury Dutch Republic, and early 20thcentury Britain, parallels over which historians and economists will likely quibble. However, even if his moody pessimism is not entirely defensible, his warnings should provide useful fodder for enlightened, learned voters in the exhausting 2008 presidential campaign. Brick's steady pacing will help listeners sustain focus throughout this informationpacked read. Recommended for university libraries supporting business and economics curricula and for larger public libraries. [Also recorded by Books on Tape. 8 CDs. unabridged. ISBN 9781415949900

New interesting textbook: The Commanding Heights or The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008

The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and The Gospel of Wealth

Author: Andrew Carnegi

Here is the enlightening memoir of the industrialist as famous for his philanthropy as for his fortune.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People or Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen R Covey

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

What People Are Saying

Ken M. Radziwanowski
Picture someone going through the best experience they've ever had in terms of training—that's what they say. People credit The 7 Habits with changing their lives, with getting back on track personally and professionally.

Table of Contents:

Inside-Out ..... 15

The Seven Habits---An Overview ..... 46

Part Two: Private Victory ..... 63

Habit 1: Be Proactive ..... 65

Principles of Personal Vision

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind ..... 95

Principles of Personal Leadership

Habit 3: Put First Things First ..... 145

Principles of Personal Management

Part Three: Public Victory ..... 183

Paradigms of Interdependence

Habit 4: Think Win/Win ..... 204

Principles of Interpersonal Leadership

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood ..... 235

Principles of Empathic Communication

Habit 6: Synergize ..... 261

Principles of Creative Cooperation

Part Four: Renewal ..... 285

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw ..... 287

Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal

Inside-Out Again

Appendix A: Possible Perceptions Flowing out of Various Centers ..... 321

Appendix B: A Quadrant II Day at the Office ..... 331

Problem/Opportunity Index ..... 341

Index ..... 348

Read also Structures of Memory or Martin Luther King JR and the Civil Rights Movement

Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors: Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Any Management Situation

Author: Meryl Runion

Powerful phrases for effective communication in every management situation

The latest addition to the bestselling Perfect Phrases series, Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors is an indispensable tool for novice to mid-level managers and frontline supervisors. Corporate communications guru Meryl Runion coaches readers in the six fundamentals of effective delivery, including "Be Short, Specific, Targeted," and "Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say, and Don't Be Mean When You Say It." And she arms them with:

• Hundreds of perfect phrases for every phase of management, from supervising operations, to performance reviews, to communicating the company's mission
• Expert advice on effective communication, with tips on what to say and what not to say, establishing the right tone, establishing authority, and more
• Phrases for hundreds of specific tasks, including delegating, giving feedback, empowering employees, handling emotional employees, disciplining, and terminating

Meryl Runion is the president and CEO of SpeakStrong, Inc., and director of The Center for Responsible Communication. She has been featured in USA Today and dozens of trade journals.

Confessions of a Subprime Lender or Your Credit Score

Confessions of a Subprime Lender: An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance

Author: Richard Bitner

Real Estate

One insider's rollercoaster account of the subprime implosion
Richard Bitner founded his own subprime mortgage company just as the industry took off. In five years, he watched his company grow from a tiny operation to a booming business. But something wasn't right?
As housing prices skyrocketed, Bitner watched greed and fraud overtake the industry. Eventually, he became disenchanted after foreclosing on a subprime borrower who was given a legitimate, industry-standard mortgage—a loan Bitner realized never should have been made. Seeing the ugly writing on the wall, he sold his stake in the business before the industry imploded under a mountain of bad debt.
Confessions of a Subprime Lender pulls back the curtain on the players who created the subprime disaster, including brokers, lenders, Wall Street investment firms, and rating agencies who worked the system to their advantage. From his unique perspective as a subprime lender, Bitner reveals:

• Why nearly three out of every four mortgages were misleading or fraudulent
• How unscrupulous brokers tricked lenders and gullible borrowers
• How brokers and lenders turned unqualified applicants into "qualified borrowers"
• Why Wall Street and the rating agencies are largely to blame for the collapse

Interwoven with dramatic personal anecdotes, Confessions of a Subprime Lender explains how the subprime industry blew up and concludes with a comprehensive solution for rebuilding it by forcing changes on all the key players.
"Bitner's thorough review of the subprime lending industry provides a behind-the-scenes look at the mortgage mess. From thebroker on Main Street to the investor on Wall Street, it's an unabridged version of what went wrong and how it needs to be fixed."
—Bill Dallas, founder, First Franklin Mortgage, one of America's largest subprime lenders, before it collapsed
"This is an in-depth, eye-opening examination of the problems impacting the housing and mortgage markets."
—Matthew McIntyre, CEO, Puritan Financial Group, Inc.

Book review: The Home Owners Journal Fifth Edition or Project Management

Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future

Author: Liz Pulliam Weston

“A great credit score can help you finish rich! Liz Pulliam Weston gives solid, easy-to-understand advice about how to improve your credit fast. Read this book and prosper.”

–David Bach, bestselling author of The Automatic Millionaire and The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner

“Excellent book! Insightful, well written, and surprisingly interesting. Liz Pulliam Weston has done an outstanding job demystifying an often intimidating and frustrating topic for the benefit of all consumers.”

–Eric Tyson, syndicated columnist and bestselling author of

Personal Finance for Dummies

“No one makes complex financial information easy to understand like Liz Pulliam Weston. Her straight-talk and wise advice are invaluable to anyone with a credit card or check book–and that's just about all of us.”

–Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office and Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich

“In a country where consumers increasingly pay more when they have bad credit, Liz Pulliam Weston’s book provides excellent tips and advice on ways to improve your credit history and raise your credit score. If you just apply one or two of her insightful suggestions, you’ll save many times the cost of this book.”

–Ilyce R. Glink, financial reporter, talk show host, and bestselling author of

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask

“Your creditscore can save you money or cost you money–sometimes a lot of money. Yet, most people don’t even know their scores, much less know how to make them better. Liz Pulliam Weston can help you fix that. In this easy-to-understand guide you’ll learn how to make sure your score helps you get the best deal on loans and insurance. You can’t afford not to read it.”

–Gerri Detweiler, consumer advocate and founder of UltimateCredit.com

Your credit score. It’s just three numbers. But it dictates whether you’ll get credit, and what you’ll pay. Insurers use it to set premiums. Landlords use it to make renting decisions. You need to understand it. In Your Credit Score, Second Edition, MSN Money personal finance journalist Liz Pulliam Weston gives you up-to-the-minute answers you can trust—and a proven action plan for building your credit, fixing it, and maintaining it, starting today!

Weston has updated this national bestseller with extensive new information, including an inside look at the new VantageScore credit scoring system, “Fast Fixes” that actually work, and powerful tips for first-time borrowers.

You’ll discover how your scores are affected by everything from applying for loans to closing accounts...how to cope with a credit crisis, and bounce back from bad credit or bankruptcy...how credit counseling really affects your score...why paying old debts can actually damage your score...how to reduce your exposure to identity theft, and much more!

Acknowledgments xvii

About the Author xix

Chapter 1: Why Your Credit Score Matters 1

Chapter 2: How Credit Scoring Works 13

Chapter 3: VantageScore–A Revolution or Just More of the Same? 29

Chapter 4: Improving Your Score–The Right Way 37

Chapter 5: Credit Scoring Myths 57

Chapter 6: Coping with a Credit Crisis 69

Chapter 7: Rebuilding Your Score After a Credit Disaster 89

Chapter 8: Identity Theft and Your Credit 111

Chapter 9: Emergency! Fixing Your Credit Score Fast 139

Chapter 10: Insurance and Your Credit Score 147

Chapter 11: Keeping Your Score Healthy 163

Index 179

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments     xvii
About the Author     xix
Why Your Credit Score Matters     1
How Your Credit Score Affects You     1
What It Costs Long Term to Have a Poor or Mediocre Credit Score     3
How Credit Scoring Came into Being     6
How Credit Use Has Changed Over the Years     7
Consumer's Fight for Truth About Credit Scores     8
Credit Controversies     9
Credit Scoring's Vulnerability to Errors     9
Credit Scoring's Complexity     10
Credit Scoring's Use for Noncredit Decisions     11
Credit Scoring's Potential Unfairness     11
Conclusion     12
How Credit Scoring Works     13
What Is a Good Score?     16
Your Credit Report: The Building Blocks for Your Score     17
How Your Score Is Calculated     18
The Five Most Important Factors     19
Your Payment History     19
How Much You Owe     20
How Long You've Had Credit     21
Your Last Application for Credit     21
The Types of Credit You Use     22
Your Credit Scorecard     22
Your Results Might Differ     24
HowDo I Get My Score?     25
VantageScore-A Revolution or Just More of the Same?     29
The VantageScore Scale     30
How VantageScores Are Calculated     31
Comparing the Scoring Systems     32
Some Rules Remain the Same     33
VantageScore's Future     34
So Which is Better?     36
Improving Your Score-The Right Way     37
Start with Your Credit Report     37
Check the Identifying Information     38
Carefully Review the Credit Accounts     39
Parse Through Your Inquiries     40
Examine Your Collections and Public Records     41
Dispute the Errors     41
Pay Your Bills on Time     42
How to Make Sure Your Bills Get Paid on Time, All the Time     43
Pay Down Your Debt     47
You Need to Reduce What You Owe, Rather Than Just Moving Your Balances Around     47
You Might Need to Change Your Approach to Paying Off Debt     48
You Need to Pay Attention to How Much You Charge-Even If You Pay Your Balances Off in Full Every Month     48
How to Find Money to Pay Down Your Debt     50
Don't Close Credit Cards or Other Revolving Accounts     50
Apply for Credit Sparingly      51
How to Get a Credit Score If You Don't Have Credit     51
Credit Scores Without Credit     55
Credit Scoring Myths     57
Closing Credit Accounts Will Help Your Score     58
You Can Boost Your Score By Asking Your Credit Card Company to Lower Your Limits     59
You Can Hurt Your Score By Checking Your Own Credit Report     60
You Can Hurt Your Score By Shopping Around for the Best Rates     61
You Don't Have to Use Credit to Get a Good Credit Score     62
You Have to Pay Interest to Have a Good Credit Score     63
Adding a 100-Word Statement to Your File Can Help Your Score If You Have an Unresolved Dispute with a Lender     64
Your Closed Accounts Should Read "Closed By Consumer," Or They Will Hurt Your Score     65
Credit Counseling Is Worse Than Bankruptcy     65
Bankruptcy Hurts Your Score So Much That It's Impossible to Get Credit     66
Coping with a Credit Crisis     69
Figure Out How to Free Up Some Cash     72
Evaluating Your Options     75
Prioritize Your Bills     75
Match Your Resources to Your Bills and Debts     77
Figuring Out a Repayment Plan     78
The Real Scoop on Credit Counseling     80
Should You File for Bankruptcy?     84
The Effects of Bankruptcy Reform     85
The Type of Bankruptcy That You File Matters     86
Choose Your Path and Take Action     87
The Pay-Off Plan     88
Credit Counseling     88
Bankruptcy     88
Rebuilding Your Score After a Credit Disaster     89
Credit Report Repair     91
Scrutinize Your Report for Serious Errors     91
Know Your Rights     93
Organize Your Attack     94
What You Need to Know About Unpaid Debts and Collections     95
What You Need to Know About Statutes of Limitations     99
Should You Pay Old Debts?     102
"But You've Got the Wrong Guy!"     105
Adding Positive Information to Your File     106
Try to Get Positive Accounts Reported     106
Borrow Someone Else's History     106
Get Some Credit or Charge Cards If You Don't Have Any     107
Use Your Credit Well     108
Pay Bills on Time     108
Use the Credit You Have     108
Keep Your Balances Low     109
Pace Yourself     109
Don't Commit the Biggest Credit Repair Mistakes      109
Identity Theft and Your Credit     111
New Laws That Might Help     115
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft     117
Buy a Shredder     117
Get a Locking Mailbox     117
Protect Your Outgoing Mail     117
Keep Track of Your Receipts     118
Keep Your Financial Documents Under Lock and Key     118
Get Stingy with Your Social Security Number     118
Know What's in Your Wallet     119
Ask About Shredding Policies     119
Don't Let Your Debit Card Out of Your Sight     120
Opt Out of Credit Card Solicitations, Junk Mail, and Telemarketing     120
Don't Use a Cell or Cordless Phone to Discuss Financial Matters     121
Be Wary of Telephone Solicitors and Emails Purporting to Be from Financial Institutions     121
Monitor Your Social Security Statements     122
Monitor Your Credit Reports     122
Consider a Credit Freeze     124
What to Do If You're Already a Victim     131
Keep Good Notes of Every Conversation You Have Regarding the ID Theft     131
Contact the Credit Bureaus by Phone and Then with a Follow-Up in Writing     132
Contact the Creditors by Phone and Then Follow Up in Writing      132
Contact the Police or Local Sheriff     132
Contact Bank and Checking Verification Companies     133
Contact the Collection Agencies     133
Get Legal Help     134
Don't Give Up     134
What to Do If the Credit Bureau Won't Budge     136
Emergency! Fixing Your Credit Score Fast     139
Repairing Your Credit in a Matter of Hours: Rapid Rescoring     140
Boosting Your Score in 30-60 Days     143
Pay Off Your Credit Cards and Lines of Credit     143
Use Your Credit Cards Extremely Lightly     144
Focus on Correcting the Big Mistakes on Your Credit Reports     144
Use the Bureaus' Online Dispute Process     144
See If You Can Get Your Creditors to Report or Update Positive Accounts     145
What Typically Doesn't Work     145
Disputing Everything in Sight     145
Creating a "New" Credit Identity     146
Closing Troublesome Accounts     146
Insurance and Your Credit Score     147
History of Using Credit Scores to Price Insurance Premiums     149
But What's the Connection?     151
What Goes into an Insurance Score     155
Keeping a Lid on Your Insurance Costs      156
Start Thinking Differently About Insurance     156
Raise Your Deductibles     157
Don't Make Certain Kinds of Claims     158
Be a Defensive Driver     160
Use the Right Liability Limits     160
Drop Collision and Comprehensive on Older Cars     161
Shop Around     161
Protect Your Score     162
Keeping Your Score Healthy     163
The Do's of Credit Health     164
Pay Off Your Credit Card Balances     164
Have an Emergency Fund     166
Have Adequate Insurance     168
The Don'ts of Credit Health     169
Don't Buy More House Than You Can Afford     169
Don't Overdose on Student Loan Debt     171
Don't Let Your Fixed Expenses Eat Up Your Income     171
Don't Raid Your Retirement or Your Home Equity to Pay Off Credit Cards     172
Credit and Divorce: How Your Ex Can Kill Your Score     173
Get Your Credit Reports     174
Take Action     174
Don't Be Late     175
Dealing with Mortgages, Car Loans, and Other Secured Debt     175
Consider a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze     176
Look for Lenders Who Aren't FICO-Driven      176
In Conclusion: The Three-Year Solution     177
Index     179

Rivals or Big Squeeze

Rivals: How the Power Struggle Between China, India and Japan Will Shape Our Next Decade

Author: Bill Emmott

The former editor in chief of the Economist returns to the territory of his bestselling book The Sun Also Sets to lay out an entirely fresh analysis of the growing rivalry between China, India, and Japan and what it will mean for America, the global economy, and the twenty-first-century world.

Though books such as The World Is Flat and China Shakes the World consider them only as individual actors, Emmott argues that these three political and economic giants are closely intertwined by their fierce competition for influence, markets, resources, and strategic advantage. Rivals explains and explores the ways in which this sometimes bitter rivalry will play out over the next decade—in business, global politics, military competition, and the environment—and reveals the efforts of the United States to manipulate and benefit from this rivalry. Identifying the biggest risks born of these struggles, Rivals also outlines the ways these risks can and should be managed by all of us.

Publishers Weekly

Over the past 20 years, some of the most striking economic growth in history has been taking place in Asia, and former Economisteditor-in-chief Emmott (The Sun Also Sets) combines solid economic and political analysis with entertaining personal accounts to discuss three countries in the center of the phenomenon. Emmott paints richly detailed portraits of China, India and Japan, examining the global implications of their growing rivalry while remaining attentive to issues that extend beyond the region, such as the environment and nuclear weapons proliferation. Several of his conclusions are familiar: China's rapid economic growth is coming into conflict with its political authoritarianism; there is vast potential for India's growth if public policy can properly encourage it; Japan's aging and shrinking population could lead the country into further economic decline. The true strength of the book lies in Emmott's ability to guide the reader through the intricate-often fraught-relationships between these countries without losing focus. Particularly welcome is his ability to discuss potential trouble spots in the region without degenerating into alarmism. This serious and stimulating book will be indispensable to anyone interested in where these countries are headed-and where they might take us. (May)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Reviews

The East, to steal a line from Mao, is red: red-hot, that is, economically, and on the way to reshaping the global economy. Former Economist editor-in-chief Emmott (20:21 Vision: Twentieth-Century Lessons for the Twenty-First Century, 2003, etc.) credits George W. Bush with doing one thing-one thing-right in his years in the White House: forging close ties with India, or at least attempting to do so. Though far behind many other Asian economies, by Emmott's account, India has the wherewithal and the population to rival China and neutralize its power in the coming years. "George Bush's recognition of that fact," Emmott writes, "was his Richard Nixon moment"-that is, a climactic moment akin to Nixon's rapprochement with China precisely to balance Soviet power worldwide. The playing fields are different, of course, now that China has extended itself into the global economy and the local economies of most of the world's nations; yet, Emmott hazards, China's economic growth will likely plateau in about 15 years to a comparatively modest but still healthy five percent per annum, whereas India's will keep on growing at ten percent thereafter. It is no small matter that both countries may "treble their economic output" by 2025, and, as Emmott writes, "Asia is going to carry on getting richer and stronger, probably for a long time to come." Japan fits in the scheme less centrally, but Emmott envisions a sort of free-trade zone among Japan, Korea and China, a scenario that becomes happier and more probable under the assumption that Korea unifies and that Chinese communism becomes even less communistic. Japan remains nervous, of course, about its longtime Chinese foe, one reason for "Japan'sanxiousness to involve India in regional affairs." Emmott closes with a series of policy recommendations, including that the U.S. government declare "that it sees Asian integration and intraregional cooperation as desirable."Brightly written, in Economist tradition, and of much interest to fiscal wonks, geopoliticians and investors.

Table of Contents:

Asia's New Power Game     1
A Continent Created     28
China: Middle Country, Central Issue     54
Japan: Powerful, Vulnerable, Aging     96
India: Multitudes, Muddle, Momentum     135
A Planet Pressured     175
Blood, Memory and Land     208
Flash Points and Danger Zones     239
Asian Drama     280
Acknowledgments     312
Endnotes     317
Bibliography     325
Index     328

Interesting textbook: Encountering Development or Essentials of Public Health

Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker

Author: Steven Greenhous

The Big Squeeze takes a fresh, probing, and often shocking look at the stresses and strains faced by tens of millions of American workers as wages have stagnated, health and pension benefits have grown stingier, and job security has shriveled.

Going behind the scenes, Steven Greenhouse tells the stories of software engineers in Seattle, hotel housekeepers in Chicago, call center workers in New York, and janitors in Houston, as he explores why, in the world’s most affluent nation, so many corporations are intent on squeezing their workers dry. We meet all kinds of workers: white collar and blue collar, high tech and low tech, middle income and low income; employees who stock shelves during a hurricane while locked inside their store, get fired after suffering debilitating injuries on the job, face egregious sexual harassment, and get laid off when their companies move high-tech operations abroad. We also meet young workers having a hard time starting out and seventy-year-old workers with too little money saved up to retire.

The book explains how economic, business, political, and social trends—among them globalization, the influx of immigrants, and the Wal-Mart effect—have fueled the squeeze. We see how the social contract between employers and employees, guaranteeing steady work and good pensions, has eroded over the last three decades, damaged by massive layoffs of factory and office workers and Wall Street’s demands for ever-higher profits. In short, the post–World War II social contract that helped build the world’s largest and most prosperous middle class has been replaced by a startling contradiction: corporateprofits, economic growth, and worker productivity have grown strongly while worker pay has languished and Americans face ever-greater pressures to work harder and longer.

Greenhouse also examines companies that are generous to their workers and can serve as models for all of corporate America: Costco, Patagonia, and the casino-hotels of Las Vegas among them. Finally, he presents a series of pragmatic, ready-to-be-implemented suggestions on what government, business, and labor should do to alleviate the squeeze.

A balanced, consistently revealing exploration of a major American crisis.

The Washington Post - H. W. Brands

Greenhouse has covered the labor beat for the New York Times for more than a decade, and his reporting skills serve his book's readers well. He alternates vignettes from the lives of individual workers with passages revealing the broader economic and political forces shaping workers' predicament…His recommendations for change—a higher minimum wage, better enforcement of laws against employers' cheating on wages, universal health insurance, mandatory retirement accounts in addition to Social Security, renewed government support for labor unions, transition training for workers laid off by outsourcing, a recommitment to public education—are reasonable and appropriate. But the current plight of American workers has been decades in the making, and absent a catastrophic failure of the system, it is hard to imagine how government will summon the will to effect the changes Greenhouse proposes.