Jim Cramer's Real Money

There are a lot of stock investment books out there, all touting different investing strategies and methods. However, very few actually explain and define some of the common language that is used in the investment world. “Jim Cramer’s Real Money” does this with gusto.

I’m a guy who has attempted tor read Benjamin Graham’s “The Intelligent Inevestor” a couple of times. I would follow what he was saying until he threw a word like “multiplier”. I would wonder what a multiple was. I would try and figure out what he was talking about 12 time earnings etc. The most powerful part of Jim Cramer’s book is that he didn’t assume I knew what he was talking about.

In addition to this, the book was a smooth read and seemed to be brutally honest at times. I haven’t been able to invest using his strategies as of yet as I have other budgetary concerns to address first. But I would advise this book to anyone who’s interested in the stock game. It is an important book to read if you are trying to figure out how to invest in stocks, or even whether it is something you want to do. Try not to let his television show turn you off if you find the bells and whistle’s a bit much. It’s a good book.

I rate “Real Money” a buy.

Born Rich

How does the other half live. Often when we focus on how one’s environment affects one’s life, we focus primarily on the impoverished. Born Rich is a film that does the exact opposite. It is a documentary by Jamie Johnson, an heir of the Johnson and Johnson fortune, who focuses on people who have inherited their wealth and what their lives are like.

What struck me about the film was the sincerity of the people who spoke with Jamie. The spoke of their advantages in life, how it feels to be born to so much privilege, and what their family lives are like. It was a very honest portrayal of human beings who have been lucky enough to inherit extreme wealth. Some of them were humble and hard working, others were arrogant and self centered, but they were all fascinating.

Born Rich would have probably benefited from a more professional production, and I would have liked subtitles for some of the harsher foreign accents, but all in all it was a fascinating and unique movie. I would recommend renting or purchasing this film.

Unjust Desserts

I think it is Newton I’m paraphrasing when I say that as a society we stand on the shoulder of giants. We have all of history to draw on as a blueprint for every invention we ever create. We learn from the experience of our ancestors. “Unjust Desserts” by Gar Alperovitz is a book that begins by explaining how collective knowledge leads to invention. He gives an example of the telephone which had three different inventors in three different areas. He shows that the invention was created because the accumulated knowledge of human civilization generated an environment where a device that allows you to talk to someone on the other side of the world is invented.

Gar brilliantly explains the concept of shared knowledge and “rent seeking”. He shows how there are individuals in society who have not generated any new product or created any new idea and who reap benefits due to their inheritance of ideas that were generated before they even existed.

Finally, he explains the contribution that society makes in creating new resources. He quotes Bill Gates Sr. and Warren Buffet’s assertions that they are where they are now because as much as because of the environment of the United States as their native abilities.

It is a must own book that contains a great deal of information. It is an essential part of your library.

25 Things That Really Matter in Life

I have recently gotten the opportunity to read "25 Things That Really Matter in Life". I have read many books that attempt to break through the self built barriers to success that most people possess. Many are good but they are often long and filled with unnecessary fluff. They often piggyback on older books like "Think and Grow Rich" or "How To Win Friends and Influence People". Gary does not fall into these traps. Rather, he in simple and direct terms, explains how he pushed himself to operate a successful business and over come depression and how others can do the same.



In the book Gary explains what matters to him and why. He shows how faith led him to start his own business, the joy that family brings, and even the importance of great sex. What really stands out about the book is the portion that asks the readers to list the 25 things that matters to them. This is a very personal part of the book that allows the readers, if they are serious about truly becoming successful and happy, to figure out what they truly want so that they plot their own direction in life rather than letting others do it for them.



I truly enjoyed 25 Things and recommend it to anyone who is unsure of where they want to go in life and to those who know the course they want to travel but want to enrich the journey.

Spend Well, Live Rich

Michele Singletary is a financial advice contributor on NPR who also writes the Color of Money column for the Washington Post. With the possibility of a recession looming, now is an excellent time to study and apply sound financial advice and Michelle offers this in spades in her book “Spend Well, Live Rich”

The book explores seven principles that Michele learned from her grandmother including, “If it’s on your ass it’s not an asset” and “Priorities lead to prosperity”. She also explores issues like budgeting, life insurance, and saving for your children’s education. What I liked most about the book is its simple common sense advice and its easy application in everyday life. Often such books are for those who are either completely engulfed in financial problems or for those who have never had any. Michele’s book focuses on those who fall in between the financial extremes as well as those who dwell on the fringes.

African American economic empowerment will not be the result of some mass economic uprising but rather the result of many individuals taking control of their financial futures. “Spend Well, Live Rich” is the perfect book for anyone who is looking to improve their own lives as well as those of their people. It is a must read.

I was sent a copy of Bill Cosby’s Come on People new book to review after my NPR appearance by what I believe to be some of his public relations people. I have to admit that I may have been a little harsh in my language on News & Notes but I still feelthe same way. A great deal of what Cosby and Poussaint say is dead on and useful but it has been presented in such a negative way that the people he wishes to reach won’t listen. Come on People is an excellent book that expresses what the problems are in the African American community and gives step by step instructions on how fix them.

The best thing about the book is how it has managed to divide itself into chapters and sections that address specific problems and how to solve them. The authors managed to find people throughout the country who can relate to the subject matter and who have gone through difficult situations and overcome them. Cosby and Poussaint, for the most part, manage to avoid coming across as condescending or negative as they examine problems such as teen pregnancy, mental illness, health, and education. It is very useful to those who are in a trouble spot in their lives or who know someone who is.

The cool thing about books that demand changes in behavior is that they allow you to give a relative or friend much needed advice without bruising their ego. If there is someone you know who over disciplines their child, or who is trying to figure out how to improve their own circumstances you can give them the book without being perceived as meddling. All in all, it is an excellent book and worth reading.

What saddens me is that the book is probably one of the best in terms of step by step instruction that I have seen in years and it is unlikely to reach the people who need it most, the African American underclass. I agreed with Cosby and thought that people were overreacting to his original comments when I heard the substance of what he said through third parties. When I actually recordings of his rants via radio I was taken aback by the disrespectful way he spoke of the African American lower class going as far as mocking their names. I was near the end of the book and was riding the Metro in D.C. when a sister struck up a conversation with me by asking me what I was reading. I told her it was Cosby’s book and she and a friend of hers began to discuss it with me. They said that “Cosby’s heart is in the right place but that mouth…ummm”. What they meant was that Cosby’s delivery is so stained with contempt that it made it next to impossible to listen to what he said.

I don’t pretend to know what type of situation these sisters were coming from, but I would hazard to guess that there were at least some portions that would have been useful to them. I learned a lot myself. But I have to admit that if it were not for the review copy I probably would not have read it. What this means to me is that the message, which is a phenomenal one, has been lost. I would recommend that anyone who cares about the African American community read this book, and I am sure that many in the frustrated middle class will do so. But those who need it most, those in the African American under class, will likely not do so because of Cosby’s failure to speak frankly out of concern rather than from frustration and anger.

In college I did a report on John McWhorter’s “Losing the Race”. I was reading slightly right of center African American authors in order to get a better understanding of people who thought differently than I did. Rather than being irritated by his arguments I was intrigued. His point of view actually expanded my horizons. “Losing the Race” is definitely worth reading.

In the book McWhorter explores some attitudes and worldviews that hold African Americans back. I was intrigued by his examples of pseudo-intellectual Black supremacists who were treated as rational among academics, and of a young African American linguist who studied foreign languages without bothering to learn them. They spoke to a problem in the African American community. There were times when I found him a bit naïve, such as an incident he referred to when he was stopped by the police. Also, some of his arguments are not up to snuff in terms of evidence from a political scientist’s perspective. However, it is a good book worth reading and I would recommend you do so.

One Day in September

The Munich Olympics were one of the most tragic events in the games history. Israeli Olympians were killed by Palestinian terrorists as they attempted to compete for their country. One Day in September is a documentary that shows how German incompetence, Israeli intransigence, and Palestinian extremism led to the death of athletes who wanted to compete at the pinnacle of their sports.

One of the Palestinian terrorists, the only survivor of the events and Israeli reprisals, is interviewed and shares his point of view. Countless German officials give their perspective as they were trying to get the hostages free and redeem the image of their nation in the first German Olympics since Hitler’s Berlin propaganda games. Israeli’s who watched their loved ones and country men being held hostage and murdered shared their stories as well. It is a unique and heart wrenching portrait of the high costs of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

I would highly recommend viewing this film. It humanizes every actor in the conflict and shows us just how devastating and far reaching violence and oppression can be. Frank Herbert wrote that we cannot escape the violence of our ancestors. This film showed just how accurate that statement is.

Don't Blame it On Rio

There are very few books or media that focus on how African American men see the world. This is especially true when it comes to relationships. All too often a discussion of African American men in relationships focuses on trifling broke brother’s failure to be fathers or remain faithful to their mates. Well, this book follows this narrative to a certain degree but differs in that it explores the phenomenon of middle class African American men who take sex vacations in Brazil and truly attempts to understand their rationale and their beliefs about African American women.

Jewell Woods, the author, honestly made an attempt to understand how African American men view relationships with African American women and with Brazilian women. He also explored what motivated African American men to go to Brazil, moving beyond the obvious answer of sex and exploring some of the emotional and psychological factors involved. Rather than outright condemning the brothers, Jewell allowed them to have their say and then dissected their arguments, showing their hypocrisy, but also their humanity. Jewell manages to hold middle class African American men to account, without pandering to African American women who are likely to read his book.

Sexual tourism is a growing phenomenon in the African American community, and it is good that Jewell is holding middle class African American men, who normally get a pass on their sexism, accountable. One thing that I had a problem with in the book is that he opens with the question “Are Black Women Necessary” but does not really explain why they are. I love African American women, but considering what some of the complaints about them in the essay it felt like more of an effort to refute the arguments against sisters in the book would have been beneficial. Besides this, the book is an educational and a worthwhile read, especially considering the lack of literature that makes a real attempt to study African American outside of the prison and baby daddy categories.

Priceless

How much is your life worth? How much is your health worth? Frank Ackerman and Lisa Heinzerling discuss the process through which right wing free marketers have cheapened the value of human life, and its quality, through logical but inhuman economic practices that attempt to dollarize everything. They show the pseudo logic of economist who have argued that an senior citizen's life is worth less in terms of dollars than a young person and who are against any form of environmental and job regulation because of the costs.

The book is extremely well written and explains how economist measure risk for everyday Americans, and how that measurement has been corrupted by monied and political interest. In light of the case in Baltimore and our current environmental problems that we face, and that our children are likly to face, I would recommend this book to anyone who cares about their future and their quality of life.

Quilombo

When you think successful slave rebellion you probably think Nat Turner or Haiti. You should be thinking Palmares and Quilombo. Brazil received more African slaves than any other place in the New World. These slaves rebelled in many places, especially during a war between the Ducth and the Portuguese, and established a viable republic in the jungles of Brazil. Leaders like Ganga Zumba and Zumbi fought to protect runaway slaves, Amerindians, and poor whites from the deprivations of the entrenched wealthy classes in Brazil. This film is a must see if you want a better understanding of slaves in the New World and their ability to overcome horrific circumstances. Quilombo is a film that tells this story and will likely be most of our first exposure to the Brazilian struggle for freedom. Check This Film Out!!!

Life and Debt

I got a chance to go to Jamaica this year and it is a beautiful place. The people are nice and the Atlantic is wonderful. I was catered to in the resort where I stayed by locals which was a nice, if peculiar, experience for me. I also got a chance to see the poverty of that nation. I saw houses without electricity or plumbing. I bought curry goat from a place that could be described as a shack. And I knew before going that many people there aren’t able to enjoy the things I enjoyed on their island. Life and Debt explains why that is.

Jamaica is a nation whose climate allows for the production of vast quantities of food, its people are hard working, and it is close enough to other nations to have profitable trade with them, but it is also very poor. The film, Life and Debt, explores how the first world’s loans and economic theory have impoverished the nation. Jamaica is in debt to the IMF and the World Bank and these institutions have established policies that have only harmed the country. Jamaica is not allowed to give farm subsides to its agricultural sector but has to compete with nations, such as the United States, who heavily subsidize production.

Life and Debt does a brilliant analysis of this problem and explains how post-colonial Jamaica has been devastated by policies created to keep the first world empowered at their expense. It is a must see and I would recommend viewing this film to anyone who is interested in why the post-colonial world is suffering economically.

What Black Men Think

Wake Up!

Carter G. Woodson wrote a book called the Miseducation of the Negro about how African Americans were being taught to think in ways that were detrimental to the health of their communities and that blinded them to freedom. Harriett Tubman said if she could have convinced more slaves that they were enslaved she could have freed thousands. In the film What Black Men Think, Janks Morton says “Wake Up!”

The film was made on a budget around $8,000 dollars and was shot solely by Janks Morton. Despite this fact, or perhaps because of it, the film is of very high quality, moves at a brisk pace, and continuously awes the viewer as it destroys stereotypes that have been proliferated in the African American community. It then goes on to find out why the stereotypes have been created in the first place and why leadership in the Black community has failed to disprove them.

The film interviews African American political thinkers as well as brothers off the street and asks them their opinion of where the African American community has gone wrong and what we need to do to fix it. There are newsworthy names and intellectuals on the film such as NPR correspondent and author Juan Williams, Linguist and author John McWhorter, and author Shelby Steele who all make appearances throughout the film commenting on their hopes and concerns about the African American male.

What is probably the most powerful part of the film is the destruction of the myth of African American underachievement. Janks asks numerous people, including children, whether there are more African American men in jail or in college. Their answer is probably the same as yours if you haven’t seen the film or the PSA. He then destroys this myth and shows that our people, African Americans, are better educated then we believe.

Now I can’t say I agree with everything in the film. Janks is a little further to the right than I am, and my opinion of utilizing the government for advancement and his are very different. However, his passion for reuniting the African American family is awe inspiring. What he has created is a film that will help African Americans better understand one another and I commend him for that.

I was very moved by the film and would encourage anyone who is concerned with the African American Community to purchase the film at his website. Some of you movie critics out there might think that this review is a bit too glowing and that I might be trying to sell the film too hard, but this film opened my eyes to some facts about my people that have lifted a burden from my heart in many ways. Go check it out..

Wake Up!

A Review of To Die For the People

The Black Panthers are a very misunderstood group. This is especially true when it comes to the leadership of the organization. Huey Newton's autobiography "Revolutionary Suicide" explains his life, "To Die For the People" explains his worldview and shows the deductive processes by which he led the Black Party organization.

The book is a collection of speeches throughout his life as leader. It is a fascinating testament to what the party stood for and what Huey himself believed in. It allows the reader to judge the Black Panther Party, and Huey Newton for themselves. It is a must read for anyone intersted in history of the African American advancement movement.

Losing My Virginity

Losing My Virginity

Richard Branson is a billionaire who wrote and autobiography. That fact alone makes his biography worth reading. Besides this fact though, “Losing My Virginity” is a great book. The book covers nearly fifty years of Branson’s life, starting with his childhood in England and ending shortly after his battle to establish Virgin Airlines. It is definitely worth picking up.

Virgin records, Virgin Music, and various other Virgin businesses are Branson’s creation. In the book he explains his highs and lows and hides very little about himself. Things that many memoir writers might leave out, like his infidelity and legal troubles, are included in the book and one cannot help but respect Branson for that. What is best is how entertaining the book is. Biographies can run the risk of being dry and uninteresting, Branson avoids all of these things.

For anyone who wants to start a business, or who just wants to read a good autobiography, I recommend picking up “Losing My Virginity”. I’ve read it twice.