Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered [Hardcover]

Alan R. Ackerman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bloomberg Financial | Publication Date: June 2003

Lessons from top moneymakers, newsmakers, and pacemakers in the markets

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Global market strategist and pundit Ackerman aims to create a portrait of the current environment for professional and individual investors in this collection of 29 essays. But like the times, the book is often confusing and contradictory. Ackerman organizes the pieces into thematic sections, examining the stock market in general, niche investments (e.g., gold, oil, bonds and biotech), research and analysis tools, successful corporate models and the unsettled geopolitical outlook. The contributors in the first three sections are impressive, but the quality of the essays varies. Vanguard Group's John Bogle offers one of the best with his summary of 50 years in the mutual fund industry. Has it been good for investors? "The answer is a resounding no," he writes. Morningstar's Brian Portnoy presents a cogent analysis of mutual fund fees. His conclusion: "When you pay more, the odds are that you will get less." Less usefully, Value Line's Jean Bernhard Buttner offers only a recitation of her company's services, and most of the niche investment advisers are unconvincing as they pump their own specialties. The section on successful corporate models features essays written by leaders at Toyota, Starbucks, Washington Mutual and Lightspan who plug their own companies. The real eye-openers are in the book's final section. Events have already outrun several of these essays, but Jules Kroll's description of the still-gaping holes in our security and Harvard professor Graham Allison's warning that terrorists will soon have nuclear weapons should be enough to give even bullish investors pause.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

ALAN R. ACKERMAN was executive vice president of Fahnestock & Company in New York City and a veteran market observer and commentator. An expert in foreign affairs and international strategies, he was regularly quoted in the financial press and appeared frequently on television and radio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press; 1 edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576601374
• ISBN-13: 978-1576601372
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, June 8, 2004

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered (Hardcover)

Investing Under Fire is a very interesting collection of essays by 30 luminaries from various fields, some of them not at all related to investing. Each selection contains at least a thought or two to repay the effort of perusal, and that's a great deal more than many books deliver, especially books about investing. The anthology's five segments cover mutual funds, key sectors - from Asia to precious metals, research and legal resources, innovative companies and geopolitical influences. Anyone who merely reads the first selection, by Vanguard founder John Bogle, and applies its lessons, would more than recapture the purchase price of the book. Despite the sometimes self-promotional comments from a few of the other contributors, it's a very valuable book. If nothing else, we note, it will expose you to a spectrum of diverse opinions, a useful prophylactic against complacency.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An especially recommended "inside scoop", September 19, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered (Hardcover)

Edited by global market strategist and foreign affairs expert Alan R. Ackerman, Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies From The Masters For Bulls, Bears, And The Bewildered authoritatively presents expert testimony from financial experts concerning the hazards and opportunities awaiting investors in the constantly changing present and future. From biotech; to the Chinese market; to available legal recourses; to examples of what investors should look for when reading between the lines of an annual report, Investing Under Fire is an especially recommended "inside scoop" of thoughtful extrapolations and solidly practical advice for those who are somewhat experienced with investing, yet are seeking to learn more of the increasingly complex and volatile financial and global markets.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Overview, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered (Hardcover)

This is a great book. A must for anyone who wants to understand the current state of the U.S. economy and the global economy. I have seen Alan Ackerman on T.V. a few times and always enjoyed his advice.

The book is well done and the roster of contributors is very impressive. I cannot recall a book that had such a wide and important variety of industry leaders and analysts.

There were so many interesting and important points that it is difficult to mention them all. In short, the book is cautiously optimistic and is a must have for anyone who wants to be prepared for the future.