Customer Reviews

Stocking Up on Sin: How to Crush the Market with Vice-Based Investing

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hands down, this is the best investment book I have ever read. I'm very highly recommending it. I saw someone reading it on my airplane flight back from Texas last week and bought it as soon as I got home. I found that not only does it explain the basics, like how a low correlation to the S&P is important, but also gives good insights on how I can make money from the things around me in pop culture and in the news. I've never read a book, much less an intelligent and insightful one, which talks about how to profit from the trends I notice. I mean the book even showed how a comment from Samantha on Sex and the City affected Sharper Image's stock!!!! Thanks to Waxler's book I'll know exactly how to interpret and invest in all the vices around me and on TV.
I'm going to Las Vegas next month and definitely bringing this with me in my suitcase!!!

This is simply the best investing book I have ever read. Period. There are facts here that ring so true and many principles to apply. These are facts based on research, not just a nice theory.

The primary thrust of the book is to present a very good analysis of what so-called sin stocks are and what investors have to gain by investing in them. Do they outperform the S&P? Can we increase our retirement funds by investing in them? Will we be doing something morally reprehensible by putting our money there? The author's arguments comments are simple and convincing.

I like all the case studies in the Stocking Up on Sin. Through clean and entertaining examples the author shows us why sin stocks are a good buttress to the market. She argues that by putting 15% of your assest allocation there you are alleviating some of the risk in the market

I've read a lot of books that about diversification. Yada Yada. You've heard it before but this really makes sense. She also explains about Beta and Sharpe ratios in an easy to understand way so that the reader really understands a. what they're dealing with and b. why they're important and c. why the sharpe and beta ratios of these vice stocks are critical. I never would have invested in a sin or beer stocks before I read this. (I don't drink.) But this book showed me why these stocks are important.

The book is very well researched. The author assembled an amazing arsenal of facts to make--and win--her convincing case. The facts are precise - they are financial performance versus peers - something that can be determined with precision.

Read the book. If you are putting your money in the market it is the type of book that you will keep within easy reach and look at from time to time.

A must buy and 5 stars.

B. McJangles
Waycross GA

This should be the 14th review. As you can infer from the review title, I didnt find the book impressive. So I had been very surprised to see that it had earned 13 full marks from 13 previous reviews. I checked that 12 of them were from anonynmous or one-review-only readers. Well expected! Should Amazon set up something to undermine the manipulation by the authors, the publishers or their associates? As a serious customer highly influenced by Amazon reviews, or victimized in many similar cases like this one, I strongly support so.

Now let's go back to the review. Content wise, this book did provide good background info of Tobacco, Gambling, Weapons/Defense/War, Booze, Sex and Drugs Industries, and major listed companies within each for your consideration. However, the "Lessons" section in the end of each chapter failed to provide significantly insightful analysis nor high return/risk ratio recommendation in my humble opinion. In short, quite differentiated but definitely not one on the top 20 priority investment/trading book list.

Wonderful! Stocking Up on Sin is well researched and provides the individual investor with new insights and ideas for beating the market. I have followed the author's investment advice since first reading her "Streetwalker" column in column in Forbes Magazine years ago, and she has never let me down. At the same time, the book really is fun to read - one of the funniest investment books I have come across.

I personally know the author, but believe me it hasn't colored my decision. Ms Waxler's sin-centric investment advice is invaluable to anyone who need big and speedy profits to get you through any rough patches. Every artist or freelancer should invest the $20something bucks to access their own little financial security net, cause not only is it an interesting read it really works. High risk living doesn't have to mean a risky bottom line! Sin to win!

Waxler takes us through each area of "vice" investing in an extremely entertaining and thorough manner. The chapters dealing with each of the current areas of vice contain useful charts and figures which even the non-financially astute, such as myself, can understand. Waxler also gives great advice as to how to invest in general as well as a chapter on projected trends in this area. I found the comparisons with socially responsible funds to be very enlightening!

An enjoyable and valuable read!

Hurrah to Ms. Waxler for doing the impossible--writing an investment book that is not only smart and savvy, but witty and--dare I say it--a page turning. This is one of those books that you read and then buy a dozen to give to friends. My friend is using it in her MBA papers. It just makes sense.

Hi,
I'm a longtime reader, first time writer. (into amazon) However, I felt very strongly about Stocking Up on Sin. Honestly, this book made me laugh out loud so many times and it was about investing! This was a joy to read and immensely useful.

Grant Show
NYC, NY

This book is written with great insight and wit. As am amateur investor I valued Ms. Waxler's insight. The book is so appropriate to the decadent world we live in. She is right on!

I have never found another book to be so creative, funny, and practical all at the same time. Ms. Waxler has given me some very good ideas for my investment strategy moving forward. This was truly a pleasure to read, and I HIGHLY reccomend this book to savy investors who want some insightful stock tips, as well as to those who want a very good laugh!! I wish this book had been on my Wharton business school reading list. A MUST read. It makes a great gift, too!