3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dean's Book Reviews: The Wallstrip Edge By Howard Lindzon, April 12, 2009
This review is from: The Wallstrip (TM) Edge: Using Trends to Make Money -- Find Them, Ride Them, and Get Off (Hardcover)
"You need to start thinking that there are no boundaries to what can be done by someone with an idea and a will to succeed- from any corner of the earth." (page 185)
Howard Lindzon's premise for The Wallstrip Edge is very simple: You Can Use Trends to Make Money. Throughout the book he explains an investment strategy that he coined as `trend-following'. He proposes that you can become a very successful investor if you maintain a strict focus on 3 things: (1) canceling out 100% of life's `noise' including TV, (2) constantly seeking out opportunities while maintaining a `glass-as-half-full' mentality and (3) following stocks that are trading at 52-week highs.
The book is entertaining, easy to read, and is packed with mainstream references including Seinfeld in order to help every Average Joe reader understand concepts in an easy-to-grasp manner. Howard Lindzon is a very talented writer and uses the same writing style that's helped him generate thousands of dedicated followers at his blog @ HowardLindzon.com.
He uses many of his own life experiences in The Wallstrip Edge in order to teach the concept of trend-following and he's 100% transparent about his past & present investments--both his home-runs and embarrassing flops alike. Some of the book's best lessons come from Howard's failures as an investor and his openness, honesty and ability to poke fun at himself kept me very engaged as a reader.
The book covers a wide variety of topics but Howard always finds a way to relate the content back to his central theme of trend-following. The last few chapters of the book serve as Howard's "trends to watch" and his personal insight into social networking trends have inspired me to act immediately. Why? Because in his opinion social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.) is the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet train that's leaving the station right as I type this book review.
The Wallstrip Edge is a book that every entrepreneur and investor must own. It's a great tool that's given me both `real world' education and plenty of inspiration to act. It would have been nice to read more of Howard's thoughts regarding his exit strategy for Wallstrip the show... especially since he emphasizes the importance of selling the trend. But considering that's my only complaint after finishing the book I'm very pleased to have invested my time in The Wallstrip Edge by Howard Lindzon.
Key Takeaways:
(1) Shut off your TV and all other "push" content and start focusing on web-enabled content you can choose to "pull" in.
(2) Be sure to have an exit strategy in mind whenever you invest and always remember the importance of selling.
(3) The world is always flushed with opportunities- whether it's a bull or bear market.
(4) Right now the internet is the 500 lbs. guerilla in the room and there are enormous profits waiting to be made.
(5) Anyone with an idea has the ability to change the world with the right resources and work-ethic.
Sincerely,
Thomas McCarthy
http://www.CollegeStock.com
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic and fun book that arms people to pick stocks with basic research and simple guides, February 10, 2009
This review is from: The Wallstrip (TM) Edge: Using Trends to Make Money -- Find Them, Ride Them, and Get Off (Hardcover)
Whereas most pundits would advise you to buy "cheap stocks," Howard details how money can be made in stocks like TASR, CROX, HANS, CME, etc. When I was on Wall Street, these were the very stocks that my hedge fund clients made their most significant profits in.
While market conditions as a whole make individual stock picking difficult at best, quarters from now, individuals will return to the market. And they will do so with a lost confidence in the large insitutions to protect and grow their savings in funds that were previously called "safe."
In this new market, I think individuals will be required to be more self-sufficient. This book arms people to pick stocks with basic research and simple guides. Howard debunks concepts such as "Averaging down," which can be really dangerous to individuals, and "being too late," which can prevent individuals from getting in on winners.
There are also interesting comparisons and learnings from the venture market with quasi interviews from leading VCs such as Fred Wilson and Brad Feld.
The book only has passing references to Wallstrip; it is very much a simple and straightforward guide to research followed by technical analysis. The technical advice boils down to trend following with an introduction to Average True Range (ATR). ATR is a valuable metric that allows investors to sell out of positions when a stock moves down below a typical average move
The book is great...
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Your Typical Investment Book, February 8, 2009
This review is from: The Wallstrip (TM) Edge: Using Trends to Make Money -- Find Them, Ride Them, and Get Off (Hardcover)
Wallstrip was all about trend following and how to profit from it in the stock market. Lindzon's book expands on the background and practical implementation of this strategy which he has employed successfully in both the public and private markets for over 10 years.
Full of hard earned wisdom and humor, the book is both entertaining and informative. Highly Recommended!
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