5 comments about Mutual Funds For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)).

1. This is a review for 2nd edition. It's an informative, but it's heavily promoting Vanguard products which aren't the best financial products on the market. I bought two Vanguard mutual funds after read this book in 1999. One broke even after 7 years, which means I loss money on it if you count the 7 years interests. I'm still holding on the other one. After 10 years, it's still 30% in red. Needless to say, my impression of Vanguard mutual funds and this book isn't the best.



2. This was a great overview of mutual funds with specific recommendations for which funds to buy for what purposes and time frames. Definitely a good buy!



3. This is a great resource for those wanting to know more ABOUT mutual funds, not for those wanting to know WHICH mutual funds to buy. Heavy on the explanations, definitions, and categorizations; light on the criticism and praise of individual funds. While you do get a bit of "how to pick the right funds", it is all fairly basic, with nothing very stunning or surprising that will make you a better mutual fund-picker.
   
   For what it is, this is a great book. Clearly written, with only the right amount of detail and very little repetitive content. At times it can be a bit wordy, making this book a bit longer than it really needs to be, but overall it is an easy read with an index and table of contents that will help you find pertinent information quickly.
   
   So, if you want to learn more about mutual funds, how they work, ect., this book is for you. If you already feel like you have a good understanding of what they are and how they work, there isn't probably too much you'll learn from reading this fairly long book.



4. We all know every Mutual Fund associate thinks THEIR fund is the best on the market, hence the NEED for a non-partisan book that helps you understand WHAT to look for in a GOOD Mutual Fund. If that sounds like you, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is TRULY what it says it is...you may be a beginning investor when you begin the book, but you'll feel confident enough to make thorough investigations into prospective funds by the time you finish it! It is an 'easy read' book with easily understandable text.



5. Eric does a good job of a broad view of the particular subject matter at hand. My only issue is that the books are highly overlapping. A structure with the original book on personal finance with additional chapters on subtopics would likely have avoided all the duplication.

5 comments about Common Sense on Mutual Funds: Fully Updated 10th Anniversary Edition.

1. The average investor would benifit greatly from reading this book. The recent economic downturn has demonstrated that Jack Bogles ideas are timeless. In my opinion most investors would benifit from Bogle's updated Common Sense and Benjamin Graham's Intelligent Investor and Security Analysis. One idividual is overly optimistic the other overly pesimistic and the average joe should find the path that lie's in-between. Forget slice and dice, forget recent out performance of certain market sectors, in the long run it hardley matters. Some lessons are hard to learn but the previous mentioned books will demonstrate them over and over. Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Own the entire stock market and own the highest quality fixed income you can find. Its really that simple and you can't force returns from assets that are not there to begin with. You dont need a library of investment books just two authors will suffice.



2. Some people are larger than life in their fields and everyone would likely agree that Jack Bogle is such a figure in the mutual funds area. Bogle founded Vanguard in the 70's and has since helped ordinary people make more money than perhaps anyone else living or dead. At least he helped those who had the intelligence to listen to his advice. Which is pretty much to invest in really boring index funds for your entire life and then come back decades later and be astonished at how wealthy you are.
   
   This book was originally written in 1999 right before the telecom/internet stock mania finally took its well-deserved step off the cliff. This edition supplements the original book with updated charts and commentary on what the last decade of volatility has wrought. Bogle's view, backed up by data, is that even the past 10 years hasn't altered his view of the correct strategy - if anything it has been strengthened. If you are not greedy and stick with boring stuff then you don't really have too much to worry about over the long haul.
   
   Given Bogle's message of simplicity I am confused about a book that requires a whopping 600 pages to make the point. Much of what he says gets repeated over and over and over again, to the point where it leaves a far less crisp message than intended. If you are not convinced by page 50 or so that index funds are the way to go, the remaining 550 pages will probably not be all that much more persuasive. In the process he is also less than clear about Vanguard. Perhaps it is just a polite or "objective" writing style, but repeatedly saying things like "all mutual funds companies, with one exception...", when he really means Vanguard, makes little sense to me. Given his continuing involvement with Vanguard it would remove any hint of conflict if he just made things even clearer. Of course, if such a statement really references a company other than Vanguard it would be even more interesting to know that.
   
   The book really is good and comprehensive but also made me wonder for whom it is written. The people who most need his advice are young, since they by definition have the longest investment horizon. But, somehow I doubt that a lot of 20-year olds will be using this tome to address issues in their lives that are 40 years in the future. It is really too bad because I believe the message needs to get out there. I wish that I had known of Bogle when I was 20 and had had the guts to stay with it through thick and thin.
   
   Everyone should read some Bogle but some of his shorter books may be a better start.



3. John (Jack) Bogle's Common Sense on Mutual Funds is a must read and with the updated data, Mr. Bogle's wise words of wisdom have been confirmed that Index Investing does pay off in the long run. God Bless you Jack in preaching common sense. We are forever indebted to you.



4. Bogle has long promoted the idea that one of the more important aspects of mutual fund investment is to pick low cost funds, among other criteria. It seems hypocritical of him to allow his publisher to charge the outrageous price of $16.47 for the Kindle version of this book. This book should be $9.99 and every Kindle owner who is interested in this book should boycott it until the price comes down to that. The current price suggest greed and arrogance.



5. If you are looking for one book to start with to learn about investing this is a great start. John Bogle founded the Vanguard Group and he is an advocate for low cost index funds. This book will help you learn about mutual fund expenses, how to compare funds against and index and what to look for in management. This book won't teach you everything you need to know about investing but it will make it a lot easier to learn more if you want to.

5 comments about Simple Wealth, Inevitable Wealth: How You and Your Financial Advisor Can Grow Your Fortune in Stock Mutual Funds.

1. This is a great read for anyone who is wanting to make sure they can retire with enough money put aside for their retirement.



2. All in all, this is a great book on long term investing. Nick uses simple and true math to prove the points. I was able for the first time to fully understand dollar cost averaging and I now have a new view on bonds.
   
   Only problem I had with it was his 'voice' as he made comments about working with a financial planner. At times I felt as if he was calling me stupid if I didn't agree with him. He also didn't make ANY good arguments of why I should use a planner....his only point was they a planner will stop you from selling when you shouldn't. Guess what Nick, I'm a big boy...thanks.
   
   Again, it is valuable despite my one gripe.



3. An excellent book if you are a financial planner. It gives you all the ammunition you need to handle the objections of your prospective clients. I am not too sure that it would convince prospects that working with an advisor is the best thing to do even though it is.



4. This book, simply and conveniently, describes necessary investor behavior to accumulate wealth. This is a great book for financial advisors to send their clients and prospects to easily explain the "trick" to wealth accumulation and preservation. Some of the concepts and charts clearly illustrate what most of us try, sometimes in vain, to educate our clients about. Excellent tool for financial advisors. I highly recommend this!!!



5. Nick Murray does a great job of explaining the concept of investing in mutual funds to creatate wealth. This book is simple and easy to read, a great book for a beginner. The internet has made investing very complex, Nick Murray has made the process simple.

5 comments about Buy--DON'T Hold: Investing with ETFs Using Relative Strength to Increase Returns with Less Risk.

1. I wanted to read this book, because I wanted to get some good signals for when to trade in and out as a systems trader. In some of the recent downward moves in the S&P, I decided to ignore some of the indicators and simply sell short, since I thought it was time for the market to move down based upon both technicals and fundamentals. What I found was that Masonson's approach did not catch this until the S&P had a very large move down. There were still too many indicators saying to hold, although just barely. A pretty good book overall, but you might want to tighten up some of the timeframes for the indicators so that they generate buy/sell signals sooner.



2. Buy - Don't Hold is called a investing book, but I'm tempted to put it in the trading category. It depends on how you prefer to define the difference between the two. The book's subtitle is "Investing with ETFs using relative strength to increase returns with less risk". Using relative strength makes me think trading, but there are definitely elements of the approach outlined in the book which speaks toward what I would probably think of as investing. In any case, I look at trading and investing as being functionally the same thing, with perhaps a philosophical difference in approach. I'll leave it to the reader to make their own judgement.
   
   This book is largely a practical text focused on application. The author outlines a very specific strategy for deciding whether the stock market is to be considered in an uptrend, downtrend, ranging, or turning. His "dashboard" comprises a collection of indicators which are very much technical analysis oriented. They include market breadth indicators, sentiment readings, and some basic price studies. The scoring of the indicators provides the user a market reading from which to develop a strategy. From there, Masonson moves on to picking the best trading/investment vehicle based on relative strength readings. In other words, it's very much a top-down approach.
   
   On the plus side, the author is very good about explaining the various methods he employs in his strategy. He suggests specific tools (most free, some paid - but not necessarily required) and walks the reader through applying things. On the negative side, much of the first third of the book is dedicated to proving how bad an idea buy-and-hold investing is - definitely overkill there - and I thought in general the writing could have been better. Also, while Masonson does demonstrate the value of the dashboard indicators he uses, he doesn't actually show a good historical look at how the overall strategy would have done. Still, it's a book which can certainly provide the fodder for research and development for those interested in longer-term stock market trading/investing and/or asset allocation between and among markets.



3. This book presents a good case why passive Buy & Hold approach should at least be questioned regardless what the Bogle's fans would say (ref: Book called Bogleheads). As mentioned in some other reviews, it suggests a fairly detailed methodology based on a number of technical indicators (i.e.: Dashboard) followed by a ETF screening approach based on Relative Strenght.
   
   The author also has a blog where he presents on a weekly basis the outcome of the dashboard as well as the backtesting results of this methodology since 1998. Although the results of this methodology seem better than a pure Buy & Hold (i.e.: 7.1% annualized vers 2.2% for S&P500), other much simpler strategy can provide better return so I'd recommend to everyone to do their own calculations before following this strategy blindly. As starting point for some good ideas, I'd strongly suggest the book "The Ivy Portfolio".



4. The book is in two parts. The first past first tells us that market direction is responsible for seventy percent of stock gains or losses and then goes on to set out an eight element test for diagnosing market direction. The second part of the book is devoted to ETF trading.
   
   Among the problems with part one is that the author claims credit for what he calls the "dashboard strategy" for assessing market direction. Not true; it was designed in the 1990's by Marty Zweig and set out in his book "Winning on Wall Street". At least that book is among Mansonsom's recmmended readings even if Masonson erroneously claims credit for inventing the system.
   
   As the market changes the meaning of the indicators change. Masonson updates the book on his website but that means it is not safe to use what you read without checking his website.
   
   A third problem is that Masonson urges readers to use Vectorvest a software product. If you do a web search you will find that Vectorvest has errors in its programming (such as dividing by zero) that bring its results into questin.
   
   He also advises a second software product which I can't comment on because I have no experience with it.
   
   I found the second part of the book, devoted to ETF's, more rewarding than the first but not more so than any other book about ETFs.



5. The skeptic in me always wonders if there is a system that truly works as advertised, why would anyone want to advertise...just employ it and be super rich! That cynicism aside, Masonson providers a systematic and logical approach whose dependability is difficult to predict ("Past results do not guarantee...." is not slapped on any investment or advisor ad for fun).
   
   After a fairly standard 3-4 chapters on investing risks and why traditional buy-and-hold is not a good strategy for capital preservation, let alone capital appreciation, Masonson provides an interesting Chapter 5 detailing the set of indicators presented as a "dashboard" for this technique. It is an interesting mix of contrarian, momentum/trend investing, sentiment indicators that at first glance seems to be comprehensive. When treated individually, these indicators make sense - it is these indicators' confounding effect that makes for some confusion - especially when it comes to implementation.
   
   The relative degree of lagging/leading nature of these indicators can result in very mixed signals. The author acknowledges that this is not a market timing method per se...nevertheless, a reader wishes there was more detailed discussion on identifying and managing mixed signals. The use of relative strength is not particularly novel - but viewing it in the dashboard's context and then selecting ETFs is intriguing. Despite the inability to predict the technique's effectiveness and potential confusions in managing a diverse set of indicators, this is an interesting read.

5 comments about The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange-Traded Funds.

1. Very helpful first step book about ETF's. For people new at ETF's this is a great descriptive book. It has tons of explanations about what to take care of and keep an eye on. However, I was expecting more deep analysis about ASSET Allocation, which is without doubt one of the most important things about ETF. There is just a glance about this part. Again, this is very good book for entry level but if you need more deep how to's and strategy about asset allocation, probably you will need to buy another book to fill the gap.



2. This is a very good book and it is well organized. But, I recommend you his previous two books much more: "all about asset allocation" and "all about index funds". The ETF book is basically composed of parts of those two books. This book is not as impressive as those.



3. Please read this along with the following books that I recommend.
   
   Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (Lynn Sonberg Books)
   The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
   Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth About Our Money System and How We Can Break Free
   The Revolution: A Manifesto
   America's Financial Apocalypse: How to Profit from the Next Great Depression (Condensed Edition)
   
   On the subject of the ETF, this is one of the best books I have found on Amazon.
   
   I love Richard Ferri's books. His writing style is readable and easy to follow through. Another thing I like about his philosophy is that he is HONEST. He is not like authors selling useless stock trading or stock picking books.
   
   The book covers a broad range of topics, a little history about separation of investment banks and retail banks, how investment banks create etf's and how they generate profit, agencies involved in creating and regulating etf's, sample asset allocation, risk management, etc.



4. I found this book helpful to better understand some of the nuances about ETFs that are quite complex, but I couldn't help noticing the many spelling and grammatical errors that were present throughout the text. It seemed like this book was quickly thrown together so that it could be one of the first comprehensive and detailed looks at a new investment phenomenon that is gaining ground on mutual funds and closed-end funds.
   
   The only problem is that some of the errors in this book go beyond simple spelling mistakes, and may even lead to some serious investment mistakes and negative tax implications if readers aren't otherwise familiar with account types that the author misrepresents in this book. For example, Traditional IRAs are not non-taxable, rather they are tax deferred. Be careful, because if you read this book and invest in an IRA because you think it is non-taxable, you will be in for quite a ruid awakening. These kinds of mistakes undermine an otheriwse helpful and useful text about ETFs.
   
   My other problem with this book is the clear bias the author expreses in favor of passive investment strategies. Without the bias, the book would have felt more academic and objective, and not so skewed.
   
   The book is worth reading, but be careful, because there are some serious flaws that can lead to trouble here.



5. This is a great book for content: very thorough introduction to ETFs; compares ETFs to mutual funds and describes other exchange traded securities that may be confused with real ETFs. Recommended reading before getting into ETF investing. (Recommended supplementary work: the ETF section of morningstar.com. Note: I have no connection to Morningstar, just a long time user).
   
   About the Kindle edition: the Kindle formating is pretty bad. The line spacing compared to the type size is very close and tight, which makes for tiresome reading. Some books' formats simply don't seem to convert well for Kindle, and this is one of them.
   
   On the plus side for Kindle: all the tables and charts are readable; although you may need to look closely, the text is readable, which is more than I can say for some Kindle editions of books with charts & graphs.

5 comments about All About Index Funds: The Easy Way to Get Started (All About Series).

1. Not worth your time reading. This is old ideas that are not relevant in the 2000s.
   Try another book. The "All About" series of books in below the information in the "___blanK____ for Dummies" books.



2. Written well enough, a family member recommend I buy this book, I did, and now know more options for investing my money.



3. I have almost finished reading this book (happily, borrowed from the library, it isn't worth owning) and I think it has a lot of excellent and useful information. I just finished The Four Pillars of Investing and felt that there wasn't quite enough info on how to create my own portfolio - not only asset allocation percentages but the actual choice of funds, ETFs, etc. So, I had hoped this book would help in filling in that gap, and to some degree it does. Although somewhat narrow in scope, I have learned some interesting and helpful details. So, 3 stars.
   
   However, I began writing this review earlier:
   
   I am only as far along as page 7 and am already dismayed to see such a poor writing style. For example, this is not a sentence: "Measures market weight is simple" - perhaps this is a typo and it is supposed to read "Measuring...". OK.
   
   Next, how about: "....the Dow covered only 12 stocks, people began to view it as an index of stock prices by which to measure stock prices against." Yikes!! "against which to measure stock prices" is some improvement, no?
   
   And this clunker: "Thus so far, we have..."
   
   On page 77 the spellchecker error again, vis - "Broad market funds have better tax-management opportunities in a niche market such as a small-cap..." To make sense of this it (I believe) is supposed to read "...opportunities THAN a niche market..." but who can be sure? How many little errors like this are there? Which ones did you catch? Worse - which ones did you miss?
   
   Now on page 82, all of the data related to the "Tax Swapping" example is missing - it seems two tables of purchase information were intended. One can still get the idea, but having the information (costs/shares/dates) would be quite helpful.
   
   Finally, if you can decipher this, you probably don't need Index Funds and can go ahead and anticipate the market with ease - so buy stocks! ;)
   
   "A successful sector fund investing diversified their portfolio into several sectors so they will not be hurt badly when one sector takes a tumble."
   
   Now on page 252 it gets really frustrating, because here we are creating a portfolio to meet retirement goals. "...we create an asset allocation between stocks and bonds that is expected to deliver a 7 percent return (see Table 14-1)."
   
   But, no that is not what Table 14-1 is about. No as in the next example is Table 14-2 described correctly. So it seems that 2 of the most important tables (how to create a portfolio of bond/stocks that will meet a certain percentage return) are missing. I've read this several times and these tables are related to something else that is discussed further in the chapter.
   
   And the pitch for one of his now out of print books (saddled with a bad title he explains) is really kind of pathetic. He should suggest other books on the topic rather than suggest you look around for used copies of his!
   
   OK. Small potatoes? Maybe. Nevertheless, it makes one wonder about other errors, right? Perhaps the 3rd edition will be more felicitously edited? A little bit less clanging against the ear in terms of grammar? :) And, more importantly, a thorough and precise read through before it goes off to the press? And not just by the spell checker!! I hope so, as these errors and omissions GREATLY detract from a very practical and useful book.
   
   Two stars wouldn't be unfair.



4. I love Richard Ferri's books. This is one of them.
   If you are clueless about financial investment and want to get started on it, then read this book. Also recommended are All about Index Funds, Serious Money, and The ETF Book. Unlike books that promote sales pitch and sell garbages like (IBD: Investor's Business Daily or even Wall Street Journal) Ferri provides sound studies done on investment strategies, sound strategies, expectation and mindset.
   
   However it does not cover all the story. You still need to understand our debt-based economic structure and fractional banking monetary system to avoid heavy losses during severe recession or depression. I recommend The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve and Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse (Lynn Sonberg Books) for that.



5. I have been doing a self-study on investing topics this year and previously read several books on indexing by Jack Bogle [my hero, and an erudite writer], and Morningstar's Christine Benz [Clear and concise], but I think this is my favorite. Ferri is laser sharp in explaining investing concepts, and reads like you are learning one-on-one from an excellent business school professor. I bought this book because I had already read his also excellent book on asset allocation. This would be a perfect book if it was better edited. The text and content is fine but there are typos, repeated words, etc. Ferri's work deserves better, but I still very highly recommend the book.

5 comments about The ETF Handbook, + website: How to Value and Trade Exchange Traded Funds (Wiley Finance).

1. I have read many of the ETF books available and all covered the basics. I had been looking for an advanced book that discussed the unique manner in which ETFs trade and this book fit the bill. As a finance professional focused exclusively on ETFs, this book helped me to better understand the mechanics of ETF trading which has greatly improved my performance.



2. If you are interested in true understanding of ETF then you must read this book. The book is well organized and explained. This book is not a difficult read for investor (me). It will help you understand ETFs out there and technical data/information behind them.



3. If you are an investment professional and are trading, or interested in trading ETF's this book should be on your desk. I have reviewed several ETF publications in the past few months. I returned all of them except for this one. As we know ETF's are not just another equity. This publication exposes the myth that posted volume of an ETF is its liquidity. It also explains the best method of buying and selling ETF. This point alone can save you hundreds of thousands on transaction fees. (Of course this is on an institutional size trade.) It also empowers you with the knowledge of how the market makers and broker dealers work with these products. With over 800 listed ETF's for just the United States, as a professional money manager you owe it to yourself to read book. It will assist you in doing your due diligence on these investments. As you can tell I think this is a must read!



4. If you use ETFs you should own this book. It is a short yet thorough look into the make up and trading of ETFs. This could save you some serious bank and help you avoid getting killed on a bad fill. Great as a reference for looking up value as well. Either way if you are looking to improve you ETF expertise here is a great way to ramp up knowledge.



5. This book explains everything you ever wanted to know about ETFs in simple, cogent English. David Abner is the Benjamin Graham of the ETF world.

5 comments about Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies.

1. I'm a dummy - not doubt about it, but this has a bunch of good information. Can I follow it and make me a bunch .... well, we'll see.



2. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your ETFs for Dummies book, and have delved into Index Investing for Dummies to a lesser extent. You have made investing in ETFs easy for me to understand -and anything but boring- and I feel much more secure about making some upcoming investment choices because of that. Thank you! I also really enjoy the way you write and your sense of humor.



3. If you are pondering whether to press the "select" button on this book, "just do it." Russell Wild has written a very approachable, compelling, fun and smart book for those of us who want to know more about ETF's, create our own portfolios and not be "dumb" about ETF's and our money.



4. Great book. This author is down to earth, and easy to understand. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to get a good understanding of ETF's.



5. "Exchange Traded Funds for Dummies" is the best book I've ever read on the subject. Russell Wild writes about this complicated topic simply, clearly and with a "bucket" load of humor (my lame attempt here at financial wit!).
   
   His book makes learning the ins and outs of ETF's enjoyable and fun. Mr. Wild has a wonderful talent in being able to engage the reader in such a way as to make finances seem, well, interesting! I'm so much more knowledgeable on the subject now and have gained a sense of confidence and understanding that I didn't have before.
   
   Norma Larson
   Covina, California
   (AKA A Dummy No More)

5 comments about Blue Blood and Mutiny: The Fight for the Soul of Morgan Stanley.

1. Book arrived on time as mentioned. Also the Book was New and In Great Condition.



2. Patricia Beard has done an excellent job chronicling this story, making it a must read for anyone involved in serving on a board of a public or private company. This is what can happen when the CEO surrounds himself with a self serving board and in this instance is disengaged from his key asset . . . his people. That it occurred to a company of such stature is further testimony that any organization is susceptible. I would also add that it's an appealing history of one the country's storied investment banks.



3. If you are interested in Investment Banking... It is a good book, so you can see who are the players...



4. The book tells the tale of the history of Morgan Stanley and the eventual coup in an easy to follow read. The language is easy to comprehend and the story flows in a clear path. There are only two issues I have with this book. You can't help but feel that there is an enormous bias towards one side, which is what a good writer should do I guess. You should also avoid reading the pictures area as it gives away a lot of information. The last few chapters drag after Purcell is ousted (not really a spoiler since you would have to know that already). All in all, if you're interested in the history of one of the great old-time firms, this book gives a very interesting and detailed account of the beginnings of the firm as well.



5. This book was interesting. It was very good at describing the differences between Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter Discover. These two companies merged and with the merger, like many before it, the combination did not make a successful chemistry. They had two heir apparent leaders to choose to become CEO. This books talks about wrong choice of CEO Phil Purcell for this new merged company. I enjoyed this book as it described the family-like atmosphere on the Morgan Stanley side and how when "outside" leadership determined to lead, and Phil Purcell stacked the board with his connections and "yes" people and the whole atmosphere changed for the worse. The book covers the long time retired Morgan Stanley leaders (G8) toppling this board and CEO, to put back the better choice of John Mack for Morgan Stanley. It was a very exciting book to read all the way to the end.

5 comments about The ETF Trend Following Playbook: Profiting from Trends in Bull or Bear Markets with Exchange Traded Funds.

1. Turn over any rock these days, and you'll find Tom Lydon of ETF Trends (click here at [...] ) extolling the virtues of exchange traded funds (ETF's) and exchange traded notes (ETN's). So I thought it would be timely to read his book on the subject, The ETF Trend Following Playbook. Tom launches into a detailed explanation of these versatile new instruments, including the minutia on issuance, clearing, settlement, and even which end to hold up. He offers a simple trend following system that enables the uninitiated to approach the market in a disciplined and risk controlled fashion. His basic premise, quite correctly, is that "buy and hold" is dead and that we all have to trade for a living, like it or not. He lists the many tools available today to the ETF trader which will give him the confidence they need to pull the trigger. Much of the rest of the tome is devoted to detailing the hoards of ETF's that are out there today, over 900, in stock indexes, sectors, bonds, currencies, commodities, precious metals, and even real estate, in both long and short flavors. He also explains the advantages and warns of the pitfalls of the 2X and 3X leveraged and ultra long and short ETF's. You may have noticed that not a day goes by without me recommending an ETF, because they enable investors to take narrow rifle shots on very specific sectors of the global markets that can be executed through your garden variety online trading account. At only 198 pages, with a useful glossary of investment terms at the end, this highly compact, readable, and useful primer is a must read for anyone planning to seriously play in these securities. Tom certainly knows his stuff!
   
   -The Mad Hedge Fund Trader



2. So glad I read this book. The author explains the strategy in a language I can understand. This book gave me a solid plan that makes sense and eliminates the guess work. I'm ready to put what I've learned into practice!



3. Thus book is really not much more than a brief introduction to the field of ETFs. As for the "trend following" in the title, readers interested in the technique will be sorely disappointed. The only recommendation is to buy when an ETF trades above the 200-day exponential moving average and sell when it falls below it. That's it. Seriously. Add to that the frequent plugs of the author's website and you really have to wonder why anyone would bother to put out a book like this and seriously claim to be providing any sort of useful service to the investing public.



4. The book failed to deliver on ETF trend-following. Other than the constant repetition of the value of using the 200-day EMA, the book offered few other ideas on following ETF trends or sector rotation. The book did a good job of reviewing the relatively new and expanding world of ETF investing, but did not serve as a playbook at all for a serious ETF investor trying to find other than subjective ideas for moving in and out of ETF trades. In spite of all the hype, it left this ETF investor with that common empty feeling so familiar with many investing how-to publications. Once again, publishing houses do a great job with motivating the buyer, but the authors rarely intend to reveal any truly useful day to day investing playbook ideas.



5. Good book as an introduction to ETFs and the concepts of trend-following. However, as a "Play Book", it is really very limited indeed. The author's rules of trend following cover LESS THAN ONE PAGE. The rest of the book covers what ETFs are and the different types available. All of this information is available for free elsewhere, including the author's own website, and the Seeking Alpha website. I thought of giving the book one star but it is a good introductory book for those who want to know what an ETF is.