Mint has gathered 30 of what they consider the best free personal finance ebooks around, grouped into categories like “Basics,” “Saving & Investing,” and “Security & Privacy.”
books
The Fakery Behind Amazon's "Top 10 Reviewers"
By 1.24.08
Amazon reviews, especially the effusive ones, have always been suspect—you never know when a five-star review came from an employee, publicist, or marketing type. Slate describes the dishonest world of Amazon’s “Top 10 Reviewers,” where a small group of writers churn out purple-prosed blurbs and jacket-ready compliments at an astounding rate, sometimes for a fee. In turn, these reviewers are inundated with a sort of fame as well as free merchandise—mostly books in the past, but now electronics and other goods. Because good reviews sell more books, Amazon has no incentive to weed out the reviewers who have turned the system into a cottage industry. We suggest you disregard any review with a “Top 10 Reviewer” label on it.
Uproar Over Tiny Illustration Of Naked Statue In Children's Book
By 1.18.08
A German author and her publisher were thrilled when a U.S. publisher inquired about putting out a North American edition of one of her bestselling children’s books… until the U.S. publisher asked the author to airbrush some of her illustrations.
On The Final Day Of The Barnes & Noble's Existence, Chaos
By 1.4.08
The above photo was snapped on the final day in the life of the Astor Place Barnes & Noble in New York City.
Chuck Norris: "I Can't Do All That Stuff"
By 12.24.07
Chuck Norris is suing publisher Penguin and author Ian Spector over the book “The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World’s Greatest Human”. Among other claims, the suit states that the “book’s title would mislead readers into thinking the facts were true.” This means that apparently Chuck Norris cannot cure your cancer with his tears, he did not create a giraffe by uppercutting a horse, and he cannot speak braille. If only Kevin Trudeau could be so honest.
"Overtreated" Says Too Much Healthcare Is Bad For Us
By 12.20.07
The general theme of the book “Overtreated,” the New York Times’ pick for best economics book of the year, is that we can cut a significant percentage of our health care costs—”between one fifth and one third,” says the author—and not have any impact on our level of health. As a nation, we tend to err on the side of too much treatment, exposing ourselves to unnecessary risks and racking up fees on procedures we could do without. And since doctors depend on a piecemeal approach to earning income, while at the same time dealing with significant financial risks from malpractice suits, they tend to push for more treatment, not less (they need to earn a living while also protecting themselves from accusations of doing too little).
Borders Corporate Email Address Format
By 12.13.07
Should you ever have need to send email to a a bunch of people there, the format for Borders Group, which owns all the Borders iterations, Waldenbooks, Schulers Books, and Books Etc, is firstinitinalfirstsevenoflastname@bordersgroupinc.com.
Great Finance Books For All Ages
By 12.7.07
J.D. at GetRichSlowly was asked by a reader for suggestions on good presonal finance books to give as a gift this year. He points out that giving such a gift is a sensitive matter, since it can be received poorly if the recipient isn’t in the right frame of mind. On the other hand, he writes, “It was because a friend gave me a copy of Your Money or Your Life that I finally turned my finances around.” Here are his suggestions for books geared toward children, teenagers, young adults, and “old folks.”
Preface From Financial "Life Planning" Book
By 12.4.07
The basic principle of “life planning”—that to succeed at managing your personal finances, you have to incorporate personal elements like your values and beliefs—seems reasonable enough, but rushing to B&N or Amazon to buy yet another financial advice book sure feels an awful lot like more of the same. However, since this excerpt is basically the preface to the book, we thought it was worth sharing. It’s like browsing in a bookstore without having to leave your desk! $avings!
Shopping Tip: 100 Notable Books
By 11.27.07
The New York Times has released its list of the 100 Notable Books of 2007, so if you’re shopping for bookworms… you get the idea.
10 Great Finance Books
By 11.16.07
Trent at The Simple Dollar read a new finance book every week for a year, ranking them according to how original and useful they were, and now he’s compiled a list of his top ten picks. According to Trent, if you read these ten books (and maybe the ones coming in at #11 and #12), “You’ll have absorbed basically all the useful material in every book on the list.”
His top pick is “Your Money or Your Life,” by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, a “big picture” book that looks at how and why you spend your money.
Borders' Popular Rewards Program Proves Both Too Popular And Too Rewarding
By 10.1.07
According to the Wall Street Journal, Borders rewards program is popular. Too popular. And too rewarding. In response, Borders is cutting back the benefits and introducing a new program that it describes as “now simpler than ever” and “a new program to celebrate.”
By 9.27.07
../../../..//2007/09/27/he-lives-cheap-because-sooner/
“He lives cheap because: “Sooner or later they fire everybody.”” [Frugal For Life]
Canadian Book Buyers Are Angry Over Dollar Parity
By 9.24.07
Canadian book buyers are mad! After decades of higher book prices being explained away by the weak Canadian dollar, book buyers suddenly find themselves paying “more” money for the same book.
Ready To Give Up Paper Books Yet? Amazon & Google Hope So
By 9.8.07
The “promise” of e-books is so old it’s got hair on it, but now two online giants are stepping up to the plate with their own spin on how best to sell books digitally. Next month, Amazon will finally release its long-rumored Kindle, an e-ink reader which will wirelessly connect to Amazon via EVDO, so you can purchase books even more easily than new iPod Touch owners can buy songs while they’re at Starbucks. And before the end of the year, Google will start charging for full online access to some digital copies of books in its database.
