Rating: 
Summary: A major Disappointment
Review: As a fam of Spin Cycle I was eagerly anticipating this book, but after reading only half way through I must say this is one of the most boring books I have ever read. The author brings nothing new to the table and he repeats old news stories over and over again to the point of making the reader fall into a deep coma.I don't buy new books to read old news stories. Most of the material is "ancient" in that it took place a few years ago and any respectable investor knows that Wall Street is all about today or tomorrow--not what happened in 1998. He puts CNBC, Jim Cramer and others under such a microscope that it becomes silly. I really don't care when Maria gets a cup of coffee or Jim clicks his mouse to buy a stock. Give us something we care about it and can learn from--not a book based on old news and yellowing newspaper articles.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely NOT worth the time
Review: Definitely not interesting financial journalism ........I've read LOTS of books on financial satire, economics, finance, etc but this was one of the most worthless books I have ever read. At the end of the day, what did I get out of it? Not much was my conclusion.....The book, as someone else mentioned goes something like this...... * The market goes up. Jim Cramer rants. Maria Bartiromo pouts * The market goes down. Jim Cramer rants. Maria Bartiromo pouts Repeat - over and over again Remember, these folks in the media are talking heads. If the market is going up or down they don't care as they just report what is going on. They are in the business of generating ratings, which pays the bills for the large corporations that own them. They try to deliver breaking news and many do but, at the end of the day they are journalists. It does talk about some of the history behind the financial news industry but, in general, I didn't really learn a lot that I find of value or humorous nature. I love CNBC......I love REALMONEY.com but this book was lackluster. Most folks don't want to write negative reviews but I won't hesitate to do so when I come across something that people should avoid. It is well written, has a very nice front cover design but, at the end of the day, it is basically the life of Jim Cramer, CNBC folks and other related parties. Modern day hoopla......Its got buzz appeal and that is about it. If you want to learn something about the characters on Wall Street/society read some stuff by Michael Lewis such as Money Culture of Liars Poker. Or you could read about how great companies are built and run by Jim Collins in his classic Built to Last and new book Good to Great. If you are going to spend the time reading a book get something out of it of some value. This is just drivel.
Rating: 
Summary: Packed with Knowledge!
Review: Even if you've never heard of the Money Honey (CNBC reporter Maria Bartiromo), she and her peers in the financial press have affected you. The reporters, analysts and so-called financial experts that have become ubiquitous in our society do much more than report on what's going on in the markets - they drive the markets. The problem, according to media reporter Howard Kurtz, is that this commentator class often doesn't understand what they're talking about, and sometimes has a vested interest in the very markets and stocks about which they pontificate. We [...] recommend this book as essential reading. Ignore it at your own financial peril.
Rating:
Summary: excelent summary of the financial history of the early '00
Review: I read this book years ago when it was a best seller. I bought it on the strength of the reviews of the people written about in this book like Kramer, the CNBC Squakbox people, numerous high profile analysts. They had a positive review of how the book came out, and so I bought and read it. I don't read the Wall Street Journal all the time so the content of this book was educating for me. Howard Kurtz has a show in CNN, he is a media critic, so his take on the financial media and players in it has a degree of credibility. However this book is dated now, there have been many developments since this book hit the bookstores. The time I read this I thought it was wonderful that a summary of the recent financial past was available in a very well written book.
Rating:
Summary: The Jim Crammer Story
Review: If you invest at all - stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. - you need to read this book. Howard Kurtz has the inside track on the investment bankers, mutual fund managers, and the financial press, with insight into what the real agendas are - and therefore, who you can really trust. He gives fascinating details of the celebrities in the financial reporting world, from cable news channels devoted to business reporting, to the publishing world and the movers and shakers on Wall Street - and most importantly, who's really driving the show, who the analysts are really working for, who the brokers are pressured by, and why analysts who downgrade stocks are usually fired. The book is filled with plenty of anecdotes, details of who owns what, who works for who, who's related to or dating who, where the unusual friendships have created unexpected channels of information, and how the financial reporting business is influenced and controlled by special interests that may surprise you - but that make complete sense once Kurtz explains it all. If you want to read "between the lines" in the financial reporters to see the truth and decipher the actual future of the market, this book is required reading to help figure out where the truth is coming from, and where the truth is not. Not to mention - it's just plain fascinating. This book reads like a fascinating dramatic novel.
Rating: 
Summary: fast paced, no-analysis, pure narration
Review: In a remarkably well-narrated book, Kurtz, highlights the inordinate amount of power TV business program anchors and their guests have on stock volatility. Though the book focuses on the "bubble" era, the mechanisms of stock price manipulation, intended or coincidental, are equally applicable today as it did in the Internet craze.
Despite the well narrated story lines including many of the better known financial journalists, the book does not build on the few themes introduced in the first chapter itself. After a couple of chapters, the author's take on CNBC anchors' behavior on market movement is predictable. However, the story regarding the development of CNBC, Dobb/CNNfn, Fox, bloomberg, is entertaining, though wouldnt pass as a comprehensive history guide. The focus on Kramer for most part of the book is a bit annoying as well, though the use of thestreet.com's story reveals some interesting aspects of mergers/buy-outs, etc.
In short, a fairly good read, not a great level of details, but clearly highlights (over and over) the impact of journalists on stock prices (as if you needed this book to tell you), intertwined with good story lines on TV persona and journalists.
Rating:
Summary: Too much James Cramer, not enough Wall Street
Review: It is no secret the media has gradually lost its credibility. In the never-ending quest for ratings and readership, the media mortgages its editorial integrity for first crack at the news on a daily basis. Fortune Tellers tells you why in striking detail. Author Howard Kurtz, who covers media for the Washington Post and hosts CNN's media watchdog show Reliable Sources, reveals how the investment banks, analysts, public companies and media such as CNBC, CNN and the Wall Street Journal effectively conspire to dupe individual investors of their money. This behind the scenes look at the inner workings of today's competitive business media environment is sure to leave a sour taste in the mouth of everyone funding a 401(k) plan or college fund. In the race to break top-tier mergers and acquisitions stories, for example, editors of the Wall Street Journal - considered the most credible business newspaper - routinely exchange exclusivity for front page, PR-driven puff pieces. Not only are these stories given prominent placement, but the editors agree to publish the opinions of only the analysts provided by the participating companies - typically their own underwriting firms. This maneuver helps ensure a healthy jolt to their stock prices. Within days, the editors bury a follow-up story from industry experts and analysts who offer less favorable perspectives. Doesn't matter. The insiders have already sold their stock. Kurtz highlights a series of conflicts of interest among Wall Street, the media conglomerates and big advertisers, often focusing on the rise and fall of Internet stocks as glaring examples. Cheered on by famous (or infamous) analysts Henry Blodget, Mary Meeker and Abby Joseph Cohen on CNBC, Internet stocks that had been underwritten by their respective investment banks always seemed to earn "Strong Buy" recommendations. As their stocks plummeted, the analysts continued to appear on CNBC, touting them shamelessly and rarely downgrading their stocks until operations had shut down and hapless individual investors were left holding the bag. Kurtz reveals juicy tidbits about the people behind the news, too, and chronicles how CNBC became the voice of the bull market. Lou Dobbs of CNN Moneyline was quick to criticize his former protégé Maria Bartiromo when she first reported from the floor of the bustling New York Stock Exchange. But when she and her CNBC pals virtually cornered the market on business news and sent Moneyline's ratings plunging, Mr. Dobbs' show, too, began broadcasting from Wall Street and, later from nowhere on ... Very little revealed about the media truly surprised me, however, since after nearly a decade in public relations that included placing my Clients on CNBC, CNN and other broadcast shows, I already knew that media could be a very ugly business. I saw how quickly a single appearance on CNBC Power Lunch could send a stock price soaring. As one who shapes the news, I was impressed by how Kurtz unraveled the money trail that determines what we see on TV and read in the news. And if you like Jim Cramer of CNBC's "America Now," you'll enjoy how Kurtz chronicles his rise and fall with thestreet.com en route to joining Mr. Kudlow on cable...
Rating:
Summary: Interesting in places, but not enough places
Review: The book begins well, and it's certainly interesting to read about the relationships between companies, analysts and the financial media. The stuff in here should be enough to make any investor nervous. This said, I got the feeling that Kurtz ran out of the really interesting stuff somewhere about a third of the way through the book and even though he increases the pace of the events in an effort to make it sound interesting, I found myself getting bored. Ultimately, I didn't really learn anything new-- not about the media, not really about Wall Street-- a little bit about CNNfn, but I'm not so sure that I needed to know that. It isn't a bad read if you've got nothing better to do, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not needed for the home collection
Review: This book offered some interesting insight into how analyst news and forecasts effect the stock market. The main message I came away with is "don't believe the hype". If you are looking to bolster your confidence in your own ability to make stock picks in the face of contridictory market analysts then take the time to listen to this book. If you're not interested in an autobiogrophy of famous Wall Street gurus then skip it. You can get the same information and much more valuable insight from reading some of the Peter Lynch books.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not needed for the home collection
Review: This book offered some interesting insight into how analyst news and forecasts effect the stock market. The main message I came away with is "don't believe the hype". If you are looking to bolster your confidence in your own ability to make stock picks in the face of contridictory market analysts then take the time to listen to this book. If you're not interested in an autobiogrophy of famous Wall Street gurus then skip it. You can get the same information and much more valuable insight from reading some of the Peter Lynch books.
|
