Financial-future

This book discusses the types of control (aka restraint) the author found in three settings of traders ('market makers'): the futures market, the bond market, and the stock exchange. The studies were conducted at different times, and under different conditions in each market, which makes comparing across the settings somewhat difficult. However, Abolafia does a good job of addressing those issues, and does a commendable job of drawing together three otherwise very different studies into a single rubric. His conclusion--that the social context of each market plays a big role in the opportunities and constraints actors in each market face--will come as no surprise to followers of the new economic sociology (since Granovetter's 1985 embeddedness article). But even other readers will find Abolafia's evidence quite convincing on this point. He uses his ethnographic data, collected over a decade, to demonstrate how market actors are embedded in social context.

When I used this in an undergraduate Sociology of Work class, most students did not catch the distinctions Abolafia made between the various settings. I tried using this with Simpson's work on types of social control in the workplace (direct, hierarchical, bureaucratic, occupational, etc), and while students saw some connections, they did not get the fine distinctions Abolafia made which I had hoped they would, since his comparison across market settings forms a core element of his argument.

Would work well in graduate level courses, or courses specifically on economic sociology. For scholars of the market (economists or sociologists) this is a book not to be missed!

This book is no different than any other finance book I have read. Except this one is so poorly written and offers no constructive suggestions. The language is difficult for the beginner to understand, despite the author's claims that the book is suitable for beginners. I trashed mine after the first few chapters. I can't believe there are people who would publish this kind of .... It is shocking.

Making Change advocates that women change the way that they think about money so that they take an active role in their financial life, starting at the earliest stage possible. The book is divided into life phases from dating to death and offers a "user friendly" approach. Chapters contain quizzes, mock interviews, and personal stories to keep the reader's interest. Most of all it offers a philosophy that women should follow in order to gain financial freedom. Godfrey calls her philosophy "Design it, do it." In other words, make a plan ahead of time for your kids' college tuition, your retirement, etc. Don't wait for your spouse or the fairy godmother to take care of it is Godfrey's point. The book lacks serious financial facts such as how you might short a stock and when to do it or the differences between adjustable rate mortgages and fixed rate mortgages. So don't turn to this for serious financial enlightenment but do turn to it for an inspirational non-threatening approach on how to get your financial house in order.

If you are in a situation in your life when you feel that it is time for you to gain control over your finances, this is the book for you. After reading this book I am no secure enough with my knowlegde to open up my own account and organize the bills. Before reading this book I felt that my husband will always do the 'money stuff' for me, I never really thought twice about how important it is to understand your own finances. By this book, read it cover to cover. Also, it was pretty funny at times, Making Change is well written and humorous. Buy the book!!

The author gives wonderful advice on taking actions to make your child a multi-millionaire. The advice is very simple and some of it just take a visit to your bank after work. Some of the information in this book changes over time but that isn't something you should worry about. This book is for people who love their kids and realize that it is much easier to make your kids and your grandkids worth seven figures than it is for you to make yourself a millionaire in your lifetime. Two thumbs up to Mr. McKinley.

This has been a wonderful book for me. Kevin McKinley's writing and advice have given me the tools and the motivation to start my son's education fund, write a will, review my life insurance, and so much more. Everything is laid out in plain and concise language which makes it very easy to follow and implement his suggestions. Plus, he explains why it's so important to do these things and how to start NOW! Thanks to Mr. McKinley for writing the perfect financial planning book for busy parents.

This was a great read. Like Kevin, I am a practicing Certified Financial Planner. In 15 plus years of practice, I have read tons of book and articles on amassing wealth, etc. Most are a lot of fluff and "the same old thing." It is not the public schools responsibility to teach our children about money. As loving parents, it is ours! Tomorrow is my oldest daughters 14th birthday and she is opening her Roth IRA. Kevin builds a strong case for using money as a tool to give our children much more flexibility as they face life's challenging decisions. Imagine how different your life could have been without having to pay back student loans and/or knowing that your retirement years were well on their way of being secured when you were only in your early 20s. Kevin, thanks for a job well-done!