Fortune's Formula

Fortune's Formula

Author: William Poundstone

Publisher: Hill and Wang

Published: 2010-06-01

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9780374707088

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In 1956, two Bell Labs scientists discovered the scientific formula for getting rich. One was mathematician Claude Shannon, neurotic father of our digital age, whose genius is ranked with Einstein's. The other was John L. Kelly Jr., a Texas-born, gun-toting physicist. Together they applied the science of information theory—the basis of computers and the Internet—to the problem of making as much money as possible, as fast as possible. Shannon and MIT mathematician Edward O. Thorp took the "Kelly formula" to Las Vegas. It worked. They realized that there was even more money to be made in the stock market. Thorp used the Kelly system with his phenomenally successful hedge fund, Princeton-Newport Partners. Shannon became a successful investor, too, topping even Warren Buffett's rate of return. Fortune's Formula traces how the Kelly formula sparked controversy even as it made fortunes at racetracks, casinos, and trading desks. It reveals the dark side of this alluring scheme, which is founded on exploiting an insider's edge. Shannon believed it was possible for a smart investor to beat the market—and William Poundstone's Fortune's Formula will convince you that he was right.


Book Synopsis Fortune's Formula by : William Poundstone

Download or read book Fortune's Formula written by William Poundstone and published by Hill and Wang. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1956, two Bell Labs scientists discovered the scientific formula for getting rich. One was mathematician Claude Shannon, neurotic father of our digital age, whose genius is ranked with Einstein's. The other was John L. Kelly Jr., a Texas-born, gun-toting physicist. Together they applied the science of information theory—the basis of computers and the Internet—to the problem of making as much money as possible, as fast as possible. Shannon and MIT mathematician Edward O. Thorp took the "Kelly formula" to Las Vegas. It worked. They realized that there was even more money to be made in the stock market. Thorp used the Kelly system with his phenomenally successful hedge fund, Princeton-Newport Partners. Shannon became a successful investor, too, topping even Warren Buffett's rate of return. Fortune's Formula traces how the Kelly formula sparked controversy even as it made fortunes at racetracks, casinos, and trading desks. It reveals the dark side of this alluring scheme, which is founded on exploiting an insider's edge. Shannon believed it was possible for a smart investor to beat the market—and William Poundstone's Fortune's Formula will convince you that he was right.

The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion

The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion

Author: Leonard C. MacLean

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 883

ISBN-13: 9814293490

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This volume provides the definitive treatment of fortune's formula or the Kelly capital growth criterion as it is often called. The strategy is to maximize long run wealth of the investor by maximizing the period by period expected utility of wealth with a logarithmic utility function. Mathematical theorems show that only the log utility function maximizes asymptotic long run wealth and minimizes the expected time to arbitrary large goals. In general, the strategy is risky in the short term but as the number of bets increase, the Kelly bettor's wealth tends to be much larger than those with essentially different strategies. So most of the time, the Kelly bettor will have much more wealth than these other bettors but the Kelly strategy can lead to considerable losses a small percent of the time. There are ways to reduce this risk at the cost of lower expected final wealth using fractional Kelly strategies that blend the Kelly suggested wager with cash. The various classic reprinted papers and the new ones written specifically for this volume cover various aspects of the theory and practice of dynamic investing. Good and bad properties are discussed, as are fixed-mix and volatility induced growth strategies. The relationships with utility theory and the use of these ideas by great investors are featured.


Book Synopsis The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion by : Leonard C. MacLean

Download or read book The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion written by Leonard C. MacLean and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2011 with total page 883 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides the definitive treatment of fortune's formula or the Kelly capital growth criterion as it is often called. The strategy is to maximize long run wealth of the investor by maximizing the period by period expected utility of wealth with a logarithmic utility function. Mathematical theorems show that only the log utility function maximizes asymptotic long run wealth and minimizes the expected time to arbitrary large goals. In general, the strategy is risky in the short term but as the number of bets increase, the Kelly bettor's wealth tends to be much larger than those with essentially different strategies. So most of the time, the Kelly bettor will have much more wealth than these other bettors but the Kelly strategy can lead to considerable losses a small percent of the time. There are ways to reduce this risk at the cost of lower expected final wealth using fractional Kelly strategies that blend the Kelly suggested wager with cash. The various classic reprinted papers and the new ones written specifically for this volume cover various aspects of the theory and practice of dynamic investing. Good and bad properties are discussed, as are fixed-mix and volatility induced growth strategies. The relationships with utility theory and the use of these ideas by great investors are featured.

Labyrinths of Reason

Labyrinths of Reason

Author: William Poundstone

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2011-07-20

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 030776379X

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This sharply intelligent, consistently provocative book takes the reader on an astonishing, thought-provoking voyage into the realm of delightful uncertainty--a world of paradox in which logical argument leads to contradiction and common sense is seemingly rendered irrelevant.


Book Synopsis Labyrinths of Reason by : William Poundstone

Download or read book Labyrinths of Reason written by William Poundstone and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This sharply intelligent, consistently provocative book takes the reader on an astonishing, thought-provoking voyage into the realm of delightful uncertainty--a world of paradox in which logical argument leads to contradiction and common sense is seemingly rendered irrelevant.

Secret Formula

Secret Formula

Author: Frederick Allen

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2015-10-27

Total Pages: 587

ISBN-13: 1504019830

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A "highly entertaining history [of] global hustling, cola wars and the marketing savvy that carved a niche for Coke in the American social psyche” (Publishers Weekly). Secret Formula follows the colorful characters who turned a relic from the patent medicine era into a company worth $80 billion. Award-winning reporter Frederick Allen’s engaging account begins with Asa Candler, a nineteenth-century pharmacist in Atlanta who secured the rights to the original Coca-Cola formula and then struggled to get the cocaine out of the recipe. After many tweaks, he finally succeeded in turning a backroom belly-wash into a thriving enterprise. In 1919, an aggressive banker named Ernest Woodruff leveraged a high-risk buyout of the Candlers and installed his son at the helm of the company. Robert Woodruff spent the next six decades guiding Coca-Cola with a single-minded determination that turned the soft drink into a part of the landscape and social fabric of America. Written with unprecedented access to Coca-Cola’s archives, as well as the inner circle and private papers of Woodruff, Allen’s captivating business biography stands as the definitive account of what it took to build America’s most iconic company and one of the world’s greatest business success stories.


Book Synopsis Secret Formula by : Frederick Allen

Download or read book Secret Formula written by Frederick Allen and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2015-10-27 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A "highly entertaining history [of] global hustling, cola wars and the marketing savvy that carved a niche for Coke in the American social psyche” (Publishers Weekly). Secret Formula follows the colorful characters who turned a relic from the patent medicine era into a company worth $80 billion. Award-winning reporter Frederick Allen’s engaging account begins with Asa Candler, a nineteenth-century pharmacist in Atlanta who secured the rights to the original Coca-Cola formula and then struggled to get the cocaine out of the recipe. After many tweaks, he finally succeeded in turning a backroom belly-wash into a thriving enterprise. In 1919, an aggressive banker named Ernest Woodruff leveraged a high-risk buyout of the Candlers and installed his son at the helm of the company. Robert Woodruff spent the next six decades guiding Coca-Cola with a single-minded determination that turned the soft drink into a part of the landscape and social fabric of America. Written with unprecedented access to Coca-Cola’s archives, as well as the inner circle and private papers of Woodruff, Allen’s captivating business biography stands as the definitive account of what it took to build America’s most iconic company and one of the world’s greatest business success stories.

The Economics of Motorsports

The Economics of Motorsports

Author: Paulo Mourão

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-05-29

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 113760249X

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This book, the first study of its kind, examines the economics behind motorsports, in particular Formula One. Chapters discuss the costs involved in Formula racing and how they are borne by teams, promoters and racers. The book also looks at how society, the public and the private sectors stand to benefit economically from the motorsport industry. Other issues like the economics of TV rights, sponsorship and sustainability are also addressed, again for the first time in an economics book. Moving beyond the economics of what happens off the track, the book also undertakes a serious examination of what goes in to making a winning team and what having a winning racer can do for a team’s fortunes. Mourão’s highly relevant and contemporary book also looks at how motorsport teams confront the challenges of the modern sporting world, including the changing dynamics of sports media and considers the future of Formula 1 as motorsports evolve.


Book Synopsis The Economics of Motorsports by : Paulo Mourão

Download or read book The Economics of Motorsports written by Paulo Mourão and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-29 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, the first study of its kind, examines the economics behind motorsports, in particular Formula One. Chapters discuss the costs involved in Formula racing and how they are borne by teams, promoters and racers. The book also looks at how society, the public and the private sectors stand to benefit economically from the motorsport industry. Other issues like the economics of TV rights, sponsorship and sustainability are also addressed, again for the first time in an economics book. Moving beyond the economics of what happens off the track, the book also undertakes a serious examination of what goes in to making a winning team and what having a winning racer can do for a team’s fortunes. Mourão’s highly relevant and contemporary book also looks at how motorsport teams confront the challenges of the modern sporting world, including the changing dynamics of sports media and considers the future of Formula 1 as motorsports evolve.

Family Fortunes

Family Fortunes

Author: Bill Bonner

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-07-31

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1118171411

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Selected as one of Motley Fool’s “5 Great Books You Should Read” Advice on managing your wealth from bestselling author Bill Bonner From trusted New York Times bestselling author Bill Bonner comes a radical new way to look at family money and a practical, actionable guide to getting and maintaining multigenerational wealth. Family Fortunes: How to Build Family Wealth and Hold on to It for 100 Years is packed with useful information, interwoven with Bonner's stories about his own family's wealth philosophy and practices. A comprehensive guide that shows how families can successfully preserve their estates by ignoring most of what people think they know about "the rich" and, instead, training and motivating all family members to work together toward a very uncommon goal. This book is a must-read for all individual investors—even those who do not plan to leave money to their children—because it challenges many of the most ubiquitous principles and rules of investing. You might expect a book on family wealth to be extremely conservative in its outlook. Instead, the Bonners announce what is practically a revolutionary manifesto. They explain: Why family money should NOT be invested in "safe, conservative" investments Why charitable giving is usually a waste of money, or worse Why it is NOT a good idea to let children go their own way Why you can't trust wealth "professionals" and why you should never entrust your money to money managers Why giving your children as much education as possible is NOT a good idea Why Warren Buffett and the rest of the rich people asking for higher tax rates are wrong to take "the pledge" Why Wall Street is a graveyard for capital, why most celebrity CEOs are a threat to the businesses they run, why modern capitalism is a failure, and more You will come away with a very different idea as to what family wealth is all about. It is not stodgy. Not boring. Not moss-backed and reactionary. On the contrary, it is the most dynamic, forward-looking capital in the world. The essential guide to passing wealth from one generation to the next, Family Fortunes is filled with concrete, practical advice you can put to use right away.


Book Synopsis Family Fortunes by : Bill Bonner

Download or read book Family Fortunes written by Bill Bonner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-07-31 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selected as one of Motley Fool’s “5 Great Books You Should Read” Advice on managing your wealth from bestselling author Bill Bonner From trusted New York Times bestselling author Bill Bonner comes a radical new way to look at family money and a practical, actionable guide to getting and maintaining multigenerational wealth. Family Fortunes: How to Build Family Wealth and Hold on to It for 100 Years is packed with useful information, interwoven with Bonner's stories about his own family's wealth philosophy and practices. A comprehensive guide that shows how families can successfully preserve their estates by ignoring most of what people think they know about "the rich" and, instead, training and motivating all family members to work together toward a very uncommon goal. This book is a must-read for all individual investors—even those who do not plan to leave money to their children—because it challenges many of the most ubiquitous principles and rules of investing. You might expect a book on family wealth to be extremely conservative in its outlook. Instead, the Bonners announce what is practically a revolutionary manifesto. They explain: Why family money should NOT be invested in "safe, conservative" investments Why charitable giving is usually a waste of money, or worse Why it is NOT a good idea to let children go their own way Why you can't trust wealth "professionals" and why you should never entrust your money to money managers Why giving your children as much education as possible is NOT a good idea Why Warren Buffett and the rest of the rich people asking for higher tax rates are wrong to take "the pledge" Why Wall Street is a graveyard for capital, why most celebrity CEOs are a threat to the businesses they run, why modern capitalism is a failure, and more You will come away with a very different idea as to what family wealth is all about. It is not stodgy. Not boring. Not moss-backed and reactionary. On the contrary, it is the most dynamic, forward-looking capital in the world. The essential guide to passing wealth from one generation to the next, Family Fortunes is filled with concrete, practical advice you can put to use right away.

The Big Win

The Big Win

Author: Stephen L. Weiss

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-05-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0470916109

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A rousing and practical look at the extremely successful investments of top investors In his first book, The Billion Dollar Mistake, author Stephen L. Weiss showcased the biggest blunders of some of the world's legendary investors—which lost them billions of dollars on a single investment. Incredibly, the mistakes they made were the same mistakes made by everyday investors but for the magnitude of the loss. Weiss's second book, The Big Win: Learning from the Legends to Become a More Successful Investor, highlights financial successes, explaining how the world's most successful investors make a fortune and how you can do the same. As with the missteps Weiss profiled in his first book, the strategies used by these legendary investors are available to all, regardless of size or sophistication. Profiles legendary investors and highlights their investment strategies—from finding the right investment to researching to making a move Probes each investor's personality and questions their investment thinking Identifies and describes each investor's "big win" and why it became their most successful investment The Big Win is a primer on successful investing the way it is really done by the people who do it for a living—passionately and with extraordinary success. The Billion Dollar Mistake told readers what not to do to get rich; The Big Win shows readers how to do it right for the payoff of their lives.


Book Synopsis The Big Win by : Stephen L. Weiss

Download or read book The Big Win written by Stephen L. Weiss and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rousing and practical look at the extremely successful investments of top investors In his first book, The Billion Dollar Mistake, author Stephen L. Weiss showcased the biggest blunders of some of the world's legendary investors—which lost them billions of dollars on a single investment. Incredibly, the mistakes they made were the same mistakes made by everyday investors but for the magnitude of the loss. Weiss's second book, The Big Win: Learning from the Legends to Become a More Successful Investor, highlights financial successes, explaining how the world's most successful investors make a fortune and how you can do the same. As with the missteps Weiss profiled in his first book, the strategies used by these legendary investors are available to all, regardless of size or sophistication. Profiles legendary investors and highlights their investment strategies—from finding the right investment to researching to making a move Probes each investor's personality and questions their investment thinking Identifies and describes each investor's "big win" and why it became their most successful investment The Big Win is a primer on successful investing the way it is really done by the people who do it for a living—passionately and with extraordinary success. The Billion Dollar Mistake told readers what not to do to get rich; The Big Win shows readers how to do it right for the payoff of their lives.

The Great Formula

The Great Formula

Author: Mark Joyner

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2006-06-30

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0470038888

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Praise for THE GREAT FORMULA "This book reminds me of Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity-a stunningly simple idea that changed the course of history. I've seen The Great Formula create millionaires with surprising speed. It's an exact recipe to turn a marginal business into a successful one." —David Garfinkel, author, Customers on Demand "Mark Joyner has once again succeeded at coming up with an entertaining and educational marketing masterpiece." —Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian, infopreneur and heart surgeon "With all the fancy buzzwords used to describe how to achieve success, here is a commonsense formula that cuts through the chatter and goes straight to the heart of what really works. This is truly a new perspective." —Joseph Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation "Save yourself a couple hundred thousand dollars on that degree. Clear out your bookcase. The MBA curriculum for this generation is The Irresistible Offer and The Great Formula." —Lou D'Alo, PowerUp! Coaching and Consulting


Book Synopsis The Great Formula by : Mark Joyner

Download or read book The Great Formula written by Mark Joyner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2006-06-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for THE GREAT FORMULA "This book reminds me of Isaac Newton's discovery of gravity-a stunningly simple idea that changed the course of history. I've seen The Great Formula create millionaires with surprising speed. It's an exact recipe to turn a marginal business into a successful one." —David Garfinkel, author, Customers on Demand "Mark Joyner has once again succeeded at coming up with an entertaining and educational marketing masterpiece." —Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian, infopreneur and heart surgeon "With all the fancy buzzwords used to describe how to achieve success, here is a commonsense formula that cuts through the chatter and goes straight to the heart of what really works. This is truly a new perspective." —Joseph Sugarman, Chairman, BluBlocker Corporation "Save yourself a couple hundred thousand dollars on that degree. Clear out your bookcase. The MBA curriculum for this generation is The Irresistible Offer and The Great Formula." —Lou D'Alo, PowerUp! Coaching and Consulting

Fortunes For All

Fortunes For All

Author: Vash Young

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2018-12-05

Total Pages: 139

ISBN-13: 1789125995

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HOW TO BE HAPPIER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL BY SIMPLE CHANGES IN MENTAL ATTITUDE This is the sixth book Vash Young has written to share with others the philosophy responsible for the success and happiness he has enjoyed. His other books were bestsellers, and FORTUNES FOR ALL is undoubtedly his most important work. First published in 1959, it written during Vash Young’s active retirement at the age of 70, when he was able to look back over his amazing life and career and speak with the voice of one who conquered the obstacles of fear, inhibition, and failure to become the successful salesman of $80 million worth of life insurance and lead a full, rich life by applying his philosophy for happiness. “I know I have a good key to happiness because I have used it personally with almost unbelievable results.” “This state of mind has not grown old and useless. It is more potent within me today than back in the depression years when I was changing the thinking of thousands of distressed individuals.” “...we can see the human body, which has a chemical value of approximately 97 cents. But we do not see the thinking which motivates a human body. This thinking may be worth $500,000.” “All of the scientific advances being made are of very little use to the individual and his personal problems....Self-help is what he needs most of all, and that is what I am trying to supply in this book.” FORTUNES FOR ALL seeks to bring together the background, philosophy and methods that had secured Vash Young’s fortune as a handbook for generations to follow.


Book Synopsis Fortunes For All by : Vash Young

Download or read book Fortunes For All written by Vash Young and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2018-12-05 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: HOW TO BE HAPPIER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL BY SIMPLE CHANGES IN MENTAL ATTITUDE This is the sixth book Vash Young has written to share with others the philosophy responsible for the success and happiness he has enjoyed. His other books were bestsellers, and FORTUNES FOR ALL is undoubtedly his most important work. First published in 1959, it written during Vash Young’s active retirement at the age of 70, when he was able to look back over his amazing life and career and speak with the voice of one who conquered the obstacles of fear, inhibition, and failure to become the successful salesman of $80 million worth of life insurance and lead a full, rich life by applying his philosophy for happiness. “I know I have a good key to happiness because I have used it personally with almost unbelievable results.” “This state of mind has not grown old and useless. It is more potent within me today than back in the depression years when I was changing the thinking of thousands of distressed individuals.” “...we can see the human body, which has a chemical value of approximately 97 cents. But we do not see the thinking which motivates a human body. This thinking may be worth $500,000.” “All of the scientific advances being made are of very little use to the individual and his personal problems....Self-help is what he needs most of all, and that is what I am trying to supply in this book.” FORTUNES FOR ALL seeks to bring together the background, philosophy and methods that had secured Vash Young’s fortune as a handbook for generations to follow.

The Fear of Sinking

The Fear of Sinking

Author: Paulette D. Kilmer

Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9780870499395

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In this provocative study, Paulette D. Kilmer examines the ways in which the national preoccupation with success and its attendant anxieties have been manifested in popular culture. Her focus is on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries - an era in which industrial growth and urbanization wrought enormous changes in the country.


Book Synopsis The Fear of Sinking by : Paulette D. Kilmer

Download or read book The Fear of Sinking written by Paulette D. Kilmer and published by Univ. of Tennessee Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this provocative study, Paulette D. Kilmer examines the ways in which the national preoccupation with success and its attendant anxieties have been manifested in popular culture. Her focus is on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries - an era in which industrial growth and urbanization wrought enormous changes in the country.