A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller

"Ambitious and readable . . . an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." —The New York Times

"An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." —The Wall Street Journal

"A lively panoramic book . . . Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." —Business Week

"Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." —The Economist

"[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." —Worth

"No one else could have written a book of such central importance with so much charm and excitement." —Robert Heilbroner author, The Worldly Philosophers

"With his wonderful knowledge of the history and current manifestations of risk, Peter Bernstein brings us Against the Gods. Nothing like it will come out of the financial world this year or ever. I speak carefully: no one should miss it." —John Kenneth Galbraith Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University

In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today.

"An extremely readable history of risk." —Barron's

"Fascinating . . . this challenging volume will help you understand the uncertainties that every investor must face." —Money

"A singular achievement." —Times Literary Supplement

"There's a growing market for savants who can render the recondite intelligibly—witness Stephen Jay Gould (natural history), Oliver Sacks (disease), Richard Dawkins (heredity), James Gleick (physics), Paul Krugman (economics)—and Bernstein would mingle well in their company." —The Australian

Investment Management provides a powerful package of systematic principles and cutting-edge applications for intelligent-and profitable-investing in the new world of finance. Its authoritative approach to the investment process is indispensable for coming to grips with today's rapidly changing investment environment-an environment that bombards the investor with an oversupply of information, with novel and complex strategies, with a globalized trading arena in a constant state of flux, and with radical innovations in the development of new financial instruments. Traditional investment methods no longer suffice for investors managing their own funds or for professionals entrusted with the wealth of individual and fiduciary institutions.
Edited by Peter Bernstein and Aswath Damodaran, widely respected experts in the field, this authoritative resource brings together an all-star team that combines Wall Street savvy with profound theoretical skills. The hands-on professionals who have contributed to this volume command high respect among academics in finance; the academic contributors, in turn, are also experienced in the rough-and-tumble of the Wall Street scene.
Together, they have designed the book to look at investing as a process-a series of steps, taken in the proper sequence, that provides the tools and strategies for optimal balancing of the interaction of risk and return. The analysis is at all points comprehensive and lucid as it moves from setting investment objectives to the best methods for selecting securities, from explaining how to measure risk to how to measure performance, from understanding derivatives to minimizing taxes, and from providing the essentials of portfolio strategy to the basic principles of asset allocation. In a unique chapter, the book also offers a searching evaluation of management and governance structures in the modern corporation.
One form of risk management is to make such successful investments that losses do not matter. Only luck can achieve that result; the real world requires decisions whose outcomes are never known in advance. That is what risk is all about. Every stage of the investment process-from executing a trade to optimizing diversification-must focus on making rational choices under conditions of uncertainty. The successful investor's toolkit has more inside of it than just the essential apparatus for selecting securities and allocating assets. The successful investor is also the one who has the knowledge, the confidence, and the necessary control systems to deal with the inevitable moments when forecasts go wrong.
Investment Management explores the investment process from precisely this viewpoint. It is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to investing in today's challenging marketplace-an ideal resource for serious investors and students.
A state-of-the-art program in investment principles and applications from topflight professionals.
Edited by Peter Bernstein and Aswath Damodaran, who are widely respected throughout the world of finance, this authoritative text brings together an all-star team to provide both a hands-on and theoretical overview of investing in today's challenging financial environment.
Once upon a time, Wall Street lived off little homilies like, 'buy low and sell high, ' 'nothing ventured, nothing gained, ' and 'don't put all your eggs in one basket.' Like all sayings that endure, these simple proverbs contain a lot of truth, even if not the whole truth. When wrapped into a body of theory that supports them with logic and a systematic set of principles, these elementary wisdoms pack a great deal of power.
Yet if the theory is so consistent, logical, and powerful, another fabled Wall Street saying comes to mind: 'If you're so smart, how come you're not rich?' The answer is disarmingly simple: The essence of investment theory is that being smart is not a sufficient condition for being rich. This book is about the missing ingredients.-from the Preface by Peter L. Bernstein.

The Portable MBA in Investment

Edited by Peter L. Bernstein

a state-of-the-art program in investment principles and applications from top-flight professionals

"Peter Bernstein and his Dream Team tackle the entire investment spectrum—from soup to nuts—and emerge triumphant. Must reading for all investors—even those who already have their MBAs." —Jack R. Meyer, President and CEO Harvard Management Company, Inc.

"This book provides a treasure chest for the serious student of investment." —William Reichenstein, Power Chair in Investment Management Baylor University

"This is an indispensable resource for anyone who is serious about investing. The lucid and insightful contributions by highly respected experts successfully blend theory with practice." —Claude Erb, Managing Editor First Chicago Investment Management Company

"Peter Bernstein has uniquely facilitated a revolution in investment thinking and practice over the last several decades. Students of investing everywhere are fortunate to have such a useful guide to some of the best practices in use today by the professional investment industry." —Patricia C. Dunn, Managing Director and CEO Defined Benefit Group

"This book is an excellent addition to the investment bookshelf. It's long on substance, as readers of Peter Bernstein have come to expect of his work." —Charles Froland, Managing Director Stanford Investment Management Company

Once upon a time, Wall Street lived off nice little homilies like "buy low and sell high" and "don't put all your eggs in one basket." But investors can no longer depend on such well-worn proverbs.

Today, the winners on Wall Street employ a body of theory that transforms logic, psychology, and statistical sophistication into a powerful package of systematic principles for successful investing. This body of theory is the investor's survival kit in a financial world flooded with information, novel strategies, and dazzling financial instruments.

The Portable MBA in Investment is a comprehensive guide to investing in today's world of finance, with emphasis on converting theoretical concepts into profitable applications. Edited by Peter L. Bernstein, one of the most knowledgeable and respected names in finance, The Portable MBA in Investment is ideal for serious investors, people with fiduciary responsibilities, business managers, professionals, and students pursuing investment careers.

The book brings together an all-star team of experienced investment professionals and leading academics. Their lucid and authoritative contributions explain the state-of-the-art approach to everything from setting objectives and choosing strategies to asset allocation, valuation, risk management, tax considerations, and performance measurement.

In his introduction, Peter Bernstein states, "The essence of investment theory is that being smart is not a sufficient condition for being rich. This book is about the missing ingredients." The Portable MBA in Investment enables you to experience top-level instruction on investment principles at your own pace—without the time and expense of an MBA program.

OTHER SERIES TITLES:

The New Portable MBA

The Portable MBA in Marketing

The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting

The Portable MBA in Management

The Portable MBA Desk Reference

The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship

One of the foremost financial writers of his generation, Peter Bernstein has the unique ability to synthesize intellectual history and economics with the theory and practice of investment management. Now, with classic titles such as "Economist on Wall Street, A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold, and The Price of Prosperity"--which have forewords by financial luminaries and new introductions by the author--you can enjoy some of the best of Bernstein in his earlier Wall Street days.

With the proliferation of financial instruments, new areas of instability, and innovative capital market strategies, many economists and investors have lost sight of the fundamentals of the financial system--its strengths as well as its weaknesses. "A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold" takes you back to the beginning and sorts out all the pieces.

Peter Bernstein skillfully addresses how and why commercial banks lend and invest, where money comes from, how it moves from hand to hand, and the critical role of interest rates. He explores the Federal Reserve System and the consequences of the Fed's actions on the overall economy. But this book is not just about the past. Bernstein's novel perspective on gold and the dollar is critical for today's decision makers, as he provides extensive views on the future of money, banking, and gold in the world economy.

This illuminating story about the heart of our economic system is essential reading at a time when developments in finance are more important than ever.

Set includes ISBN: 9780471197157 Investment Management and ISBN: 9780471362470 Security Analysis on Wall Street: A Comprehensive Guide to Today's Valuation Methods, University Edition.