Bond Reviews

I enjoyed it - I did feel like the end was a bit slow - but I really like the author and would read another of her books. It was a good way to pass the day away. The novel was very cute.

SEEKING SINGLE MALE, by Stephanie Bond, consists of a riotous madcap comedy for an otherwise circumspect lawyer when a mix-up occurs regarding personal ads. Answering an ad placed by Coffee Girl on behalf of his shy brother, Greg Healey arrives at The Best Cuppa Joe in downtown Lexington, Kentucky expecting anything but what he gets.

Greg expects to meet the woman who advertised, "Single female in mid twenties single male for good times. Horse lover a plus. I'm a good cook. Coffee Girl." So when Lana Martina introduces herself, asking if he fits the ad she placed, and immediately invites him to her apartment, Greg assumes the worse. Intrigued by the vivacious beauty, however, he can't resist following her. Little does he realize her ad was for a gay male roommate.

Greg dislikes complicated woman, and they don't come any more complicated that Lana. He especially realizes that fact when he shows up at the town as representative of the landlords who own a strip of shops slated for demolition. The hazing of the building housing The Best Cuppa Joe, as well as the building next door, is essential to Greg's plans for renovating the downtown area. Little did Greg expect the woman who assaulted him for kissing her, while showing her apartment, to represent the shop owners.

The city counsel charges Greg and Lana to work together to come up with a compromise that will benefit both parties. The rezoning would allow Greg to escape his corner office and enter the courtrooms where he longs to practice law. But Lana can't afford to relocate her shop, and is the culmination of years of dreams that she won't easily relinquish.

Provoking the dour Greg is easy, and doing so is sinfully delightful for Lana. If only they weren't evolved in this stick business fray. With obvious attraction and a direct opposition of interests, their effect on each other cannot be less than cataclysmic.

SEEKING SINGLE MALE is one of those delightful afternoon's read where you know the characters will wind up together, but the rocky path keeps the you in stitches. Spirited heroines just seem a perfect contrast to stodgy lawyers who long to break out of their molds, and Stephanie Bond definitely presents them with flair. In addition, her subplot consists of a gentle love story that can't help but also provide enjoyment. Not to mention a ridiculous blow up doll of a man, with anatomically correct parts who gets passed among single women. What a hoot! Highly recommended.

In Lexington, Kentucky, extremely shy Will Healey wants to answer an ad in Attitudes magazine from a SF (single female) seeking an SM (single male). Though he feels protective towards his brother and has doubts about women advertising in the personnel ads, Will's brother lawyer Greg decides to help his sibling because he knows how hard this must be on the isolated Will. Greg tells Will he will check into "Coffee Girl", mostly to insure himself that the woman is not a hooker.

"Coffee Girl" is actually coffee shop owner Lana Martina. However, the ad in question was not the one placed by Lana. She just seeks a roommate not a playmate. As Lana and Greg become acquainted they fall in love. However, even with the matchmaking encouragement of Harry the blow-up doll, a relationship between this couple seems doomed because neither one seems to want it. He worries about his brother's feelings while she wonders if he is gay. The final obstacle is he owns the property where her shop is located and he plans to sell the place.

SEEKING SINGLE MALE is an entertaining romantic romp filled with warm characters that make the story line fun to read. Though at times a stretch in reality, fans will not cares as the tale works because of the intriguing, often offbeat interrelationship between cast members including Harry. Stephanie Bond provides readers with a triumphant contemporary with Harry moving on to his next book in Chicago.

Harriet Klausner

I ordered this thinking it was a reading book to be read to young children. It is basically a coloring book with some other activities. If there is a readable story, I failed to find it.

I ripped my pants once, during a game of table tennis when I was working for the CIS in Manchester, and it was the most humiliating moment of my life. Not only did we lose the game, but I was laughed at and mocked by my colleagues and so-called friends. A had to hide in the toilet and sew them back together. I wish this was another of my quasi-amusing reviews, but sadly, it's the truth. This wonderful book, however, made me realise that there's an amusing side to ripping one's pants, and I rode along on SpongeBob SquarePant's emotional rollercoaster with the wisdom of hindsight. By the end, I'd slayed a personal demon, and it's all down to the wonderful prose of Carol Mullan.
I found the cover illustration a little disturbing, however.

As far as this book, it is very entertaining and my children loved the Sponge Bob tattoos that came with it.

I am just please with this whole Sponge Bob craze. My son and Grandson who are both eight love any thing to do with this little sea creature.

My older son who is 26 is also a great fan and his 9 month old son, loves the music of Sponge Bob. We have a family of fans for this creature. I am happy with this book. We want more of Sponge Bob.

Brenda Corliss Mother and grandmother of 5 and 5

I read this, now am ordering for a gift to my Father for Christmas. Though it leans a bit too heavily to artists, actors, etc as subjects (I would prefer more 'regular guys'), it can reach out and grab your emotions.

Too often a father feels that he has to play the "tough guy" and fails to convey to his son(s) that loving and caring for others is the mark of a man who is truely confident of his "manliness." This book gives the reader examples of fathers who transcend this stereotype.

In this book Bill Henson manages to capture the essense of children and the men they call father. Each photograph (taken by Bill Henson) is a moving photograph of a father and his son(s), accompanied by a essay written by the father, son, or both. There are some celeberties in the book which is an added incentive to buy, but the best reason to buy this book is because of the fantastic artwork done by Bill Henson and the touching essays that capture the love between a father an soon.

In my opinion, Junk isn't as good as other books. It is a book, written for young people and about the life of young people. But you always know, what will happen next. We read this book in school, and it was very interesting, but the suspense is only in the first ten chapters. If you have nothing to do, you can read it, but there are more better books to read.

Jan-Oliver Ohloff

I can't say enough about this book. The book is suprisingly easy to read, and uncovers insights from some of the most prominent names in HY research. A must for HY analysts, MBAs, and CFOs.

I have had the privilege of reading the galley proofs of this book and find it to be THE definitive word on High Yield Investing. This book develops the blueprint for how to navigate, understand, and analyze High Yield Bonds. A must for MBA students, a requirement for anyone in the field already, and a vital tool for investors.

The book's three authors (The George Washington University Business School, Georgetown Business School, and 20+ years High Yield Experience) have used their knowledge and connections to get the best information available

If you enjoyed Dr. No or Goldfinger, you will probably enjoy this novel. Bond versus meglomaniacs is a given in this series. Although not as memorable as some of the other Bond novels, Scorpius is classic Bond fare.

John Gardner turns in a solid Bond thriller that manages to be a little different than usual but still solid. This time, he goes up against the head of a fanatical cult bent on destroying England's political system. The book works well because the threat feels very real and imminent throughout the book. Bond does a little more detecting than usual, and despite what could be done with the premise, Gardner reigns it in and keeps it mostly down to earth. Not one to start with, but another underrated Gardner entry.

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Back in the late 1950's, author Ian Fleming created a unique character, one that would have all the style and charisma to live on through different storytellers. This character, James Bond, is most known for being the quintessential 'spy' or 'secret agent', and even considering the character's dangerous occupation and sometimes-questionable lifestyle, has become a sort of fictional role model for many people. But even though Mr. Bond originated from the world of literature, in a way, he is most known for his flamboyant and action-packed films, which are both light on the intellectual stimuli, and heavy on the one-liners.

Throughout the years, though, Bond's adventures have not only been continued on the silver screen. His outings also lived on through the literature world, being passed on to new authors, who each portray Bond in various ways, while still retaining all the charm and sophistication of Mr. Fleming's original Bond. But, as is usually commonplace, the novel adaptations of Mr. Bond's exploits have been much more detailed and thorough in describing the art of a covert spy, than just showing off by killing as many people and sleeping with as many women as possible like many of the films, particularly the most recent ones, have been doing. This is not to say that the films are essentially no-brainers, it's just that imagining what is happening in a particular scene through very descriptive and detailed words, is much more enjoyable than seeing it being played out in front of you on a screen.

This particular author, James Gardner, has written over eleven books based on the character in the last two decades, and by past examples of previous authors, he would have had a lot to live up to when he wrote his first bond novel. His seventh, Scorpius, is very true to both the novel-style Bond and the movie-style Bond. Landing somewhere in between, Gardner's Scorpius has all the detail and description of the books set out against the interesting plot and outrageous scenarios and villains of the films. It's an interesting mixture, and combined with his articulate use of words, makes for an enjoyable experience.

The story sees Bond start off partway through an intense training weekend at a British army base and receiving orders from his chief 'M' to return to the headquarters of MI6, a British intelligence outfit. The pace of the story is greatly increased when he learns he is being followed on his journey back. Gardner's use of this method to heighten the suspense and pace of the story is accomplished very well, and makes the reader want to keep reading on. Bond is then thrown into a mission to investigate a religious cult called the Meek Ones, founded by a mysterious man called Father Valentine. The Meek Ones are also believed to be behind a multitude of terrorist bombings on numerous British politicians. Further down the track, in typical Bond style, Father Valentine turns out to be none other than exiled arms dealer Vladimir Scorpius. This, although told very early in the text, is quite an interesting story device that Gardner uses, as Bond has to pretend he doesn't know Valentine's real identity, adding another layer of suspense to an already twist-ridden storyline.

Gardner's use of words goes even beyond being able to capture the attention of his readers. It is easy to see through the author's enthusiastic representation of the character of Bond, that he enjoyed writing this novel as much as if he was reading it. This is even portrayed through his attention to detail when it comes to how Bond does his job, showing a true appreciation for the art of espionage. Maybe this can be attributed to the fact that Gardner, before becoming a writer, was actually a Royal Marine and a stage magician, and this somehow influenced his storytelling ability, as his descriptive nature highlights not only the honour, but also the trickery that is required to survive in the covert spy world.

The character of Scorpius is very well portrayed, but somewhat flawed. On one side of the scales, we see an extremely intimidating character with "eyes of pure evil", and is described as "the Devil personified", and on the other, it is hard to take Scorpius seriously, as he seems quite comical in the sense that he sounds too unreal, and too unbelievable. In my opinion, this is the only blemish on an otherwise clean sheet. But this aside, Scorpius is your typical Bond villain (minus the physical characteristics), and he is actually quite convincing if he is believed to be the psychotic madman Gardner, through Bond, describes him to be.

Even without the exotic locations of usual Bond adventures, Gardner's Scorpius is a fantastic insight into the fictional world of James Bond and his work with MI6. Easily comparable to the films and even Ian Flemming's original tales, Scorpius' tale of fanatical cults, terrorist bombings and the world of espionage is filled with enough plot-twists and suspenseful action to keep you interested from the moment you first open the book.

The basic premise of this book is to long stock and delta hedge w/ out of the money warrants. This was great when the tax incentives encouraged corporations to sell bonds w/ detachable warrants rather than selling convertible bonds. In addition, valuing the warrants was tricky prior to the use of the Black-Scholes model. This strategy - delta neutral covered calls - is profitable when the market has peaked out but you can get your handed to you if you employ it in a scenario such as '99-'00. Further their reocmmendations that you short more as your warrants fall is very dangerous - shorting a lot of gamma. The warrant game played itself out and the authors made a a lot of money. This is a very interesting book written by a very profitable hedge fund manager, but I would not recommend attempting to replicate this strategy w/ LEAPS. Pricing is much tighter now so your margin of error has dramatically decreased

Agree with much of the prior review. That said, if you can find thinly traded warrants (i.e., where there is less pricing efficiency due to the low trading volume), this book presents a very workable strategy for the individual investor. In addition, the book does outline an approach for hedging the "warrant component" of convertible bonds. In my opinion, the key is to stay in the low-volume (and, therefore, more market in-efficient) securities, so that an individual investor can use one's small size as an advantage by trading where the larger funds cannot.

This book, and the accompanying pig doll, are adorable for preschool age children. My 5 year old son really enjoys reading the book with me - and sometimes he "reads" it to me.

It is a cute way to encourage children's memory and illustrate how things sometimes go in circles.

A wonderful treat for a birthday or holiday gift.

It is fun and playful, and my children want to read it every nigh

hello sir/madam
h r u.i hope u will be fine and everything is ok there.i want a brief about international financial market because i will be going to present this in front of a group.so plz send me free details about this topic.
i hope my request should be accepted and sould be replied very soon.
bye

A very readable (and detailed if you read those parts) introduction to the subject of international finance.

The standard MBA text book, and one of a handful of finance books recently deemed significant enough to be translated into Chinese.

Also, how can you resist a book with sections on topics such as 'Banking Telecommunications and the Information Superspyway' as well as dry and very detailed math on derivatives trading models.

Other reviews from the great and good:

"This is the best text I have seen in international finance. Good work." Stephen P. Magee, Department of Finance, University of Texas.

"Grabbe had taught several 'Market Wizards' to trade currencies--and this is the book they recommend for understanding currency fundamentals." Dr. Alexander Elder, Director, Financial Trading Seminars.

"This is an original and insightful presentation of material that is often ignored or badly treated in other books." Richard J. Herring, Director, Wharton Program in International Banking and Finance.

"An exceptionally well-written book with detailed coverage of the financial markets in the international scene." Rahul Bishnoi, Department of Finance, University of Wisconsin.

". . . too much detail on markets." [Name Omitted], Tufts University.

"Excellent book . . . teaches students about actual markets and financial instruments..." J. A. Rosensweig, Yale University.

". . . an excellent and lucid analysis of the functioning of the international money market." C. Lawrence, Columbia University.

"Last year I found your book in the Beijing Library (the National Library of China) and had it xeroxed. . . Now I am cooperating with one of my friends to translate it into Chinese . . . China is trying very hard to apply the market mechanism to her economy." Zhang Bin, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China.

"By far the best book available. Well-written, up-to-date & accessible . . ." Asim Erdilek, Case Western University.

"This is an excellent, challenging, well-written book." E. B. Fredrikson, School of Management, Syracuse University.

Iron Bond really hits the nail on the head when it comes to how cars will be marketed in the future. I wish everyone at GM, Ford and Chrysler would read this. The author has some very unique perspectives and ideas on the whole deal.

A "must read" for anyone in the auto business, marketing, sales, or attending B-School. Easy-to-read, really makes you think about the future of marketing!

I found this book to be a vast waste of time. There is very little of practical use to the trader. The author spends the majority of the book on his "Triple Crown" of reducing taxes. None of which you can do without a CPA. You would be better off visiting this book at your local bookstore, jotting down the "Triple Crown" and then hiring a CPA to explain it to you. The writing is poor and difficult to follow -- not because of the technical difficulty, but, because the sentences and paragraphs are so poorly constructed. Save the $( ) and look elsewhere.

I own this update and his last book. Basically concepts are good and prose somewhat entertaining. However, here is the catcher. If you are going to use a CPA for doing all this stuff be prepared to hock your house and your family. What the CPA'S do not get the lawyers will when they charge you for setting up your FLP. I saw one bit of communication where the authors states that refiling was not worthwhile when his fees were factored in !!!!. That should tell you something. You do not believe me just call his office for a quote. This guy's has found the hoy grail of relieving most investors...opps ! i mean us traders from our profits !

WHY THE HELL THE GOVT DID NOT MAKE TAXES SIMPLER IS BEYOND ME...!. trust the feds to complicate anythin they touch...!

PROBABLY BECAUSE THE CPA LOBBY LIKE THE TRIAL LAWYERS AND THE NRA HAVE DEEP POCKETS TO KEEP THINGS THERE WAY.

I just received this book this week after some publishing delays and I'm glad I didn't decide to cancel the pre-publication order. This book is well worth the wait. It's much better than Tesser's previous book. There are lots of examples and even goes into details on estate planning in addition to the tax advantages of trader's status. This book will definitely give you something to think about how to plan and do your taxes!