People always ask me for reading suggestions, so here are 2 very simple ones:
The first is one of the best stockmarket columns available. This guy doesn’t get the credit he deserves, but in my opinion his column is a must read. His name is Chris Byron, and he writes about stocks and the markets forThe NY Post.
Chris unlike many has no problems taking on issues that aren’t popularbut that protect the individual investor. His column todayshould be required reading for any small investor thinking of investing in penny stocks. He nails the problems with Reg D offerings, gives examples and most importantly follows up to confirm just how slimely some companies are that are using this instrument.
The SEC might not watch out for small investors, but it’s great to know that Chris is. Read his column!
Switching topics to career advice. The book is called ” Going Corporate: Moving up without ScrewingUp.”Ifyou arejust getting out of school and alreadyin the corporateworld, this book probably isn’t for you. You already know what’s in it.
For those new or about to be college grads whowant a funny, laugh out loud catch up onthe things your future co-workers will be doing for you, with you and to you when you start your new job,buy this booknow.
This book isn’t just for new entries into the workforce.
If you run a company, manage one, or are the CEO of any company with cubicles or rows of desk anywhere you pay rent, this book is definitely for you. You have no idea what is happening next to and on all those computers humming away in the office. This book will give you the rundown on all the things you never had the guts to do when you started out in the business world. Read this book as a primer, and a good laugh on just what runs through the minds of those twenty somethings that call you sir to your face, and something completely different behind your back. Good things of course :).
Read ’em and have fun!
all in all, I wish this show had been more popular because it truely had some unique aspects of it that I did not think were still possible after 5 years of reality shows. Both people losing was cool….Linda playing everyone was even cooler.
Comment by runescape money -
Sure, it’s nice to win a million dollars, but I’ve looked into the eyes of starving children, and I’ve spoken to people who live on their kitchen table during the rainy season because raw sewage fills their home (which is no more than a dirt floor covered by branches and trash, in the nicer places). My convictions stem from witnessing the horror of these places first-hand, so perhaps I’m a special case.
Comment by wow powerleveling -
That’s very Good.
Comment by source -
Yes, I’m agree with you.
Comment by software -
If you’re interested in making good penny stock investment decisions you should read this free guide http://www.pennystocks.com. It offers excellent information on penny stocks. Good luck with your investments.
Comment by Kim -
If you’re really interested in learning more about penny stock investing I would suggest going to http://www.pennystocks.com. It’s a free guide on the ins and outs of investing in penny stocks. It will teach you all you need to know. This is the first place I would start when picking a penny stock for your first investment. Good luck with your stock picks!
Comment by Kim -
Yes, please give more reading tips so more of us can spend 3 hours a day reading the best brain food available. Thanks.
Comment by Peter -
thanks for this article in the NY Post. Didn’t know the author but he certainly has some interesting views!
keep up the good work, I really like this blog.
Comment by Warren Buffett -
thanks for this article in the NY Post. Didn’t know the author but he certainly has some interesting views!
keep up the good work, I really like this blog.
Comment by Warren Buffett -
Tam,
You are so right and it’s a wonderful feeling to know that you help others…especially the elder. thank you for looking at my site. I am trying to get Mark to do the same thing so he can help me out during the holidays. I know that he donates to charities and I pray that he will chose mine although I am not the big name organization I am a person that has continued to do charity work if it cost me my hosue payment to help someone else…I will do it! Please say a prayer for me and my organization this holiday season and look for me on television soon….
Cheryl
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
Cheryl,
I enjoyed going through briefly at your website. I was particuly touched with your service to the elderly. I think that it’s with everyone…loneliness can be unhealthy and for someone to take their time to listen can do wonders.
Thank you…
Comment by Tam -
Thank you and again I say if I can help you during the holidays things are tight but with gods help we will survive and continue our mission. we give out food, money, clothing, and it’s primarily funded by my family and small church however this three months ago my father passed away and paying for his funeral along with people losing their jobs has put our ministry in a bind. There is hope some ray of hope, I met with some people at NBC and they researched our ministry and loved what we are doing so they might build us a new facility for a reality show if I can find an old church or home that someone will donate to us so please pray. It shows that if you do good it comes back to you when you least expect it. Besides God you never know who is watching you. Have a wonderful day!
Cheryl
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
Cheryl, I went and looked at your site. It looks like you’re doing more than just handing out money, too. Good job! and God Bless.
Pam
Comment by Pam -
Mark…I both like and respect you. Whether its what you’ve done for the Mavericks as an owner or in hearing you pontificate about stocks on shows like Kudlow & Cramer, your thoughts are worth noting. However, I have to take issue with your support of Christopher Byron and his reporting in the NY Post. First, its the NY Post, not a place anyone should be going for investment advice. More importantly, however, Christopher Byron has a horrible track record when it comes to the sentiment in his columns. He has shown time and again a propensity to write only on behalf of hedge funds that are short stocks. He’s sneaky and tries to convey an air that he’s on the side of the small investor, but after reading some of his stuff over the years, its clear where his loyalties lie. Is he right sometimes? Of course, big-time short sellers with journalists in their pocket can make things happen. He’s a shlock journalist though. Whether its writing about the fashion industry or Martha Stewart or whatever, its clear his own agenda and personal opinions are what matter most. As for the piece you site about pink sheets…I would not be shocked if he was tracking that company on behalf of a hedge fund that has continuously shorted the stock and fallen significantly underwater. Look back at many of his other columns and you will see a pattern.
Comment by Josh -
First, some math just for clarification (and for no other reason whatsoever) – one percent of one billion is ten million, not one million. One million is one-tenth of one percent of one billion.
Second, on the Chris Byron article, related to some of the other posts above, and Mark, with respect to your comment on the SEC and the small investor … it’s definitely good that Chris Byron is pointing out that there are some slimeballs swindling people in the penny stock arena. But please people, take responsibility for your own investments. Do not abdicate that responsiblity to the SEC (or to Chris Byron or to anyone else). Mark, I think you should clarify that you agree with this statement — I’m concerned people who want to believe that they do not have to be personally responsible for the choices they make (i.e., people who want to believe it is up to the SEC or the government or whoever to look out for them) will think you are telling them it is not their fault if they get swindled. Well, there is no way people who get swindled aren’t responsible for the circumstance. I don’t mean this to be rude — there are criminals/swindlers/con men out there. But buyers of stock do NOT have to buy stock. Buying a penny stock (buying CDC) is NOT required. If you elect to buy a penny stock (or make any other investment), you are responsible for that decision. The moral: If you don’t know whether you’re savvy enough to be investing in a penny stock, you are almost certainly NOT savvy enough to be investing in a penny stock.
Consider, for example, that in Byron’s article, he asks (rhetorically) who is it that is trading the CDC shares? He notes that 7.3 million shares of CDC stock traded hands on the fourth day after listing. I would bet you dollars to donuts that almost all of the people buying the shares don’t have enough information about CDC to have made an intelligent decision about the investment.
People want to get rich quick and without effort. It doesn’t work that way. Be responsible for yourself. Do NOT rely on the SEC to protect you. Look out for yourself. If you don’t understand the risks and potential upside of the investment you are making, DO NOT MAKE THE INVESTMENT. Or if you do, understand that it is YOUR FAULT if you lose all your money.
peace,
garrett
Comment by Garrett -
Pam,
I understand where you are coming from. I grew up in a family of 9 and my mother also took in two of my cousins so there were 4 girls in one small bedroom and life was not easy at all. I can remember the days when all we ate were beans for the week and then mother would let my friends eat that with us. I was not in no shape form or fashion trying to put you down. I just wanted others to be aware of what a difference one person could make and obviously you understand that after reading how you donate. Please continue your good deeds and i will continue mine and if I can ever assist you look at http://www.thetouchministry.com or email me personally at hiitscj@msn.com and I will round up some help. May God Bless you and your family this holiday season. Again to Mark, please consider my non-proift for the holidays there will be alot of homeless people and kids that will need our help. Let me be your hands for the holidays.
Cheryl Jackson
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
For anyone interested in books to help put you in the right frame of mind to start the long road of success, read this:
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
I read it, applied its principles, and am shocked at how effective I have become. Still, I need a good recommendation for time management. Any thoughts?
greg
PS-For those using Mr. Cuban’s “worth” to see what percentage he “gave away”, see the current special issue of Forbes (400 Richest People in America, page 186). Mark came in at 1.3 Billion, ranked 215, tied with Oprah. Good company.
Comment by greg -
But my Rant is better. Consistently better – because I’m not a journalist.
GT
marketrant.blogspot.com
Comment by Geoffrey Transom -
I think the author of the book :”He’s just NOT into you” should be part of some kind of show for a day and a life of a single person maybe it can be call ” The Single Life”.
Comment by Tam -
Wow Mark, great tip on Chris Byron. I have been dupped by some of these Reg D clowns and I’m glad someone has shed some light on it. I too was hung up on by one of the participants. I’ve got some great stories to tell.
Comment by Keith Rowland -
Well, let’s see…
We’ve taken food to shut ins and gone home to eat beans and rice because that’s all we could afford.
We’ve worked in homeless shelters, sent boxes of things to our soldiers in Iraq, worked 24 hours shifts with Toys for Tots with our kids, helped tutor kids in Headstart programs, painted homes in west Dallas for elderly citizens who couldn’t do it for themselves, worked with Meals on Wheels, and too many other things to list.
We don’t have extra cash to hand out, but we put our hands to work where we can. It’s easy to sit in an office and hand out money you won’t miss. Not so easy to get your hands dirty.
Comment by Pam -
Yes, I was thinking of the US, because although we might be the richest country, we still have plenty of poor. We have people with no houses, elderly with no heat or cooling, children who go to bed at night hungry, millions who die unnecessarily because they can’t afford basic healthcare. Where I live, people live in hideous conditions because they have no hope. There are few jobs here, and when a job opens up there are 200 applicants for one position. We have no county hospital, so there’s no where to go if you’re sick and can’t afford a doctor.
I know the rest of the world has its own set of problems. My daughter has determined to spend 5 years in the Peace Corps to try to help. But when you have to worry every day about how you’re going to feed your family that day, it’s hard to see beyond your own front yard.
Comment by Pam -
My respone to a previous comment…I know that we are supposed to tithe 10% that is what the Bible says. However, I was referring to Mr. Cuban GIVING away 1% of his billion dollars worth( I am not sure if he is worth one billion or six billion) however my comment was to say if every individual would give away 1% of what God blesses them with to a reputable charity of their choice we would still be doing equivalent to what Mr. Cuban did. It is so easy for people to judge others on how they should have done something but its time that we look in the mirror and say who have I helped today. If you donated $5.00 to a charity, that could buy a homeless person some socks, a t-shirt and a sack lunch. Think about it. If you have a computer to read this email YOU ARE BLESSED that means you are at work or at home while others are suffering and we sit in our sealed houses and complain as to why we didnt like Marks show and what he could have done differently. My God he GAVE away ONE MILLION dollars and even if he can write it off for taxes how much have you personally given away this year?. Lets talk about that. I think Femia should start blogging and tell us about how MARK changed her life. My personalized license plate say” 1 Touch” and it means all it takes and just one touch to change a persons life and Mr. Cuban did that to Femia. Who have you done it to? Think about it?
Cheryl Jackson
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
Good recommendations. I would add to this list “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene. There are many great books out there; but I found the contents of this one to be unique and invaluable.
Sean Sullivan
CEO, Spidercorp
Comment by Sean Sullivan -
Your comments: Forgot to add that I love ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, because it completely changes the lives of the participants… it’s not really a “reality show” like all the others, but it’s hard not to feel incredibly happy for the people at the end of each episode… I only hope that they aren’t left with any kind of tax burden, and I always wonder what the producers do for the fact that sometimes the the houses they create are expensive to maintain (IE, when you add a pool, put in nice appliances, add a lot of area to the house which increase the heating bill, etc). Some of the houses also drastically outvalue their neighbours, which makes them impossible to sell… but I digress. The point is, they are taking people who are in dire situations, and giving them a brand new start in life, and usually changing everything for the better. It makes for captivating televsion, and helps out people who are beyond being able to be helped. It’s a win-win situation.
And as for your math Pam – $1 million is 1% of a hundred million! If Mark is still “worth” $6 billion, then $1 million is 1/6000th of his fortune… 0.0167% !! If he gave away 1% of his fortune, that would be $60 million!! You could shelter a LOT of people in the third world with that much money, or put wells in places which don’t have fresh water… or any number of endless possibilities for homeless or disadvantaged people if you want to help out a little closer to home… the possibilities are endless! But I don’t think anyone’s got $6 Billion in liquid assets (cash in a bank), so it’s much easier said than done!
Comment by Terence Tourangeau -
In response to Pam’s comment above…
“Just divide that money up between the millions of Americans…”
Don’t you think your country has enough money? You say you thought of how many people the presidential campaign money could have helped, but were you thinking only of Americans?
You’re the most powerful country in the world, the richest country in the world, yet you seem to be the most inward looking (sorry, I don’t want that to come across as a personal attack – I’m speaking of the country as a whole).
If we’re going to send this planet in the right direction, shouldn’t the richest start looking out for those who don’t have a choice? I’m not talking about a communist society, but think of how much money has been spent on the War in Iraq. If *any* president were to say “I’m going to give $100 Billion to Country X”, there would be an uproar. But $100 Billion to wage a war which will kill your own citizens as well as innocent civilians in another country? Take as much as you need!
Imagine if all the money which has fueled the death and destruction in the world was put towards curbing the AIDS epidemic in third world countries, and towards feeding and educating all those who live in countries that will never have a fraction of the opportunities any one of us has. Call me a hopeless optimist, but I think the world might be a better place. That’s not to say no country should spend defence money on food, but I think you get my point.
To a degree all $1,000,000 reality shows make me a bit uncomfortable (sorry this post is so far off topic from the original entry… delete if need be). Sure, it’s nice to win a million dollars, but I’ve looked into the eyes of starving children, and I’ve spoken to people who live on their kitchen table during the rainy season because raw sewage fills their home (which is no more than a dirt floor covered by branches and trash, in the nicer places). My convictions stem from witnessing the horror of these places first-hand, so perhaps I’m a special case. But give me a million dollars, or a billion dollars, and I’ll give it away in a heartbeat. (If I were to earn it, I’d probably give it away consistently over time…. something I plan to do!) I guess it’s just too easy to lose touch with reality when the only world you know is the one which surrounds you, which is unfortunately the way the majority of the world lives.
Anyway, I’m incredibly glad to hear that you’ll be helping out Dominic in such a fundamental way – he seems to have proven himself to be exactly the type of guy who would do good things in the world, given the chance. So much of how a person can effect the world has to do with being the right situation in life, and I think you’ll be putting him in perfect position to change the world for the better… if he doesn’t spend all his money on his hair! 🙂 (or guitars to smash… I’ve never been able to afford such a nice guitar, and wiped a tear away when I witnessed that!!)
Comment by Terence Tourangeau -
I almost forgot, and I bet everyone else did. Wasn’t P. Diddy supposed to design the 3rd jersey for the Mavs this season?
Comment by Dave -
I can’t believe it’s been 25 years. Just 6 years ago I wasn’t a basketball fan, let alone a Mavericks fan, but once you took over, everything changed. You brought excitement, and believe me, it worked. I started playing basketball and watching Mavs games and I haven’t stopped since. You’ve really turned this team around, but I won’t be satisfied til you bring us a championship. So keep at it.
On another note, I just wanted to comment that I really dislike the logo with the weird “M” and ball shield. The “M” just doesn’t relate to any of the other fonts on the current jerseys and it really bothers me. It just doesn’t mean anything to me. If you only used the round horse and ball logo, I’d be perfectly happy. When I see that horse, I see the Mavs. So what do you say?
Your fan for life,
Dave
Comment by Dave -
I thought, according to the Bible, we were supposed to give 10%? That’s what we’ve always done, even though lately that 10% isn’t enough to buy much more than one meal for anyone.
When I heard how much the candidates had spent on campaigning, my first thought was how many people that amount of money could have made a difference to. Why not just have a boxing match and let the winner take all? Or in this day of the Internet, do it all online and save those millions and billions in travel expenses. Just divide that money up between the millions of Americans whose businesses bombed after 9/11.
One thing I wanted to add to the Benefactor comments was that I was really glad to hear Mark was paying for Spencer’s college. With one in college now and another one going next year, I can tell you that’s worth a lot!
Comment by Pam -
Mr. Cuban,
I had the pleaure of auditioning for the benefactor. I made it to the third round and unfortunately I never received a call from you. I am an african american female and was told that you would never chose someone like me. I hope those people watched the show last night. I was so happy for the receipient. I also noticed that several people talked about your show but I want to tell you this. You gave one million dollars away, that was one percent of your fortune. Imagine if everyone would give just ONE percent of their worth to a charity of their choice, what a wonderful world this would be. If I would have won the money I would have given half to my non profit http://www.thetouchministry.com. Mark if you haven’t already chosen a charity for the holidays please consider mine and may God bless you for blessing others. p.s. I am sure others have read this post so if you want to donate to help me feed and clothe and give toys during the holidays please match Marks donation. Keep doing what you are doing Mark and God will continue to do for you.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Jackson
hiitscj@msn.com
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
Mr. Cuban,
I had the pleaure of auditioning for the benefactor. I made it to the third round and unfortunately I never received a call from you. I am an african american female and was told that you would never chose someone like me. I hope those people watched the show last night. I was so happy for the receipient. I also noticed that several people talked about your show but I want to tell you this. You gave one million dollars away, that was one percent of your fortune. Imagine if everyone would give just ONE percent of their worth to a charity of their choice, what a wonderful world this would be. If I would have won the money I would have given half to my non profit http://www.thetouchministry.com. Mark if you haven’t already chosen a charity for the holidays please consider mine and may God bless you for blessing others. p.s. I am sure others have read this post so if you want to donate to help me feed and clothe and give toys during the holidays please match Marks donation. Keep doing what you are doing Mark and God will continue to do for you.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Jackson
hiitscj@msn.com
Comment by Cheryl Jackson -
I liked Spencer, but I think Mark was right not to give him the money. I don’t think he’s ready for that much responsibility. But I sure felt sorry for him at the end of the show. Bad enough to lose once, but twice? He looked so awkward standing in the background while Femia got all the attention and excitement.
I agree about the houses, too. I would have liked to see the others.
Good twist at the end, but I would have really liked to hear what she was going to do with the money.
Comment by Pam -
As for Benefactor final thoughts…i was a little disappointed that they showed Linda’s house but not the other two people’s, especially since it seemed like the show was stretching for material at the end (how many flashbacks did we see?). But all in all, I wish this show had been more popular because it truely had some unique aspects of it that I did not think were still possible after 5 years of reality shows. Both people losing was cool….Linda playing everyone was even cooler. Not cool? Not a single character on the show was likeable…if none of them had won and Mark just gave himself a bonus or something I would have been much happier. Also the Femia win was kinda awkward because she had almost no camera time throughout the show, so we didnt really get to know her…she kind of flew under the radar so to speak.
Comment by Phil -
Any Benefactor final thoughts?
I would like to hear them.
Comment by who cares -
My husband lost our entire savings to a penny stock scam back in 1996 and we’ve never recovered. The kids and I tried to get him to invest the money in Dell or Yahoo, but he didn’t think they were going anywhere. 🙁
You live and learn, but sometimes the lessons are way too hard and last way too long.
Comment by Pam -
Yeah this is a good book, and having worked in a cubicle style office, it couldn’t be truer. I second the idea that it’s a book that is well worth the read, and affordable for those who care about the bottom dollar 🙂
Comment by Shelby Cobra -
I gave my father a book for his retirement, in the hopes that it would give him a renewed outlook on life. Not only did he love it when he read it, but he lent it to every one of his friends, who subsequently bought a copy… each one of these guys was in a different walk of life, too – doctors, engineers, businessmen, mechanics…
If you’re looking for inspiration, looking to read an interesting story, or you’re curious to see into the mind of one of the world’s greatest geniuses, I highly suggest you pick up the book “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”, by Richard Feynman. It literally changed my life, and no matter what you do for a living, you’ll probably take something away from it.
Another fantastic read is “The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams, for the sheer brilliant creativity the man had – his way of describing things and imagination literally changed the way I view the world.
I may be way off topic here, but I’ve always found the most inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources – and the further you can branch out to pluck ideas, the more interesting life (and your career) become. But that’s just me!
In any case, thanks for the heads up on the stock columnist – I’ve been looking for someone to read, as I’ve got a bit of money I’m thinking of investing… so far I’ve found investopedia.com to be a fairly good site too!
I’m not in a field which will put me in a corporate environment, but I may give that book a read because it may be another left-field source that’ll come in handy some day. Thanks a bunch!
(And since two other guys talked about the show…. the editing killed it for me… i wanted to see dominic and femia’s homes! But i guess that’s not really your fault… unless you were in the editing room!)
Comment by Terence Tourangeau -
A funny read for any of you already in the corporate world, especially in IT, is Cube Farm. If you’re a fan of Dilbert or Office Space, you should enjoy this book.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590594037/qid=1098745004/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-5723953-9504665
Comment by EWH -
Marc, thanks for writing this blog. This gives people like me (poor but with a survival instinct) hope of a day when we can own our own business. I don’t think I aspire to be as successful as you. I can’t even imagine it, but I do aspire to wash away my worried. Thanks man! Go mavs (but not over my Pistons.)
Comment by Tim -