Invested Interests

Despite the World Bank’s profound impact on economic, political, and social conditions during the post–World War II era, cultural critics who rigorously theorize other institutions of colonialism and globalization have largely ignored the institution. Working to correct this blind spot, Bret Benjamin’s Invested Interests presents the first extended cultural analysis of the World Bank. In Invested Interests, Benjamin contends that the World Bank has, from its inception, trafficked in culture. From the political context in which the Bank was chartered to its evolution into an interventionist development agency with vast, unchecked powers, Benjamin explores the Bank’s central role in the global dissemination of Fordist-Keynesianism, its conflicted support for nationalism and the nation-state, and its emerging awareness of the relationships between economics and culture. Benjamin argues that the Bank shapes, and is in turn shaped by, historical pressures of the age—most significantly the rise of third world national liberation movements. Reading a broad array of midcentury archival materials, Benjamin examines not only the Bank’s own growing attentiveness to cultural work but also its prominent place in the thinking of such anti-imperialist intellectuals as Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, and Richard Wright. Benjamin maps the Bank’s contemporary rhetorical maneuvering in the wake of ever-intensifying protests, offering close readings of the World Bank’s corporate literature, the activities of the antiglobalization World Social Forum, and the writings of prominent Bank critic Arundhati Roy, including her novel The God of Small Things. Deftly investigating the World Bank’s ideological struggles over six decades, Invested Interests develops a conceptually and politically nuanced critique of the Bank as a cultural institution deeply enmeshed in the last century’s historical transformations of imperial power and anti-imperial struggle. Bret Benjamin is associate professor of English and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Albany, SUNY.

The world of investing normally sees experts telling us the 'right' way to manage our money. How often do these experts pull back the curtain and tell us how they invest their own money? Never. How I Invest My Money changes that. In this unprecedented collection, 25 financial experts share how they navigate markets with their own capital. In this honest rendering of how they invest, save, spend, give, and borrow, this group of portfolio managers, financial advisors, venture capitalists and other experts detail the 'how' and the 'why' of their investments. They share stories about their childhood, their families, the struggles they face and the aspirations they hold. Sometimes raw, always revealing, these stories detail the indelible relationship between our money and our values. Taken as a whole, these essays powerfully demonstrate that there is no single 'right' way to save, spend, and invest. We see a kaleidoscope of perspectives on stocks, bonds, real assets, funds, charity, and other means of achieving the life one desires. With engaging illustrations throughout by Carl Richards, How I Invest My Money inspires readers to think creatively about their financial decisions and how money figures in the broader quest for a contented life. With contributions from: Morgan Housel, Christine Benz, Brian Portnoy, Joshua Brown, Bob Seawright, Carolyn McClanahan, Tyrone Ross, Dasarte Yarnway, Nina O'Neal, Debbie Freeman, Shirl Penney, Ted Seides, Ashby Daniels, Blair duQuesnay, Leighann Miko, Perth Tolle, Josh Rogers, Jenny Harrington, Mike Underhill, Dan Egan, Howard Lindzon, Ryan Krueger, Lazetta Rainey Braxton, Rita Cheng, Alex Chalekian

A concise and masterful discussion of a proven investing strategy There are many ways to make money in today’s market, but the one strategy that has truly proven itself over the years is value investing. Now, with The Little Book of Value Investing, Christopher Browne shows you how to use this wealth-building strategy to successfully buy bargain stocks around the world. You’ll explore how to value securities and find bargains in the stock market. You’ll also learn to ignore irrelevant noise, “advice” from self-proclaimed gurus, and other obstacles that can throw you off your game. The Little Book of Value Investing also offers: Strategies for analyzing public company financial statements and disclosures Advice on when you truly require a specialist’s opinion Tactics for sticking to your guns when you’re tempted to abandon a sound calculation because of froth in the market Perfect for beginning retail investors of all stripes, The Little Book of Value Investing will also earn a place in the libraries of veteran investors and portfolio managers seeking an expert reference covering the most time-tested lessons of value investing.

“To say Charles Schwab is an entrepreneur is actually an understatement. He really is a revolutionary.”—Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, author of Shoe Dog The founder of The Charles Schwab Corporation recounts his ups and downs as he made stock investing, once the expensive and clubby reserve of the few, accessible to ordinary Americans. In this deeply personal memoir, Schwab describes his passion to have Main Street participate in the growing economy as investors and owners, not only earners. Schwab opens up about his dyslexia and how he worked around and ultimately embraced it, and about the challenges he faced while starting his fledgling company in the 1970s. A year into his grand experiment in discounted stock trading, living in a small apartment in Sausalito with his wife, Helen, and new baby, he carried a six-figure debt and a pocketful of personal loans. As it turned out, customers flocked to Schwab, leaving his small team scrambling with scarce resources and no road map to manage the company’s growth. He recounts the company’s game-changing sale to Bank of America—and how, in the end, the merger almost doomed his organization. We learn about the clever and timely leveraged buyout he crafted to regain independence; the crushing stock market collapse of 1987, just weeks after the company had gone public; the dot-com meltdown of 2000 and its reverberating aftermath of economic stagnation, layoffs, and the company’s eventual reinvention; and how the company’s focus on managing risk protected it and its clients during the financial crisis in 2008, propelling its growth. A remarkable story of a company succeeding by challenging norms and conventions through decades of change, Invested also offers unique insights and lifelong principles for readers—the values that Schwab has lived and worked by that have made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. Today, his eponymous company is one of the leading financial services firms in the world. Advance praise for Invested “I’ve admired Chuck Schwab for a long time. When you read this book, you’ll understand why.”—Warren E. Buffett “This is a fascinating story that teaches you about the never-ending evolution of an entrepreneurial company, but even more about personal learning from that experience. So read, learn how to learn from experience, and enjoy.”—George P. Shultz, former secretary of Labor, Treasury, and State

This paper investigates the impact of political interventions made by Beijing and Taipei in recent years on the development of cross-Straits economic relations. The study finds little evidence that either the missile firings carried out by Beijing in 1995 and 1996 or the mainland policy review conducted by Taipei since 1996 has slowed down the growth of trade and investment activities between mainland China and Taiwan. In fact, the trade dependence ratios for the two economies have continued to increase since 1995. Although the level of Taiwans committed investment in the mainland has dropped considerably in recent years, it has moved largely in line with the general trend of total FDI in China. The synchronism between Taiwan investment and other foreign investment suggests that the Taiwan investors, like other foreign investors, responded mainly to macroeconomic conditions and policies in the mainland, rather than to the directives from the Taiwan authorities, when they made their investment decisions. This is due to the fact that the economic logic of pursuing cross-Straits economic activities is so powerful that Taipei's restrictive policy toward investment in the mainland has often been ignored or diluted by the Taiwanese private business community.

Social Value Investing presents a new way to approach some of society’s most difficult and intractable challenges. Although many of our world’s problems may seem too great and too complex to solve — inequality, climate change, affordable housing, corruption, healthcare, food insecurity — solutions to these challenges do exist, and will be found through new partnerships bringing together leaders from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. In their new book, Howard W. Buffett and William B. Eimicke present a five-point management framework for developing and measuring the success of such partnerships. Inspired by value investing — one of history’s most successful investment paradigms — this framework provides tools to maximize collaborative efficiency and positive social impact, so that major public programs can deliver innovative, inclusive, and long-lasting solutions. It also offers practical insights for any private sector CEO, public sector administrator, or nonprofit manager hoping to build successful cross-sector collaborations. Social Value Investing tells the compelling stories of cross-sector partnerships from around the world — Central Park and the High Line in New York City, community-led economic development in Afghanistan, and improved public services in cities across Brazil. Drawing on lessons and observations from a broad selections of collaborations, this book combines real life stories with detailed analysis, resulting in a blueprint for effective, sustainable partnerships that serve the public interest. Readers also gain access to original, academic case material and professionally produced video documentaries for every major partnerships profiled — bringing to life the people and stories in a way that few other business or management books have done.

Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest and least integrated region of the world, now has fifteen stock markets. Adventure Capitalism examines the economic and political forces behind this trend and discusses the potential consequences of financial market integration for developing countries. Using a political economy approach, it finds that financial globalization presents a formidable challenge for African policymakers, but is also an opportunity with a range of benefits.

"Rick Stooker is on the right track. We also intend to pursue a more income-oriented strategy in the years to come. Capital gains are subject to both the risk of a decline in economic fundamentals and a deterioration in market psychology. High-quality dividends and income are subject only to the former, and that makes a big difference in modeling your portfolio returns in retirement." -- Charles Lewis Sizemore CFA, Senior Analyst HS Dent Investment Management, LLC http://www.hsdent.com/ "I am a Chartered Accountant in Canada and spent most of my career teaching in a community college. "Over the years, I have used various "plans," with varying degrees of success, but had never given much thought to dividends, so I fell prey to the hype about capital gains. So what was I thinking? Should have been investing for dividends. "I also learned about some new investment vehicles, and got a "heads up" on some investments that I was aware of, but put on the back burner. "Wish I knew about all this stuff when I was in my 20's, or at least paid attention to the theories involved in my 40's." --- Dennis Wilson "What an eye-opener!!! "I had heard about REITs, MLPs, BDCs, but you really explained their advantages and disadvantages. Thank you, Rick. You have set me on the right path to generate a steady income stream." -- Kenny H While the financial markets are collapsing . . . Finally, you too can discover the old-fashioned -- yet now revolutionary (and updated for the 21st century) -- "gold egg" income investing secrets for lazy investors Despite following the conventional financial wisdom, many senior citizens are now asking what happened to that worry-free fun and relaxation they promised themselves after a long career of hard work. Many people in their fifties and early sixties are wondering when -- or even if -- they'll be able to retire. What's the alternative? Investing for income. Learn how to make money whether the stock market goes up, down or sideways. Discover how to avoid the financial pitfalls and emotional stress of depending upon the stock market to deliver market price appreciation to you -- capital gains. They come -- sometimes -- but they also disappear. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now just a little over the high it first broke six years ago. These days the buy and hold strategy requires a lot of patience. This book advocates rewarding yourself right away with regular income from stock dividends and bond interest. It shows you the best, most dependable types of income-producing investments -- and how to minimize risk. So invest now in the book that can guide your retirement portfolio to generating large amounts of income in the long term. Just scroll up and download Income Investing Secrets: How to Receive Ever-Growing Dividend and Interest Checks, Safeguard Your Portfolio and Retire Wealthy.

Updated with a new chapter that draws on behavioral finance, the field that studies the psychology of investment decisions, the bestselling guide to investing evaluates the full range of financial opportunities.