Amistad: "Give Us Free" (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebooks)

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I WISH I COULD GIVE THEM "FREE"

This book will have the most impact if you...........

Links Perfectly With Life Of Our Lord Jesus Christ

An African's strong will to fight, keep from being a slave.

Amistad: "Give Us Free" (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebooks)

Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1557043515

Amazon.com

Scores of photographs, storyboard illustrations, and historical documents illuminate the making of the Spielberg film about the slave-ship mutiny and trial that helped ignite the Civil War. Also included are essays by the director, poet Maya Angelou, and actress/choreographer/producer Debbie Allen.

Book Description

This elegant volume commemorates the creation of an extraordinary movie, featuring: specially commissioned watercolors which served as "storyboards"; production and historical photos and documents; essays by director Spielberg, producer Allen (who pursued the project for 13 years), and poet Angelou; and a lengthy text on the making of the film about the fight for freedom by 53 Africans, who, in 1839, were captured as slaves and who rebelled on the Spanish slave ship Amistad.

Customer Reviews:

I WISH I COULD GIVE THEM "FREE".......2002-12-16

Just like his film on it, Steven Spielberg's work on this book, "Amistad: 'Give Us Free'", was well-executed. It reminds one of Alex Haley's "Roots". Both stir emotions. Every bit of the story shows how cruel a man can be to his fellow man. And, I disagree with all those who term this true story "a story of illegally enslaved Africans", (Mr Spielberg didn't). We are shying away from the truth, which is that no African, (not even one), was a legal slave. There is nothing that made one slave legal, and the other illegal. There is no legality in slavery. Absolutely! That treacherous and heartless people overpowered, kidnapped, and transported, (in the most inhumane manner), their fellow human beings to America and other places does not, in any way, make those victims of inhumanity "legal slaves". Regardless of all the face-saving tales that those who defiled our lands with the innocent blood, tears, and sweat of millions of Africans will like us to believe, the truth is that not even a single African volunteered to become a slave in any circumstance. They were all forced into it: with no option but death. Those who ripped and enjoyed the bloodied fruits of slavery merely sought cheap excuses in order to justify what they did. But we know that there is nothing legal in kidnapping and subjecting human beings to such a horrible condition.
'La Amistad' tells a soul-eroding story. Cinque and his cohorts are true heroes. They are heroes of freedom, heroes of justice, and heroes of human rights. Songs have been composed about them. Books have been written about them. Films have been made about them. And, history will forever appreciate their gallantry.

This book will have the most impact if you..................2000-09-05

Put yourself in the shoes of the victims of slavery. Allow yourself to really, really feel what it would be like to have every aspect of your culture, values, language stripped from you. Imagine having to sit by while someone rapes your wife, mother, 11 year old daughter. Imagine having to eat an animal which you have been taught is poison. Imagine not having freedom to marry and having to watch your baby being driven away in a wagon, never being seen again, because one man has taken it upon himself the right to sell another. Sit there, close your eyes and then you will be brought into a deeper understanding of the people of the Amistad.

Links Perfectly With Life Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.......2000-03-24

The intercut of the church & prison was strange yet wonderful. The abolitionists gave Yomba an illustrated Bible and he gave his heart to Jesus[alternate version]. Cinque was the man who subsequently gave his life for his clan...Yomba was the informer who died beside Cinque in remorse. Cinque did what he did because he had to.

An African's strong will to fight, keep from being a slave........1998-06-19

"THE BEST!", Its inspiring on one's will to keep himself and other Africans from the early slave trade which destroyed many families in America. Exciting effort to fight in a foreign country without knowing its language or laws. Very forth right in telling truth of American's untold "ugly" slave trade and what slave traders were willing to do just to keep it alive. Amistad's truth about slavery was very emotional, determined to express the will of any free man who's fighting williness to remain a free soul. A Heartfelt story about a lone struggle for Africans coming to America for the first time and having to face the ugliness of slavery, this was not right and should not have happened. All wasn't lost in the end and my true thanks to the many allies: former President - John Q. Adams, Mr(s) Baldwin, Gibbs, and former slave Joadson for their unyeilding efforts to abolish this ugly sore(slavery) which infested deep within America. I truely loved this story, because it was simply "THE BEST!" Also, thanks to Alex Pate and Steven Spielberg and the many others for bring out this ugly hidden part of America's history, I never knew this happened. This could have been me and I cried when I saw the movie. "THE BEST...."

Amistad - Give Us Free : a Celebration of the Film By Steven Spielberg

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Amistad - Give Us Free : a Celebration of the Film By Steven Spielberg
Steven , Maya Angelou, and Debbie Alan Spielberg
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000R06S7C

Average customer rating:

This is a bad book.

Look at how the godless liberals squirm at good and evil!

Important reading for anyone that listens to or makes music

Sense Mixed with Nonsense

A few interesting trees in a forest of speciousness.

The Secret Power of Music: The Transformation of Self and Society Through Musical Energy
David Tame
Manufacturer: Destiny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Theory | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Spirit into Sound: The Magic of Music

Harmonies of Heaven and Earth: Mysticism in Music from Antiquity to the Avant-Garde

The World Is Sound: Nada Brahma: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness

The Harmony of the Spheres: The Pythagorean Tradition in Music

The Cosmic Octave: Origin of Harmony, Planets, Tones, Colors, the Power of Inherent Vibrations

ASIN: 0892810564
Release Date: 1984-04-01

Book Description

This study of the hidden side of music and its subtle effects is one of the most detailed books ever written on the subject.

Customer Reviews:

This is a bad book........2007-03-27

I am a musicain. This book is wrong. This book is perfect for people who are looking to blame the problems of society on everything but society itself(themselves). Music is a product of society, not the other way around as Tame argues. David Tame is insane!

Look at how the godless liberals squirm at good and evil!.......2005-05-08

It makes me laugh when godless liberals get all upset when someone mentions good and evil or right and wrong. "It's all good" in their eyes! They talk of being "narrow minded"... just remember the road to hell is wide and the road to Heaven is narrow!

Important reading for anyone that listens to or makes music .......2004-09-30

I see that some of Tame's opinions on "new" music and jazz/blues etc. have angered some of the earlier reviewers, and I do agree that in a few cases he might be a bit harsh in his perspective while boosting music that is not that much better. However, in general, I believe his perspectives to be right on, not out of the mind of strict repressive fundamentalist, but out of the mind and heart of a being who is witnessing music as it really is, and is not afraid to use his discernment with a bigger scope than most might. This book gives important insight into music, and regardless of your orientation to music, it will give you a much deeper perspective, and I recomend it to all of you. His perspectives are greatly needed, and his discernment is in most cases very good. If more musicians read this book and took it to heart, we would at least find ourselves in the midst of a more mindful, selfless, and intelligent music than we would otherwise.

Sense Mixed with Nonsense.......2004-07-06

My intention is to review not the book as a whole but to focus in on chap. 2, "The New Music". Tame's analysis of 20th-century classical music is completely one-sided, with examples carefully selected to support his point of view. Here's his view briefly summed up: All 20th-century music is a heap of unholy garbage. The problem is that he focuses only on the most avant-garde and radical composers (Schoenberg, Cage etc.) Where do composers such as Bartok, Prokofiev, or Messiaen fit in his analysis? They receive no mention. For Tame, the 20th century was simply a diabolical parade starting with Debussy and ending with cacophonous rock. I agree completely with Tame that atonality and other radical developments are unhealthy and anti-musical; but there is more to 20th-century music than the ten most avant-garde composers! In a false dichotomy, he places the avant-gardists on one hand and on the other hand such unabashed traditionalists and romanticists as Rachmaninoff and Vaughan Williams, whom he absolutely adores. In short, his picture of music in the 20th century is skewed and dishonest. Yes, great music was produced by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and all the old masters of western music. But great music was also produced in the 20th century - music of emotional depth, intellectual acuity, and (often strange) beauty. So Tame does not care for 20th-century music. Fine; but why does he have to smear all of it with a kind of moral depravity?

Many of Tame's conclusions are wild, and some are positively bogus - none more so than those concerning one of the founders of modernism, Igor Stravinsky. For example, his assertion that Stravinsky had a lot in common with the rock-and-roll culture because of his "degenerative" lifestyle. Can we have some evidence to back up this assertion?! Pretty soon he's ridiculously comparing poor Igor to the Rolling Stones. Again, Tame concentrates only on Stravinsky's most radical (for its time) work: THE RITE OF SPRING. Tame seems to think that this is the only thing Stravinsky wrote and focuses on it to the exclusion of all his other music - an attitude I associate with the musically unsophisticated. What about an assessment of Stravinsky's later music, which shows a strain of conservatism and a concern for the musical values which Tame upholds? There is a real difference between the Stravinsky of THE RITE OF SPRING and the Stravinsky of the SYMPHONY OF PSALMS; but in his desire to paint him as a barbarian radical, Tame neglects to give a textured picture. In addition, Tame's statement on p. 97 that Stravinsky touched virtually all of the "New Music" styles is very misleading; to my knowledge, he did not turn late in life to computer music! Stravinsky's religious faith and his general classical Christian outlook get no mention. And pardon me for mentioning it, but anyone who thinks OEDIPUS REX is mockery of opera is not playing with a full deck of cards. Can anyone take this author seriously?

I think we have serious reason to doubt the musical expertise of a writer who writes the following phrase: "[The music of THE RITE OF SPRING] reaches such a crescendo of hedonistic abandonment..." Anyone with a high school education and/or an elementary musical training knows that a crescendo is a climax, not the building to a climax. Please, savor that marvelous little sentence. It tells us a lot about the author.

A few interesting trees in a forest of speciousness........2003-12-21

The book starts with some history of how some people and powers dealt with music, since, as we all know, music has the power to influence our emotions. Duh, nothing new here, but then Tame goes on to stating as fact his own narrow religious world view. He writes that our "materialist" world has given us music that is devoid of spirituality. Is music the chicken or the egg? Yet critics have found every new musical idea to be atacked as immoral, the same for all art. He ends with a few lines from the Sex Pistols as proof the world is going to hell in a handbasket. And this Intro is the best part, it's all downhill from there into primal mysticism and worse.

For example, this comical contradiction he claims is self evident: religious belief is not superstition but "some form of Higher Truth" at the core of all things. In other words SUPERSTITION!

The book is out of print and has countless used copies for sale for a good reason. Save your two dollars for something else.

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A Spiritual Journey through Change

It's all about Change

Renewal

The Winds of Change: A Guided Journey with Healing Music through Grief, Loss & Transformation
Marcia Breitenbach
Manufacturer: self
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Self-Help | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief

ASIN: 096705074X

Book Description

This innovative book and CD combination provides inspiration and useful tools for healing spirit, mind, body and heart. The author, an expressive arts grief and loss therapist and musician, has combined her expertise in the field of grief and loss with 14 of her original healing songs to create a multi-dimensional healing package.

Customer Reviews:

A Spiritual Journey through Change.......2004-11-28

As a very good friend of mine made his transition when I was about one-third of the way into this book, I read the remainder of it before his funeral so that I could pass it on to my friend's widow. I knew she would be grieving and that this book would be of great help to her.

The book is about dealing with grief, loss, and transformation. "Each one of us can travel the road of transformation with awareness and choice," the author, a grief counselor, states in the Introduction. "So many of us make an unconscious choice to be a victim to its ups and downs." The author's objective is to show a way to respond "empowered" to all life's changes and challenges, not just death.

"It is how we look at these losses and changes that can make a difference between becoming a victim of change and grief energy, or learning to channel this energy to higher purpose," she continues, going on to offer a six-step program or "journey" by which to face the challenge. Woven through the six steps, are 13 affirmations designed to punctuate the journey and serve as day-to-day reminders. There are also a number of "reflections," pertinent verbiage extracted from the text to highlight the messages, while also serving as day-to-day lessons for those who find themselves struggling and in need of reinforcement. A very big bonus to the written word is a CD offering music which touches the heart and soul. I found the music very comforting as I drove the 600 miles to my friend's funeral.

The author explains how she has met some of her own challenges as well as describing how others have dealt with the adversity accompanying change and loss.

The book is about transformation. It is about healing the soul and allowing it to become whole again. It would be a great gift to give someone who is experiencing a difficult change or loss.

It's all about Change.......2004-10-05

I loved this book! At first I thought it was only going to be about grief, but it is really about change. We all have change happening to us. The book helps you to look at whether or not you want to handle the changes kicking and screaming, or whether you would feel better if you could embrace the change and all of the good things it can bring to your life. At first I didn't understand the power of the musical CD, but by the end of the book, I was singing lyrics throughout the day, affirming wonderful things to myself. This book is easy to read, and the author's wit clearly shines through.

Renewal.......2004-07-06

Marcia's book eloquently offers a step by step guide to lead you to your own personal healing journey and new found fulfillment.

The Art of Trees: Journey to Self-Awareness and Transformation Through Painting, Drawing, and Planting Trees

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The Art of Trees: Journey to Self-Awareness and Transformation Through Painting, Drawing, and Planting Trees
Maryann, Pasda DiEdwardo , and Patricia, J. Pasda
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1425988008

Book Description

An art exhibit, The Art of Trees Journey to Self-Awareness and Transformation through Painting, Drawing and Planting Trees, entices you to action with content that includes our definitions of practical art terms, theories, supplies, and techniques.

Self-Transformation Through Music (Quest Book)

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Self-Transformation Through Music (Quest Book)
Joanna Crandall
Manufacturer: Quest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0835606082

Book Description

How music can help us become aware of our inner nature.

Average customer rating:

The Adventure's Reach Extends its Grasp

Excellent Adventure

A solid product

Actually, it's pretty good

Star-D&D: A horrible experiment

Tempest Feud: An Adventure for 9th-Level Heroes (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)
Jeff Grubb , and Owen K. C. Stephens
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Ultimate Adversaries (Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Rules Supplements)

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Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)

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Secrets of Tatooine (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)

ASIN: 078692778X
Release Date: 2002-03-01

Book Description

A Threat of Epidemic Proportions

A virulent plague sweeps over the planet Endregaad, forcing the Corporate Sector Authority to quarantine the stricken world with a planetwide blockade. A mission of mercy and a desperate search lead heroes to the Hutt homeworld, where they discover an even greater scourge spreading throughout the galaxy.

This stand-alone adventure is for 9th-level heroes.
• Embroils the heroes in various dealings with the Hutts.
• Explores several locations across Hutt space, including Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler's Moon.
• Introduces new Hutt droids and Hutt battle armor.
• Features new starships, including one for the heroes--complete with a deckplan.

To use this adventure, a Gamemaster also needs the Star Wars Roleplaying Game.

Customer Reviews:

The Adventure's Reach Extends its Grasp.......2005-01-23

I have poured over the adventure material from cover to cover and I LOVE how it is organized. However, all of the contingency plans and interesting NPC's can't save the overall plot of the adventure. It starts out compelling and strong, and ends up circling the intergalactic refresher bowl. The force using Hutt superboss...it was a shame to go through all of the intrigue and well crafted encounters only to face a spice pushing evil force hutt...Did I mention that there is a force using Hutt gangster? If that doesn't make you curl up in the fetal position then you will LOVE this adventure. Otherwise do what I did. Change the story line a bit here and there. Overall, this is a well crafted adventure and worth the sticker price.

Excellent Adventure.......2004-10-07

If you've been running a Star Wars campaign for a while and your players are at the level 8/9 stage, do yourself a favor and buy this adventure. The amount of detail and polish in this adventure is excellent. I'm starting the adventure next session with my group, but having already read through the entire book, I'm very excited about what it will do for my campaign now and for the future.

This adventure obviously has a set plot, but the authors wrote it so well that your players will be able to enjoy it regardless of what they choose to do. I'm really impressed by the latitude I can take with it.

A solid product.......2003-03-12

I loved this adventure. It's well written, original, and manages to capture that Star Wars feel we all know and love. The side bars dealing with potential outcomes for the characters actions, and suggestions on how to motivate them during the game were extremely well done.

While the NPC stats were created for the first d20 Star Wars product, I had no difficulty performing quick conversions. It's still d20, and so most of the skills and abilities presented need no conversion at all. Those that do can quickly be converted by a knowledgable GM. If you're looking for an interesting published adventure to weave into your campaign, then this is definetly for you.

Actually, it's pretty good.......2003-01-03

I haven't actually run Tempest Feud yet, but I'm preparing to, and so I've gone through the book pretty extensively. Friends, let me say that the previous reviewer is WAY off the mark. This is a huge, BEAUTIFUL adventure that has the potential to keep the players guessing right up until the end. I also like those little "what if" sidebars for those situations when the PCs do something unexpected (or stupid).

My only problem with the adventure is that it uses the Original Core Rulebook, and it can therefore be time-consuming to convert all the characters (and believe me there are tons of them) into Revised Rulebook format.

In actuality I give this adventure a strong 4, but I am entering a 5 because the previous review just doesn't do this book justice.

Star-D&D: A horrible experiment.......2002-10-07

This is the most horrible adventure I've ever seen for ANY role playing game ever, and I've been playing for almost 15 years. I mean come ON! They've got Treants in Star Wars and FORCE USING HUTTS?! WTF?! I mean, this is the worst piece of material for D20 Star Wars. I got it for free, and I feel gipped. It's a real disappointment, because alot of the other stuff for D20 Star Wars is great. Don't get this... get Alien Anthology, or Champions of the Jedi instead. They rock.

Book Description

Taxes play an integral role in trading success, yet no book today clearly and adequately explains the tax issues that are unique to active traders and investors. The Tax Guide for Traders provides traders with practical material on how to minimize the impact taxes have on their hard-won profits.

Written in a hands-on style that appeals to traders as opposed to accountants, it discusses the best ways to set up a trading business, key tax forms and how to use them, tax treatment for specific types of securities, what to do in case of an audit, and much more.

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

Full of Useful Information But Needs an Editor.......2006-09-14

This book is full of useful information and strategies for active traders and investors. However, it is poorly written. The author repeats himself often, while omitting important information that I guess he assumes the reader knows (for example that the mark to market election can only be changed once chosen with the specific consent of the IRS). Sections and subheadings are poorly organized. Often the author writes something like: "we recommend X for the following reasons" and no reasons follow. The book desperately needs editing. If you are prepared to put up with this and have a good understanding of the basics of the tax code as they apply to investing already then this book is very worthwhile reading. I am just starting Ted Tesser's book on taxes for traders. It is a MUCH better read. I have yet to see if it is as useful.

Everything you wanted (and need) to know..........2005-01-29

If you are an active trader, this book MUST find its way into your hands. It covers every issue necessary to help you in filing your taxes with trader status. If you can file as a trader, a whole new world of business expense deductions will be open to you. I found that this book answered every question I had, along with some I hadn't even thought of yet.

If you are familiar with author Robert Green's Green Company website, you know how much information and detail he has to share. And if you've read the many pages on his website or his articles in "Active Trader" magazine, then you know how Mr. Green is able to take the otherwise complicated and confusing (and sometimes boring) subject of taxation and present it in a way that almost anyone can follow.

You will find chapters dedicated to important topics such as entity selection and formation for traders, mark-to-market accounting, retirement planning, and tax planning, along with several examples of IRS forms filled out for various types of traders. Mr. Green recommends simple, legal, and proven techniques for reducing the number one cost of traders -- taxes. And he doesn't use risky "tax avoidance" or "multiple-entity" schemes.

This book was written just a few months ago, so it is very up-to-date. In addition, the book promises to publish free updates on Mr. Green's website. So while the tax code may constantly change, this book should always be current.

I don't think this book should be thought of as a replacement for a qualified tax professional familiar with the needs of traders, although I suppose some folks may be able to file their taxes correctly with this book's help. The tax law is just too complicated and the rules are constantly changing from court decisions and lawmakers in Washington. But this book will help you run your trading like business in a way that will allow you to maintain trader status and make life easier at tax time.

I have read every book and website I could find on the subject of trader taxation and entity formation. This book, "The Tax Guide for Traders", is the best yet. I highly recommend it.

Read it before visiting your CPA.......2004-12-15

The book discusses issues that should be considered before filing as a trader. It also discusses factors that traders should consider before electing mark-to-market accounting. The guidance here is consistent with what I've read and heard from other credible sources.

A chapter is devoted to choosing the form of entity--single member Limited Liability Company, sole proprietor, etc. The book mentions several times that a tax professional should be consulted before selecting a form of entity for the trading business. This point cannot be overemphasized.

Another chapter includes the author's recommendations for establishing retirement plans that traders who have established a business entity may find useful. The book also discusses allowable deductions for traders.

The chapter on proprietary trading discusses considerations when trading a firm's capital instead of your own, and what to consider before associating with a firm as an employee or independent contractor.

For the most part, the book uses examples to illustrate key points effectively. The chapter on IRS audits includes a couple of cases studies--an audit of a part-time trader and an audit of an unprofitable trader. Illustrative Schedule Cs (Profit or Loss from Business)--for a sole proprietor and an LLC--are presented and discussed in some detail. The chapter on futures and commodities trading seemed to lack the level of detail that was present in other parts of the book, although it does provide a good overview of the relevant issues. As for taxation of equity, index, and ETF option trades, the book does not offer any guidance at all in this area.

The author is a CPA, and CEO of an accounting firm that provides services to traders and investors. This edition of the book was published in late 2004. Readers are invited to log on to the accounting firm's web site to get updates on issues that were not included in the print edition when it went to press. The web site also has links to journal articles published by the author that will be of interest to active traders.

I was somewhat bothered by the Introduction to the book, where the author appears to take a dim view of other tax professionals who serve trader/clients or want to get into the business of serving them. We are told, for example, that unless your local CPA or tax attorney handles "dozens" of traders, they probably will come up short in their advice to you." Dozens? Oh, come on now.

That said, I believe the book is a good starting point for active traders who are considering making a business out of it. With this information at hand, you should be able to ask good questions of your local CPA. He or she should be able to put you on the right path or, if appropriate, refer you to another tax professional with experience in this area.

Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes: The Essential Guide for Investors and Traders

Average customer rating:

good book, but needs further improvement
Great Book for Learning About the Taxation of Investments
Ideal for those new to investment portfolio management
The best book out there for taxes on stocks and mutual funds
The best guide out there for taxes on stocks & mutual funds

Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes: The Essential Guide for Investors and Traders
Kaye A. Thomas
Manufacturer: Fairmark Press Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0967498112

Book Description

For anyone who buys and sells stocks, mutual funds or stock options, this book makes it easy to understand the tax rules — and the best strategies for minimizing taxes. The 2004 edition covers all tax changes through December 2003. It is written in plain language but backed by solid research that makes it the most authoritative book on the subject.

For stock investors it provides complete coverage of the relevant tax provisions, including the capital loss limitation, how to identify shares, the wash sale rule, and the special tax rate for qualified dividends. Mutual fund investors will learn how and when to use the averaging rules for sales of mutual fund shares and how to handle all the categories of mutual fund dividends. Advanced investors will find a clear explanation of tax rules for short sales, stock options and "straddles." The book also explains how buying and selling activity may qualify you as a trader — and if so, how that will affect your taxes.

This isn't an all-purpose book on taxation of investments. You won't learn about Roth IRAs or variable annuities or even the rules for reporting interest from government bonds. The goal is to do one thing well: explain how people who buy and sell stocks, mutual funds and stock options can minimize the tax cost of those investments.

Customer Reviews:

good book, but needs further improvement.......2002-06-05

It is very clear and accurate in explaining the rules. It is not vey clear in certain chapters like Alternative Minimum Tax, or quantifying, even approximately, who can pass the trading activity test.
It would have been very useful to give a definition of each rule, in a few lines, so the reader does not have to go back and read an entire chapter just to refresh his/her memory about a rule.

Great Book for Learning About the Taxation of Investments.......2001-07-13

In clear and simple language, "Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes" explains most investment-tax-related topics investors need to understand, ranging from calculating your basis on stocks and mutual funds to maximizing the allowed tax deduction for a capital loss.

Because taxes consume a substantial chunk of ordinary income, many knowledgeable investors wish to maximize their investment in things which are taxed at the more favorable capital gain tax rates (currently 10% for investors within the 15% income tax bracket and 20% for investors whose entire income falls above the 15% income tax bracket).

Thomas begins by working several examples to show investors how to calculate their tax burden given their tax bracket and the amount of their short-term and long-term capital gains and losses from stocks and mutual funds. Thomas devotes a chapter each to the special rules which apply to the taxation of individual stocks and mutual funds.

Thomas shows that, sometimes, we can lower the capital gains tax paid by identifying the specific shares of individual stock being sold. For example, suppose we buy 100 shares in Company XYZ at $10 per share on July 1, 1999. We buy 100 more shares of XYZ at $20 per share on July 9, 2000. We then sell 100 shares of XYZ on July 19, 2001 for $30 per share.

Unless we specified otherwise at the time of the sale, Thomas tells us that from a tax standpoint the shares sold will be treated on the first-in-first-out basis (FIFO). We will be taxed on a net long-term capital gain of $20 per share. However, had we identified the shares sold as those purchased on July 9, 2000, we would be taxed on only a net capital gain of $10 per share. Thomas explains the two things that must happen to ensure that the identification of shares will be deemed valid by the IRS.

Calculating your adjusted basis in a stock or mutual fund and properly determining your holding period is covered in detail with numerous examples. He also explains how mutual fund dividends and capital gain distributions are taxed.

Thomas gives us his opinion of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Thomas writes: "The basic idea behind the alternative minimum tax is a good one: people with very high levels of income shouldn't be able to completely avoid paying income tax while the rest of us pony up each year. The AMT is a poor reflection of that idea, however. Many high-income individuals escape its reach-and every year it ensnares more and more people who were never intended to be affected."

Employees who had massive gains followed by equally massive losses on their employee stock options are one example of people who would have benefited by knowing the tax laws better. As you've probably read in the news, some individuals have gone from being wealthy to not having enough total wealth to pay their current tax liability, compliments of the AMT not playing nicely with employee stock options.

While Thomas briefly touches upon the topic of employee stock options in Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes, he doesn't go into detail. Another bestselling book by Thomas, "Consider Your Options: Get the Most from Your Equity Compensation," addresses employee stock options.

Thomas writes, "It's worth noting that you can end up with a gain that's greater than the amount of money you realize in a sale. That's one reason to plan carefully when you use debt to acquire investment assets. You may have to come up with money from other sources to pay the tax on your gain ...There's only one thing worse than having to report gain that's greater than your net sale proceeds, and that's having the tax itself be greater than the net sale proceeds."

Other topics discussed in "Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes" include:

-- Tax rules for gifts
-- Dividend reinvestment plans
-- Wash Sale Rule
-- Capital loss carryovers
-- Taxation of stock acquired from a spouse
-- Separation, divorce, and who gets custody of the basis
-- Stock dividends and splits
-- Taxation of mergers and spin-offs
-- Stock that has become worthless
-- Qualified small business stock
-- Planning for lower taxes
-- Making estimated tax payments
-- Custodial accounts for minors and special issues affecting child investors
-- Tax deductibility of Investment Expenses and Investment Interest

Throughout "Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes," Thomas gives us tips for not inadvertently losing valuable tax deductions. And, he shows us ways investors could potentially save thousands of dollars through a little tax planning.

For example, upon inheriting stock, we learn that the basis of the stock is changed to its fair market value on the date of the giver's death. So, by holding a greatly appreciated stock and passing it on to heirs, we can eliminate taxes on all the capital gain that occurs between the original purchase and the end of our lives. While stock basis can "step up," Thomas explains that the reverse can also occur.

Suppose we had originally purchased stock for $20,000, but today the stock is only worth $2,000. If we die and the stock is inherited, the basis steps down to its market value of $2,000. No one gets to take the tax deduction for the $18,000 capital loss. Thomas notes that investors tend to sell their winners too early and their losers too late.

I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable investor, and I learned a great deal about the taxation of investments by reading "Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes." This book belongs in every serious investor's library. Remember, each dollar saved in taxes adds directly to your wealth. Peter Hupalo

Ideal for those new to investment portfolio management.......2001-04-25

Kaye Thomas' Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes: The Essential Guide For Investors And Traders is a "plain language" guide to stocks, mutual funds, options, and tax strategies for maximizing returns and minimizing tax liabilities. Complete, authoritative, practical, "user friendly", this guide is ideal for those new to investment portfolio management and will prove both practical and invaluable in creating a personal financial investment plan with allied strategies. Indeed, Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes has much of value to offer even experienced investors with respect to tax rules for short sales, stock options, and "straddles". Highly recommended reading for sensible small investor strategic financial and investment planning.

The best book out there for taxes on stocks and mutual funds.......2001-01-23

This is probably the best book out there for the tax treatment of the following investment topics: stocks, options, short sales, wash sales, mutual funds, and dividends. I keep this book next to my computer and refer to it often. It has many examples. It even covers more advanced topics such as constructive sales and straddles. It has sections on the taxation of traders, gifts, accounts for minors, and AMT. It covers all of these topics accurately and thoroughly, while still being very readable for the non-tax professional. The author points out any grey areas of the tax law. This book isn't perfect (for example, in the section on estimated taxes, it doesn't mention form 2210 or what to do if unexpected income comes late in the year), but it is still very good.

The best guide out there for taxes on stocks & mutual funds.......2001-01-22

This book is the most complete, accurate, and easy to understand guide out there. I keep this book next to my computer and refer to it often. It covers in detail capital gains on stocks and options, short sales, wash sales, mutual funds, and dividends. It even covers more complicated strategies such as constructive sales and straddles. It has many examples. It has sections on taxation for traders, tax rules for gifts and minors, and AMT. It is accurate and thorough, yet explains things in a way that non-tax professionals can understand.

The Trader's Tax Survival Guide (Wiley Trading)

Average customer rating:

Dishonest Title
Misleading title
Too One Track and aggressive in perspective
Save your money
A must have book for traders

The Trader's Tax Survival Guide (Wiley Trading)
Ted Tesser
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Taxation | Law | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0471179655

Book Description

For the highest possible return on your investments The Trader's Tax Survival Guide. Now in a newly revised and expanded edition! "If I wrote that I was going to review a book that defines a 'substantial element of pleasure,' you would probably never guess it was about taxes. But then you haven't seen Ted Tesser's The Trader's Tax Survival Guide." --Stanley W. Angrist, The Wall Street Journal. "...covers the basics in a very entertaining manner. . . . If you weren't aware that your trading may be considered a business and that this status carries certain tax benefits, the Survival Guide's chapter on these topics may be just the ticket to get you started. The book would also be a good refresher on organizing your life in a tax-smart way. The least you'd get from the Survival Guide would be a good read and more than a few wry chuckles." --John Sweeney, Technical Editor, Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities. "Every stock and commodity trader should have Ted Tesser's book. Trader or not, The Tax Survival Guide is packed with as much vital tax information and strategies as the stadium on Superbowl Sunday. But there's more, Ted also explains how you can arrive at the status of a Trader for the IRS, thus being able to write off and save many $..." --Larry Williams, Commodity Timing Newsletter, author, McMillan on Options.

Customer Reviews:

Dishonest Title.......2000-01-03

A high priced disappointment. That sums it up for me. If the title had been The Investor's Tax Survival Guide, it would have been worth a rating of three to four. However, as a trader, I found myself wading through page after page of irrelevant information. I found much better information free on the internet specifically aimed at traders.

Misleading title.......1999-02-21

Unfortunately, the title of this book has little to do with its content. If you're looking for nitty gritty details on tax strategies for active stock traders, you'll be disappointed to find only one chapter that comes close.

Tesser provides useful tax advice for the general taxpayer, which makes me wonder why he did not call the book something like, "Beating the IRS After Tax Reform." Odds are the publisher wanted to take advantage of the boom in daytrading and online brokerages.

Too One Track and aggressive in perspective.......1999-01-21

This book gives a unique point of view so, it does not duplicate what you can get in other tax books. It advocates you try to qualify for 'Trader Status', and there are several Supreme Court tax cases concerning this difficult to qualify status. This status means that your TRADE as a serious business, hold postions for generally less than a month. All your expenses become fully deductable on Schedule C, HOWEVER you lose Capital Gain treatment AND must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your Self Employment income but you can set up a pension plan and/or SEP IRA. I think there is too great a danger of a nasty IRS audit, and not enough taxes saved. A difficult route for a Futures Trader, nearly impossible for a Stock trader except for some SOES traders.

Save your money.......1999-01-21

One would be better served by spending the money on a visit to a tax investment professional. The book may help with general tax guidelines. It is not a how to guide nor did the author intend to be. It is written in an entertaining fashion and that is why I'm giving it the second star.

A must have book for traders.......1998-12-08

It's hard to write a book for everyone, but Ted Tesser's book comes close. Basic tax and investment strategies are explained as well as concepts and tax tips that even a tax professional might miss.

I found the book enjoyable to read, totally unlike many of its genre. It is written in a very amusing fashion and the liberal use of anecdotes makes it even more entertaining. It is hard to believe that a book this informative could be so much fun to read.

The chapter on " This Business Of Trading" alone is worth the price of admission. Being a "trader" has numerous advantages over being an "investor" and this chapter shows you how to create a Trading Business. It clearly spelled out the differences between a "market maker", "investor", and "trader" and showed how one can graduate to a trader status (with the its many tax credits) from an investor. It is possible that making this switch could save thousands of dollars.

The amount of money you keep is more important than the amount of money you earn and Tesser makes this abundantly clear. The sections on retirement and estate planning are extremely useful.

Tesser is aggressive in his approach with the IRS and you may not feel comfortable with all of the deductions that you are entitled to. Checklists and worksheets make it easier for you to choose your comfort level.

I strongly recommend this book for both the beginner and advanced investor (trader) alike.

Average customer rating:
Trader's Tax Survival Guide
Ted Tesser
Manufacturer: John Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5YI36

Average customer rating:
CAPITAL GAINS, MINIMAL TAXES; THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR INVESTORS AND TRADERS

Manufacturer: Fairmark Press, Inc. Lisle, IL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IAB1LE

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