Companies Books

Mr. Brookstein has written the the gold standard on small tech investing. Whether you are a novice investor or a 30-year pro, everyone will find great information with which to make smart decisions on nanotech investments. Excellent.

This is a great book for an introduction to nanotech companies and overall investing in small companies. It's very easy to read,not like a text book that you often find with technical books. Does not go into the details of the technology of nano but provides enough for you to get a surface level understanding to carry a sensible conversation about the subject.
I will highly recommend this book. It also has a nice touch by adding numerous contacts and websites in the appendix if you 'll want learn more about nanotech.

Book Review Nanotech Fortunes


This book:
1. Is strictly an investment book. There is no science presented.
2. Contains many insights into investing that make sense. This is 90% of the book.
3. Warns potential investors of the pitfalls in investing in nanotech companies. No hype here.
4. The Appendix is a great resource:
4.1 Famous people in the nanotech world: 36 are given brief introductions.
4.2 Interesting nanotech books for non-scientist investors: 8 are profiled.
4.3 Informative nanotech newsletters: 3 are profiled.
4.4 Nanotech websites: 10 are profiled.
4.5 Academic/Government labs: 12 are profiled.
4.6 Nano-conferences: 10 are profiled.
4.7 25 important "small tech" public companies are profiled.
4.8 5 smaller public companies are profiled.
4.9 33 private start-up companies are mentioned.
4.10 Several leading nanotech research universities are listed.
4.11 4 centers for nanotech are profiled.
4.12 4 books for non-scientists are profiled.
4.13 7 books are recommended for investors.
4.14 6 page glossary of nanotech terminology is provided.
4.15 6 page index is provided.

Darrell Brookstein's "Nanotech Fortunes" should be considered a "must read" for anyone interested in nanotechnology. General readers seeking to ascertain the staggering potential of nanotechnology will find this work useful, as will those who want to know how, when, and in what ways nanotechnology will affect large and small businesses. For those considering investing in nanotechnology, now or in the future, "Nanotechnology Fortunes" is simply invaluable.

Brookstein has a highly successful track record as a manager of brokerage hedge funds, venture capital ventures, and investment advisory firms. Since 1973, Brookstein has made a succession of shrewd, prudent, and insightful financial decisions that have immensely benefited those intelligent enough to follow his guidance. In particular, Brookstein oversaw a number of lucrative mining and natural gas investments for his clients, and correctly navigated the dot.com boom in the 1990's. His assertion that he tends to "read the tealeaves in advance of the crowd" is borne out by ample evidence. In "Nanotech Fortunes" Brookstein offers compelling evidence that the field of nanotechnology is poised for a boom in the near future. Unlike the dotcom bubble of the 1990's, the nanotech boom is based on a solid foundation of science, and a series of cascading nanotech booms will result in a staggeringly large net creation of wealth. When Brookstein claims that "the nanotechnology revolution will last decades and literally destroy untold businesses - disrupting and leapfrogging technologies that only a few years earlier, were considered cutting edge" he is not exaggerating. Indeed, Brookstein fastidiously avoids engaging in hyperbole or making unwarranted assumptions, and rigorously maintains a sober and lucid tone throughout the book.

Brookstein lays out a comprehensive course for navigating the perilous waters of nanotech investing. By combining experience, knowledge, and acumen honed over four decades of investing with the technical wisdom of a diverse group of highly regarded scientific experts, Brookstein has crafted a focused strategy that will avoid the pitfalls of more novice investors. Discerning which startup corporations are worthy of investment is a difficult task, and it is here that "Nanotech Fortunes" truly shines. Brookstein thoroughly yet concisely describes the myriad mistakes - ranging from miscalculating customer acquisition costs to funding researchers pet science projects - that beset nanotech startups. The author has compiled a series of metrics to judge which startups should thrive and outmaneuver their competition. Although no investing approach will result in a sustained 100% success rate, Brookstein's methods have consistently yielded substantial profits, and returns on his initial nanotech investments are already beginning to trickle in. Those wishing to understand, participate in, and benefit from the coming boom will want to carefully read "Nanotech Fortunes" sooner rather than later.

Darrell Brookstein is a managing director of The Nanotech Company, and runs [...] a website to which I have contributed articles and interviews.

Nanotech Fortunes: Make Yours In The Boom offers winning strategies by Darrell Brookstein in capitalizing on the business and investment opportunities in the new nanotech sciences. Individual chapters address all the diverse issues involved with this new and rapidly developing technology, including "Science Fiction vs. Science Fact", "How to Analyze Nanotech Companies like a Pro", "The Most Lucrative Nanotech Investments", "Trading Nanotech Stocks for Short- Term Profits", and "Six Steps to a Nanotech Fortune" and more. Of special note is the Appendix article "Tools Resources for Your Nanotech Fortune". If you are thinking about how to take advantage and participate in this newly emerging industry, then give a careful reading to the information, insights and advice that comprise Darrell Brookstein's Nanotech Fortunes!

A book is a book, and appeals to individuals based on their preferences. I happen to enjoy the humor of Patrick McManus. The real reason for the review, however, is to acknowledge the seller, who was very curteous and quick to ship. If the opportunity presents itself again, I shall certainly look to do business with them.

I have been a closet Pat McManus fan since the 80's. His short stories always make me laugh out loud, no matter what mood that I am in before I start reading them. These stories are for everyone. You don't even have to fish or hunt and you'll still get it. Anyone who has ever spent any time outdoors will be able to relate to his adventures.

The names of the stories in this book are:
Sequences
The Dumbest Antelope
Out of Sync
Kid Brothers and Their Practical Application
The Fried Flies, Please, and Easy on the Garlic
At Loose Ends
Getting It in the Ear
Garage-Sale Hype
How to get Started in Bass Fishing
As the Worm Squirms
Scoring
A Road Less Traveled By
Gunkholing
Blips
The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw
Water Spirits
Letter to the Boss
Scritch's Creek
The Tin Horn
Cupidity, Draw Thy Bow
Whitewater Fever
Never Cry "Arp!"
Visions of Fish and Game
A Brief History of Boats and Marriage
Boating Disorders
Try Not to Annoy Me

First let me say I found the Patrick McManus stories funny each month as I got that magazine. Maybe it was Outdoor Life,,,,,
Then I read there that I could get books full of his stories.
WOW, I bought all of them.
I must say though that I like this one best.

BTW, If you ever read a story by Pat about being lost in the woods by all means believe him. I am way up here in NW lower Michigan.
A man I know who is a regular fisherman was fishing a local river. He was away from any road when he happened to find a man that had been fishing, but was asking how to get out of there back to a road. After he had told the guy to just follow the river that way for about two more miles the guy introduced himself,,, Guess who? Patrick McManus of course. 8>))

Now, I'm actually from Idaho where this book is actually based off of. Despite all of the Sarcasm, you got Idaho. HAHA LOL. I know this is bad but I hate to read. I had to read this book for an english assignment. But I really like this book. It is non-stop laughter. I think I am going to read all of his books now. I hope that is enough for you to be convinced that this book really is good and should be read by anyone who loves humorous books. HAPPY READING! :)

This book is hilarious. We like to read it to the middle and high school kids. You can hear them laughing about the fur coat, etc. outside the building. It has sparked many a boy into getting Partick's other books and reading for themselves. As a library director I know how hard it is to get middle and high school kids to read for pleasure. Patrick McManus is sure a pleasure. When I read the Goombaw story, and I have numerous times I still can not get through it without tears running down my face.

I was looking for scarf patterns and feel quite lucky to have found this book. The patterns are clear and very easy to read without losing your place while knitting. The pictures are clear and helpful. I have already knitted one scarf and have casted on for my second.

I like the book very much. The pictures are delicate, and even if my scarf production soon is filled up forever, I want to knit them. The book tells about summer and lazy days, days when you dont need a scarf at all.
I will come back with a picture when I have completed one of the patterns.

I loved this book as soon as I saw it. The variety of scarves cover all skill levels and sizes, from a light summer scarf to a shawl. At least one offers an alternate method of working the pattern to get a totally different look. I would recommend this book for everyone from a beginner looking for inspiration to an experienced knitter.

I originally bought this book for the starfish scarf, but have since fallen in love with a handful of others. I'm currently working on the fishnet scarf and I just love the pattern. Sure, it's simple, but who cares. It's a gorgeous pattern, as are all the other scarves in here.

It's not just another scarf book. And it's true that you can find most of the patterns in Babara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns series. But the styling is great, the instructions clear (there is a correction for the Mermaid Mesh on the Martingale website) and it's very easy to get started. I'm an experienced knitter and intend to make a lot of these scarves or turn them into afghans.

If you are a guy or gal who was born before 1950 and enjoy the game of baseball then Phillip Hoose's "Perfect, Once Removed" should be right up your alley. Author Phil Hoose had just moved to Speedway, Indiana with his mom and dad in late 1955. He was eight years old and having an awfully hard time adjusting to his new school and making friends. To make matters worse, no one had ever taught young Phil how to play baseball. He had never swung a bat or even had an opportunity to play catch! Kids being kids, they jumped all over Phil in gym class and at the playground after school. Phil was completely miserable until one day his mom casually mentioned that his dad's cousin pitched for the New York Yankees. And so Phil Hoose took it upon himself to write to his dad's cousin Don Larsen and ask for some advice. A short time later Phil received a postcard from Don Larsen that would literally change his life forever.
It is always wonderful to read a story like the one portrayed in "Perfect, Once Removed". Sometimes we never realize how such a simple act of kindness can impact someone so much. But Don Larsen not only sent that postcard but he also arranged for Phil and his parents to attend a Yankees--White Sox game at Commiskey Park. While in Chicago Phil had an opportunity to meet several of the Yankee players at the hotel where they were staying. It was an experience that would make him a baseball addict for life. It turns out that as usual the New York Yankees under legendary manager Casey Stengel would win the 1956 American League pennant. This time their opponents in the World Series would be their crosstown rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers. And in Game Five on a Monday afternoon in October Don Larsen would make World Series history! Due to the heroics of his cousin, once removed, Phil Hoose was suddenly the BMOC (big man on campus) at school. Quite a turnaround in just 6 or 7 months!
If I had to pick one adjective to describe "Perfect, Once Removed" it would have to be "charming". That may sound odd for a book about sports but I think the term fits here perfectly. For this book is so much more than a book about a perfect game. It is also a real period piece. For those old enough to recall those days it will bring back a flood of fond memories. I found "Perfect, Once Removed" to be a great change of pace from the much more serious fare that I ordinarily read. A great book to read while lounging at the beach or relaxing by the pool. This is an extremely well written and thoroughly enjoyable book that is am very pleased to recommend.

Anyone who grew up loving baseball needs to read this book. It perfectly captures the romance of the game from the perspective of a 9-year-old, back when 9-year-olds lived and breathed baseball. Five stars!

Served well by its brevity and the honesty of its recollections, Hoose's memoir is a perfect accompaniment as you follow your team through another spring training, because it's not so much about the team or the players as it is about your own hopes.

A great book really hitting the emotions of one's childhood growing up around baseball. A wonderfully written book and a very easy read. It is so much more than just the history of baseball's greatest pitched game. A very special book!

With ease and skill, Phillip Hoose recalls his childhood days when baseball ruled his world, consuming his thoughts during the school day, and consuming his play time at night. Hoose chronicles his childhood, from his family's move to the center of the racing world, Speedway, Indiana to his discovery of the great game of baseball, to his relationship with distant cousin Don Larsen, a Yankee great.

The book is an exceptional tale of baseball, and the effect it truly has on so many of our nation's youth. From his intense, yet usually fruitless baseball practice sessions to his late night attempts at finding a signal for a baseball game, Hoose adds a personal touch to the greatest game in the world. His personal touch, then, is what makes this book so special. In an age where baseball is struggling to keep a clean image, amidst steroid use and huge salary contracts, Hoose takes the reader back to the magic of the game. Hoose accomplishes what all good books should do, he transports us into another time, and another place: our youth, and our neighborhood. He reminds us, the kid in us, the joy it felt to first pick up a ball and bat, and the disappointment we felt when we lost our neighborhood pick-up game.

A refreshing and inspirational tale, Hoose's book should not be missed by even the casual baseball fan. Hoose's writing establishes a deep connection between baseball and life, and lessons which each can learn from the other. His tale is one of up's and downs, triumphs and heartaches. Through it all, however, Hoose maintains a sense of hope for life and a sense of love for the game. This hope is what propelled so many of our own baseball dreams, and it is what helps make Hoose's book a truly wonderful read.

For those of us who have experienced the loneliness, embarrassment, and stress of hearing or speech defects in our professional and social lives, Kiril Sokoloff's book is a deeply moving description of his personal suffering and its impact on his marriage and family. His description of his dear fathers speech problems, and the letter he would like to have written to him to express his love and understanding, moved me to tears as did many other incidents described in this remarkable book. Despite the sadness and pain this book is ultimately the story of one mans triumph over adversity to become one of the most respected and widely read individuals in the financial world today. Thank you Kiril for your example to us all.

Kiril Sokoloff has written an incredibly honest story, chronicling his journey from self-consciousness and a sense of unworthiness to a personal transformation embracing the power of compassion, gratitude, and love. This is not a "self help" book drawing inspiration from others, but a powerful story of self-examination, self-acceptance, and ultimately self-love arising from the pain of his own life experiences. It is a moving reminder of the power within us to rise above our personal demons and embrace the richness of life.

Kiril Sokoloff's "Personal Transformation" is a real blessing. There is no other way for me to describe this amazing book. "Personal Transformation" touched my heart in a way that few books can or do. It is very difficult for me to put my thoughts about this remarkable book into words. Words do not even begin to capture the love Mr. Sokoloff shares with us. His heart-wrenching tale of darkness to light should be required reading for Business and Wall Street executives as well as all those in search of The Truth. We should all be extremely grateful to Kiril for sharing his heart and mind with us. "Personal Transformation" is a timely reminder that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Kiril Sokoloff's book is a powerful and poignant sharing of his life-altering experience of losing his hearing as an adult. It is deeply personal and most moving. He willingly relates in detail the gamut of his emotions when confronted with this crisis. His description of the isolation and loneliness that came to pervade his everyday life in ordinary situations was a revelation to me. I can only admire his courage and determination to cope with, deal with, and live with his deafness. This volume can provide inspiration for any of us.

Kiril Sokoloff's Powerful story of his life and the tribulations he has gone through to achieve peace with himself, is one of the most awsome books I have ever read.
It should be required reading for anyone looking for more meaning in his life, I for one am sending it to my four children.
It can not fail to help anyone who is fortunate enough to read it.
What a terrific and inspiring experience!
Barrant V. Merrill
Gulf Stream, Fl.
33483

Larry King is humorous. I read this book in 1 day I couldn't put it down! If you want to understand prayer from a wide range of people from different faiths and beliefs then you should get this book. I read it free from the library years ago and for some reason I just thought to myself maybe I will buy it. lol....hope you enjoy this book as I did.

This book is going on eight years old as I write this review, but I suppose it will always seem timely. Larry has quite a knack for just telling it like it is. As an admitted agnostic he has no agenda in passing along this delightful collection of tales and interviews with those who [mostly] have belief in God. And mind you, this is not a book on religion. True to its title, the book relates prayers - moments - that have moved others to prayer. In some instances it is the circumstance which catches your attention, and other times it is the prayer itself that provides the power. And Larry's personal asides are even more delightful.

All in all I was always interested in reading on to the next page, person, or prayer. This is an "un-fussy" book and a wonderful read.

This book will open your mind if you are agnostic, and it may make you angry if you are set in your conventional religious beliefs. This is not a politically correct book, and King takes some risks, but it is worth a good read whether you are spiritally inclined or somewhere in the middle.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Mr. King delved into the foundation of Spirituality and Religion and made simple an otherwise complex and controversial issue. The book focuses on the individual and his or her communication with God, while setting aside religious beliefs. I would like to recommend to friends who are too formal about prayers and to those who maybe agnostic such as Larry King in his book.

Mr. King delved into the foundation of Spirituality and Religion and made simple an otherwise complex and controversial issue. The book focuses on the individual and his or her communication with God, while setting aside religious beliefs. I would like to recommend to friends who are too formal about prayers and to those who maybe agnostic such as Larry King in his book.

Tasha always said that when she died, she would just come back to 1830, her favorite time period, and the period in which she tried to live her life. She lived in Fairyland, as far as I am concerned- and that's a compliment. The pictures of her farm, her wonderful birds and animals are exceptional. Be sure to see the picture of her one-eyed cat and her African gray parrot and her gorgeous white doves, with feathered feet. Tasha died at age 92 recently and I would imagine her spirit is still drifting around her house and garden that she loved so much.

Beautiful book about a very interesting person and shows her lovely artwork. Love Vermont and the photographs were wonderful. Gave it as a gift to my daughter, who was very pleased.

I love this book. I saw her in Victoria magazine years ago, and then again in a bookstore, and finally ordered it on Amazon and read it from front to back in 2 days. I could not put this down. This amazing lady is living life as She wants to live it. This will transport you to a more gentler time, slower than today's crazy pace. You'll be inspired to live up to your own dreams. I love seasons, but I happen to live in a place where we don't have them, this book has enabled me to enjoy them when I need to. Her home and gardens are very inspiring and the photo's are great.

If we could all live in a fantasy world this book would probaly be more meaningful. Got this book as a garden/back to nature resource. Not for people who have to balance their families,work and of course money. Skip unless you are an absolute Tasha Tudor fan.

I bought a Tasha Tudor print for my daughter's birthday and ordered this book to go with it. It came just in time.

The thing is, all the books out there call for you to have, literally, HUNDREDS of different floral fabrics available. Well, if you are rich as Crosus, or own a quilt shop that specializes in florals, that may be easy. But me? No way! I love the look, but panic at the idea of having to find that many little pieces of fabrics (you usually only need a few square inches of each for your quilt).

Then, along comes Dina, and suddenly, the world opens up! These are beautiful quilts, and from them the ideas simply pour for other patterns using Dina's beautifully simple technique. Put your gridded layout on the wall, cut up 3 to 5 fabrics (one a simple background fabric) and you are on your way to something that looks like you slaved away on for days!

Hooray for Dina, and all those wonderful quilters out there who make even the beginning quilter feel brilliant, and lets the advanced quilter do something fun and easy with fabric she has laying around waiting for just the right use. Your friends and family will never know you didn't spend hours choosing just the right fabrics and slaving away!

And remember, Christmas is coming - these little beauties whip up FAST, and look like a million bucks - the perfect thing to impress the mother-in-law or that difficult to please 'has it all' girlfriend!

I have had my book since it first came out, have made several quilts from these patterns, and am using her idea to do some other quilts in different themes with the same idea. Brilliant!

I've never bought a book on quilting before but just *had* to have this one, and I'm glad I did! I used Dina's method of quilting for making a lovely three heart wall hanging, but never thought I was capable of making a whole quilt. Well, that all changed when I read Quick Watercolor Quilts. The author does such a great job of explaining no stitch quilting. Even a novice like me can enjoy quilting with this book as a guide! So many of my freinds have asked to borrow my copy, I'm picking up another one just to loan out! I can't wait to read Pappas' other books! Thanks so much for your insight Dina--you're on my all time favorites list!

I have and have read a bunch of watercolor/colorwash/impressionist quilt books. My head is swimming with theory. They all begin with color and pattern theory (and they are all different) with levels and layers of categories, and when you think you've got it, you haven't. By being very specific and limited, this book enables you to take off on your own successfully. I think it is a better springboard for your own creativity - and initial success as opposed to hits with misses - than the more technically difficult and detailed. They are all beautiful but to actually see one and reproduce it successfully, I'd have to say this is the book to go with, and then go on to the more elaborate ones if you want.

The fuse, fold and stitch method of quilting can be used to make quilts other than watercolor. The seams are perfect and all corners match beautifully. This is one method of quilting that you must try.

I have now made 2 wallhangings from this book. Easy-to-follow instructions made putting these together a breeze. I had only been quilting just under a year when I attempted these. My fellow quilters were quite impressed and even borrowed the book from me. I saw this book with a demonstration on a TV quilting show. I just saw a second book which I intend to buy very soon. Happy Quilting!

This would have to be the most interesting and inspirational quilting book I have bought. I was wary about buying a book I had never seen but am thrilled with it. I took it to my quilting group and am ordering five more for friends. Thanks Kitty, love it.

This has got to be my favorite book using Asian fabrics to create beautiful quilts. I am particularly drawn to the mosaic-style pieces and the hexagonal piecing projects with sashiko embroidery. The introduction explains all the different types of Japanese fabrics and the elements of Japanese design. There are many reproducible designs in the back of the book for family crests and other traditional designs for sashiko embroidery. This book contains dozens of beautiful color photos that are very inspiring to the quilt designer. Diagrams, drawings, full-size patterns, and instructions are very clear and easy to follow.

A welcome addition to my library. Would be nice to see more books on this subject!

I loved this book because the auther works beautiful fabrics in a way I would so love to do. It is so well illustrated and informative that I feel I can do great things without all the gadgets usually associated with quilting and I love to sew by hand.

Kitty Pippin's knowledge and years of experience really make this book a treasure. Her teaching skills also shine forth in writing clear directions with lots of patterns to enlarge or copy.
This style of quilting, away from traditional western patterns and excessive machine-fast construction, appeals to me.
As soon as the book arrived, I sat down and gobbled half of it up! Marvelous photos-- I wish there were more detailed close-up shots of the finished quilts. Design ideas are coming together for me since reading it. The encouraging directions are a valuable and practical part of "Quilting with Japanese Fabrics." And, you can also use non-Japanese fabrics.
I am very happy to add this book to my growing Japanese quilting collection. Also in my "collection" of two books is Susan Briscoe's Japanese block quilting book (See my glowing review.)

Professor McMillan has written an eminently readable book on the markets. He uses short sentences, rarely makes use of technical jargon and has thrown in numerous real world examples. As a reader, you will be surprised with the sheer depth of material that he covers.

It is a real pity that he passed away in March, 2007. Perhaps, if he were alive today and were inclined to update this book, he might have added a chapter on Google and its search/ads market place; maybe, even commented on the recent brouhaha surrounding on "Cap and Trade" systems (which have been installed to reduce carbon emissions but in turn might reduce growth!); and most important to me, he might have thrown in an analysis of the role of speculators in oil markets. But all of this is mere speculation on my part because Professor McMillan is no longer with us.

He spends the first half of the book exclusively on the five aspects that are needed for designing a market. They are:

1. Information must flow smoothly.
2. Competition must be fostered.
3. People who form the market must be honest and stand up to their end of the bargain.
4. Property rights must be protected but not overprotected.
5. Side effects on third parties must be reduced.

I've decided to commit these principles to memory as I design my market simulator.

a fantastic review of the idea, basic history, and pros and cons of market economies. McMillan writes in a very accessable and yet erudite way, and his personal experieces (which he shares) demonstrate his authority on the subject. In looking for a good, basic introduction to macroeconomic ideas this is a helpful read. If you ever encounter leftist or rightist ideologues or a college student who is enticed by communism (a great IDEA, even McMillan agrees), this is a good reference book to silence unfounded criticisms. McMillan is empirical in his reasoning and his potent examples from history and real life are very helpful.

I hope I can express how excited I am about this book. As an economics amateur, I recommend this book to anyone with even a sliver of interest in politics, international development, or contemporary social issues. John McMillan's book, Reinventing the Bazaar, presents in a logical and detailed manner the inner workings of markets: both their strengths and weaknesses. McMillan demonstrates very compellingly the idea that markets and all of their necessary appendages are simply tools used to facilitate efficiency. In his words, "the market system is not an end in itself, but an imperfect means to raise living standards. Markets are not magic, nor are they immoral." Usually the goal is increased economic efficiency and therefore increased standards of living, but those same principles which promote efficiency in markets will increase efficiency almost anywhere they're properly applied.
The key, he explains, is to establish the framework and the rules in such a way that the principles acting through the actions of the market participants can work to create an efficient outcome. It's basic economic theory to state that markets are the best way to coordinate the actions of millions of people, but McMillan explains further. Those essential building blocks of market economies, that is prices, and the pursuit of profit, and competition, are necessarily sustained by a good market design. Good "market design" he explains, entails well defined property rights, the free flow of information, and other critical ingredients. In today's modern and incredibly complex economy, more often then not this requires that the government take some hand in establishing this efficient market design.
One of the most exciting things about this book is that I truly feel it gave me a rational basis on which to judge government policies. If anyone, from the right or left, has any desire to gain a greater grasp of what constitutes good public policy, I recommend they read this book. For example, both China and Russia have privatized in the past several decades but with completely different results; chaos and economic stagnation in Russia while smooth growth in China. The difference is how they implemented their market policies. The same with an example of California's privatization of energy in the 1990s; inefficiency and price gouging because of stupidly designed government policies. McMillan's point is that some things work, and other things don't. The key is to have the right supporting market conditions, either by government policy or by culture, or else the market economy can't work.
Anyways, this book is amazing. Click the button, buy it, read it, ponder it deeply, and walk away with a new perspective on the world around you.

Well organized, very well researched, surprisingly readable prose for an academic, and a well balanced mix of case studies from a wide variety of actual markets and more abstract reflections based in good part on these studies. I'm not giving it the full accolade of 5 stars because of some repetitiousness and a "target audience" problem: most readers will either find themselves reading relatively long passages that teach them nothing new (if they're already well-grounded in microeconomics) or else faced with some concepts that are pretty hard and not adequately taught in this book (if the readers lack any previous study of microeconomics) -- that's a difficult problem to solve, and I don't claim to know a solution, but Professor McMillan hasn't found one either. Nevertheless, I'd recommend the book to all levels of readers, as just about everybody will get many useful notions and ways of thinking from it, and it is, all in all, quite pleasant to read from cover to cover.

I had never expected to give a 5-star review to a book about markets. But this book is a very even-handed description, favoring a case-by-case approach to "market design". Government is neither all bad nor all good, and markets are neither all good nor all bad, in this view. Nor does McMillan wrap markets in the mantles of politics and/or religion, a la Milton Friedman, George Gilder and others. The writing style isn't as felicitous as Tim Harford's "The Undercover Economist", which covers a lot of the same economics theory as this book; nor is this book quite as quick a read. But it has more real-life examples and more intellectual depth overall, while still being very much a popular, non-technical book. Like Harford's book, this one gives orthodox neoclassical economics theory (Arrow-Debreu, equilibrium, supply and demand, and other "Econ 101" stuff) more credence than it merits, but McMillan's pragmatism and professional humility somewhat compensate for this defect. Sadly, John McMillan passed away in March 2007 from cancer while still in his 50s. This book assures us that such a reasonable voice won't vanish completely -- which is lucky for us, since such voices have always been in short supply.