The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities

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Summary: Excellent primer on US and foreign economic indicators
Review: Like so many others, I have no formal economics background but I do often tinker with my investments and watch the markets. I came across this book last week and read it over the weekend. Great stuff! These economic statistics are known to pound the markets and this is one of the few books, I think, that explains the cause and effect in the clearest terms. Even the tables in the book, something which normally turns me off, worked in this instance because the author shows the reader how to pick and choose the most important news in the data. It's very cleverly done. The book also has one of the best collections of web sites on US and international economic news and information I've seen. Highly recommended.

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Summary: Recommended to everyone interested in Economics!
Review: Baumohl, a former economics reporter for Time magazine, has written a tremendously useful source on economic indicators. Using examples from real life, he starts out by explaining in detail the importance of these indicators to the investing community and defining the terms used when discussing measures of economic performance. The most valuable section of the book provides detailed descriptions of over 40 economic indicators, among them employment, consumer spending, national output and inventories, housing and construction, foreign trade, and productivity and wages. Baumohl considers a variety of factors when describing each indicator, such as what exactly it measures, how it is computed, where to find the relevant report on the web, the day and time this report is released, the source of the information, and how often the information is revised. He also discusses the market impact of these indicators on bonds, stocks, and currency. The book ends with profiles of international indicators and a listing of where to locate them on the web. Bottom Line: Although this book is marketed as a tool for investors and is not organized like a typical reference book, it belongs in the reference collection because it explains so clearly what the various economic indicators are and how to locate data about them. Recommended for all libraries.

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Summary: Great Book About Economics
Review: Finally, a book that makes sense. I had bought books on the economy and about Wall Street before but they were either poorly written or too theoretical. Many turned out to be a waste of time to read. This book however, is far superior and highly readable. I'm half way through it and have already learned more than all the previous books I read combined. This one is a keeper.

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Summary: Superbly written and organized. A great aid for students.
Review: Gee, I wish my professor had recommended this book on economics from the beginning. It would have made my life a lot easier. This author nicely connects all the dots in explaining the links between the economy and individual economic indicators. I've read and gone back to it a few times because it helped clarify some concepts I struggled with in class. I recommend this book to anyone studying economics or business administration.

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Summary: Should be made mandatory readings for all MBAs
Review: Have never seen a book on financial/economic indicators that's so comprehensive and easy to read. Great graphics. Really well-written. Baumohl has a gift for taking a complicated economics and finance ideas and bringing it in the easy to read form.

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Summary: Fantastic Book!!
Review: Moving from academia to the real world is made much smoother with this great text by Dr. Bernard Baumohl. His choice of topics, organization and writing are superb. Anyone interested in gaining a strong economic background with a quantitative degree like myself will find this book extremely useful.

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Summary: Good reading ....
Review: Statistics do not usually top one's list for dynamic reading material, but Bernard Baumohl seeks to challenge that perception in his book.

Baumohl, an economist and financial journalist, whose experience has included time as an analyst at the European American Bank and at the Council on Foreign Relations, illustrates how economic indicators have an impact on our lives. Whether a key indicator goes up or down can influence a series of reactions in the markets including gas pump prices, performance of our 401K, and whether we still have a job.

For the first time, thanks to the Internet, the general public now has easy access to all these numbers, and Baumohl wants to be our guide to the statistics that matter. So here you will find clear descriptions of each well-known indicator, from gross domestic product to housing starts, along with interpretations of what the indicators really mean.

And you'll also read about foreign figures such as those tracking China's industrial production. The U.S. is the largest producer of economic statistical data, but a review of international indicators is necessary as well, says Baumohl. "Nearly half the earnings of the S&P 500 firms come from business generated outside the U.S. More than 22 million American workers-nearly two in ten jobs-are linked to foreign trade. One out of every four dollars generated in the U.S. economy is based on trade. What this all boils down to is that foreign economic indicators should be followed with the same regularity, interest, and scrutiny as the domestic indicators."

The book also includes a comprehensive list of mostly free Web sites where one can drill down on economic indicators cited in the book. Good reading for investors, financial pros, researchers, and journalists