Rating: 
Summary: Superb in some aspects but a little knowledge is . . .
Review: a dangerous thingThis book gives some of the clearest criteria I've seen in valuing a stock for a small individual investor and is very easy to read. I think it a little better than his book on Buffett which is basically a rehash of this one. The low reviews I can only assume in part are because of the timing of this book's release at the end of 1998 when value investing's popularity was reaching an all time low. The book is very strong in giving and explaining yardsticks and indicators that could prove successful in screening stocks for a value portfolio. It talks about things you'd expect from a value book like a company's growth rate as related to its price, ROE, book value, etc. In addition though it goes into the interrelationship of interest rates, bond yields, and earnings yields and gives brief profiles of some value investors. It was easy to read, much simpler than something like Security Analysis for example. There were problems though. The point raised in one of the previous reviews that the book gives somewhat of a contradiction in first criticizing forecasts and then turning around and using them is valid. Still I think that what Vick's examples show is how he thinks forecasts should be used and that his earlier criticism of forecasts was for the way others were misrepresenting them. It is unfortunate he did not take time to clarify his stand on this matter. The other thing I thought this book was weak in was on the experiential side. Not much in terms of what kind of stock price movement a value investor could expect during a holding period and what he should do. Doubtless an experienced value investor would hold but a beginner reading this book should be given a very clear idea of just how long it might take, the potential pitfalls that lie in wait and taught to constantly follow up on his analysis. The very clarity of the case and example style used by Vick might lead one inexperienced to believe that investing was more a matter of science than of art. Serious investors that go truly in depth and take the time to visit companies will also find this a rather boring book because of its classroom instruction sort of feel. If you are a part time or beginning investor this book will give you a solid introduction to value investing and a convenient process by which to narrow down your search for value companies. If all you want to do is buy stocks, I would consider Wall Street on Sale to be more specialized and superior to an intro to corporate finance book for example which is more general but perhaps more complete. Like with any intro book it is dangerous to jump in immediately afterwards and think one is already proficient after just reading it. You'll need to be careful with the info here and experiment a little to see if it really suits your personality.
Rating: 
Summary: Time-tested strategies for the value investor that work!
Review: A must-have book for the value investor, along with "Contrarian Investing" by Anthony M. Gallea and William Patalon III. Vick does an excellent job of explaining time-proven value techniques, as well as the methods Buffett uses in picking stocks. It does a much better job than "Buffetology" or "The Warren Buffett Way" in explaining Buffett's handiwork in easy-to-understand text and examples. Try Vick's monthly newsletter too - "Today's Value Investor" which does a great job with arbitrage picks as well.
Rating: 
Summary: The average investment book...
Review: Actually, to think that this book will teach you a whole lot about Warren Buffett's investment technique is significantly misleading.
I know many people have found this book more than just fascinating and it's probably bcoz this was the first value investing book they read rather than anything else.
This book, describes the many people who've had success with buying stocks at decent prices (hence, the VALUE investment idea) and how you too, as a reader can do the same. Then the author goes on to talk about Buffett, the billionaire investor who roughly made $8,000 plus out of every $1 invested over a 40-year period.
Now, to take this book as an intro to the technique is fine, but to take it as a "How Buffett did it book" is totally misleading.
You see, Buffett investing is about the margin-of-safety principle (essentially, making the purchase price so good even a bad sale yields satisfactory return), it's about his former lecturer Ben Graham and Mr. Market, it's about the temperament of investors, the attitude towards bear markets (falling markets), it's the pitches, strikes, and when to swing your money bat and most importantly, it's about the patience, rationality and discipline.
It's not just buying cheap. Buffett investing is about value NOT in the sense which the author of this book preaches. It's so much more than that.
I've come to understand Buffett investing as creating the most impressive investment record possible, consistently, over the long-term. To do that, you need to have some idea of how Buffett felt when he's buying and when other investors and the whole stock market is selling. It's about how to minimize your risk of losing money in a stock market crash, by doing this thing he calls "Workouts". And it's not about avoiding technology stocks either, that's a personal thing. Many argue that Buffett's techniques won't get you far these days which I think is a bit of a short-term thinking. Buffett's technique can be applied to technology stocks if you really understand the business. "Remember, what lies under every ticker symbol and stock tape is just an ordinary business!" Now, as a Buffett investor our task is to separate the myths and the facts and then, step on the plate... to swing at the perfect pitch. You don't have to buy them at rock bottom prices, they just have to be selling at a price you think is below it's intrinsic value.
Now, of course, more on intrinsic value if you read Hagstrom's first book, "Buffettology" by Mary Buffett and several other books. From my experience, you really need to read just a few books to be able to invest like Buffett and that the secret to this whole idea lies only in a handful of quotes. I'll leave you with one of my favorites,
"You don't need to know a person's exact weight to tell if she was fat.." -- Ben Graham
Rating:
Summary: The average investment book...
Review: Actually, to think that this book will teach you a whole lot about Warren Buffett's investment technique is significantly misleading. I know many people have found this book more than just fascinating and it's probably bcoz this was the first value investing book they read rather than anything else. This book, describes the many people who've had success with buying stocks at decent prices (hence, the VALUE investment idea) and how you too, as a reader can do the same. Then the author goes on to talk about Buffett, the billionaire investor who roughly made $8,000 plus out of every $1 invested over a 40-year period. Now, to take this book as an intro to the technique is fine, but to take it as a "How Buffett did it book" is totally misleading. You see, Buffett investing is about the margin-of-safety principle (essentially, making the purchase price so good even a bad sale yields satisfactory return), it's about his former lecturer Ben Graham and Mr. Market, it's about the temperament of investors, the attitude towards bear markets (falling markets), it's the pitches, strikes, and when to swing your money bat and most importantly, it's about the patience, rationality and discipline. It's not just buying cheap. Buffett investing is about value NOT in the sense which the author of this book preaches. It's so much more than that. I've come to understand Buffett investing as creating the most impressive investment record possible, consistently, over the long-term. To do that, you need to have some idea of how Buffett felt when he's buying and when other investors and the whole stock market is selling. It's about how to minimize your risk of losing money in a stock market crash, by doing this thing he calls "Workouts". And it's not about avoiding technology stocks either, that's a personal thing. Many argue that Buffett's techniques won't get you far these days which I think is a bit of a short-term thinking. Buffett's technique can be applied to technology stocks if you really understand the business. "Remember, what lies under every ticker symbol and stock tape is just an ordinary business!" Now, as a Buffett investor our task is to separate the myths and the facts and then, step on the plate... to swing at the perfect pitch. You don't have to buy them at rock bottom prices, they just have to be selling at a price you think is below it's intrinsic value. Now, of course, more on intrinsic value if you read Hagstrom's first book, "Buffettology" by Mary Buffett and several other books. From my experience, you really need to read just a few books to be able to invest like Buffett and that the secret to this whole idea lies only in a handful of quotes. I'll leave you with one of my favorites, "You don't need to know a person's exact weight to know that she was fat... " --Ben Graham ahmadredza@rocketmail.com superinvestor@prontomail.com
Rating:
Summary: Wall Street on Sale is the BEST-- by a longshot!
Review: For more than two years, my husband and I have been searching for a one-stop shop primer on how to pick a good stock and build a portfolio. Wall Street on Sale is it. It is carefully researched, answers every question an investor wants answered (how to find value, how long to hold, when to sell, how many stocks to own, how to maximize returns, etc.), and is wonderfully written. I have also read some of the books on Warren Buffett and value investing and found Wall Street on Sale to be the BEST- by a longshot. The author's early chapters on contrarian investing and ignoring the market are as potent and groundbreaking as you will find. His later chapters on valuing companies give even more detail than anything Peter Lynch has written. A lot of investing books seem to be written just to build the author's fame or to entice you to use a system that may work short term. I got the impression from reading Wall Street on Sale that the author truly wanted to help investors understand the complexities of the market. This book will convert any reader instantly to the value side. Anne Dennison, Tinley Park, Illinois
Rating:
Summary: Best Investment book
Review: I have read many investment books but this gets my vote for the best of all of them. It is very easy to read as it is so well written and Mr. Vick makes many points that are so indisputable that I plan to re-read and re-read this book many times over in order to see through the sales pitch that Wall Street often sells us.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I'm a new investor, and this book was very understandable, practical, informative, enlightening, ect.. This is a very vaulable resource of information on investing. I highly reccomend it.
Rating:
Summary: Read it again and again
Review: Read it and use it. I don't think you will get a poor result in the security market.
Rating:
Summary: Read it again and again
Review: Read it and use it. I don't think you will get a poor result in the security market.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful!
Review: The bull market has turned value investing into the neglected stepchild of wealth-building strategies. Tech companies have been big winners, and even value investing icon Warren Buffett has fallen on tough times. Still, Timothy P. Vick makes a compelling case for value investing. He dismisses such strategies as timing the market and chasing hot sector stocks as more gambling than investing. Vick argues that investors should seek bargain stocks by studiously researching companies and finding those whose current assets and future growth are undervalued by the market. Vick's useful rules for value investing include this first axiom: You buy cars and clothes on sale, so why not stocks? He lays out tools for determining when a stock is on sale, such as calculating return on equity and profit margins. While the subject matter is arcane, the way Vick conveys his message is easy to understand. We [...] recommend this book to investors on all levels (and it's far more cheery than the news from the market).
| 
