This is an easy to read book that deals with the facts behind the headlines.  Being trained as an engineer/computer scientist, I’m fairly handy math wise – but there’s none needed to follow along here.  Great facts regarding terrorist, terrorist nuclear attacks, energy, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear waste and global warming.  How far the facts diverge from media hype will surprise you if you’re anything like me.

I recommend this book to anyone who prefers to deal with issues based upon fact rather than ideology or emotion.

I read this book to get an insight into the oil markets. With all the turmoil surrounding recent increases in oil and gasoline prices, I felt I needed more than a sound bite of background to understand.

Wow. This reads like I’d imagine a CIA report reads. Quite exhaustive and well footnoted. I feel I now have some understanding of the dynamics of supply and demand as well as the geopolitics of oil. Events of the world are now more understandable.

Some of the recommendation are good and make sense. I felt uncomfortable, however, where the author relied on the effects of man made global warming as a basis of prediction. I, for one, don’t believe the science has been settled (also see here and here). I think the only thing settled about man made global warming is the politics.

The issue of man made global warming aside, this is a worth while read for anyone trying to get past the hype and dig into the fundamentals of the world-wide oil situation. The future price of oil certainly has significant ramifications for the real estate market (obviously my primary focus).

I read this book because of an interview I saw of the author: Jon Huntsman is simply an amazing man. The book is the author’s life story and the moral compass by which he lives – “Play by the rules. Keep your word.”

At first glance it seems like a children’s book of another world given the cynicism of today. It’s a very simple message that’s simple, although not always easy, to live by. Perhaps that’s why I was so attracted to it. It’s what I aspire to.

This is a quick read and couldn’t be easier to understand. I think you’ll either find it awe inspiring or superficial and facile.

I liked it. I’ve learned a smattering of probability and statistics at the UW, but never got to the part where you learn how to effectively apply them to everyday life. I especially enjoyed the discussion of how difficult and foreign it is to be a rational thinker. We all fool ourselves.

I found the writing style a little erudite and perhaps, even snobbish at times. (Somewhat common of PHD authors?) Still, its a fairly easy, enjoyable read with an axiological message.

An insightful read I heartily recommend. Definitely worth your time.

The first is Mortgage Ripoffs and Money Savers by Carolyn Warren. Rhonda Porter over at The Mortgage Porter has already posted a fine review. I concur with her comments although I’m not sure of her issues with the description of YSP (yield spread premium).

The second book I’d recommend is Mortgage Confidential: What You Need to Know That Your Lender Won’t Tell You by David Reed.

Both books cover much the same material about the ins and outs of the loan business, albeit in a different fashion. After reading both, any buyer seeking a home loan will be well prepared.

I always counsel my buyers that when you’re buying a home, it’s pretty much “what you see is what you get” (after the home inspection). With a home loan, you really don’t know what you’ve got until you’re at the closing table (although you can get some idea if you can review the HUD-1 first). And you might not know until sometime after closing if you don’t read and review the documents you should.

For those buyers not relying on an experienced expert agent for advice and guidance (nor already using a real mortgage professional like Rhonda), just spend the time and read the books.

If you’re an agent wanting to improve your expertise with respect to home loans, you’ll also be well served reading either or both.

There’s a lot of turmoil in the mortgage business right now, and some of the more egregious loan offers/procedures are no longer an issue… although you’d never know it from the dozen or so different ‘come-on’ radio commercials for mortgages I still hear every day offering no closing costs, no appraisal fee, etc… (what’s with that anyway??).

Buyers, you don’t know what you don’t know. You’re easy prey if you go loan shopping nude.