Books about Consolidation from Amazon.com

Buffett, the Bard of Omaha, is a genuine American folk hero, if folk heroes are allowed to build fortunes worth upward of $15 billion He's great at homespun metaphor, but behind those catchy phrases is a reservoir of financial acumen that's generally considered the best of his generation. For example, in an essay on CEO stock options, he writes, "Negotiating with one's self seldom produces a barroom brawl." This is his way of saying that an executive who can give himself compensation totally disproportionate to his performance surely will. There are uncountable gems of financial wisdom to be harvested from these essays, taken from the annual reports he writes for Berkshire Hathaway, his holding company. Just to pick one more, here's a now-famous line about those he competes with when making stock-market investments: "What could be more advantageous in an intellectual contest--whether it be chess, bridge, or stock selection--than to have opponents who have been taught that thinking is a waste of energy?"

While Buffett has a policy of seldom commenting on stocks he owns--he feels public pronouncements will only lead to the public's expectation of more public pronouncements, and he likes to keep his cards close to his vest--he loves to discuss the principles behind his investments. These come primarily from Ben Graham, under whom Buffett studied at Columbia University and for whom he worked in the 1950s. First among them is the idea that price is what you pay and value is what you get--and if you're a smart investor, the first will always be less than the second. In that sense, the value of the lessons learned from Buffett's Essays could be far greater than the book's price. --Lou Schuler.
Price: $22.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Barbarians at the Gate has been called one of the most influential business books of all time -- the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's gripping account of the frenzy that overtook Wall Street in October and November of 1988 is the story of deal makers and publicity flaks, of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms -- giving us not only a detailed look at how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted but also a richly textured social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era.

Barbarians at the Gate -- a business narrative classic -- is must reading for everyone interested in the way today's world really works.

.
Price: $7.88 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experts Tim Galpin and Mark Herndon present an updated and expanded guide to planning and managing the M&A process. This comprehensive book is unique in providing the tools to address both the human and operational sides of integration. Based on the authors' consulting experience with numerous Fortune 500 companies, this resource will help organizations capture deal synergies more quickly and effectively. Augmenting their step-by-step advice with helpful templates, checklists, graphs and tools, Galpin and Herndon provide sound guidance for successfully integrating different processes, organizations, and cultures. The authors also address pre-deal do’s and don’ts, people dynamics, common mistakes, communications strategies, and specific actions you can take to create measurable positive results throughout the integration process. The revised edition not only updates case studies and presents recent integration research, but it also adds new tools..
Price: $36.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A concise strategic and legal guide for both buyers and sellers at large and small companies, Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z is a practical, hands-on resource for anyone involved in any merger or acquisition Written in clear, jargon-free language, the book provides extensive, easy-to-understand information on the entire transaction, including an overview of tax and accounting considerations, drafting legal documents, and analyzing projected financial gain. Thoroughly revised to reflect the latest changes in the business environment, the new edition features: * The latest trends and best practices for structuring profitable deals * New due diligence rules and strategies in the age of Sarbanes-Oxley * Guidelines for keeping deals on track and managing post-closing challenges * And much more Written for those already involved in M&A deals or considering a move in that direction, Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z demystifies the entire process..
Price: $20.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Peter Hamilton's space opera saga, which began with the Reality Dysfunction, Part 1: Emergence and Part 2: Expansion, continues in The Neutronium Alchemist, another two-volume novel. Now the battle lines are clearly drawn, and more than half a dozen plot lines are charging ahead as humanity's galaxy-spanning culture faces a terrifying revelation: souls of the dead are returning from the beyond to possess the living. The living, though competent and brave in the best science fiction tradition, must contend with history's greatest generals and leaders, as well as some unexpected champions. Al Capone, it seems, makes an excellent interstellar emperor. How do you fight an enemy whose every soldier is also a hostage and who, if killed, will simply return to possess someone else? The dilemmas are not just technical, but moral, as people face the first real proof of life after death.

This conflict is far broader, though, than a simple apocalyptic battle of good versus evil. Among the possessors are some good souls who fight the risen dead even though it's against their best interest. Conversely, plenty of the living see siding with the dead as an opportunity to further their own interests. Action, wonders, and mystery continue to characterize this high-quality series. --Brooks Peck.
Price: $3.88 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A comprehensive guide to the world of mergers and acquisitions
Why do so many M&A transactions fail? And what drives the success of those deals that are consummated? Robert Bruner explains that M&A can be understood as a response by managers to forces of turbulence in their environment. Despite the material failure rates of mergers and acquisitions, those pulling the trigger on key strategic decisions can make them work if they spend great care and rigor in the development of their M&A deals. By addressing the key factors of M&A success and failure, Applied Mergers and Acquisitions can help readers do this. Written by one of the foremost thinkers and educators in the field, this invaluable resource teaches readers the art and science of M&A valuation, deal negotiation, and bargaining, and provides a framework for considering tradeoffs in an effort to optimize the value of any M&A deal. Applied Mergers and Acquisitions is part of a complete suite of resources on M&A that includes a workbook and a CD-ROM with additional spreadsheets.
Robert F. Bruner, MBA, DBA (Charlottesville, VA), is the Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School at the University of Virginia and Executive Director of the Batten Institute. He directs the Darden School's executive education course on mergers and acquisitions, and teaches the popular MBA elective on that topic. He holds a BA from Yale University, and a MBA and DBA from Harvard University.0471395064 A comprehensive guide to the world of mergers and acquisitions 0471395064 A comprehensive guide to the world of mergers and acquisitions
Why do so many M&A transactions fail? And what drives the success of those deals that are consummated? Robert Bruner explains that M&A can be understood as a response by managers to forces of turbulence in their environment. Despite the material failure rates of mergers and acquisitions, those pulling the trigger on key strategic decisions can make them work if they spend great care and rigor in the development of their M&A deals. By addressing the key factors of M&A success and failure, Applied Mergers and Acquisitions can help readers do this. Written by one of the foremost thinkers and educators in the field, this invaluable resource teaches readers the art and science of M&A valuation, deal negotiation, and bargaining, and provides a framework for considering tradeoffs in an effort to optimize the value of any M&A deal. Applied Mergers and Acquisitions is part of a complete suite of resources on M&A that includes a workbook and a CD-ROM with additional spreadsheets.
Robert F. Bruner, MBA, DBA (Charlottesville, VA), is the Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School at the University of Virginia and Executive Director of the Batten Institute. He directs the Darden School's executive education course on mergers and acquisitions, and teaches the popular MBA elective on that topic. He holds a BA from Yale University, and a MBA and DBA from Harvard University..
Price: $55.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Authoritative and completely up-to-date, the Fourth Edition of The Art of M&A is an unsurpassed, one-stop guide to every facet of mergers and acquisitions that enables you to make winning deals with complete confidence.

This definitive resource retains its popular Q&A format, offering quick access to all the changes that have occurred in the field since the merger wave of the 1990s. The book explores every key aspect of winning M&A transactions, and presents advice on avoiding common M&A pitfalls.

The Fourth Edition of The Art of M&A features vital information on:

• Getting Started in Mergers and Acquisitions --learning the basic M&A process, requirements, negotiating skills, and objectives
• Planning and Finding --deciding what to buy and then locating it
• Valuation and Pricing -- using multiple valuation methods to discover the true value of an acquired company or unit
• The Art of Financing and Refinancing -- mastering funding sources and issues
• Structuring M/A/B Transactions -- managing general, tax, and accounting considerations
• The Due Diligence Inquiry -- looking into the past, present, and future risks of the business to be purchased
• Negotiating the Acquisition Agreement and the Letter of Intent-- understanding two vital documents in the M&A process
• Closing -- synchronizing the many individual items to produce a harmonious transaction
• Postmerger Integration and Divestitures -- following through after the M&A deal to capture the economic value of synergies
• Special Issues for M&A in Public Companies_examining the unique legal and business considerations of public entities
• Workouts, Bankruptcies, and Liquidations -- handling specific financial problems that arise in M&A transactions with entities in the zone of insolvency
• Structuring Transactions with International Aspects -- developing the necessary skills and knowledge to do M&A deals across national borders

Filled with detailed examples and case studies, this updated classic also includes discussion of purchase accounting, Section 404, new legal cases with M&A implications, and more.

.
Price: $73.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In Alpine, Washington–Mary Daheim’s cozy hamlet in the Cascade Mountains–mystery fans can meet folks whose colorful quirks and welcoming manner make the town feel like home. Alpine’s bastion of bylines, Emma Lord’s weekly newspaper, The Alpine Advocate, is the current that drives the rumor mill of small-town life . . . and occasional death. But even the eagerly anticipated Advocate isn’t immune to the perils of the outside world.


THE ALPINE TRAITOR


Emma Lord is shocked to hear the outrageous news: The Advocate is embroiled in a takeover bid. Worse, the ruthless acquisitioners are the heirs of Emma’s longtime and tragically departed lover, Tom Cavanaugh. They have come to Alpine–to stay. Soon, battle lines are drawn and war is declared. Then the first casualty is discovered facedown at the Tall Timber Motel.

The victim is Dylan Platte, front man for the buy-out offer Emma turned down cold. Naturally, Emma is a prime suspect. Then it turns out that the dead man has a big surprise for the living–one that involves the glamorous Ginger Roth, a bodacious Alpine newbie who can perform the dumb blonde act in her sleep. Emma’s ever-inquisitiv a bullet, Emma and the rest of the e House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, plumbs her extensive grapevine, from the Burger Barn to the Venison Inn, determined to connect the dots. But when an Advocate insider is next to takeAlpiners make it their mission to find a killer.

Mary Daheim’s newest Alpine thriller throws an intriguing wrench into Emma’s domain, delighting fans with a generous helping of just deserts–in a town where secrets are everybody’s business..
Price: $11.49 [Notify me when price goes down.]