The valuation of fixed-income securities and interest rate derivatives -- from simple structures to the most complex structures found in the interest rate derivatives market and structured finance sector -- depends on the interest rate model used by the investor. This work addresses valuation models, structured notes, and floating-rate securities, and more, as well as the multiscenario grid approach for valuing mortgage-backed securities. Whether you're a portfolio manager, risk professional, or institutional manager, this book gives you the tools you need to evaluate the financial products most important to you.

Wiley Book Order Department, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, NJ 08875, 800 225-5945, 732 469-4400 x2497, www.wileyfinance.com

This book offers a picture of investing within the larger world. It explains how investment management works by borrowing the big ideas from other complex disciplines: biology, economics, mathematics, philosophy, physics, and psychology. In the biology chapter, Hagstrom analyzes the central nervous system and the immune system as complex adaptive systems and then draws parallels with the behavior of the economy and the stock market. In the physics chapter, he explores a mathematical distribution and considers the advantages of scale in relation to the "bigger is better" models that define the business strategies of Wal-Mart, McDonald's, and Home Depot. This interdisciplinary approach or model describes the mechanisms of the markets and how to select and hold stocks.

Texere, 55 East 52nd St., New York, NY 10055, 212 317-5511, fax 212 317-5178, www.etexere.com

As we see corporate chieftains brought in for questioning, accounting firms turning blind eyes to corporate malfeasance, and Wall Street analysts hawking stocks solely for investment banking profits, there is no better time to call upon the great literary detectives. The investigative methods and habits of legendary sleuths deliver new insights to investors. Both detectives and investors must gather information, analyze facts, sort through conflicting or unreliable data, and factor in human psychology to come to the right conclusion about the perpetrator of a crime or the value of a stock. The author brings to life the intellectual principles of the fictional detectives, and illustrates his story with compelling examples.

Texere, 55 East 52nd St., New York, NY 10055, 212 317-5511, fax 212 317-5178, www.etexere.com

In the US alone, more than 55 million households invest in mutual funds -- but most of these investors aren't achieving optimal returns because they don't understand the costs, risks, or alternatives. This book explains what individual investors need to watch for to achieve their objectives, and they must know to make the most of every investment dollar. This book helps you understand the mutual funds you're staking your future on and gives you an unvarnished look at the positives and negatives. You'll learn what to ask and where to get the answers, and how to minimize your risks and maximize your real returns.

Financial Times Prentice Hall, 800 282-0693, fax 515 284-2607, www.phptr.com/custserv/index.html

Determining the feasibility and the priority of potential investments is critical in businesses' decision-making. A new method for estimating the value of investments -- real options -- is gaining ground over the traditional approach of calculating net present value (NPV) as the central paradigm for investment decisions. The authors show how the NPV is flawed and tends to undervalue investment opportunities. It offers the first practitioner's guide for understanding and implementing real options.

Texere, 55 East 52nd St., New York, NY 10055, 212 317-5511, fax 212 317-5178, www.etexere.com

The Federal Reserve is the leading economic policy institution in the world. Its decisions and actions affect individual wealth as well as economies. Written by a respected Fed watcher, this book offers an in-depth look at the workings of the Federal Reserve and its impact on your investments, and it provides insights into the Fed's monetary policy objectives, operating techniques, and favorite financial and economic indicators. This guide also reviews the modern-day Fed's main challenges and concerns so that you may gain greater insight into its policy actions. Central banking in the US is more art than science, but this book explains how and why the Fed acts as it does.

Wiley Book Order Department, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, NJ 08875, 800 225-5945, 732 469-4400 x2497, www.wileyfinance.com

The changing nature and rapid growth of the investment management industry, along with new theoretical developments in the field of finance, have led to a need for higher-quality investment management practices and better-qualified professionals. The authors and contributors to this book combine real-world financial knowledge with investment management theory to provide the practical guidance you need to succeed within this environment. This book will help you use proven investment management techniques to protect and grow a portfolio under any circumstances.
 

Wiley Book Order Department, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, NJ 08875, 800 225-5945, 732 469-4400 x2497, www.wileyfinance.com