7even BOOKS which influenced me (and many others, I presume)

 

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho remains my favorite... Shall we say the best among equals ? If you have not read this magical story and the message it gives, well , run to your bookstore today and buy it - read it - finish it!

2. The DA Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a well written and more importantly well researched one. Some Indian authors must learn about 'researching a book' from Dan Brown. The movie based on this book was equally good - but then voracious readers like me always like the book better than the movie !

3. The Market Wizards is one book which should be a must-read for anyone who is a trader or an investor. It is a great compilation of the how the minds of Top Traders work and what we can learn from them. . .

4. This is the first book of an Indian Author which I really liked and loved reading . It is clearly India's answer to the DaVinci Code - Well written and well researched ! In fact I have even liked the other two books from the same author (Chanakya's Chant and Krishna Key)

 5. The SECRET from Rhonda Byrne is a great read and it urges us - may be forces us - to develop our own inner self and thereby unlock its untapped mysteries. And no - it is not at all about religion!

 6. The ASURA - Tales of the Vanquished.: Have you read the Ramayana ? Of course you have .... NOW read the same story from Ravana's perspective . The one thing which I liked about the book is that it gives us an understanding that even those defeated in wars (and declared villains) may have an equally agreeable viewpoint ... Time to become a rationalist !

7. Hmmm Sherlok Holmes has been one of my most favorite reads and the 'science of deduction' is quite engrossing. What I like about the book is it's Victorian English - and the nice descriptions of the characters and events.

I am sure you may have your own Top 7even books . .. .Go on folks - Share it - Write about them in the comments below .... Let the world know - in case they are missing something!

Rajiv D Khatlawala

7even Markets to invest in !

                                                      The 7even POINT CHECKLIST :
                                                      WHERE to invest in today's world !
                                                      Author : CA Rajiv D Khatlawala

Hmmm, the moment the word investments come off someone's lips, an image of a stock market , bulls and bears and your own broker flashes in your mind. May be nowadays, the image of gold and silver as also the jewelry made from it may take mental prominence .... But hey ! wait, before I reveal more of such 'where to invest' places, let list down the 7even (most important) investing avenues !

POINT 1 > The Stock Market : 
Well, the age old time tested investment destination not much appreciated by our fathers and fore fathers but now reasonably accepted by our generation, thanks to the convincing power of the media , exchanges and brokers as well as the so called knowledge providers! But one thing an investor in the stock markets has to pledge himself to is - never invest without learning about it and remember   "Tips are for waiters , not investors !"
POINT 2 > The Bullion Market : 
Wow, I already can visualize the women (reading this post) smiling. But then the past one and half decade has shown that investing in Gold and Silver has generated decent returns. But then , Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) , bullion as an investment category has a historical tendency to stagnate for a few years after a good few years of appreciation !
POINT 3 > The Agro-Commodities Market
Now, I am not telling you to become a 'kirana store' owner. But thanks to commodity exchanges in India , we retail investors can now invest / trade in things like wheat, jeera and pepper! And yes the ladies out there have an inherent advantage over us ... so don't forget to take their advice !
POINT 4 > The Currency Market 
Yes , you have loved the dollar since the time your relatives and friends went on to settle in the US but now the next time you call them up , you sure can brag and boast that you have bought some few thousand dollars as it is likely to appreciate ! The stock exchanges NSE and MCX have given a good platform to all of us to buy and sell dollars too..... But as usual , first learn and only then invest !
POINT 5 > Derivatives (Calls and Puts)
Don't worry if you get scary from these words . Actually most investors and traders in this market are none the better.  And believe me, even their broker or adviser is equally scared of these terms. So be careful here and delve in to this exotic field only with real sound knowledge of the instruments traded!
POINT 6 > Real Estate 
Let me be frank here. This market is not everyone's cup of tea ! This is one market which , while it gives great long term returns, is equally risky in terms of the right price. In this market your success depends on whether you are at the right place at the right time and you get the right price. So , a lot depends on luck here and those of your friends who boast of have 'so many crores' worth of property just happened to be there at the right moment. Remember this is a purely long term investment - more than 10 years is a minimum criteria.
POINT 7 > The Art Market
Ok, even I don't understand the art market and I have still to figure out why someone would want to pay a fortune to buy a painting of a small room with a almost broken chair. But then we may be the lesser mortals and do not yet possess the high intelligence of the art connoisseurs!  So if you want to invest is Art - take good advice from a art enthusiast and remember again - the time period of investing is longest here - art collectors usually bequeath their fortune to the next generation !!!!!!!

Finally, do let me know how you find this above article and yes - if you want to suggest a topic for the 7even point checklist ( it can be any topic) , just leave a comment and we will spread the word (of course with your name included)

Yours Truly
CA Rajiv D Khatlawala