Capitalist Dogs

I need to disclose up front that Jack Katz was a friend of mine. I met him while studying for the Washington State bar exam in Seattle in 1980 and we kept in touch over the next two decades as I popped in and out of Seattle. That said, I am genuinely impressed at what he accomplishes in Capitalist Dogs.Seldom does non-fiction succeed for the reader on so many levels. Jack looks at finance, of course, but from the perspectives of law, psychiatry, economics, political science, public relations, industry and sales. A painless way to learn a subject considered arcane to the masses (myself included), this particular gem is just as worthwhile an investment of your time for all its sparkling wordplay, characterizations and imagery.Nor is Jack's witty effort a mere standard textbook rehash! In the wake of the Enron fiasco, it could serve as a new primer for investment. (In fact, some of his observations are positively uncanny, written as they were before that scandal.) Would it be too bold to suggest that Capitalist Dogs be assigned as a first semester text to finance majors, much as Karl N. Llewellyn's The Bramble Bush for many first year law students?If so, some effort will need to be made to ensure that the URL web links sprinkled so generously within are kept current. Other references which may tend to date this tome are less problematic: Dr. Greenspan is likely to remain a larger than life legend for some time and the position of Chairman of the Federal Reserve as important as that of the imperial Presidency.I will miss Jack. I knew him, but I didn't really know him. I visited Montreal with my wife last year as Jack and his wife Leslie had recommended so long ago. News of his demise came too soon afterward.In retrospect, it was his natural enthusiam that made Jack stand out. That quality is apparent in his book as well and that is also why I can praise it so wholeheartedly. Perhaps I was overly eager to read it: I wanted to come to know Jack better than I did, but I believe that we finally succeeded in making a lasting connection.Chevy

I never thought I would enjoy a book about finance until I read Capitalist Dogs - A Financial Fable. Jack Katz has written a brilliant, witty, irreverent and highly informative book about the complicated world of finance that is finally easy to understand and totally entertaining! I didn't feel as if I were wading through intellectual quicksand to be able to grasp the vast amount of information that really is necessary to become savvy about the stock market and what we are being told by those who are supposed to be "in the know". The book is filled with memorable animal characters, a la Aesop's Fables, that give substance to each concept the author explains. His animal characters provide mental portraits that enable the reader to recall difficult financial concepts through his rich visual descriptions. No sacred financial guru or ivory tower institution is spared by Mr. Katz. I have found it really useful as a reference guide as I peruse the morning financial pages. There is something in this book for everybody, from new investors to seasoned veterans. I really enjoyed this book!