Ouch!: ignorance is bliss, except when it hurts

✍ Scribed by Knott, Paul

• Publisher: Pearson Business
• Year: 2012
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 275
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Would you rather wake up or get wiped out?

We live in a world dominated by a system that most of us aren’t aware of, never mind understand. When it comes to money and how it really works, most of us are too busy, too bored or too bewildered to think about it, despite being at the sharp end of the consequences. We simply don’t recognise the game that is being played out in front of us. Well check your pockets; you’re in for a nasty shock. If not now, then soon.

OUCH! is your entertaining answer to financial fear, ignorance or confusion. Quintessentially irreverent but with a deadly serious message - ultimately it tells you how to protect your hard earned cash and save yourself from financial meltdown.

You can’t afford to ignore it.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Ouch!......Page 2
Contents......Page 8
About the author......Page 12
Publisher’s acknowledgements......Page 14
Author’s acknowledgements......Page 16
Introduction......Page 18
Show me the money – Its origins and how it works......Page 24
Prehistoric transactions......Page 25
Origin of faeces......Page 28
The ultimate confidence trick......Page 29
Empty promises......Page 31
How fictional money is created......Page 36
The most powerful force in the universe......Page 40
Taking advantage......Page 43
The stupidity tax......Page 44
Chequebook vandalism......Page 46
Paralytically incorrect – Wake up to your reality......Page 52
Follow the white rabbit......Page 53
For richer, for poorer......Page 55
De-railing the gravy train......Page 59
A bit of a kerfuffle......Page 68
Fighting instincts – Understanding human behaviour and risk......Page 72
Fight, flight and blight......Page 73
‘Oops!’ inside your head......Page 74
The curious case of Phineas Gage......Page 81
PETs ‘r’ Us......Page 82
The paradox......Page 83
Abdication of responsibility......Page 89
Baaaaaaaa......Page 92
Probability vs. uncertainty......Page 94
Out of control......Page 95
Risk it, for a biscuit......Page 97
Predictable and irrational?......Page 100
Ignore everyone – Stop the press and join the noise abatement society......Page 102
Porky pies......Page 103
Why 97 per cent are wrong......Page 104
Jaw on the floor......Page 105
Sponge me down......Page 108
Manufacturing consent......Page 109
Vested interest......Page 110
Analyse this......Page 112
Illusion of knowledge......Page 113
Seven deadly sins......Page 114
Exceptions to the rule......Page 116
Rub my crystal ball – The dismal science partially demystified......Page 118
Three house rules......Page 119
How much?......Page 125
Generational Dynamics......Page 129
Dr Doom and the law of consequences......Page 132
The orgy......Page 134
Smack my bitch up......Page 136
Morton’s Fork......Page 139
Market DNA – Understanding how the market operates......Page 144
Fancy a coffee?......Page 145
Meet the sentiments......Page 146
Smart money vs. dumb money......Page 148
It’s been emotional......Page 152
Beauty contest......Page 153
Time horizons......Page 156
Asset allocation......Page 158
Dividend and conquer......Page 159
Rip off......Page 161
What’s eating you?......Page 164
Like sheep to the slaughter......Page 166
The Chartist movement......Page 169
Closing the donut......Page 170
The peasants are revolting......Page 178
Enter the dojo – Foible combat – retraining your brain......Page 180
Stop fibbing......Page 181
Me, myself and I......Page 183
Can’t be arsed finds the Holy Grail?......Page 186
Brain rewiring......Page 189
Fight club......Page 190
Who ate my mammoth? – Avoiding extinction and riding the money tides......Page 206
Barking mad......Page 207
Metal guru......Page 208
Money tides......Page 209
Weighing the anchor......Page 218
Thrown in the stocks......Page 222
From peer to eternity......Page 233
Tripwires et al.......Page 236
Random kindness......Page 245
Appendix: Schemes......Page 248
A dollop of source......Page 250
Index......Page 268

✦ Subjects

Nonfiction