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Saturday, November 21 2009 | 02:00 PM EDT |

DJIA (DIA) S&P 500 (SPY)

Weekend Reads: Learning from Failure, Avoiding Traps, and Getting a Clue

Two Takes on the Financial Crisis: 'Too Big to Fail' by Sorkin and 'How Markets Fail' by Cassidy
by John M. Mason
'Managing Investment Portfolios' - Six Traps Investors Should Avoid
by Saj Karsan
'Why Are We So Clueless About the Stock Market?': A Great Primer for New Investors
by Jae Jun

More Book reviews

Big Oil Hornswoggling the SEC?

After the asset-reporting shenanigans that contributed enormously to the greatest financial meltdown in living memory, SEC is now set to allow more or less exactly the same thing in the oil industry, Felix Salmon writes.

Learn all about it in Alan von Altendorf's 3-parter, which Salmon calls 'stunning.'

More on: Exploration & Production, Oil & Gas Majors, Government Policy

Friday Roundup: Only Dow Clears Week

Closing Updates for today and the week (Market Currents)

Weighing Some Mining Stocks

More on: Commodity ETFs, Metal Miners, Base Metals

New SA Instablogs Worth Watching

• Ian R. Campbell is a recognized Canadian business valuation authority, having authored books used by lawyers, experts and Canadian Courts in business valuation litigation matters.

• North Fork Investors' blog tracks the value-oriented investments, both long and short, of two friends and investment partners.

• Hopeful is author, trader and internet entrepreneur Brett Buchanan, who writes TheFinalPost blog from Maui.

Bond Watch: TIPS, Treasuries, Vigilantes

Japan: Nowhere Near Recovery?

Latest on the Pharmaceuticals Pipeline

News from: WSJ

PIMCO's Bill Gross: Reasoning About Risk

More on: US Market, Economy, Government Policy, Hedge Funds

Insurance Investment Insights

Travel Stocks: Which to Pack?

More on: Internet Travel, Leisure and Gambling stocks, Airlines

See all of today's headlines »

Market Currents|Top Stories

1:48 PM Sources say Blackstone (BX) is attempting an audacious 11th-hour attempt to inject itself into Gala Coral's £2.5B debt restructuring, offering £250-300M up front in exchange for a majority stake in the bookmaker. Gala was once considered Britain's biggest private business. Comment!
8:45 AM The gold market disconnect: Where futures prices are soaring, but demand for physical gold is 34% below a year ago - and where one mint (Austria's) is cutting production of the metal coins on lower expected demand, while the U.S. Mint plans to resume making coins under an ounce in weight on Dec. 3. 7 Comments
8:19 AM The Fed didn't exactly cover itself in glory in its oversight roles, but neither did any other agency, writes John Berry: Let it regulate. 2 Comments

All today's Market Currents »

Select StockTalks

Hedged In: Over the last 12 mths, guess what rose more: Brazil, China or Apple? Answer: EWZ +150%, AAPL +132%, FXI +100%. Now predict the next 12 mths.

about 2 hours ago
Pax Americana: Laurence Meyer, speaking at the IMF, argues that the Feds balance sheet should dissipate at the rate of $200b p/a.

about 3 hours ago
Stockpickingpros: CCO came up on our screener friday, buying at $9.02, selling at $9.47

about 4 hours ago