The guide helps by telling what sort of unpleasant surprises to expect from the interview process. If you haven’t had any interviews or hadn’t attended an interviewing class or workshop, you will be surprised after reading this book how intense some of these interviews can get. The Vault Guide tries be a good coach with some good behavioral tips to navigate those stressful moments.

The bulk of this book is a review of general finance skills – everything from DCF’s, CAPM, financial statements, to derivatives, PE ratios, and bond pricing. The material is extremely comprehensive and should only be a review of what to know. Don’t read this expecting to learn finance because there is too much information in too little space. The final part of the Guide has a few common brainteaser questions and suggested solutions to properly answer them.

The Vault Guide is not an answer to getting a Wall Street job, but it’s a good starting point and a necessary tool in your arsenal of interview preparation. I suggest using this as a guide to find your weaknesses and obtain other books such as “How Would You Move Mount Fuji?”

Rating: 3 / 5

Rating: 5 / 5

With that kind of figure, art is no longer something that we can readily dismiss as “just art.” Art trade is big business–a lucrative market that continues to develop despite global economic downturns. As other assets dip, art has become the attractive alternative. To make sense of art as money, the book to read is Dr. Clare McAndrew’s //Fine Art And High Finance: Expert Advice on the Economics of Ownership//. It provides the novice and sophisticated art investor, as well as artists and collectors, a comprehensive guide into the art economy today.

Bringing together contributors such as Jill Arnold, Anthony Browne, Dr. Rachel Campbell, Charles T. Danziger and Thomas C. Danziger, Jeremy Eckstein, Christiane Fischer, Rachel Goodman, Suzanne Gyorgy, Elizabeth von Habsburg, John K. Jacobs, Dr. Roman Kräussl, Ralph E. Lerner, Rena Neville, Barbara A. Ramsay, Pierre Valentin with Philip Munro and Samantha Morgan, and Randall Wilette, Dr. Clare McAndrew’s //Fine Art And High Finance: Expert advise on the Economics of Ownership// is an outstanding and fascinating resource about where the money is the world of art.

Reviewed by Dominique James
Rating: 5 / 5

The book covers the following topics: Art appraisals, prices and valuations. Art price indices, Art risk, Financing of art, Art Funds, The government and the art trade, Insurance and the art market, Art and taxation in the US, Art and taxation in the UK, Art conservation and restoration, and Illegal art trade.

In addition to her contributions, the book is edited by Dr, Clare McAndrew. There are nineteen other expert contributors for the book.

Each subject is covered in great detail. This is a very scholarly work with footnotes and reference sources.

I believe the proper use of this book is as a reference book. That is, when you want in-depth information about a particular topic related to investing in fine art, look up that topic. In my opinion it is not intended to be read through from cover to cover unless perhaps you are a studying investment in fine art.

I was impressed with the quality of information contained in this book. It is largely a reflection of the quality of the contributing authors. However, I believe the potential audience is limited to those who are actively seeking an authoritative reference source.

Rating: 5 / 5

This is a book that you will be a “go to” over and over again. And, each of the subject matter experts are accessible.

Dr. McAndrew’s 1st chapter “An Introduction to Art and Finance” brings it all together…..what a great lead-in for Chapters 2 – 12.
Rating: 5 / 5