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THE PRIVATE EQUITY PLAYBOOK

Name: THE PRIVATE EQUITY PLAYBOOK
Author: Adam Coffey
ISBN: 978-1-5445-1327-0

by Adam Coffey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 14, 2019

A well-designed, authoritative guide to private equity—even for inexpert readers.

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A brief but comprehensive introduction to the inner machinations of private equity.

In 2018, more than a third of all mergers and acquisitions in the United States involved private-equity investment, which is an expanding, multitrillion-dollar industry. According to debut author Coffey, the CEO of commercial refrigeration company CoolSys, private equity provides a surfeit of opportunities for middle-market companies and individual investors to build substantial wealth. However, the terrain is technically complex and populated by intensely competitive “players,” he says; indeed, Coffey’s self-described primer, from its title on down, is driven by sports analogies as he aims to give readers a “basic understanding of the private equity game.” He starts at the most elemental level, explaining the basic nature of private-equity firms and the structure of equity agreements as well as quantitative measures of their success and failure. In addition to explaining key technical terms, Coffey explicates the historical growth of the industry and the ways in which it may be mined for wealth. Furthermore, he furnishes an astute analysis of the hierarchical structure of the firms themselves and what one can likely expect from interactions with leadership: “Never play short ball and focus on just price—unless price is all that matters to you,” he notes at one point. “Be cognizant of the firm’s personalities and reputations.” Coffey’s style is as lucid as it is informal. His expertise is beyond reproach, as he has 20 years of experience running three private-equity backed companies.Although his counsel can be rather broad—he carefully points out he’s “not providing legal, career, or financial advice in this book”—it will be no less insightful or helpful to the uninitiated. Coffey explicitly targets his book at two kinds of readers—CEOs who may be looking to sell private equity, and executives aspiring to C-suite positions at private-equity-backed companies. However, it should also be a valuable resource for anyone looking for a single-volume introduction.

A well-designed, authoritative guide to private equity—even for inexpert readers.

Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5445-1327-0

Page Count: 184

Publisher: Lioncrest

Review Posted Online: March 14, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.