LEISURE NOTEBOOK

Constitutional Law CSS Optional Subject Suggested Books

2012-01-23T14:03:00.001+05:00

Constitutional Law

World Constitutions by Vishnoo Bhagwan...for US, UK, French, USSR constitutions.
World Constitutions by Kayli (Bhatti publishers)...for Indian constitution.

For PakistaniConstitution read any one of thefollowing books:

Constitutional development of Pakistan by A.G. Choudhry
Constitution of Pakistan by M. Monir

Studies in the Constitution of Pakistan by Dr. Safdar Mahmood

P.S: The syllabus of Constitutional Law (6 constitutions) isalmost the same as that of Paper-II of Political Science (9 constitutions)except that the former is a bit shorter than the latter. Those of you who have opted Political Scienceas an optional subject are strongly advised to opt for Constitutional Law alongwith it in order to save your precious preparation time.

International Law CSS Optional Subject Suggested Books

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International Law

Introduction to International Law by J.S. Starke ORInternational Law by M.N. Shaw

International Law by Agarwal

International Law by L.N. Tandon

International Law: Questions and answers guide by MansoorBook Depot.

P.S: Start your study with the questions and answers guideby Mansoor Book Depot. It will give you basic concepts in easy to understandlanguage and then afterwards you can move your way up to the Indian authors andfinally the English Authors.

Public Administration CSS Optional Subject Suggested Books

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Public Administration

Public Administration by Laxmikaanth
Public Administration by A.R. Tyagi

Public Administration by Sultan Khan or PublicAdministration by Dr. Liaquat Ali Khan.

P.S: If you have opted Political Science as oneof your optional subjects along with Public Administration then the preparationof Political Science will surely complement your preparation of PublicAdministration and will help you a lot in attempting its paper. Therefore, I recommendopting Public Administration as one of the optional subjects only to those peoplewho have strong concepts in Political Science.

Political Science CSS Optional Subject Suggested Books

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Paper I

Books forWestern Philosophers

Political Thought from Plato to present by Judd Harmon

Western Political Thought by Mujahid Farooq

Books forMuslim Philosophers

Muslim Political Thought by Rosanthal.

Muslim Political Thought by M. Aslam Chaudhry

Books for Political Principles

Political Theory by V.D.MAHAJAN.
Introduction to Political Science, Theory and Practice by Mazhar-ul-Haq

Paper II

World Constitutions by Vishnoo Bhagwan...for US, UK, French, USSR and Chinese constitutions.
World Constitutions by Kayli (Bhatti publishers)...for Indian constitution.
World Constitutions by Dr. Sarwar Ali…forPakistani, Iranian and Turkish constitutions.

For studying the PakistaniConstitution in further detail, you may like to read any one of the following books:

Constitutional development ofPakistan by A.G. Choudhry
Constitution of Pakistan by M. Monir

Studies in the Constitution OfPakistan by Dr. Safdar Mahmood

P.S: For certain past paper questions and topics ofIranian, Chinese and Turkish constitutions, you’ll also have to search through theresources available over the internet. For example, the questions like IranianRevolution, Cultural Revolution, Kamalism are not available in theabove-mentioned books so you will have to search the internet (Wikipedia etc.)to find the right material.

CSS Compulsory Subjects Preparation -- Highly Recommended Books and Resources

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CSS Compulsory Subjects Preparation -- Highly Recommended Books and Resources

ENGLISH PRECIS AND COMPOSITION

For English Precis and Composition paper, use:

Practical EnglishGrammar by Thomas and Martinet mainly for preparing direct and indirectsentences, change of voice (Active voice, Passive Voice) and use of PhrasalVerbs (which often appear in the Idioms part).

Paragraphs and Essaysby Prof. Ifitkhar (Bhatti publishers) for preparing the 250-300 wordscomposition part. It will also help you to a limited extent for attempting the100 marks English Essay paper.

Polymer Englishgrammar or any other B.A. level grammar for pair of words and idioms plusPAST PAPERS. Enlist the complete list of pair of words and idioms for at leastpast 10 to 15 years. If you are not satisfied with the quality of sentences inthe Polymer or any other English Grammar which you are using you can also useoxford dictionary for the Pair of Words part in order to get better usage ofpaired words in sentences and a book by the name of Chambers Idioms (or PenguinDictionary of Idioms or OxfordDictionary of Idioms) for the Idioms part. This track will definitely takesome time but the quality you will get will be perfect for the highest score.

WORD SMART I & IIBy Princeton Review for Vocabulary part. If you don’t have the time to gothrough whole of these two books, never mind! Check out their SAT and GRE HitParade sections given at the end. I scored 10 out of 10 in the vocabularysection because of these two books.

For the Correction of sentences part, use any GMAT book. It contains the best available material, exercises and tips for the preparation of the correction of sentences part (Note: Correction of Sentences is also a part of the GMAT exam but the GMAT exam, in general, has no relevance to the CSS exam).

PAKISTAN AFFAIRS

For Pakistan Affairs, use:

Trek to Pakistanby Ahmad Saeed (for pre-1947 period),

Constitutional andpolitical history of Pakistan by Hamid Khan...for post-1947 period (Oxfordpress),

Issues in Pakistan’sEconomy by Akbar S. Zaidi (Oxford Press) for questions like agriculture,industry, economy etc.

Don’t forget to check past papers and FPSC Syllabus forPakistan Affairs. You will get to know the exact questions/topics which youneed to prepare from these books.

ISLAMIAT

For Islamiat in Urdu, use:

Islaminazariya-e-hayat by Prof. Khurshid Ahmad and

Islam kanizam-e-hayat by Dr. Liaqat Niazi

For getting top marks in the translation of Suuraahs part, go to your local/college/universitylibrary or a mosque near you and locate Tafseerof the Holy Quran by Maulana Moududi and get the pages containing thetranslation and explanation of the last 10 Suuraahs of the Tafseer photocopied and cram them.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

For Current Affairs, use:

Contemporary affairsby Imtiaz Shahid,

Strategic studies(quarterly) by the institute of strategic studies, Islamabad...edited byShireen Mazari…check out its website as well http://www.issi.org.pk,

Current AffairsDigest by Dr. Safdar Mahmood,

Read Dawn editorialson daily basis. Also read Dawn articles which you feel are relevant to acertain current affairs topic. Make folder for each topic and keep cuttingsrelevant to the topic in that folder.

There is a quarterly international magazine by the name of Foreign Affairs and it is usually availablein every resourceful library. This magazine will give you quality content onvarious topics of Current International Affairs. You can also check theirwebsite http://www.foreignaffairs.com/but it provides limited content if you don’t have the subscription to the site.I recommend searching your local library for the magazine.

EVERYDAY SCIENCE

For Everyday science, use:

Everyday science by Dr. Riaz-ul-haq (Dogar's Unique publishers)Latest Edition. Don’t forget to see the attempted past papers section.

Everyday Science by ImtiazShahid. Don’t forget to see the attempted past papers section.

Don’t forget to see maximum number of past papers and theFPSC Syllabus in this case. I recommend that you enlist the maximum number ofobjective type questions from the maximum number of past papers and then lookfor their answers in the above-recommended books. This method will be extremelyhelpful in passing this particular exam for candidates who don’t have a strongbackground in science i.e. Arts students.

If you have plenty of time, you can also prepare most of thetopics from science books of Matric/F.Sc.or O-levels which most of you would already have read.

ENGLISH ESSAY

I have deliberately kept this paper at the end of my post.Needless to mention, this is the top-most flunked compulsory paper in the CSSwritten exam. It certainly demands separate attention. But for this post, I havementioned sufficient resources/books/newspaper etc. in the current affairs andEnglish précis and composition sections which will load you with the essentialmaterial, vocabulary and grammar preparation required to write an essay of 1000to 1500 words comfortably.

But on the elements of a good essay i.e. the essay thatbecomes an easy candidate for passing this particular paper, I’ll soon write adetailed post. In case I am unable to write that post in the near future andyour exam is approaching fast, keep these few tips in mind. They will help youin getting through this paper.

Choose the topic with which you are most comfortable and theone about which you are most knowledgeable.

Make a detailed outline of your essay preferably at thestart of your answer sheet. Spend at least half an hour out of the given 3hours on it. The outline will help you in writing your material in a logical andcoherent manner. Keep adding further points to the outline as and when theystrike your mind during the course of writing your essay.

Avoid spellings and grammar mistakes.

Avoid giving headings in the essay. Instead give headings inyour outline upon which you’ll deliberate in the body of your essay later butnot in the essay.

Write a strong and meaningful introduction relevant to thetopic. Preferably it must contain an executive summary of your essay.

Give a strong, meaningful and positive ending. Avoidnegativity/pessimism at the ending.

That’s it for the time being. Good luck to all of you!

VON RYAN’S EXPRESS (1965)

2012-01-18T03:38:00.001+05:00

ThisWord War-II adventure starring Frank Sinatra is considered by most critics tobe one of the greatest war movies ever made. Sinatra is Col. Joseph Ryan, anAmerican pilot shot down and imprisoned in Italy during the war. When Italysurrenders, Ryan leads the prisoners in a daring escape, but they are soonrecaptured by the Nazis. While being transported to another prison by train,the prisoners take control of the train and plan to make their way into neutralSwitzerland. Spectacular Italian scenery, great acting, blazing action,hair-raising chases and the fast-paced drama make this Oscar-nominatedadventure one a true classic adventurethat will blast you full speed ahead until its nail-biting finale!

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The Help --- Movie

2012-01-18T01:36:00.000+05:00

"The Help" is based on the well-known novel byKathryn Stockett. The film centers onAibileen, Skeeter and Minny, three very different women in Mississippi in the year1962. Skeeter is returning from college with a journalism degree, whose belovedchildhood black maid Constantine has disappeared, and no one will tell herwhere she has gone.

Aibileen is a maid who has raised 17 white children in herlife. She has been a nanny to these children, if not a surrogate mother. Heroutspoken friend Minny has never been able to keep quiet, and because of this, hasnot been able to hold onto a job very long, until she is hired on the sly byCelia, a white-trash rich girl who has some grave secrets of her own.

Skeeterdecides to write a tell-all book of interviews from the maids of Jackson,Mississippi, which, as you could imagine, was a serious taboo, and perhaps evenillegal thing to take on in the time of Jim Crow and segregation.

This lovelyand sometimes extraordinary film is not concerned with big sermons about clivilrights or religion. The film is simply about behavior; how we should act,morally, towards other people, no matter who they might be.

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ATM buys your old cell phone MP3 player iPod etc. and pays you Instant Cash --- ecoATM

2012-01-15T06:54:00.001+05:00

The U.S company ecoATM has created a kind ofe-cash reward for people who discard their old electronic gadgets – including cellphones and MP3 players. The ecoATM process takes only five minutes: all youneed to do is put the device in the machine and wait to “fill” the portfolio.

The ecoATM evaluates the phone or MP3 playervisually and technically. The scanner analyzes the physical look of the device.If the equipment is operational, the ATM will assign and display the real timeprice of the device and will leave you the choice to either sell your device orotherwise. If the device does not work, the purchase is based on the recyclablecomponents of the device.

When you accept the price offered by themachine, you have the option to donate all the money or a portion of it to acharity registered in the system.

The ecoATM Kiosk: How it works

Automated eCycling Station for pricing and buy-back ofused consumer electronics and mobile phones for trade-in/trade-up andrecycling.

Step 1) Insert portable CE device or handset
Step 2) Used device automatically valued
Step 3) Portables automatically binned inside. Userreceives trade-up coupon, gift card, cash, and/or charitable contribution.

Tolocate your nearest ecoATM, please follow http://www.ecoatm.com/about-locations.htm

Forfurther details, please visit http://www.ecoatm.com/eco-atm.htm

Top Books on Warren Buffett and his Investment Methods

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Book Shelf and Book Case

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PowerTrekk Water Based Mobile Charger Introduced by myFC

2012-01-14T21:25:00.000+05:00

myFC's PowerTrekk --- Water-based Mobile Charger

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Swedish company “myFC” based in Stockholm has introduced itsPowerTrekk portable water-powered fuel-cell charger system at the CES show in LasVegas. PowerTrekk is a portable and water powered fuel cell charger now ondisplay at CES. To set the charger you need to pour a spoon of water in thetray with little opening, place small round container called Powerpukk (containing Sodium Silicide) in the tray, cover it and connect with USB. Thesystem works with all devices powered by USB. Sodium Silicide (NaSi) is anontoxic compound that produces Hydrogen that is stored in a cartridge for usewith fuel cells rated from 1 Watt to 3 KW.

This green andblack device is only a little larger than a couple of iPhones placed on top ofeach other. It comes with two USB ports (micro and standard), a fuel-cellassembly that appears to comprise a half or two-thirds of the device and achamber for the fuel-cell pucks. The charger needs just a tablespoon ofwater to produce around 10 hours of phone battery life. It is a charger formobile phones, cameras and GPS devices that can power-up your electronicgadgets with little more than water.

EMPLOYED TECHNOLOGY

Fuel-cell technology uses the chemical reaction between thehydrogen in water and special electrodes and electrolytes in fuel cells togenerate electricity. What’s better is that fuel cells never deplete — as longas you have hydrogen gas produced by water to flow through them, they candeliver an endless supply of cheap electricity.

Like most other fuel cells,PowerTrekk works by converting hydrogen gas into electricity. The charger usesneither fans nor pumps to move the water, about a table-spoon’s-worth and,according to myFC, only produces some vapor gas as it generates freshelectricity. It can then deliver electricity directly to your phone or otherUSB-powered devices. The green lid, which includes its own rechargeable batteryand can be charged with the fuel cells or via a traditional USB-based chargingcable, pops off so you can leave the pucks and fuel-cell system behind.

PRICE: $ 299

COLOR OPTIONS:

AVAILABILITY: It will be available in the U.S. between Mayand June of this year (2012).

MORE INFO: http://www.powertrekk.com/product/

http://www.myfuelcell.se/

Shoe Racks

2012-01-12T01:22:00.000+05:00

Honey-Can-Do Bamboo 2-Tier Shoe Shelf

Itis a 2-tier shelf for shoes, slippers, and boots and holds approximately 6 to 8pairs of adult-size shoes. It is light in weight and sturdy. It is easy toassemble.

Honey-Can-DoBamboo 3-Tier Shoe Shelf

It is very light in weight but sturdy. It can hold 8 to 10 pairs comfortably.It is easy to assemble.

Wooden Shoe Bench

It is easy to assemble. Its size is 35-3/8 Inches (L) x 13Inches (W) x 18 Inches (H). It has a strong construction.

20 Pair Shoe Rack

Ithas steel and polymer construction. It can hold 20 pairs of shoes or twentyshoe boxes. It has an extra wide base that supports the shoe rack even on thickcarpets. Its cross beam design adds extra strength and durability. It lockstogether in seconds. Its overall dimensions are 20'' H x 36'' W x 10'' D.

Whitmor 6060-3510 Chrome Supreme 50 PairShoe Rack

Itis a chrome shoe tower. It can hold 50 pairs of shoes. It is easy to assemblewith no-tool assembly. It has 10 tiers of non-slip tubes to hold shoes and hasdurable wheels for easy mobility or the bottom rack adjusts flat on the floorfor a stationary unit.

Household Essentials Revolving 4-Tier ShoeTree, Chrome

It is a revolving 4-tier shoe tree made of heavy-dutychromed steel. Its adjustable levels accommodate different sizes of shoes. Ithas a built-in handle at the top and its weighted bottom ensures stability. It holdsup to 24 pairs of shoes. Basic assembly is required. It measures 12inches in diameter and 54 inches in height.

Tie Hangers (Economical & Effective)

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Twirl-a-Tie TieRack/Organizer

It holds 20-25 ties and works perfectly. It is very welldesigned and functional.

Friction TieRack and Scarf Hanger - Non-slip (Black/Chrome)

It holds 24 ties. It is compact and non-slip.It has 2 hooks on the bottom for belts etc.

Organize ItAll 1338-6 Tie Belt Valet Hanger (2pack)

It is a Chrome plated hanger with a non-slipvinyl tie holder area.

The Neatest Little Guide to Making Money Online by Jason Kelly

2012-01-10T13:24:00.000+05:00

In “The neatest little guide to making money online” Jason Kellyprovides the readers with all the information they need to set up their ownonline business and to earn some extra money. This practical, step-by-stepguide shows how to:

Select an Internet service provider and register an Internet address
Design a website-from purchasing the right software to keeping navigationsimple and content fresh
Market a website through newsletters, discussion forums, and reciprocal links

Succinct, informative, and well-written, “The Neatest LittleGuide to Making Money Online” is of great value and a good starting place. JasonKelly has filled this book with well-researched resources for all aspects ofsuccessful website development, almost always suggesting reliable freealternatives to the pay-for-service resources on the net. It is fun and easy toread, and it contains no filler. It is highly recommended for the starters.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel

2012-01-10T13:07:00.001+05:00

This is one of the classic books on investment, first publishedin 1973. Its 9th edition came out in 2007. Every investor should read this bookat least once. This book does a very good job reconciling between marketefficiency and perceived inefficiencies such as bubbles at different times. Itgoes on with a review of bubbles and manias throughout history, from -- tulipcraze in the Netherlands, the South Sea bubble in England, the 1929 Great Crashin the U.S. -- to the stock market anomalies from the 1960s, 1970s, all the wayto the late 1990s dot com bubble. The chapter on behavioral finance is new forthe 9th edition. It depicts how investors often become their own worst enemywhen it comes to investing. The final section of this book gives practicaladvice on insurance, tax deferred accounts, saving for college, differentvehicles for cash reserves, bonds, real estate, and stock mutual funds. Finallythe book enlists specific portfolio and fund recommendations for people indifferent stages of their lives. All in all it’s a must-read for everyinvestor.

Schindler's List (Director Steven Spielberg)

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000+05:00

Schindler's List, a Steven Spielberg film, is a masterpiecethat has become one of the most honored films of all time. The film presents theun-erasable true story of the enigmatic Oskar Schindler, a member of the Naziparty, womanizer, and war profiteer who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jewsduring the Holocaust. It is the successful ending of the struggle of one manwho made a difference, and the drama of those who survived one of the darkestchapters in human history because of what he did. The film is a winner of sevenAcademy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

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How Yoga can wreck your body...Source: New York Times

2012-01-09T11:43:00.000+05:00

How Yoga can wreck your body...Read here

The Great Debaters (Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker)

2012-01-09T11:39:00.000+05:00

Based on a true story, the film takes us to Wiley, anAfrican-American Methodist college in Texas during the Depression in 1935 whereProfessor Tolson (Denzel Washington) is coaching the debate team. Its membersinclude a sweet, pretty girl, a ladies' man, and a 14-year old whiz-kid.

Thereare two stories in it - one is that of the debate team and the other is of the lifeunder segregation and both the stories are compelling.The acting is uniformly outstanding; Forrest Whitaker andWashington support some lesser-known, but extremely talented young stars. Weget to know their characters and care about them as they overcome their variousobstacles to become the top African-American college debate team in thecountry. It is a must-watch film.

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December 2012 will be the end of the World?

2012-01-07T14:19:00.002+05:00

Read here... Nostradamus 2012

Who was Nostradamus?

2012-01-07T14:04:00.000+05:00

Read about Nostradamus here... Nostradamus

Top 25 Theories On How The World Will End

2012-01-07T13:47:00.000+05:00

Read here... Top 25 Theories on how the world will end

From the Man Who Predicted the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks...Reference dailywealth.com

2012-01-07T12:48:00.000+05:00

On July 13, 2001, a man from Aspen Colorado wrote a letter entitled: Waiting for World War III. In it he wrote: “An attack will soon come from outside America’s borders, in the form of war…. But it won’t be declared war in the conventional sense. When the attack comes it will be delivered through an unexpected form such as a car bomb, boat or plane.”

Less than two months later the tragic events of 9/11 took place.

But this wasn’t a one-time incident… Over the last 30 years, this man told us he has predicted major events with such accuracy that he’s been invited to appear on hundreds of radio and TV shows and has even been privately hired to consult various world leaders and Presidents.

From the Arab Spring to the 2008 market collapse and “dot-com” bubble, this man’s predictions have led to unparalleled financial gains.

That is why we strongly suggest you heed his next prediction. In short, he believes an upcoming event will be detrimental for most Americans, but highly profitable for a select few...Read more here

2012-01-07T12:19:00.000+05:00

Dubai gym uses photo of Nazi death camp Auschwitz to promote weight loss

CSS (Central Superior Services) Exam of Federal Public Service Commission, Pakistan

2012-01-06T15:13:00.003+05:00

By any standards, this is one of the most sought-afterinterests among the young job-seekers of Pakistan and also the one somehow stillshrouded in mystery despite the vast reach of the internet and immensesprouting of various CSS guide-books and CSS coaching academies.

I remember the timewhen I started preparing for it. The available guidance in relation to it wasvery scarce and whatever that was available, its quality varied usually towardsthe down-side of the quality curve. People who were either already preparingfor it or the ones who had cleared it would exhibit their mood swings whenever oneasked them for guidance regarding something or especially when one asked themto give away their notes. The newly-sprouted academies were costly to the extentthat one thought of asking for a guarantee of passing the exam after payingthem their demanded sums.

The class of candidates which is often looking to beat thisexam is commonly the middle-class of our society. Many among them arecollege/university graduates and often jobless. This extra burden of paying thetuition fees of the coaching academies is not affordable for them. Moreover,the overall preparation for this exam is capital-intensive involving a varietyof expenses ranging from buying several books on different subjects to theexpenses of photocopying & stationery.

I joined an academy for a very brief period of around 2months in total. The maximum which I could get out of this experience was abunch of friends with whom later on I jointly studied and prepared for the exam.Others benefits included an interaction with my competitors there (whichgranted me the opportunity to gauge the level of my own competence vis-à-vistheirs) and a slight hint of guideline regarding various subjects to the extentof getting to know about their books. During my time there, I couldn’t decideabout my optional subjects mainly because of the diverse options being taughtthere. So in a way the whole exercise inspired confusion rather than clarity.But it was worth it for a brief period of 2 months. At least I got to knowwhere I stood in my preparation.

One general phenomenon which I commonly observed among thecandidates preparing for the exam was the haughtiness towards their fellowcandidates. This haughtiness was mutual most of the times, but in my case I wasalways appalled to see it. It often made me think about them that if they arelike that at this stage, how they would behave with the public at large if andwhen they cleared the exam. Shun this attitude if you have it. It will not doyou any good. Your humility coupled with your targeted preparation would beyour asset in the exam and not such haughtiness. Be courteous and helpfultowards your fellow colleagues and you might get something worthwhile in returnfrom them.

Now let’s see how to approach the preparation for this exam.CSS exam, and by exam I mean both the written and the interview exams, doesn’trequire hard work but rather it requires smart work on your part. Always keepthat in mind, CSS exam doesn’t require hard work but requires smart work. Butthat doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard at all to prepare for it. Youhave to, but in a more systematic and organized way. That also doesn’t meanthat you need to look for shortcuts.

I can recall the day when I first got hold of the FPSCsyllabus. Seeing the list of suggested readings at the end of the syllabus ofeach subject forced me to forget about the idea of even thinking aboutpreparing for the CSS exam for quite some time. Every mediocre student wouldlike to run away from such a volume of hard work and would look to do somethingeasier instead. Hence that syllabus book remained in dust for a while until a colleagueadvised me to forget about those suggested readings since they are mostlygeneralized books and don’t cover the whole spectrum of any subject in relationto its syllabus. That was a sigh of relief!

Now I’ll give you a few tips which are the gist of my wholeexperience in preparing for the exam and ultimately passing it in the firstattempt (I didn’t just pass it but I was amongst the toppers in that year).

1) Treat your first attempt as your last attempt.If you don’t do that and God forbid don’t pass the exam in your first attempt,you will be relaxed till you reach your final attempt and as you must be aware,there are only 3 attempts in all.

2) Do a conscious and a continuous effort towardsimproving your written English expression. It’s all about a good expression ofEnglish in the CSS exam. As a start, read English newspapers, preferably, dailyDAWN. Don’t ignore or over-look the words which are not comprehendible.Instead, open a new register and start noting them down and finding theirmeanings so that when the next time you come across them you must know theirmeanings. Continuous and careful reading of the newspaper will eventually helpyou in improving your grammar, spellings and the over-all written expression. Grammarand spellings-related mistakes are the most common ones for which you getpenalized on your compulsory English papers of Essay and Précis, Composition.Follow it and it might save you an attempt.

3) Select those optional subjects which best suityour aptitude and inclination. Don’t simply opt for the so-called “scoring”subjects which are normally suggested by the coaching academies or your peersand with which you are not comfortable while preparing or which don’t matchyour aptitude. You may avoid a lot of hassle if you do that. In addition tothat, opt those subjects which you can “self-study”. I cannot emphasize enoughthe importance of this word: “Self-Study”. The more you can self-study and notlook around for assistance in your preparation the more successful you will bein your endeavor of passing the exam.

4) Always consult past papers for any subject whichyou are preparing. Pen down the repeated questions appearing in those papers. Youmight end up finding the winning combination of questions for any subject.

5) Always consult the syllabus or the FPSCguidelines for any subject which you are starting to prepare. The lesser youdigress from the syllabus the better it will be. You will save a lot ofprecious time by doing that. Let me serve you with an example. There is acommon perception among the candidates that by opting Indian History as anoptional subject they can easily beat the paper of Pakistan Affairs because thesyllabus of Indian History overlaps the syllabus of Pakistan Affairs. I am notsure about your inclination towards the subject of Indian History but thisperception is wrong. Syllabus of Indian history is huge while that of PakistanAffairs is a small fraction of it and some of the topics especially the post-1947ones of the latter are not even included in the syllabus of the former.Preparation of Indian History alone might take three to four months while thepreparation time of Pakistan Affairs is hardly 15 days. So weigh your optionscarefully.

6) Candidates with a non-technical arts backgroundusually feel intimated by the subject of Everyday Science. Let go of that fear.It’s the easiest subject for anyone who has studied science till class 8^thor till matriculation. The best way to prepare Everyday Science is to analyzeits past papers for at least past 20 years and enlist the repeated topicsespecially the objective-type question. Also consult the FPSC guidelines whiledoing that and you will find hardly any topic there which will be out ofsyllabus/guidelines.

7) The most lucrative scoring opportunity in anysubject is its objective-type questions part. Prepare thoroughly for it. Just imaginethe odds in your favor of not just passing any subject but scoring arespectable total in it by just scoring the maximum in this part even if yoursubject-type questions part doesn’t come along well. Whether it is Précis and Composition,Islamiat, Pakistan Affairs, Everyday Science or any of the optional subjects,the odds will be in your favor.

That’s it for the time being. Wish you all very best in yourpreparation.

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham & Jason Zweig

2012-01-04T16:02:00.000+05:00

Benjamin Graham's writing is clear and concise. In “TheIntelligent Investor” he warns against unreasonable financial expectations andproceeds to explain his theories in sufficient detail, without being over thecomprehension of the layman interested in investing.

Chapters 1-9 cover investing basics that all investors could benefit from. Thesechapters provide the investor with a realistic picture of how a Stock Marketworks and what investors need to do to come out ahead.

Chapters 10-20 focus strictly on fundamental analysis, stock selection,convertible issues and warrants, and other subjects. Investors who plan toinvest directly in stocks should make sure to read these chapters.

In"The Intelligent Investor", Graham lays down the foundation of valueinvesting by three introducing key principles: the idea of "Mr.Market", a value-oriented disciplined approach to investing, and the"margin of safety" concept.

"Mr. Market"
Graham calls the average stock investor, or more accurately put, the daily stock“trader” who is always staring at the stock ticker as "Mr. Market."One day he loves the business and wants to pay a ridiculous price to buy outyour shares. The next day, all hope is lost, and he wants to sell you hisshares for mere pennies. Graham argues that this daily liquidity is anadvantage that most investors turn against themselves: "But note thisimportant fact: The true investor scarcely ever is forced to sell his shares,and at all other times he is free to disregard the current price quotation. Heneed pay attention to it and act upon it only to the extent that it suits hisbook, and no more. Thus the investor who permits himself to be stampeded orunduly worried by unjustified market declines in his holdings is perverselytransforming his basic advantage into a basic disadvantage. That man would bebetter off if his stocks had no market quotation at all; for he would then bespared the mental anguish caused him by other persons' mistakes of judgment."This is profound. It's not a question of whether our stocks will drop; theywill: the trick is how do you respond to that eventuality.

Grahamlays down some important characteristics of "value" stocks. Some of the metrics are dated, but theprinciples are still valid. Investors are now more focused on future earningsthan they were in his day, and valuations reflect that.

Grahamrecommends:

· Adequatesize of the enterprise

· Sufficientlystrong financial condition

· Earningsstability

· Dividendrecord

· Earningsgrowth

· Moderateprice/earnings ratio

· Moderateratio of price to assets

Hepurported Margin of Safety as thecentral concept of value investing. This is an investment rule that was writtenby a man who had been deeply affected by bear markets himself. It is believedthat he came up with this by learning from his losses. When the market turnsinto a storm of feces, like it inevitably will, if the stock has no earnings torely on, you have nothing to grab onto. You can't make yourself stay in thestock when the price is down. Graham says "The margin of safety is thedifference between the percentage rate of the earnings on the stock at theprice you pay for it and the rate of interest on bonds and that is to absorbunsatisfactory developments…The buyer of bargain issues places particularemphasis on the ability of the investment to withstand adverse developments". You can still lose money in the market with value-oriented investing, butaccording to Graham: "The margin guarantees only that he has a betterchance of profit than for loss-not that loss is impossible."

In conclusion, the combination of pioneer Ben Graham’s original work coupledwith Jason Zweig’s careful and enjoyable update, make this a remarkable bookabout investments and investor behavior that every new and experienced investorshould read. Zweig's commentary is useful, with footnotes to clarify historicalreferences and, occasionally, to demonstrate instances where Graham'spredictions proved untrue. At the end of each chapter, Zweig uses recent (up toearly 2003) examples of Graham's concepts to make things clearer to modernreaders.

A beginner's guide to stock investment

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Stocks, shares, equities…with a weak economic background Ialways felt intimidated by hearing or reading about these words. The first thingwhich used to come to my mind was a considerable amount lost in stocks by aclose relative once. Seeing several acquaintances discussing about making moneyin stocks and personally having nothing to add to those discussions usuallymade me think of those people as some kind of financial wizards. It’s not thatI didn’t make the effort. I remember asking my economics instructor once aboutstocks and all he could answer was, “Stocks are equities traded in stocksmarkets”. Will that make sense to any layman? Give me a break!

Since my childhood I have been a diligent follower of thedaily news bulletin at 9 every night. Just near the end of that news bulletin,the newscaster announces the daily trend of the stock market, either bullish orbearish, and that the market lost or gained so-many points. That used to be allGreek to me.

Well, it was during the September last year I was just killingtime browsing around thinking about discovering new ways of making money apartfrom my day job and investing my hard-earned savings somewhere for a betterreturn when I came across an email newsletter from an investment orientedwebsite to which I had subscribed to a few years ago but never got the time orinterest to read any of its newsletters. Its title was “Now is the best time to investin stocks”. It gripped me for a second but wary as I was about the stocks, thefear of losing money popped out at once…but anyway, just out of curiosity, Iperused the contents and at its end what struck me were these very wise words:

“Invest in whatever stocks you like but don’t forget toresearch about them and don’t invest unless you are aware about the basicmechanisms of stock investment”.

That served as a punch line for me. I still thank the writerfor writing it. And that’s when I started looking around for more informationat various websites just to get to know as to what are stocks anyway. Talkingto a few acquaintances who were small-time investors to do some knowledgesharing about my newly-adopted hobby of knowing about stocks I came to realizethat all of them didn’t know any more than my economics instructor. So theirimages of financial wizards just burst right there in front of me.

When I askedthem if they knew any good books to suggest me about investing in stocks, allthey could advise me was that I would never be able to make money in stocks ifI started reading about them. They told me to just put in that money and start “trading”already. The broker would guide me about which stocks to buy instead.

You see that’s the dilemma which an average small-time stockinvestor is suffering from on a regular basis especially when it is referred to in context of Pakistan. Investors are usually engaged in short-term 'trading'. and do not know about the stocks inwhich they are about to put their hard-earned savings in the vague hope of aprosperous future. It’s better to keep that money in a bank account instead. Atleast you won’t lose it on an eccentric bet. The solution is read, read andread as much as you can about the prospect of any investment. It's your hard-earned savings after all. That way you would beinvesting on a solid bet.

Now, what and how to read about stocks? First, a beginnerinvestor needs to understand these basic questions:

What are stocks anyway and why are they such goodinvestments over time?

What is a stock market and how does it work?

What are the types of stocks?

Who are brokers and to what extent can they be beneficial toyou?

What ratios/measurements you need to concentrate on whileevaluating the health of a particular stock (explained in layman terms)?

What is this fancy term called stock portfolio? How tocreate and manage a stock portfolio?

Comparison of investing in stocks with investing in otherfinancial instruments such as bonds, options, futures or with investing inreal-estate.

What are the various resources available either online or offlineto research about stocks (such as magazines, newspapers, newsletters, websites)?

How to organize you research about the stocks you areinterested to buy?

What are the investing styles of master investors?

How to read financial statements such as balance sheets,income statements and cash flow statements and what to get out of them?

For the beginner investors, just to get the feel of solid answersto these queries, I recommend the following must-read books. They will serve asyour guides for a long time to come in your quest for finding answers to the abovequeries and also for digging out better investment opportunities. These bookswill serve as start-up guides for beginner investors anywhere around the world.You can further customize the material presented therein according to yourcountry-specific stock markets like I did in my case (Pakistan).

Happy reading and happy investing.

P.S: For stock investors from Pakistan, the online andoffline resources available to research about stocks traded on the Karachistock exchange are extremely limited. These resources are usually limited to annualreports of a limited number of companies available on those companies’ websites.

However, lately I came across a very useful website managingextremely valuable and in-depth stocks research content in terms of analysis offinancial statements, historical stock prices database and other such usefulcontent on stocks traded on the Karachi stock Exchange which the beginner investors from Pakistan would be searching afterreading the above-referred books in order to get clarity about their investmentpursuits in Pakistan. It’s a subscription-based website, which means that you’llhave to pay a nominal monthly subscription fee of around Rs. 600. You can alsoget a one-month free trial subscription by e-mailing a request for a freesubscription to the webmaster. The address of the website is www.pkfinance.info

Suggested books on Stock investment

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