Chapter One: Bozeman or Bust (lots of bust)
I had done it once again, like so many other years before, by traveling north to one of the harshest and coldest states that a hobo could possibly go to during the dead of winter, late-January 2021: Mon-fucking-tana. Or as the locals jokingly say, "Montucky". (edit: Shout-out to Montucky Cold Snacks, the cheap horse-piss watered down beer that is Montana's equivalent of Washington's "Rainier Ale" or Oregon's "Session Lager"). I digress.
If I was a goose, I'd surely be the Jonathan Livingston Seagull of the flock…the black sheep shitshow of a goose flying in the completely wrong direction at the worst time of the year. As forementioned, this was not the first time, nor second time, that I've done this. In fact, it's become a habit, if not straight-up routine.
Laramie, Wyoming circa November 2016. Glendive, Montana circa January 2015 Minot, North Dakota circa January 2014. Yukon, Canada circa November 2013. Bellingham, Washington circa January 2006. The list goes on, and on, and on…
And here I am. Bozeman Fucking Montana, circa January-February 2021. The locals say it's an unusually warm winter, which by Montana's standards might include 5 inches of snow in the afternoon and temperatures dropping below 10F degrees at night. However, according to the high standards of a low-class hobo born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, this weather is colder than a witches tit.
Now, that's not to say that I ain't prepared though. I assure you that I am. Sixteen years of living on the road and rails has made this black goose a well-seasoned bird, with all the trimmings. I have a military sleeping bag that can keep me alive down to negative 30 temperatures. My military backpack is waterproof, and so are the snowboarding pants that I wear under my insulated Carharrt overalls. I have alpaca wool thermal pants, merino wool socks, thermolite waterproof boots, thinsulated gloves, and several wool and polyster beanie hats. My dual-layer mountaineering tent can withstand hurricane-force winds and all the snow that a blizzard can muster.
Winter? Montana? Bring it bitch. Hit me with your best shot. You know I like it. wink
Sigh. However, DESPITE the freezing temperatures and shit tons of snow, there's a lil secret that I've learned during my many years of traveling, and that secret is certainly DUE to these wintery conditions: Jobs! Lots and lots and lots and lots of jobs! Jobs here, jobs there, jobs every-fucking-where. Hotel jobs, restaurant jobs, retail jobs, construction jobs, maintenance jobs, driving jobs, even jobs just to help other people get more damn jobs!
You want a job during winter? Well they got jobs out northern Californie way, Oregonie way, Montanie way, Washingtonie way, North and South Dakotie way, and every which way can go above above the Mason-Dixon line!
If you can't find a damn job in the Northwestern United States of America during winter, you ain't fucking looking, and that's a fact. If you got one arm and you can swing a hammer, or punch a number on a cash register, then consider yourself hired on the spot and you can start today.
Before this chapter turns into an entire damn book of its own (A Hobo's Guide to Finding Jobs) let's get back to the story here: Bozeman or Bust.
As I begin this chapter, I have a red-wine hangover that is enough to drive me to a bullet in the head. I made a pot of coffee only to puke it back up on my hands and knees in front the porcelain thrown. I think it was good ole Earnest Hemingway that once said "Write Drunk, Edit Sober". Experienced words of wisdom from a fine man that knew everything a man could possibly know about drinking shit tons of wine and writing shit tons of stories. I wouldn't be lying if I was to confess that Mr. Hemingway, along with Mr. Steinbeck and Mr. Twain, are drunken heroes of mine that I could only hope someday to sit alongside in the bookstores of Hell and Hades with a gallon of cheap Merlot. Salut, gentleman.
After puking, rolling cigarettes, drinking coffee, and puking several times more, I was finally able to sit down to try and remember what-the-fuck happened yesterday; a solemn meditation technique that involves tons of coffee and contemplation; a time to worship the asinine achievements that are accompanied in both rejoice and regret.
Yesterday started off sober as a saint. I had a job interview at this place I had found on craigslist, some place looking for fresh warm bodies to fill up their production-assembly line. I took a bus to the address they had given me, which ended up being the adress to the Bozeman City Bank.
"A bank?", I thought, as I wondered around the parking lot dumbfounded and confused for a solid 5 minutes, checking the address several times on my phone, wondering why on earth I've been sent to a state bank. After circling the parking lot, I noticed a door on the side of the bank that said "Job Choices Employment Services: Second Floor".
Godammit. I had been fucking conned. Fucking craigslist. I know what's going on here…this a goddamn employment agency that wants to take 10-15 percent of my paycheck, take away my rights to healthcare and benefits, in the so-called promise of finding me a "great career path of opportunity".
Employment agencies. Just like rats. The only "opportunity" here was them: Creatures of opportunity, parasites hellbent on scavaging peoples money and benefits. "A not-even-close-to-great career path of 9-5 slave-labor bullshit involving years of suckling away your mind, body, and spirit", the sign on the door should have read.
This was definitely a mistake. And anyone that has ever had the unfortunate pleasure of being with me can you tell one thing about me: I fucking love mistakes. I love making them, and I love learning from them. I am a walking-talking connoisseur of mistakes. In fact, I just made a mistake trying to spell connoisseur, so I asked Google "Hey Google, spell connoisseur", and due to lack of interpreting my Alabama accent, Google made the mistake of showing me the word Coitus. I have now learned that the word "coitus" is another word for sex. As a writer and the son of an English teacher, I love learning new words. As a human male, I love sex. So learning a new word for "sex" is a fantastic trade-off for that fortunate mistake!
I digress.
I decided to walk into the bank, up the stairs to the second floor, and down the hall to the employment agency. A well-dressed and very sexy debutant by the name of Tracy stood up and greeted me with a smile that was formal, professional, and admittedly very sexy.
While my dirty mind started playing cheap porn music, along with vivid images of me and Tracy wrecking that office like wild alleycats, I was suddenly snapped back into reality with Tracy's sexy voice, saying:
"Hey, you must be Mr. Huck! Are you here for the 3:00 o'clock interview? Could you please start by filling out this application? You can have a seat over at the desk here"…
Godammit. This employment agency was GOOD. I was Tracy's submissive little slut. I walked right where Tracy told me to walk, sat right in the chair Tracy pulled out for me to sit in, and I started filling out the application with the ballpoint pen that Tracy had somehow put in my hand without me even realizing it. Tracy could have stolen my wallet and the 11 dollars inside of it as well, had she wanted to, and I wouldn't have even noticed. And even if I had noticed, I would have let her do it anyway. Godammit!
As I started to fill out the application, I got to the section I dreaded most: job references. Oh boy…allow me to tell you a little about Huck's references, or lacktherof:
At my last job, I was fired because of a fight that broke-out between my ex-girlfriend and myself, which began with lots of shouting and shoving, and ended with me getting a black-eye from being punched in the face twice. Fun fact: Italian women are fiery as they are fierce, and bold as they are beautiful. And just like their male Italian counterparts, such as Sylvester Stalone or Al Capone, they know how to land a solid right jab. This fight erupted in the worker's dormitory for all employees to hear and see. And although I was the one with the swollen black eye, I was the one they decided to fire. C'est la vie, such is life. Que sera sera, it be what it fucking be.
We can scratch that job off as a reference, without a doubt.
The job before that, I was at a marijuana farm called "Great American Cannabis", in which my managers and co-workers tried to recruit me into a far-right group of sexist and racist baboons called "The Proud Boys".
There was a pre-determining factor in why that farm had hired me, and assumed I would be interested in their idealogical gang. That pre-determing factor was the very same factor that led Google to teaching me the wrong word and definition: my Alabama accent.
Great American Cannabis had hired me based on a phone interview, in which they assumed my southern accent indicated two things, in which case one of their assumptions was right, and one was wrong:
Assumption Numero Uno: Huck has an Alabama accent, which therefore indicates that he has years of experience working on farms, growing plants, and being an honest and hard-worker.
Assumption Numero Dos: Huck has an Alabama accent, therefore he must be idealogically aligned with far-right beliefs including sexism and racism.
Welp, I am proud to say that even that although a 50% winning percentage may be fine and dandy with gambling in Vegas, and can be seen as half full or half empty based on however optimisitic or pessimistic you might be, in the case of Great American Cannabis and The Proud Boys, those odds ended pretty badly.
As it turns out, despite being raised by a racist father and surrounded by bigotry in the not-so-sweet home of Alabama, those very dispositions made this black sheep child rebel from such ass-backward beliefs, and I am staunchly pro-civil rights, which means I am pro-immigration, and a proud supporter of the sufferage movement for womens right.
Obviously, that did not go very well with my co-workers at the farm, and I was fired within the first month. But wait, theres more tragic humor to the story of this farm, which I'll organize in two keypoints:
Keypoint Numero Uno: The farm was owned by Iranian immigrants. I…shit…you…not. That's right. YOU DID READ THAT CORRECTLY. Not only was the farm owned and managed by a minority group of immigrants, those very immigrants came directly from the very country is at the VERY TOP of White-America's shitlist: Iran.
Keypoint Numeros Dos: After I was fired based almost entirely according to my leftist and progressive views on race and gender equality, within just a couple of weeks nearly everybody on the farm was fired and replaced by cheaper immigrant labor in the form of Laotian women. That's right…a white-blooded American-born legal-working male, was replaced by brown-blooded, foreign-born, mostly-illegal-working females, on a farm owned and managed by right-wing racists and sexists that were anti-immigration. Once again, I…shit…you…fucking…not...let THAT shit sink in.
I literally cannot make this shit up, and let it be forever proof that reality, however tragic or ironic it may be, is far greater than fiction. You can write that last sentence in a letter, shove that puppy in an envelope, slap that bitch with a stamp, and mail it to the fucking MOON. Or you can mail it to Iran, or Laos, whichever you prefer.
However, I digress.
So, being that I was fired from Great American Cannabis by a bunch of Iranian Proud Boys, you can scratch that job off of the "reference" list as well. Sigh.
So, how about the job before that? Well, that's a hell of a story too, but I'll make it quick and cut shorter to the chase:
I worked on a fishing boat for a Mormon captain. Although I loved him like a Dad, and he often treated me like a son, my job ended in these words:
"Huck, I really like you. You're one of the hardest working deckhands I've ever had, despite it being a very terrible year for fishing. However, as a man that is a Latter Day Saint of God, as a Mormon, I'm going to have to ask you to leave because of three reasons:
1) You smoke cigarettes, marijuana, and drink alcohol and coffee.
2) You curse worse than a sailor.
3) You are an atheist/agnostic."
And in case you, the reader did not know: Mormons HATE cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol, AND coffee. They are forbidden to curse, and they are not even allowed to tolerate the company of anyone that isn't a believer in God.
Well Godammit. How in the hell am I so goddamn misfortunate and unlucky, to be the must FIRST FUCKING PERSON in the entire HISTORY OF FISHING, that has gotten fired for using curse words and drinking whiskey. I couldn't even absorb the fact that my boss was firing me because I couldn't get over the fact that I was possibly the first sailor or fisherman in all of ocean-faring humanity that had gotten fired for doing what sailors and fisherman are guaranteed and known to do best: drinkin' and cursin'
We can also scratch THAT job off the possible reference list as well.
It was at this point in the office of Job Choices Bozeman that the porn music had long since stopped playing in my head, and that I suddenly and swiftly fell deeply into a full blown existential crisis right there in Tracy's office while simply trying to think of a single reference from my last 3 jobs. The unbelievable amount of misfortune, tragedy, irony, and utter insanity of my last 3 job experiences had truly started to sink in, and I was beginning to legitimately lose my temporary grasp on sanity along with my faith in humanity altogether in one great, big, sloppy sandwich of existential fucking crisis.
Allow me to self-diagnose this existential crisis sandwich by peeling off some of the layers of this enormous stinking onion that is in the middle of it all: Either that curse that was put on me a few years ago by a Mexican trainhopping gypsy from New Orleans is proof that curses are indeed fucking real, or either I am the unluckiest son of a bitch on this entire planet that is so very unlucky that I am slowly (or quickly) coming to the conclusion that this entire life is a simulation that is programmed by some sick comedic asshole that specializes in the tragedies of both irony AND misfortune. And though some people in this world call that programmer God or Allah or Jehovah, I call him Jeff. I call him "Jeff in Programming", with same amount of disdain and hatred that Michael Scott refers to "Toby in Human Resources" in the American version of the show "The Office".
(Sidenote: If you do not understand my last reference because you have not watched The Office, then you need to stop reading this book right now, go sign up for one month of Netflix, and spend that entire month binge-watching one of the greatest sitcoms ever made in the history of television: The Office (US Version). Go. Now!)
I digress.
As I collapsed into a full-blown existential crisis while thinking of job references on the second floor employment services office above Montana State Bank, my fantasy-based relationship with Tracy was also about to crumble into an existential crisis as well, based on two very important qualities:
Quality Numero Uno: Tracy and I had no relationship that actually existed outside of my head and a stupid job application form. We had never knocked over all of the filing cabinets, water-cooler, or broken the copying machine with tantric sex. That scenario never existed period.
Quality Numeros Dos: I was about to not only lie, but also commit non-existent adultery to Tracy, thus putting a very real end to a not-very-real relationship.
I stood up from the desk that me and Tracy had never fucked on, and I told Tracy that I had to use the bathroom. And though I did really have to use the bathroom, it wasn't for the purpose of pissing or taking a shit, it was for the purpose of throwing the application in the toilet and sneaking my way down the hallway and out of the employment agency. In which case, that is precisely what I did.
Upon stepping out of the door and back into the parking lot of Bozeman City Bank, I noticed another hot little woman across the street: A dazzling red-headed freckle-faced damsel by the name of Wendy, who promised in her fertile bosom the birth of two-dollar cheeseburgers and loaded baked potatoes. I went inside Wendy's house, and began to have an oral relationship by penetrating my mouth with nearly everything that was offered on Wendy's dollar-value menu.
Stop here, acquire coffee, booze, and cigarettes until I feel like writing again, which may be later tonight, tomorrow morning, or possibly fucking never

In the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a young teen growing up in far North Austin, it was a popular custom for many boys in the neighborhood to assemble at the local Stop-N-Go after school on a regular basis for some Grand Champion level tournaments in Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat. The collective insistence of our mothers and fathers to get out of the house, get some exercise, and refrain from playing NES or Sega on the television only led us to seek out more video games at the convenience store down the road. Much allowance and lunch money was spent as well as hours that should have been devoted to homework among the 8 or 9 regular boys in attendance, often challenging each other to 'Best of 5' matches. I myself played Dhalsim and SubZero, and not very well, so I rarely ever made it to the 5th match. The store workers frequently kicked us out for the day only to have us return when they weren't working the counter anymore if not the next day.
There is something about that which has been lost in the present day. While people can today download the latest games on Steam or PSN or in the app store on your smartphone, you can't just find arcade games in stores and restaurants like you used to be able to. And so the fun of a spontaneous 8 or 10 person multiplayer video game tournament has been confined to places like bars, pool halls, Pinballz or Dave&Busters.
But in truth it was that ubiquity of arcade video games, how you could find them in any old 7-11 or Laundromat, which is what killed the original arcades of the early 1980s before the Great Crash of 1983 when home video game consoles started to catch up to what you saw in the arcade.
I was born in the mid 1970s so I missed out on Pong. I was kindergarten age when the Golden Age of Arcade Games took place in the early 1980s. There used to be a place called Skateworld on Anderson Mill Road that was primarily for roller skating but had a respectable arcade in its own right. It was there that I honed my skills on the original Tron, Pac Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Defender, and so many others. In the 1980s I remember visiting all the same mall arcades as others in my age group. There was Aladdin's Castle in Barton Creek Mall, The Gold Mine in Highland, and another Gold Mine in Northcross which was eventually renamed Tilt. Westgate Mall also had an arcade but being a north austin kid I never went there until later in the mid 1990s. There were also places like Malibu Grand Prix and Showbiz Pizza and Chuck-E-Cheeze, all of which had fairly large arcades for kids which were the secondary attraction.
If you're of a certain age you will remember Einsteins and LeFun on the Drag. They were there for a few decades going back way before the Slacker era. Lesser known is that the UT Student Union basement used to have an arcade that was comparable to either or both of those places. Back in the pre-9/11 days it was much easier to sneak in if you even vaguely looked like you could be a UT student.
But there was another place I was too young to have experienced called Smitty's up further north on 183 at Lake Creek in the early 1980s. I never got to go there but I always heard about it from older kids at the time. It was supposed to have been two stories of wall to wall games with a small snack bar. I guess at the time it served a mostly older teen crowd from Westwood High School and for that reason younger kids my age weren't having birthday parties there. It wasn't around very long, just a few years during the Golden Age of Arcades.
It is with almost-forgotten early arcades like that in mind that I wanted to share with y'all some examples of places from The Golden Age of the Video Arcade in Austin using some old Statesman articles I've found. Maybe someone of a certain age on here will remember them. I was curious what they were like, having missed out by being slightly too young to have experienced most of them first hand. I also wanted to see the original reaction to them in the press. I had a feeling there was some pushback from school/parent/civic groups on these facilities showing up in neighborhood strip malls or next to schools, and I was right to suspect. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let's list off some places of interest. Be sure to speak up if you remember going to any of these, even if it was just for some other kid's birthday party. Unfortunately some of the only mentions about a place are reports of a crime being committed there, such as our first few examples.
Forgotten Arcade #1
Fun House/Play Time Arcade - 2820 Guadalupe
June 15, 1975

ARCADE ENTHUSIASM
A gang fight involving 20 30 people erupted early Saturday morning in front of an arcade on Guadalupe Street. The owner of the Fun House Arcade at 282J Guadalupe told police pool cues, lug wrenches, fists and a shotgun were displayed during the flurry. Police are unsure what started the fisticuffs, but one witness at the scene said it pitted Chicanos against Anglos. During the fight the owner of the arcade said a green car stopped at the side of the arcade and witnesses reported the barrel of a shotgun sticking out. The crowd wisely scattered and only a 23-year-old man was left lying on the ground. He told police he doesn't know what happened.

March 3, 1976

ARCADE ROBBED
A former employee of Play Time Arcade, 2820 Guadalupe, was charged Tuesday in connection with the Tuesday afternoon robbery of his former business. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Ronnie Magee, 22, of 1009 Aggie Lane, Apt. 306. Arcade attendant Sam Garner said he had played pool with the suspect an hour before the robbery. He told police the man had been fired from the business two weeks earlier. Police said a man walked in the arcade about 2:45 p m. with a blue steel pistol and took $180. Magee is charged with first degree aggravated robbery. Bond was set on the charge at $15,000.

First it was called Fun House and then renamed Play Time a year later. I'm not sure what kind of arcade games beyond Pong and maybe Asteroids they could have had at this place. The peak of the Pinball craze was supposed to be around 1979, so they might have had a few pinball machines as well. A quick search of youtube will show you a few examples of 1976 video games like Death Race. The location is next to Ken's Donuts where PokeBowl is today where the old Baskin Robbins location was for many years.
Forgotten Arcade #2
Green Goth - 1121 Springdale Road
May 15, 1984

A 23-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to a January 1983 murder in East Austin and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jim Crowell Jr. of Austin admitted shooting 17-year-old Anthony Rodriguez in the chest with a shotgun after the two argued outside the Green Goth, a games arcade at 1121 Springdale Road, on Jan. 23, 1983. Crowell had argued with Rodriguez and a friend of Rodriguez at the arcade, police said. Crowell then went to his house, got a shotgun and returned to the arcade, witnesses said. When the two friends left the arcade, Rodriguez was shot Several weeks ago Crowell had reached a plea bargain with prosecutors for an eight-year prison term, but District Judge Bob Perkins would not accept the sentence, saying it was shorter than sentences in similar cases. After further plea bargaining, Crowell accepted the 15-year prison sentence.

I can't find anything else on Green Goth except reports about this incident with a murder there. There is at least one other report from 1983 around the time of Crowell's arrest that also refer to it as an arcade but reports the manager said the argument started over a game of pool. It's possible this place might have been more known for pool.
Forgotten Arcades #3 & #4
Games, Etc. - 1302 S. First St
Muther's Arcade - 2532 Guadalupe St
August 23, 1983

Losing the magic touch - Video Arcades have trouble winning the money game
It was going to be so easy for Lawrence Villegas, a video game junkie who thought he could make a fast buck by opening up an arcade where kids could plunk down an endless supply of quarters to play Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Asteroids. Villegas got together with a few friends, purchased about 30 video games and opened Games, Etc. at 1302 S. First St in 1980. .,--.... For a while, things, went great Kids waited in line to spend their money to drive race cars, slay dragons and save the universe.
AT THE BEGINNING of 1982, however, the bottom fell out, and Villegas' revenues fell from $400 a week to $25. Today, Games, Etc. is vacant Villegas, 30, who is now working for his parents at Tony's Tortilla Factory, hasn't decided what he'll do with the building. "I was hooked on Asteroids, and I opened the business to get other people hooked, too," Villegas said. "But people started getting bored, and it wasn't worth keeping the place open. In the end, I sold some machines for so little it made me sick."
VILLEGAS ISNT the only video game operator to experience hard times, video game manufacturers and distributors 'It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100 .
Pac-Man's a lost cause. Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Ronnie Roark says. In the past year, business has dropped 25 percent to 65 percent throughout the country, they say. Most predict business will get even worse before the market stabilizes. Video game manufacturers and operators say there are several reasons for the sharp and rapid decline: Many video games can now be played at home on television, so there's no reason to go to an arcade. The novelty of video games has worn off. It has been more than a decade since the first ones hit the market The decline can be traced directly to oversaturation or the market arcade owners say. The number of games in Austin has quadrupled since 1981, and it's not uncommon to see them in coin-operated laundries, convenience stores and restaurants.
WITH SO MANY games to choose from, local operators say, Austinites be came bored. Arcades still take in thousands of dollars each week, but managers and owners say most of the money is going to a select group of newer games, while dozens of others sit idle.
"After awhile, they all seem the same," said Dan Moyed, 22, as he relaxed at Muther's Arcade at 2532 Guadalupe St "You get to know what the game is going to do before it does. You can play without even thinking about it" Arcade owners say that that, in a nutshell, is why the market is stagnating.
IN THE PAST 18 months, Ronnie Roark, owner of the Back Room at 2015 E. Riverside Drive, said his video business has dropped 65 to 75 percent Roark, . who supplied about 160 video games to several Austin bars and arcades, said the instant success of the games is what led to their demise. "The technology is not keeping up with people's demand for change," said Roark, who bought his first video game in 1972. "The average game is popular for two or three months. We're sending back games that are less than five months old."
Roark said the market began dropping in March 1982 and has been declining steadily ever since. "The drop started before University of Texas students left for the summer in 1982," Roark said. "We expected a 25 percent drop in business, and we got that, and more. It's never really picked up since then. - "It used to be fairly common to get $300 a week from a machine. Now we rarely get more than $100. 1 was shocked when I looked over my books and saw how much things had dropped."
TO COMBAT THE slump, Roark said, he and some arcade owners last year cut the price of playing. Even that didn't help, he said. Old favorites, such as Pac-Man, which once took in hundreds of dollars each week, he said, now make less than $3 each. "Pac-Man's a lost cause," he said. "Six months ago, you could resell a Pac-Man machine for $1,600. Now, you're lucky to get $950 if you can find a buyer." Hardest hit by the slump are the owners of the machines, who pay $3,500 to $5,000 for new products and split the proceeds with the businesses that house them.
SALEM JOSEPH, owner of Austin Amusement and Vending Co., said his business is off 40 percent in the past year. Worse yet, some of his customers began returning their machines, and he's having a hard time putting them back in service. "Two years ago, a machine would generate enough money to pay for itself in six months,' said Joseph, who supplies about 250 games to arcades. "Now that same machine takes 18 months to pay for itself." As a result, Joseph said, he'll buy fewer than 15 new machines this year, down from the 30 to 50 he used to buy. And about 50 machines are sitting idle in his warehouse.
"I get calls every day from people who want to sell me their machines," Joseph said. "But I can't buy them. The manufacturers won't buy them from me." ARCADE OWNERS and game manufacturers hope the advent of laser disc video games will buoy the market Don Osborne, vice president of marketing for Atari, one of the largest manufacturers of video games, said he expects laser disc games to bring a 25 percent increase in revenues next year. The new games are programmed to give players choices that may affect the outcome of the game, Os borne said. "Like the record and movie industries, the video game industry is dependent on products that stimulate the imagination," Osborne said "One of the reasons we're in a valley is that we weren't coming up with those kinds of products."
THE FIRST of the laser dis games, Dragonslayer and Star Wan hit the market about two months ago. Noel Kerns, assistant manager of The Gold Mine Arcade in Northcross Mall, says the new games are responsible for a $l,000-a-week increase in revenues. Still, Kerns said, the Gold Mine' total sales are down 20 percent iron last summer. However, he remain optimistic about the future of the video game industry. "Where else can you come out of the rain and drive a Formula One race car or save the universe?" hi asked.
Others aren't so optimistic. Roark predicted the slump will force half of all operators out of business and will last two more years. "Right now, we've got a great sup ply and almost no demand," Roark said. "That's going to have to change before things get- significantly better."

Well there is a lot to take from that long article, among other things, that the author confused "Dragonslayer" with "Dragon's Lair". I lol'd.
Anyone who has been to Emo's East, formerly known as The Back Room, knows they have arcade games and pool, but it's mostly closed when there isn't a show. That shouldn't count as an arcade, even though the former owner Ronnie Roark was apparently one of the top suppliers of cabinet games to the area during the Golden Era. Any pool hall probably had a few arcade games at the time, too, but that's not the same as being an arcade.
We also learn from the same article of two forgotten arcades: Muthers at 2522 Guadalupe where today there is a Mediterranean food restaurant, and another called Games, Etc. at 1302 S.First that today is the site of an El Mercado restaurant. But the article is mostly about showing us how bad the effects were from the crash at the end of the Golden Era. It was very hard for the early arcades to survive with increasing competition from home game consoles and personal computers, and the proliferation of the games into stores and restaurants.
Forgotten Arcades #5 #6 & #7
Computer Madness - 2414 S. Lamar Blvd.
Electronic Encounters - 1701 W Ben White Blvd (Southwood Mall)
The Outer Limits Amusements Center - 1409 W. Oltorf
March 4, 1982

'Quartermania' stalks South Austin
School officials, parents worried about effects of video games
A fear Is haunting the video game business. "We call it 'quartermania.' That's fear of running out of quarters," said Steve Stackable, co-owner of Computer Madness, a video game and foosball arcade at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd. The "quartermania" fear extends to South Austin households and schools, as well. There it's a fear of students running out of lunch money and classes to play the games. Local school officials and Austin police are monitoring the craze. They're concerned that computer hotspots could become undesirable "hangouts" for students, or that truancy could increase because students (high-school age and younger) will skip school to defend their galaxies against The Tempest.
So far police fears have not been substantiated. Department spokesmen say that although more than half the burglaries in the city are committed by juveniles during the daytime, they know of no connection between the break-ins and kids trying to feed their video habit But school and parental worries about misspent time and money continue. The public outcry in September 1980 against proposals to put electronic game arcades near two South Austin schools helped persuade city officials to reject the applications. One proposed location was near Barton Hills Elementary School. The other was South Ridge Plaza at William Cannon Drive and South First Street across from Bedlchek Junior High School.
Bedichek principal B.G. Henry said he spoke against the arcade because "of the potential attraction it had for our kids. I personally feel kids are so drawn to these things, that It might encourage them to leave the school building and play hookey. Those things have so much compulsion, kids are drawn to them like a magnet Kids can get addicted to them and throw away money, maybe their lunch money. I'm not against the video games. They may be beneficial with eye-hand coordination or even with mathematics, but when you mix the video games during school hours and near school buildings, you might be asking for problems you don't need."
A contingent from nearby Pleasant Hill Elementary School joined Bedichek in the fight back in 1980, although principal Kay Beyer said she received her first formal call about the games last Week from a mother complaining that her child was spending lunch money on them. Beyer added that no truancy problems have been related to video game-playing at a nearby 7-11 store. Allen Poehl, amusement game coordinator for Austin's 7-11 stores, said company policy rules out any game-playing by school-age youth during school hours. Fulmore Junior High principal Bill Armentrout said he is working closely with operators of a nearby 7-1 1 store to make sure their policy is enforced.
The convenience store itself, and not necessarily the video games, is a drawing card for older students and drop-outs, Armentrout said. Porter Junior High principal Marjorie Ball said that while video games aren't a big cause of truancy, "the money (spent on the games) is a big factor." Ball said she has made arrangements with nearby businesses to call the school it students are playing the games during school hours. "My concern is that kids are basically unsupervised, especially at the 24-hour grocery stores. That's a late hour for kids to be out. I would like to see them (games) unplugged at 10 p.m.," adds Joslin Elementary principal Wayne Rider.
Several proprietors of video game hot-spots say they sympathize with the concerns of parents and school officials. No one under 18 is admitted without a parent to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre at 4211 S. Lamar. That rule, says night manager David Dunagan, "keeps it from being a high school hangout. This is a family place." Jerry Zollar, owner of J.J. Subs in West Wood Shopping Center on Bee Cave Road, rewards the A's on the report cards of Eanes school district students with free video games. "It's kind of a community thing we do in a different way. I've heard from both teachers and parents . . . they thought this was a good idea," said Zollar.
Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall last year was renovated into a brightly lit arcade. "We're trying to get away from the dark, barroom-type place. We want this to be a place for family entertainment We won't let kids stay here during school hours without a written note from their parents, and we're pretty strict about that," said manager Kelly Roberts. Joyce Houston, who manages The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf St. along with her husband, said, "I wouldn't let my children go into some of the arcades I've visited. I'm a concerned parent, too. We wanted a place where the whole family could come and enjoy themselves."

Well you can see which way the tone of all these articles is going. There were some crimes committed at some arcades but all of them tended to have a negative reputation for various reasons. Parents and teachers were very skeptical of the arcades being in the neighborhoods to the point of petitioning the City Government to restrict them. Three arcades are mentioned besides Chuck-E-Cheese. Electronic Encounters in Southwood Mall, The Outer Limits amusements center at 1409 W. Oltorf, and Computer Madness, a "video game and foosball arcade" at 2414 S. Lamar Blvd.
Forgotten Arcade #8
Smitty's Galaxy of Games - Lake Creek Parkway
February 25, 1982

Arcades fighting negative image
Video games have swept across America, and Williamson and Travis counties have not been immune. In a two-part series, Neighbor examines the effects the coin-operated machines have had on suburban and small-town life.
Cities have outlawed them, religious leaders have denounced them and distraught mothers have lost countless children to their voracious appetites. And still they march on, stronger and more numerous than before. A new disease? Maybe. A wave of invading aliens from outer space? On occasion. A new type of addiction? Certainly. The culprit? Video games. Although the electronic game explosion has been mushrooming throughout the nation's urban areas for the past few years, its rippling effects have just recently been felt in the suburban fringes of North Austin and Williamson County.
In the past year, at least seven arcades armed with dozens of neon quarter-snatchers have sprung up to lure teens with thundering noises and thousands of flashing seek-and-destroy commands. Critics say arcades are dens of iniquity where children fall prey to the evils of gambling. But arcade owners say something entirely different. "Everybody fights them (arcades), they think they are a haven for drug addicts. It's just not true," said Larry Grant of Austin, who opened Eagle's Nest Fun and Games on North Austin Avenue in Georgetown last September. "These kids are great" Grant said the gameroom "gives teenagers a place to come. Some only play the games and some only talk.
In Georgetown, if you're from the high school, this is it." He said he's had very few disturbances, and asks "undesirables" to leave. "We've had a couple of rowdies. That's why I don't have any pool tables they tend to attract that type of crowd," Grant said.
Providing a place for teens to congregate was also the reason behind Ron and Carol Smith's decision to open Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway at the entrance to Anderson Mill. "We have three teenage sons, and as soon as the oldest could drive, it became immediately apparent that there was no place to go around here," said Ron, an IBM employee who lives in Spicewood at Balcones. "This prompted us to want to open something." The business, which opened in August, has been a huge success with both parents and youngsters. "Hundreds of parents have come to check out our establishment before allowing their children to come, and what they see is a clean, safe environment managed by adults and parents," Ron said. "We've developed an outstanding rapport with the community." Video arcades "have a reputation that we have to fight," said Carol.
Kathy McCoy of Georgetown, who last October opened Krazy Korner on Willis Street in Leander, agrees. "We've got a real good group of kids," she said. "There's no violence, no nothing. Parents can always find their kids at Krazy Korner."
While all the arcade owners contacted reported that business is healthy, if not necessarily lucrative, it's not as easy for video entrepreneurs to turn a profit as one might imagine. A sizeable investment is required. Ron Smith paid between $2,800 and $5,000 for each of the 30 electronic diversions at his gameroom.
Grant said his average video game grosses about $50 a week, and his "absolute worst" game, Armor Attack, only $20 a week. The top machines (Defender and Pac-Man) can suck in an easy $125 a week. That's a lot of quarters, 500 to be exact but the Eagle's Nest and Krazy Korner pass half of them on to Neelley Vending Company of Austin which rents them their machines. "At 25 cents a shot, it takes an awful lot of people to pay the bills," said Tom Hatfield, district manager for Neelley.
He added that an owner's personality and the arcade's location can make or break the venture. The game parlor must be run "by an understanding person, someone with patience," Hatfield said. "They cannot be too demanding on the kids, yet they can't let them run all over them." And they must be located in a spot "with lots of foot traffic," such as a shopping center or near a good restaurant, he said. "And being close to a school really helps." "Video games are going to be here permanently, but we're going to see some operations not going because of the competition," which includes machines in virtually every convenience store and supermarket, Hatfield said.

This article talks about three arcades. One in Georgetown called Eagles Nest, another in Leander called Krazy Korner, and a third called Smitty's Galaxy of Games on Lake Creek Parkway "on the fringes of North Austin". This is the one I remember the older kids talking about when I was a little kid. There was once a movie theater across the street from the Westwood High School football stadium and behind that was Smitty's. Today I think the building was bulldozed long ago and the space is part of the expanded onramp to 183 today. Eventually another unrelated arcade was built next to the theater that became Alamo Lakeline. It was another site of some unrecorded epic Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat tournaments in the 90s.
But the article written before the end of the Golden Era tell us much about the pushback I was talking about earlier. Early arcades were seen as "dirty" places in some circles, and the owners of the arcades in Williamson County had to stress how "clean" their establishments were. This other article from a couple of weeks later tells of how area school officials weren't worried about video games and tells us more arcades in Round Rock and Cedar Park. Apparently the end of the golden age lasted a bit longer than usual in this area.
At some point in the next few years the bubble burst, and places like Smitty's were gone by the late 80s. But the distributors quoted earlier were right that arcade games weren't going completely away. In the mid 1980s LeFun opened up next in the Scientology building at 2200 Guadalupe on the drag. Down a few doors past what used be a coffee shop and a CVS was Einsteins Arcade. Both of those survived into the 21st century. I remember the last time I was at Einsteins I got my ass beat in Tekken by a kid half my age. heheh
That's all for today. There were no Bonus Pics in the UT archive of arcades (other than the classical architectural definition). I wanted to pass on some Bonus newspaper articles (remember to click and zoom in with the buttons on the right to read) about Austin arcades anyway but first a small story.
I mentioned earlier the secret of the UT Student Union. I have no idea what it looks like now but in the 90s there was a sizable arcade in with the bowling alley in the basement. Back in 1994 when I used to sneak in, they featured this bizarre early attempt at virtual reality games. I found an old Michael Barnes Statesman article about it dated February 11, 1994. Some highlights:

Hundreds of students and curiosity-seekers lined up at the University of Texas Union to play three to five minutes of Dactyl Nightmare, Flying Aces or V-Tol, three-dimensional games from Kramer Entertainment. Nasty weather delayed the unloading of four huge trunks containing the machines, which resemble low pulpits. Still, players waited intently for a chance to shoot down a fighter jet, operate a tilt-wing Harrier or tangle with a pterodactyl. Today, tickets will go on sale in the Texas Union lobby at 11:30 a.m. for playing slots between noon and 6 p.m.
Players, fitted with full helmets, throttles and power packs, stood on shiny gray and yellow platforms surrounded by a circular guard rail. Seen behind the helmet's goggles were computer simulated landscapes, not unlike the most sophisticated video games, with controls and enemies viewed in deep space. "You're on a platform waiting to fight a human figure," said Jeff Vaughn, 19, of Dactyl Nightmare. "A pterodactyl swoops down and tries to pick you up. You have to fight it off. You are in the space and can see your own body and all around you. But if you try to walk, you have to use that joy stick to get around."
"I let the pterodactyl carry me away so I could look down and scan the board," said Tom Bowen of the same game. "That was the way I found out where the other player was." "Yeah, it's cool just to stand there and not do anything," Vaughn said. The mostly young, mostly male crowd included the usual gaming fanatics, looking haggard and tense behind glasses and beards. A smattering of women and children also pressed forward in a line that snaked past the lobby and into the Union's retail shops.
"I don't know why more women don't play. Maybe because the games are so violent," said Jennifer Webb, 24, a psychology major whose poor eyesight kept her from becoming a fighter pilot in real life. "If the Air Force won't take me, virtual reality will." "They use stereo optics moving at something like 60 frames a second," said computer science major Alex Aquila, 19. "The images are still pretty blocky. But once you play it, you'll want to play it again and again." With such demand for virtual reality, some gamesters wondered why an Austin video arcade has not invested in at least one machine.

The gameplay looked like this.
Bonus Article #1 - "Video fans play for own reasons" (Malibu Grand Prix) - March 11, 1982
Bonus Article #2 - "Pac-Man Cartridge Piques Interest" - April 13, 1982
Bonus Article #3 - "Video Games Fail Consumer" - January 29, 1984
Bonus Article #4 - "Nintendoholics/Modems Unite" - January 25, 1989
Bonus Article #5 and pt 2 "Two girls missing for a night found at arcade" (truly dedicated young gamers) - August 7, 2003

I will be going through each and every feasible option of manager, citing their style, personality, history and strengths/weakness. I will also be looking at their respective situations in determining the likelihood of acquiring them.

Where We Are and What We Need

The current situation Madrid finds itself with is more complicated given the pandemic, financially the club has been said to have no money to spend next summer, but their is conflicting reports suggesting we could very well potentially spend for the right targets in the right situation. However, free signings seem to still be plausible with the strong Alaba links. There is also returning loan players or players who've been given limited chances, who can help fill needed roles, or players from Castilla's.
Currently we have players ranging in all different kinds of styles, roles, positions, abilities and personalities. This allows for a lot of tactical maneuverability, meaning we have a lot of the personnel needed to play any style realistically without a need for a prolonged managerial transition. With that though, we have a lot of players ranging in prestige and mentality, some are at the top, whilst others are projects expected to grow into that level. This means despite a large amount of youth, the manager still needs prestige and a reputation high enough to garner respect and command a dressing room.
The expectations for Madrid will most likely not change, and patience will depend on the manager (reputation as a playemanager, their vision and/or how the relationship is with the board/Perez). Despite being in a "transition period" expectations for Madrid wont change, its the curse of being the most successful team in the world. The manager will be expected to get results, winning at least one major trophy or competing highly in most competitions. With that we need a manager who can win now but also help to build the team for themselves or others in the future for much more success.
Its unclear when Zidane will be sacked, most reports suggest hell last until the end of the season, others state he has until we get knocked out of all major coemptions, in the worst case the team is in a bad position and needs a change to save next season on top of this season, a lot of fans want him gone now. With unclarity on Zidane's timetable, availability of managers also change. Some are available now but could be gone soon whilst others are more available at the end of the campaign.
With the large amount of youth we need a manager who can successfully build them into great players, and turning some into Madrid class. The manager needs to also combine youth with experience effectively. in order to continue competing.
Finally, the manager needs to instill confidence in fans. A brand of football that can be entertaining, a personality that makes fans root for them, and little-to-no drama.

Options

In this list we'll just be giving names of all managers of the necessary level or potentially step up to that level, managers who miss out of the next process will be crossed off, those managers miss out due to clashes with club/fans, financially unfeasible in relation to quality, and no interest from managers. It should be noted this includes managers available now or in the summer, as some aren't available now but are more so in the summer. Manager = unattainable.

Jürgen Klopp	Ole Gunnar Solskjaer	Brendan Rodgers	Carlo Ancelotti
José Mourinho	Ralph Hassenhutl	Frank Lampard	Mikel Arteta
Marcelo Bielsa	Pep Guardiola	Nuno Espirito Santos	Diego Simione
Ronald Koeman	Julen Lopetegui	Unai Emery	Imanol Alguacil
Hans-Dieter Flick	Julian Nagelsmann	Peter Bosz	Marco Rose
Adi Hütter	Stefano Pioli	Antonio Conte	Gennaro Gattuso
Paulo Fonseca	Gian Piero Gasperini	Simone Inzaghi	Andrea Pirlo
Mauricio Pochettino	Christophe Galtier	Ernesto Valverde	Quique Setien
Thomas Tuchel	Massimiliano Allegri	Maurizio Sarri	Luciano Spalletti
Guti	Raul	Marcelo Gallardo	Leonardo Jardim
Marcelino García Toral	Roberto Martinez	Joachim Low	Luis Enrique
Roberto Mancini	Frank de Boer	Erik Ten Hag	Gareth Southgate
Niko Kovac	Ryan Giggs	Lucien Frave	Santiago Solari
Ralf Rangnick

Witling Down the Options

Next the names I suggest wont be continuing because of their own respective falters being too big of a risk to consider.
Unai Emery - Villarreal 2023
Despite Emery's clear issues he's still a top manager, however his inability to progress past the Quarter Finals with a stacked PSG team as well as the historic defeat to Barcelona, on top of his unimpressive time at Arsenal shows he need to do well with Villarreal for a while before its a gamble worth taking.
Marcelo Bielsa - Leeds 2021
Bielsa is a manager many managers look up to, his current Leeds team is one of the most entraining in the world. However his style is known to take a while to implement, often it hasn't worked in the past. Despite his long managerial history he's not got much to show in terms of success. Though he might be a fun manager it seems like too big of a gamble, he needs to show more longevity and/or success if he is to come into a top-top team.
Imanol Alguacil - Real Sociedad 2023
Imanol has taken Sociedad to a level expectant of their history and personally, he has them playing fun football mostly. Along with his knowledge of the league and Nationality on top of other things he'd be perfect if only he had the experience. Coaching only around 100 matches of top flight football isn't quite enough unless you did something truly unbelievable. He's a manager to definitely keep an eye on, however its not the right time for him.
Peter Bosz - Bayer Leverkusen 2022
Peter Bosz is definitely someone who is making a name for himself, he has Leverkusen 3rd in the table and playing some attacking football. Very reminiscent of his time at Ajax, when he was truly a name to talk about. However that time at Dortmund can't be forgotten so quickly, 2 cumulative good seasons isn't enough. But he is someone to keep an eye on.
Adi Hutter - Frankfurt 2023
Hutter has been making waves in Frankfurt, having been brought in from a very successful time at Young Boys he's done very well in the last 2.5 years. He's shown to get the best out of a competent strike force, specifically Jovic. However like most managers on this list he isn't quite there yet, but definitely one to watch.
Christophe Galtier - Lille 2021
What more can you say, he was chosen by Luis Campos (the man who constructed Lille's transfers) to take helm and lead them into a very good few seasons. Mixing youth and experience, playing a complete style. He garnered a lot of experience in his career, however he needs another good stepping stone before going to a top-top club. If he carries on doing well at Lille or another club, definitely bring him aboard.
Luciano Spalletti - FREE
Luciano has a very large CV, managing a lot of clubs, but specifically Roma and Inter. However his style isn't that great, specifically at Inter he made them play very boring and uneventful football. His personality is a mix bag. Though he did well at Roma. He's been out of a job since the end of the 2018/19 season, given that it doesn't seem wise to go for him. maybe he can turn things around but its uncertain.
Leonardo Jardim - FREE
His Monaco side was the epidemy of exciting, it was youthful, creative, well balanced, and punched all the way to very high heights. However when the selling spree occurred Jardim couldn't cope, and even after returning in the same season he couldn't reignite the fire once seen. Having been out of a job over a year he hasn't recaptured the quality needed to gamble on him.
Roberto Mancini - Italy NT 2022
Mancini has one of the largest CV's out of all the coaches, having managed clubs like Inter, City and Lazio since the early 2000s. However its been clear his coaching has been stagnating and declining, the move to Italy seemed like it could rejuvenate him, however though he's done better then the others he hasn't done quite enough to warrant his name being considered, could very well change in the future.
Niko Kovac - Monaco 2023
After having a great time at Frankfurt he went to Bayern and did very poorly, even more so in retrospect when Flick came in and managed to turn what seemed to be a trophyless season into another historic treble winning season. After his appointment to Monaco he's been helping to take them back to the top. His reputation after Bayern has been very much hurt, he clearly wasn't at that level but similar to others, maybe he can in time. As of now though he's not good enough.
Ryan Giggs - Wales NT 2022
Giggs has a very large reputation thanks to his playing career, however he's not done enough as a manager to warrant an opportunity. if this was MU he'd probably move up the list given his legend status, but in Madrid it cant be said he should.
Lucien Frave - FREE
Played attractive football at times, and was very highly considered at points in his career, however getting sacked by Dortmund rightfully so definitely warrants him getting punted off the list. Potentially can be a very good coach, but as of now, definitely not.
Gareth Southgate - England NT 2022
Took England very far, though not super attractive football, he did very well with Enlgand. However language barrier could be an issue along with other things. He doesn't seem like the right fit at all for Madrid, but definitely is garnering a big reputation.
Frank Lampard - FREE
Derby to Chelsea seemed to be too big of a step up, so Chelsea to Madrid seems unfathomable. Definitely a promising manager however his issues with the board, media and players seems too toxic in-it-of-itself to consider him. He needs a lot more time to build experience.
Paulo Fonseca - Roma 2022
A promising manager with a lot of experience, he's lacking the necessary pop with Roma to consider him any further, though he's doing well with them, in comparison to managers before him, he's not taking them much if any higher. He's just a caliber below at the moment.
Roberto Martinez - Belgium NT 2022
A manager with a less then impressive club CV, and playing CV in relation to Madrid. He certainly has done very well with Belgium, however he hasn't done enough yet. The big links to Barcelona definitely did his reputation very well however he needs to do more with this quality Belgium team if he's to be considered more.

Shortlisted Options

We'll be looking at each candidate in this section, breaking them down, before moving onto the next section where we'll place them numerically.

Jürgen Klopp	Ole Gunnar Solskjaer	Ralph Hassenhutl	Erik Ten Hag
Nuno Espirito Santos	Julian Nagelsmann	Hans-Dieter Flick	Antonio Conte
Marco Rose	Gennaro Gattuso	Simone Inzaghi	Joachim Low
Gian Piero Gasperini	Massimiliano Allegri	Maurizio Sarri	Marcelo Gallardo
Guti	Raul

Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool 2024
Probably everyone's most ideal candidate, Jurgen Klopp has been making waves in football for many years now, as of now he's considered one of the top 3 managers in the world. With about 20 years of top flight coaching experience he makes up for his downfall in lack of player reputation. His 4231/433 approach has garnered praise for his use of gegenpressing, in recent times he's made very large adaptations that's seen his side use possession based football a lot more. This has seen Klopp's team become a very complete side, able to attack, defend and control games. He's excellently balanced youth, world class players and turning players into class/world class. His trophy cabinet, along with how he handles big games is very impressive.
His personality gets fans and the board on his side, whilst also having that egotistical approach that makes you a winner. His locker-room is very warming and their is very few times controversy. At 53 he's at a good age, not too young or old.
His biggest complaints could come from his style taking a bit too long to implement, with his reputation he will be awarded patience but its unclear whether it will be enough or if he can handle it. There's also the issue with his contract, it could cost Madrid a lot to bring him in, it seems very clear he wont move in the winter but its unclear if he'd even want a move in the summer. Finally the language barrier could pose a problem, for himself and his staff.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Manchester United 2022
Ole is a name many will question, and rightfully so. He doesn't have the managerial pedigree yet, though he does have a large reputation as a player, its unclear if that could translate to Madrid.
However he's certainly an interesting option. His style of play is focused primarily on counterattacking, however he is very adaptable formation wise. Usually he has done well to pick up points against bigger opposition. He seems like a coach who can win something with a team. He does well to implement youth, focusing on local talents and club prospects, but can also use the quality in a team. He's a manager whose been in high pressure situations before and has handled them well, he's taken MU to the top of the table this season, fighting for the league.
At 47 he's at a good age. However language could be an issue on top of adapting to the league, as he's never been in that process before to such extremes.
Ralph Hassenhutl - Southampton 2024
Another questionable name on the shortlist, he's certainly a character. He's known to be a passionate manager, oozing such emotion and energy onto his players and fans. His style is very much about Gegenpressing, press hard and strong, win the ball, and look to exploit the opponents. Switching between a 4222/442 and a 352.
Whilst he doesn't have to most Impressive current job, managing a midtable Prem team, he has somewhat of an interesting CV. Having managed Leipzig to a second place in their first to flight season, but a poor 6th placed finish and a bad run in the UCL/Europa League left him getting the sack.
The 53 y/o is doing very well with the Saints, having them play attractive football. He's done well to get players into great form, implement youth, however its unclear how he'd handle star talent. His biggest issues come from language, contract, and maybe not being at the level needed quite yet.
Erik Ten Hag - Ajax 2022
Someone who doesn't quite have a large playing reputation for Madrid's standards, but his managerial CV potentially makes up for that. Erik Ten Hag has been impressing at Ajax with the way he's been able to successfully integrate youth players and get the best out of older players. He has around 5 years of managerial experience at a professional level, whilst also managing Bayern's B team and being assistant coach for 3 seasons prior.
His ajax team were well known as they beat Madrid a few years ago on there way down multiple successful clashes in the UCL. There possession based approach with emphasis on counter pressing, really epitomized attractive football at a possession based level, the constant fluid movements make it not very tiki taka like but more modern. He likes a 4231/433, with all the players, especially fullbacks having good technical agility.
His shortcomings are clear though, the massive differences between Eredivise and La Liga could see him have very Bosz level of issues. His approach could see issues Zidane has faced as their styles of play are somewhat similar. At 50 he's at a peak managerial age, whilst taking him might be a gamble, given the quality of youth, it could be worth it. Adaptation could be a problem.
Nuno Espirito Santos - Wolves 2023
A manager whose been earning a lot of attention the last few years, Nuno is an interesting case. He doesn't have an amazing playing career but more Journeymen which bodes well for his adaptation. He also has a large amount of experience having coached in Portugal, Spain and now in England, so he knows the league and speaks the language. He has a very likable personality that fans get behind and appreciate.
He is very adaptable with his style, he can play counterattacking football , or utilize possession. It all depends on the team he's coaching. At Porto he had a tough time breaking down opponents in a low block but adapted pretty well to it in time. He's against fruitless possession and wants intense creativity. He's versatile in formation, playing a 343,442,433 and so on.
His biggest problems come from his lack of experience at a top team, when he has managed a top team he's run into issues. His close connections with Jorge Mendes could also spout issues in acquiring him. At 46 y/o he's entering the perfect age range for a manager. He might not have the experience yet to warrant him taking over but he deserves to be on the shortlist of options.
Julien Nagelsmann - RB Leipzig 2023
A potential future managerial icon, Nagelsmann represents the next generation of German coaches. His experience as a manager is pretty decent, having managed top flight football for about 5 years now. He took a Hoffienheim team struggling to stay up, and turned them into a top 4 team in no time. He is able to use youth well on top of get the best out of middling players. At Leipzig not only did is he challenging Bayern for the league but he's continued to turn Leipzig into a competitive European team. Getting them into the Semi's last season in the UCL and this season beating MU to progress into the knockout stages.
He's very similar to Klopp, very warm personality but can have fire in his sole, a will to win. His style is similar to Klopp's football now, high pressing, quick vertical passes, counterattacking and using smart possession. He's adapted between a 4222, 343, 352, 4231, and 433. Of all the candidates he's shown to have one of the highest ceilings.
His major faults come with his age, at 33 y/o he's had issues keeping a locker room respecting of him in the past. At Leipzig with all the players being younger then him its not an issue, but cant be said for Madrid. His lack of player reputation means he has to have a high managerial reputation, as of now its gaining a lot of momentum but it cant be said its quite there yet. He's yet to manage truly world class players who are winners yet, so its unclear how he'll handle that situation. Language and league adaptation could be an issue as well.
Hans-Dieter Flick - Bayern 2023
A manager not many people heard of until he won the treble, Flick has blown up very quickly in the world of football. Whilst as a player he has some reputation, his managerial experience is very large. Having worked in the Bundesliga for a while, carrying different roles at certain club, he really made an impact as key figure in the German NT staff. Once he got his chance for Bayern he took it in stride.
Kovac had said Bayern were unable to press and the team looked like it wasn't going to win anything. Flick came in, instilled a system based on pressing, possession, attacking, again very similar to Nagelsmann and Klopp. He then was able to have an historic treble winning season. A lot of comparisons to Heynckes, a former Madrid manager who also won the treble with Bayern. The formation usually used is a 4231. He was able to get unbelievable production out of the team, truly making it one of the best teams in Europe if not the best. He mixes star talent, with youth, and is also able to get a lot out of others.
Biggest weakness come in the form of direct club managerial experience, he's blown up quite a lot, Bayern have started to pick up problems here and there and the question is can he handle the pressure of that situation and come out on top. Its also unclear whether he'd want to come to Madrid, as his Bayern career is just a little over a year old. Finally language and league adaptation could be a problem. At 55 y/o he's still at a good age.
Antonio Conte - Inter Milan 2022
A very questionable figure, Conte is probably the coach who carries the most baggage. However his CV cant be ignored, good playing reputation that's incredibly bolstered by a long fruitful managerial career. He's shown he can adapt to leagues and be very successful.
His style focuses on counter attacking, pressing very reluctantly, playing his favored 352 but able to adapt to a 343 if needed. He's one of the most consistently successful managers on this list. And at 51 y/o he's at a great age.
His downfalls make him a questionable option however, though he has cup and league success, he's been very unimpressive in the UCL. He's known to have issues with the board and cause drama. Usually he is a very short term manager, able to bring success but isn't a long lasting choice. His utilization of youth is few, and he often has clashes. However give him a good team and hell run with it, potentially isn't the right fit for Madrid now.
Marco Rose - Borussia Mönchengladbach 2022
Another exciting name out of Germany. Rose is a manager gaining a lot of attention for his play style and how he's turned Gladbach into consistent European qualifying team. He has a very uplifting personality and clearly knows how to make connections with his players and fans. His time at Salzburg saw some very impressive results, even against their German parent club. Whilst he doesn't have the most renowned playing CV his managerial reputation is growing very quickly. Garnering interest from Dortmund.
His style is similar to Hassanhuttl, energetic press with emphasis on counter attacking or intense vertical passes. He's done well to use youth and turn middling player into a strong team. He usually plays a 4231/4312. Madrid fans will know ho interesting his side can play. He's known to be very tactically astute along wit his staff.
Biggest issues come from how'd he adapt, as well as if this is too big of a step up, which it seems like it is. At 44 y/o he's at that very good age. But he is a manager to keep an eye on.
Gennaro Gattuso - Napoli 2021
Gattuso is a household name of a player, known for being a rough personality, he also tends to be very good with how he manages players. He seems to be one of the better man managers available. He was one of the best managers Milan has had in many years, making them look like a functional team, now at Napoli he's doing pretty good as well, even managing an Italian cup victory last season. His managerial experience isn't much however he seems to do well with big personalities.
His style of play is possession focused however its more flexible and simplified, he prioritizes hard work above anything else. Playing mainly a 433, he likes a very physically imposing striker with all round ability.
At 43 y/o he's beginning to enter a good age range for management. However his lack of experience is worrying, only having 3-4 years of top flight experience. His own kind of personality could potentially have problems with the board or certain players. Even issues with fans if pressure hits him hard enough. However he looks to be available at the end of the season at the time of writing.
Simone Inzaghi - Lazio 2021
Another manager with little experience in management and not the biggest playing CV in relation to Madrid standards. Inzaghi has done very well with his first top flight job, managing Lazio for almost 5 seasons now he's done some very impressive work, turning them into consistent Europa League qualifying team, now potentially a consistent UCL qualifying team. Inzaghi is an outside shout but never-the-less should be on the shortlist.
His preferred formation is a 352, very adaptable style, his team are known to change between a high intense press and a more conservative mid press. His teams know also how to alter between possession and counter attacking football. Inzaghi has gotten the best out of questionable players like Immobile, Luis Alberto and Correa, whilst also turning others in to highly acclaimed stars like SMS. He has won a lot of trophies, though not the most impressive (Super Copas and a Copa) its trophies none-the-less.
His major pitfalls come with his reputation maybe not being high enough, his playstyle being called a bit boring at times as well as its reliance on particularly high quality players. At 44 he's entering a good age rang for coaches. Adaptation could also be an issue on top of patience from the board and fans given his playstyle and pedigree.
Joachim Low - German NT 2022
A manager with probably the largest managing CV of anyone, surely making up for any potential shortcomings in playing. Low has really garnered a lot of praise, but more recently there are question marks over his time in Germany, with his time seemingly coming to an end soon after around 15 years of managing the team.
National team tactics don't usually translate well into club tactics and vice versa, so its unclear how he'd exactly want to play, but he's a very adaptable manger playing many different formations in the past.
His only real downfalls come from how'd he adapt to club football, as well as the language. He's had issues with the German NT recently with his decision to cut out more older players, even if they are performing miles ahead of youth. Its unclear how that'd work for Madrid but it could be either a good thing or a bad one depending on personnel. At 60 he's beginning to potentially age out, but he should definitely be up for consideration.
Gian Piero Gasperini - Atalanta 2022
Another manager whose been making waves in football with his Atalanta side. Gasperini is one of the oldest managers on this list at 62 y/o with plenty of managerial experience, a potential positive but also negative. His team is one of the most breathtaking attacking units in world football, competing with the likes of City and Liverpool for goals and shots. He's turned a relegation battling team into consistent European qualifying team, whilst also producing the most of Italy's national team players as well as other promising youth players.
His style revolves around a 343/3412/3421, high pressing football built around transition using the wings as a big point of attack. There is also a degree of freedom given to certain attackers like Illicic and Gomez, allowing them to move around and create space. Every player seems to be heavily involved in attack in some way.
Biggest issues is Atalanta are known for scoring a lot but have also had there fair share of conceding a lot of goals. Madrid can see more of how they play in the upcoming matchup. Gasperini wasn't too great at other top clubs he's managed so its unclear whether there could be an issue there. Language barrier is a potential problem on top of his age as at 62 y/o he's beginning to age out. He's definitely a gamble but one very much worth taking given the impact he's made.
Massimiliano Allegri - FREE
A manager whose been out of management longer then expected, Allegri has a very large CV of managing top clubs on top of winning a lot and being very competitive. Of all the managers on this list, he's one of the most highly decorated.
His style is a bit more conservative in defense, however it can be very entertaining in attack. Very much about adaptation, given his use of many different systems. He's a winning mentality kind of manager.
Potentially this is his downfall, any other point for Madrid he would've been a perfect acquisition But during a transition where the club needs to build itself up and figure out all of its pieces, it doesn't seem like the right time for Allegri. At 53 y/o he's at a fine age, but language could be an issue. Given his availability, despite his potential issues with boring football and being more about winning then building, he might be worth acquiring if he can get this side and certain players firing.
Maurizio Sarri - FREE
A name most probably don't fancy at Madrid, he's definitely someone who does deserve a spot on the shortlist. Known for making his way up the footballing pyramid, he definitely doesn't have the playing pedigree, however his large managerial pedigree on top of his trophy cabinet might make up for potential issues.
Preferring to play a 433 or a 4312, Sarri is all about possession and positional play, on top of organized pressing. His Napoli team played some of the most attractive football in the world, and saw many players grow in reputation. However it became clear that to play his brand of football effectively, a lot of time is needed to fully integrate the system. Despite this issue he was still successful at Chelsea, and mediocre at Juve.
His shortcomings are clear, his potential issues in play style will definitely detour his acquisition, but if Madrid are in a rebuild this might be a smart play to get him if certain amount of time is afforded. However his biggest downfalls come in his handling of the team, which didn't come off well at Chelsea and Juve, Language is an issue, smoking could be a problem, at 62 y/o he's beginning to age out as well. He definitely deserves a place on the shortlist but his potential pitfalls make him a questionable candidate.
Marcelo Gallardo - River Plate 2021
A big manager in Argentina and South America in general, Gallardo really started making global waves when he was heavily linked to Barcelona. Having a pretty ok playing CV in relation to Madrid, he really has made big waves in coaching with 13 cup wins (including 2 Copa Libertadores) in his 10 years of management.
Preferring to play a 433/4231/4312 he's mainly about possession, pressing and counter attacking football, he is very similar to Naglesmann Vertical attacking football. Considered one of the best managers to come out of South America, and specifically Argentina. He's definitely earned a high reputation, but its unclear ow well it can translate to European football ,especially to a world sized club that Madrid is.
This is on of his major shortcomings, along with potential issues in how his reputations fully translates to European football. However he's at a good age (45 y/o), knows the language, and could potentially work well with Madrid's south American talent. A big contender for the job.
Raul - Castilla
A manager with one of the largest playing CV's for Madrid if not the largest on this list, Raul is a true legend in Madrid, and knowing football nowadays, that's a near guarantee of getting the job. Though he doesn't have anywhere near the other candidates kind of top flight experience hes done well with Castilla's.
His tactical approach isn't too clear to see due to the team he is competing with, however is appears he likes a 4231/433. He has often talked about professionalism and hard work being cornerstones of his philosophy, which isn't surprising for a manger to say. He himself has suggested he needs more experience.
That's his main gripes, his lack of experience may make this a gamble not worth taking at this point in time, if Zidane is sacked mid way then potentially, but come the end of the season, it doesn't seem like a good time for Raul. At 43 y/o he's beginning to enter a good managerial age, he obviously knows the club and league, and will surely introduce youth to the forefront of Madrid. Given the nature of legends taking managerial roles, he definitely deserves a shout, but it may be too soon for a Raul, and Madrid don't want to make a mistake in giving a legend the job too soon when its not necessary.
Guti- FREE
Another highly acclaimed player, Guti is a Madrid legend, potentially making up for his lack of managerial experience. In Madrid's youth setup he did fairly well, before making his way as Besiktas assistant but subsequently got the sacking along with the manager after a season. He then got a big break with a managerial role in Spain's second division. He was also subsequently sacked after 22 games in charge after failing to get Almeria promoted, finishing in a qualification spot but failing against Girona who lost to Elche. As of now he's out of a job.
His style of play isn't too known, the way he setup Almeria isn't indicative too much of how he'd set up Madrid. So its a bit unclear. Potentially a 433/4231/4141. He did improve Almeria's placement in the league, but its been suggested that Almeria's board are very quick to sack managers who don't offer immediate success.
Its unclear how he'd do at Madrid, in a similar case to Raul, potentially coming in halfway through the season makes more sense then coming in during the summer. Though it might be unfair, his unimpressive managerial career definitely will hurt him in the consideration process for now. He's at a good age and knows the league, but unless Zidane gets the midseason sack, it doesn't seem like its the right time to rush Guti into this position. Needs a bit more experience, but given his status he will be on the shortlist.

Shortlist Rankings

TOP 5 (summer)

1. Klopp
2. Gallardo
3. Naglesmann
4. Gasperini
5. Flick
6. Allegri, Erik Ten Hag, Low, Sarri, Inzaghi, Gattuso,

I think Klopp is obviously the most anticipated choice, whether he wants to come, and we can afford to acquire him is still very unknown, however he ticks all the boxes of being suited to Madrid. Gallardo is soon to be available, his pedigree is there, and whilst its a gamble, it seems one very well worth taking at this point in time. Why not Naglesmann? His lack of reputation and experience is very worrying, I see him as a very great manager in the future but Madrid seems like too big of a step up similar to Raul and Guti. Though I still consider him third choice as maybe his ability to manage (especially given Madrid's changing environment) might see him overcome this issues. I put Gasperini in at 4th as he very much seems to suit the short term option that excites and build the team, though I can easily see people wanting Flick as 4th choice given what he's done with Bayern in such a short time, however I think he needs to show a bit more with Bayern before making that jump. He's still an impressive manager though and I think he'd be a better choice then the 6th ranked, who are managers that don't make the final five but are definitely in consideration.
Outside shouts in no particular order are Guti, Raul, Hassenhutle, Nuno, Ole, Rose and Conte. They all didn't make the cut, either because they were of lower quality, need a built more time to manifest, or might have issues with board and players on a big level (Conte).
Top 5 (now)

1. Guti
2. Raul
3. Gallardo
4. Allegri
5. Sarri
6. Nuno, Low, Inzaghi, EtH, Gattuso, Rose

Guti is available to take the helm for a short period of time, its better then Raul whose job at Castilla just began and it could cause issues in trying to plug those holes so rapidly. However he is still second best short term immediate option. Gallardo is third because his contract ends this at the end of the year, meaning he'd cost very little to bring in, as well as River Plates season is ending soon so there would be a big issue for him leaving for Madrid. However if Madrid want him to be the longer term manager bringing him in so soon could be unfair or problematic, with certain expectations and other preconceived notions occurring before he's had a fair summer to integrate with the team. Allegri is fourth, which would be considered strange given he's available for free, however this isn't the right time for him in Madrid. He'd want assurances that cant be given if you come in halfway through the season, especially given his nature as a coach. Sarri is fifth, another manager available for a free, he is fantastic however his handling of players could see problems emerging, he also needs usually a while to implement his style, so halfway through the season doesn't seem too wise but for free its a good gamble given his reputation. The 6th placed are composed of managers outside the top 5 consideration because its either unclear if they'd want to come in at this point, or aren't the right fits for this position at this point in time in comparison to the other candidates.
Outside shouts include in no particular order Klopp, Naglesmann, Hassenhutle, Ole, Conte, Gasperini and Flick. Most if not all of these managers probably wont come in halfway through the season and/or they'd be too expensive for a midseason manager.

Conclusion

What do you guys think? It seems almost certain Zidane is going to lose his job, whenever a manager loses the locker room they almost certainly lose there job unless a miracle happens, which can very certainly be a possibility but its very unlikely. This paper is to help open a general discussion about management and who you guys have for your shortlist. As it stands it seems Madrid are heavily looking at Gallardo and Naglesmann but the situations are all very complicated so who knows who can potentially get the job. This isn't meant to diss Zidane in any way but to merely open up the conversation, because as it stands, the seat will be open either soon (depending on results) or in the summer.

TraceSafe Inc. (TSF in Canada, UTOLF in U.S. with OTCQB listing in near future)
Industry: Real-Time Location Services (including Contact Tracing)
Notable Management:
Mr. Wayne Lloyd (C.E.O. of TraceSafe)
Dr. Dennis Kwan (C.E.O of TraceSafe Technologies),
Why We Love it:
By the time I finished my DD, and I did quite a bit of it, TraceSafe was an auto-buy for me and a pleasure to write about. But before diving in, I had questions; plenty of them. I believe that investors should enter every opportunity with skepticism. It gives you a clearer head and reduces potentially dangerous levels of FOMO (fear of missing out). FOMO can drive valuations of stocks to scary levels and it rarely ends well, as retail buyers like you and me buy the hype on a company while bigger players exit their positions.
Smaller growth-oriented companies can often have new, exciting technology that captures the imagination of the market, but smart investors, retail or otherwise, always look for one key milestone before buying in: validation. Without proof that a company is successfully penetrating their market, you’re buying the idea instead of the reality.
When I first looked at Tracesafe in the autumn of 2020, I was impressed by the technology they were bringing to market with an experienced management team. But I didn’t invest my hard-earned money because I needed to see real partnerships with big-market companies. Cutting edge technology, for all its impressiveness, isn’t worth much to a company without the means to monetize it. If you’re buying the idea, you’re making a leap of faith, and that is a little too close to gambling for me.
So much has happened since then that the leap of faith has become an open door to walk through. Validation is here.
But before we get to all that, let’s set the foundation, because none of this would have been possible without the management team, which is one of the most impressive parts to the story. The C.E.O., Dr. Dennis Kwan, and The C.T.O. Suresh Singamsetty, have been developing technology companies in the wearables space for years. Dr. Kwan co-founding Martian Watches, the first ever voice-enabled smartwatch. He was also V.P. of a Bluetooth company that was acquired for $160 million and he personally owns more than ten patents in wireless/bluetooth technologies. Mr. Singamsetty, the software expert, was with Dr. Kwan at Martian Watches. He owns more than 20 patents himself. The third member of the team, Gord Zeilstra, is another massive successful industry veteran. His specialty is driving companies’ global sales footprint. His success in the building of Monster.com and S.A.P. into global brands is an exciting indicator of where TraceSafe is headed.
So what about validation? Let’s begin with its partnership with Tritan Software. You probably haven’t heard of them, but I have no doubt you have heard of Carnival Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean. Tritan is the health and safety software provider for 95% of the entire global cruise line industry. I’ll put that in word form to give it the attention it deserves: NINETY FIVE PERCENT of the global cruise line industry.
Tritan is responsible for collecting, storing and securing the privacy of health information for all passengers, in addition to quality and incident management and a host of other software solutions. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) will most certainly have compliance requirements for resumption of sailing operations and Tritan knows this, which is why they are acting now, and acting swiftly. (Countless other companies approached Tritan, but they chose the experience and superior security of TraceSafe). The partnership was only recently announced and it remains to be seen how entwined the two companies will become, but contact tracing is only the tip of the iceberg (sorry, not the best cruise line analogy). For a clearer picture of the entire iceberg, we can look to Walt Disney’s iconic theme parks.
It is no secret that Disney theme parks have always placed a premium focus on customer experience, and one of the most effective ways they achieve this is through the “Magic Band”, which is essentially a wearable device that customers use to enter the park, unlock their hotel rooms, and buy food and merchandise. A one stop shop on your wrist.
This is where the cruise industry is headed. With a wearable on your wrist, you can enjoy all the same conveniences as the Magic Band combined with a contact tracing and safety monitoring device, all in one device.
So, that’s it? The cruise lines?
Even if it were the only partnership in the pipeline, it may have been enough to turn TraceSafe into a major global player, but it is just one of many projects, both ongoing and in the future. But even greater validation was announced just today (making me do some quick edits to this story)
TraceSafe, just today, announced a potentially game-changing purchase order. The agreement is to supply a global Tier 1 semiconductor manufacturer with 60,000 wearable units to be used across their enterprise. Professional services network Deloitte is managing the implementation of TraceSafe’s “next generation” of wearable products, which can be processed and paired within seconds, compared to about 3 minutes per device of other companies in the industry.
To give you an idea of the magnitude of this agreement, Dr. Kwan is quoted “This is one of the largest deployments of its kind anywhere in the world and we are very proud to be working with technology innovators to deliver a product so important in enhancing the health and safety of their workforce.”
I will forgive you if you stop reading now. The above agreement, combined with the cruise line partnership, is honestly enough for me and for many investors, but for those who stick around, the story actually gets considerably better.
The total wearable market is projected to reach $60 billion, and a large part of this will focus on corporate safety. In this way, Tracesafe has a bit of an advantage, as the company has a presence in Southeast Asia. You will remember that long before we realized the impact of the pandemic, several Asian countries were already scrambling to deal with the first wave. Since that time, we have dealt with each wave several months behind Southeast Asian countries. This time lapse has given TraceSafe a window into near-future conditions in the Western world. The best example of this is in Singapore, where they are closer to emerging from lockdown than we are in North America. Singapore has become the proving ground for TraceSafe technology., and it has gone perfectly. TraceSafe is being worn on construction sites for Boustead, a massive Singaporean construction company. This partnership has not only led to improvements in safety and security at Boustead, but it has also won TraceSafe the Singaporean National Innovation Award.
Closer to home, TraseSafe partnered with The World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver, Canada in December. The tournament was essentially a bubble-event that was completed safely using TraceSafe technology. T.T.G, the sponsorship firm that organized the event (and, incidentally, was instrumental in bringing The Winter Olympics to Vancouver in 2010) was impressed. So was Telus, the tournament sponsor. The future is very bright in venue tracing, with fans itching to return but needing a safe and proven way to do it.
There remains one incredibly large catalyst for growth, and some may find it the most interesting of all, but before we get to that (cough, Airbeam, cough), let’s quickly dispel any lingering doubts you may have:
Aren’t those wrist bands uncomfortable and a nuisance?
This is another part of the reason Tritan and others have chosen TraceSafe. Recall that two of the management team are pioneers of the wearable space with over 30 patents between them. The TraceSafe product has a battery that long outlasts any other in the industry and it is also incredibly lightweight and unobtrusive. Added to this is the
extended product line, with tags and credit-card style devices.
Discounting everything else in the pipeline, is anybody seriously going to get back on a cruise ship after all that has happened? Will the return to cruise lines be slow?
The high amount of bookings for the second half of 2021 says “no”, and so do experts in the field, who state that cruise line demand is higher than most other industry segments. Once people are vaccinated, the industry will return in a big way. Tritan understands this; hence the quick action.
But what about privacy? Isn’t this just another way for companies or governments to spy on us?
I honestly wondered about this because it seemed an obvious question, but the answer makes complete sense. If the TraceSafe software were downloaded onto your phone, perhaps there would be more skepticism on my part. We all value privacy and bristle when it is infringed upon. But these devices are only work-site specific, meaning that the wearables (and software embedded in them) are separate from your personal devices and they do not function once you leave the site. They only ensure health and safety through workplace tracking.
Aren’t margins higher on software than hardware? Will this make enough profit?
The answers to these questions vary, but they all begin with “yes”. Margins are indeed higher on software, and TraceSafe in fact is currently selling 50/50 between hardware and software (cloud computing), with a focus on moving to 20/80 in the coming months. The cloud-based real-time monitoring system does not, in fact, need an internet connection (which I’d say is important when you’re out at sea) as it is a bluetooth device. No user information is stored on the device and it has medical-grade privacy/security (remember the company’s origins). The administration functions are user-friendly.
What about the revenues?
Whatever exciting news you may hear about a company, it is always more reassuring to see actual revenues pouring in, even so soon after developing a contact tracing solution. TraceSafe could be forgiven for only being a quarter or two away from meaningful revenues, but luckily for investors, this isn’t the case. Based on video interviews in January, the company expects to continue their 100%-200% year over year growth, which puts them somewhere between a projection of $20-$32 million for 2021. Although it should be noted that I’m extrapolating these numbers by following growth patterns from previous quarters, this DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY NEW PARTNERSHIPS, INCLUDING THE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY! (Oops, sorry. I seem to have left caps lock on there!).
And then there is the share float. Fully diluted, after all outstanding shares incentive-based options, the total share count will be under 70 million. This is a very small float, which appeals to most investors, as a company in a growth phase will have fewer obstacles to share price growth.
What about data? Data monetization is big business.
TraceSafe will have the ability to monetize data from their cloud-based software at some point in this process, although that shouldn’t be confused with personal data, which would never be shared, obviously. But corporations looking for trends in safety and efficiency would most definitely benefit from the analysis of general workforce data.
What else am I missing?
This is a bonus for the company that cannot be overstated. Airbeam. Ever heard of it? Before you read the bonus paragraph below, note that TraceSafe has invested into Airbeam and owns an impressive 9.9 million shares. Ok, go ahead and read about Airbeam now (Thanks to Stock Fam discord user “Aberdenov” for the assistance)
The 5G revolution is upon us. This revolution will be in the tens of TRILLIONS of dollars. Airbeam will be a player in 5G critical infrastructure. Their 5G micro cell network utilizing AI/ML with EDGE computing on the 60Ghz band will be a catalyst for smart cities enabling such things as autonomous vehicles.
Airbeam will also be deploying wireless cameras with unlimited storage and smart displays for advertising. The company is led by former executive and head of research and development at Qualcomm, Dr Karim Arabi, and along with Stockwell Day and his political connections, the future looks bright for the company. Airbeam's last private raise was back in 2019 with a valuation of 97 million. Since then they have gained traction with pilot projects in America, Qatar and the Philippines. An IPO is expected sometime in 2021 with a far higher valuation.
TraceSafe has openly talked about increasing shareholder value after the Airbeam IPO, including a potential dividend, which is unheard of for a growth tech company.
So you see how skepticism can lead to the DD that you need to uncover a company like TraceSafe. It has the management team, tech cutting-edge technology, the validation, the contracts, the blue-sky opportunity of an industry that will be a part of our lives, and an incredible piece of foresight to buy in early to a very hotly anticipated IPO.
Just another Stock Fam favourite! Thanks to expert poster Jethro and all the members of the TraceSafe channel for their relentless DD. Come join the discussion!
Follow me on twitter MrDotto5

Like most of you reading this, I’ve read too many terrible marketing & startup-related books.
Growth Hacker? I suppose it was okay, for it’s time.
This Is Marketing? Took nothing from it.
Traction? It could have been summed up in a blog post.
After searching for ‘Top 10 Marketing Books’ and reading everything I could find on those lists over the last few years, I’ve stopped buying marketing books because almost everyone was either aimed at beginners, were written as a lead-magnet with the aim of selling you consulting or a course, or they simply were written without anything actionable that I could actually ‘use’.
Like many during the last 9 months, my agency moved out of our office and we have worked entirely from home. A positive that came from that I started to read way more often, usually aiming for a book a week.
The first book I read was a gift that I received a couple of years back and had been on my shelf collecting dust ever since. It was the only book that I owned which I hadn’t already read, so to make things simple I started with that. It was The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier.
It absolutely blew me away.
I read it from cover to cover in one sitting and then read it again the following week. I told everyone that would listen: “The Brand Gap is the single most important book I’ve ever read”.
After this, I spoke to friends working in branding, design, copywriting, and project management and asked for book recommendations. I specified that I didn’t want books that only scratched the surface, I wanted to read the books that changed their entire mindset and way or working.
I ended up with a huge reading list (and a few shelves full of books) which I worked my way through over the last few months. There was no filler, and nothing I’d consider to be average — I gained something significant from every single book.
I’ve compiled a list of seven of the books which I’d consider to have had the biggest impact on me.
For each book mentioned I’ll include a link to Bookshop, along with a testimonial and some of the book description.
1. The Brand Gap — Marty Neumeier

“A well-managed brand is the lifeblood of any successful company. Read this book before your competitors do!” ―TOM KELLEY, GENERAL MANAGER, IDEO
THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand. The second edition features a 220-term brand glossary and a premium softcover binding. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand” — a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives.

2. Everybody Writes — Ann Handley

“All your shiny new channels, properties, and platforms are a waste of space without smart, useful content. Ann Handley’s new book helps make every bit of content count — for your customers and your bottom line.” — Kristina Halvorson, President, Brain Traffic
If you have a website, you are a publisher. If you are on social media, you are in marketing. And that means that we are all relying on our words to carry our marketing messages. We are all writers.
Everybody Writes is your go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through stellar online communication, because in our content-driven world, every one of us is a writer.

3. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know — Byron Sharp

“…marketers need to move beyond the psycho-babble and read this book… or be left hopelessly behind.” — Joseph Tripodi, The Coca-Cola Company
Professor Byron Sharp is the Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia. The Institute’s fundamental research is used and financially supported by many of the world’s leading corporations including Coca-Cola, Kraft, Kellogg’s, British Airways, Procter & Gamble, Nielsen, TNS, Turner Broadcasting, Network Ten, Simplot, Mars and many others.

4. D&AD. The Copy Book

“The Copy Book convinced me that everyone in business should study the art of copywriting.” — Fortune.com
The book features a work selection and essays by 53 leading professionals in the world, including copywriting superstars such as David Abbott, Lionel Hunt, Steve Hayden, Dan Wieden, Neil French, Mike Lescarbeau, Adrian Holmes, and Barbara Nokes.
The lessons to be learned on these pages will help you create clearer and more persuasive arguments, whether you are writing an inspiring speech, an engaging web banner or a persuasive letter. This is not simply a “must-have” book for people in advertising and marketing, it is also a “should-have” for anyone who needs to involve or influence people, by webpage, on paper, or in person.

5. Junior: Writing Your Way Ahead in Advertising — Thomas Kemeny

“If my older and wiser brother were an ad book, these would be his exact words. If he’d ask me to wash his filthy car every Sunday in exchange for his wisdom, I’d say ‘No problem, ‘ knowing I got the better end of the deal.” — PAUL MALMSTROM, Creative Chairman and Co-Founder, Mother
There are a lot of great advertising books, but none that get down in the dirt with you quite like this one. Thomas Kemeny made a career at some of the best ad agencies in America. In this book he shows how he got in, how he’s stayed in, and how you can do it too. He breaks apart how to write fun, smart, and effective copy-everything from headlines to scripts to experiential activations-giving readers a lesson on a language we all thought we already knew.

6. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads — Luke Sullivan

“Classic must-read Sullivan mixed with innovation master Boches make the perfect duo. This is the book that will help guide new talent to great career starts. Required reading for a new era.” — Deborah Morrison**,** Distinguished Professor of Advertising, University of Oregon
Hey Whipple, Squeeze This has helped generations of young creatives make their mark in the field. From starting out and getting work, to building successful campaigns, you gain a real-world perspective on what it means to be great in a fast-moving, sometimes harsh industry. You’ll learn how to tell brand stories and create brand experiences online and in traditional media outlets, and you’ll learn more about the value of authenticity, simplicity, storytelling, and conflict.

7. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind — Al Ries, Jack Trout

The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a “position” in a prospective customer’s mind-one that reflects a company’s own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.
“…Ries and Trout taught me everything I know about branding, marketing, and product management. When I had the idea of creating a very large thematic community on the Web, I first thought of Positioning….” — David Bohnett, Chairman and Founder of GeoCities

So, there you have it. It’s worth nothing, my list above is just that; my list. I’m sure there are plenty of people that read books from that list and for whatever reason, it just didn’t resonate with them in the same way that Growth Hackersdoesn’t do it for me, either. These are simply the books I’d consider to be game-changing, and now recommend them to anyone working in marketing & e-commerce.
Got a book recommendation? I’d love to hear! Share some recommendations below.

Like most of you reading this, I’ve read too many terrible marketing & startup-related books.
Growth Hacker? I suppose it was okay, for it’s time.
This Is Marketing? Took nothing from it.
Traction? It could have been summed up in a blog post.
After searching for ‘Top 10 Marketing Books’ and reading everything I could find on those lists over the last few years, I’ve stopped buying marketing books because almost everyone was either aimed at beginners, were written as a lead-magnet with the aim of selling you consulting or a course, or they simply were written without anything actionable that I could actually ‘use’.
Like many during the last 9 months, my agency moved out of our office and we have worked entirely from home. A positive that came from that I started to read way more often, usually aiming for a book a week.
The first book I read was a gift that I received a couple of years back and had been on my shelf collecting dust ever since. It was the only book that I owned which I hadn’t already read, so to make things simple I started with that. It was The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier.
It absolutely blew me away.
I read it from cover to cover in one sitting and then read it again the following week. I told everyone that would listen: “The Brand Gap is the single most important book I’ve ever read”.
After this, I spoke to friends working in branding, design, copywriting, and project management and asked for book recommendations. I specified that I didn’t want books that only scratched the surface, I wanted to read the books that changed their entire mindset and way or working.
I ended up with a huge reading list (and a few shelves full of books) which I worked my way through over the last few months. There was no filler, and nothing I’d consider to be average — I gained something significant from every single book.
I’ve compiled a list of seven of the books which I’d consider to have had the biggest impact on me.
For each book mentioned I’ll include a link to Bookshop, along with a testimonial and some of the book description.
1. The Brand Gap — Marty Neumeier

“A well-managed brand is the lifeblood of any successful company. Read this book before your competitors do!” ―TOM KELLEY, GENERAL MANAGER, IDEO
THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand. The second edition features a 220-term brand glossary and a premium softcover binding. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand” — a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives.

2. Everybody Writes — Ann Handley

“All your shiny new channels, properties, and platforms are a waste of space without smart, useful content. Ann Handley’s new book helps make every bit of content count — for your customers and your bottom line.” — Kristina Halvorson, President, Brain Traffic
If you have a website, you are a publisher. If you are on social media, you are in marketing. And that means that we are all relying on our words to carry our marketing messages. We are all writers.
Everybody Writes is your go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through stellar online communication, because in our content-driven world, every one of us is a writer.

3. How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know — Byron Sharp

“…marketers need to move beyond the psycho-babble and read this book… or be left hopelessly behind.” — Joseph Tripodi, The Coca-Cola Company
Professor Byron Sharp is the Director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science at the University of South Australia. The Institute’s fundamental research is used and financially supported by many of the world’s leading corporations including Coca-Cola, Kraft, Kellogg’s, British Airways, Procter & Gamble, Nielsen, TNS, Turner Broadcasting, Network Ten, Simplot, Mars and many others.

4. D&AD. The Copy Book

“The Copy Book convinced me that everyone in business should study the art of copywriting.” — Fortune.com
The book features a work selection and essays by 53 leading professionals in the world, including copywriting superstars such as David Abbott, Lionel Hunt, Steve Hayden, Dan Wieden, Neil French, Mike Lescarbeau, Adrian Holmes, and Barbara Nokes.
The lessons to be learned on these pages will help you create clearer and more persuasive arguments, whether you are writing an inspiring speech, an engaging web banner or a persuasive letter. This is not simply a “must-have” book for people in advertising and marketing, it is also a “should-have” for anyone who needs to involve or influence people, by webpage, on paper, or in person.

5. Junior: Writing Your Way Ahead in Advertising — Thomas Kemeny

“If my older and wiser brother were an ad book, these would be his exact words. If he’d ask me to wash his filthy car every Sunday in exchange for his wisdom, I’d say ‘No problem, ‘ knowing I got the better end of the deal.” — PAUL MALMSTROM, Creative Chairman and Co-Founder, Mother
There are a lot of great advertising books, but none that get down in the dirt with you quite like this one. Thomas Kemeny made a career at some of the best ad agencies in America. In this book he shows how he got in, how he’s stayed in, and how you can do it too. He breaks apart how to write fun, smart, and effective copy-everything from headlines to scripts to experiential activations-giving readers a lesson on a language we all thought we already knew.

6. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads — Luke Sullivan

“Classic must-read Sullivan mixed with innovation master Boches make the perfect duo. This is the book that will help guide new talent to great career starts. Required reading for a new era.” — Deborah Morrison**,** Distinguished Professor of Advertising, University of Oregon
Hey Whipple, Squeeze This has helped generations of young creatives make their mark in the field. From starting out and getting work, to building successful campaigns, you gain a real-world perspective on what it means to be great in a fast-moving, sometimes harsh industry. You’ll learn how to tell brand stories and create brand experiences online and in traditional media outlets, and you’ll learn more about the value of authenticity, simplicity, storytelling, and conflict.

7. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind — Al Ries, Jack Trout

The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a “position” in a prospective customer’s mind-one that reflects a company’s own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.
“…Ries and Trout taught me everything I know about branding, marketing, and product management. When I had the idea of creating a very large thematic community on the Web, I first thought of Positioning….” — David Bohnett, Chairman and Founder of GeoCities

So, there you have it. It’s worth nothing, my list above is just that; my list. I’m sure there are plenty of people that read books from that list and for whatever reason, it just didn’t resonate with them in the same way that Growth Hackersdoesn’t do it for me, either. These are simply the books I’d consider to be game-changing, and now recommend them to anyone working in marketing & e-commerce.
Got a book recommendation? I’d love to hear! Share some recommendations below.

Received some PMs requesting the book list I recommended from ages ago. Full list is below
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Mathematics/statistics of games, gambling, and sports

• The Psychology of Thoroughbred Handicapping: Lessons and Valuable Insights by Thomas Wilson
• The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic by Richard Epstein
• Mathematics of Games and Gambling by Edward Packel
• Taking Chances: Winning With Probability by John Haigh
• The Wages of Wins: Taking Measure of the Many Myths of Modern Sport
• The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
• Calculated Bets by Steven Skiena
• Bet With The Best by Andrew Beyer
• The Zen of Gambling: Lessons from the World's Greatest Gamblers by Paul Pease
• Gambling Wizards: Conversations With The World's Greatest Gamblers by Richard Munchkin
• No Limit Hold 'Em: Theory and Practice by David Sklansky
• Fortune's Formula by William Poundstone
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis

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Developing a cognitive edge and avoiding decision-making errors: perception, intuition, judgment, pattern recognition, how experts become experts

• Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions by Gary Klein
• The Thinker's Toolkit: 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving By A Former CIA Analyst by Morgan Jones
• The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey Schwartz
• Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart by Gerd Gigerenzer
• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance by Anders Ericsson et al.
• Intuition: Its Powers and Perils
• Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
• Educating Intuition
• The Art of Contrary Thinking
• A Technique for Producing Ideas
• Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes
• Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain by Antonio D'Amasio
• Mind Wide Open by Steven Johnson
• The Origin of Consciousness in the Bicamerality of the Human Mind
• The New Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain by Betty

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Incentives of Management and People Generally

• Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
• Aligning The Stars by Thomas Tierney
• Foundations of Organizational Strategy by Michael Jensen
• The Magic of Rapport by Jerry Richardson
• The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
• The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod
• Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert
• The Art of War by Sun Tzu
• Investment Intelligence from Insider Trading by Nejat Seyhun
• The Vital Few vs. The Trivial Many

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Patterns of industry and company change/evolution

• The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
• The Innovator's Solution by Clayton Christensen
• Seeing What's Next by Clayton Christensen
• Competition Demystified by Bruce Greenwald
• The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses by Amar Bhide
• Value Migration by Adrian Slywotzky
• The Economics of Strategy

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How to identify great companies, competitive advantage, and great managements

• Profit Patterns: How To Anticipate and Profit from Strategic Forces Reshaping Your Business by Adrian Slywotzky
• The Art of Profitability by Adrian Slywotzky
• Granularity of Growth: How to Identify the Sources of Growth That Drive
• Enduring Performance by Patrick Viguerie
• The Profit Zone: How Strategic Business Design Will Lead You To Tomorrow's Profits by Adrian Slywotzky
• How To Grow When Markets Don't by Adrian Slywotzky
• The Breakthrough Imperative: How the Best Managers Get Outstanding Results by Mark Gottfredson
• How Digital Is Your Business by Adrian Slywotzky
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Built to Last by Jim Collins et al
• Management Tools 2007 by Darrell Rigby
• The Price Advantage by Michael Marn
• The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth by Fred Reicheld
• Mergers: Leadership, Performance, and Corporate Health by David Fubini
• Mastering the Merger: Four Critical Decisions that Make or Break the Deal by Sam Rovit
• Blue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
• How Customers Think: Essential Insights Into The Mind of the Market
• The Loyalty Effect by Fred Reicheld
• Winning by Jack Welch
• Creative Destruction by Richard Foster
• Unstoppable: Finding Hidden Assets To Renew the Core and Fuel Profitable Growth by Chris Zook
• Winning: The Answers: Confronting 74 of the Toughest Questions in Business Today by Jack and Suzie Welch
• Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership by Jeffrey Krames
• Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch
• Lessons from Private Equity Any Company Can Use by Orit Gadiesh
• The Warren Buffet CEO: Secrets from the Berkshire Hathaway Managers
• Essay of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Lawrence Cunningham

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Bottom fishing/distress/special situations

• Spin-off to Pay-off: An Analysis Guide to Investing in Corporate Divestitures by Joseph Cornell
• You Can Be A Stock Market Genius by Joel Greenblatt
• The Vulture Investors by Hilary Rosenberg
• Risk Arbitrage by Keith Moore
• Distressed Debt Analysis by Stephen Moyer
• Creating Value Through Corporate Restructuring by Stuart Gilson
• Corporate Financial Distress and Bankruptcy by Edward Altman

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Case studies of corporate/investing/personal failure

• When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long Term Capital Management by Roger Lowenstein
• Why Smart Executives Fail and What You Can Learn From Their Mistakes by Sydney Finkelstein

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Forensic accounting and understanding the numbers

• It's Earnings That Count by Hewitt Heisermann
• Financial Fine Print by Michelle Leder
• Profits You Can Trust: Spotting and Surviving Accounting Landmines
• Hidden Financial Risk: Understanding Off Balance Sheet Accounting
• Creative Cash Flow Reporting by Charles Mulford
• The Financial Numbers Game: Detecting Creative Accounting Practices by Charles Mulford
• Financial Shenanigans by Howard Schilit

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How to analyze countries and economies

• Tomorrow's Gold by Marc Faber
• A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market by Jim Rogers
• The Power of Prodcuctivity by William lewis
• Dangerous Markets: Managing in Financial Crises
• The Demise of the Dollar
• The Dollar Crisis
• The Economics of Inflation by Constantino Bresciani
• A History of Interest Rates by Sidney Homer
• The Great Wave: Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History by David Fischer
• Bull's Eye Investing by John Mauldin
• Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers
• Investment Biker by Jim Rogers
• Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
• The Competitive Advantage of Nations by Michael Porter

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How to read people and situations between the lines

• Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings by Paul Ekman
• Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth in 5 Minutes or Less in Any Conversation by David Lieberman
• You Can Read Anyone by David Lieberman

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Meditation/yoga

• Zen in the Art of Archery
• Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Ghunaratana
• Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya (don't let the scary title fool you. It's user friendly and in english)
• The Light on Pranayama: the Yogic Art of Breathing by BKS Iyengar
• Light on Life by BKS Iyengar
• Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope
• Moola Bandha: The Master Key
• Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man by Gopi Krishna

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Markets and crowd behavior

• The Wisdom of Crowds James Suriowecki
• Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay
• Manias, Panics, and Crashes by Charles Kindleberger
• The Crowd by Gustave le Bon
• A Short History of Financial Euphoria by John Kenneth Galbraith
• Fooled by Randomness by Nicholas Taleb
• Speculation as a Fine Art and Thoughts on Life
• The Inefficient Stock Market by Robert Haugen
• The New Finance by Robert Haugen
• Beyond the Random Walk: A Guide to Stock Market Inefficiencies and Low-Risk Investing by Vijay Singal

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Short Selling

• The Art of Short Selling by Kathryn Staley
• How to Make Money Selling Stocks Short by William O'Neil

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Biographies of great investors and value-creating CEO's/founders

• No Bull: My Life In and Out of Markets by Michael Steinhardt
• Julian Robertson: A Tiger in the Land of Bulls and Bears by Daniel Strachman
• King Icahn by Mark Stevens
• Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
• Only the Paranoid Survice by Andy Grove
• John Neff on Investing by John Neff
• Buffet: The Making of an American Capitalist
• Damn Right: Behind the Scenes with Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe
• Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles Munger
• The Making of a Blockbuster: How Wayne Huizenga Built A Sports and Entertainment Empire from
• Trash, Grit, and Videotape by Gail DeGeorge
• Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business by Mark Robichaux
• The Mind of Wall Street by Leon Levy
• Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire by Michael Kaufman
• The Man Who Beats the S&P: Investing with Bill Miller by Janet Lowe
• In An Uncertain World by Robert Rubin
• Bill Gross on Investing by Bill Gross
• The Bond King: Investment Secrets from PIMCO's Bill Gross by Timothy Middleton

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Surveys of various investment styles/philosophies

• Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton
• The New Investment Superstars
• Money Masters of Our Time
• Inside the House of Money by Steven Drobny
• Masters of the Universe: Winning Strategies of America's Greatest Dealmakers by Daniel Kadlec
• Investment Gurus by Peter Tanous
• Investment Visionaries: A Roadmap to Wealth from the World's Greatest Money Managers by Peter Tanous
• Value Investing with the Masters by Kirk Kazanjian
• Market Wizards by Jack Schwager
• The New Market Wizards by Jack Schwager
• Stock Market Wizards by Jack Schwager

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Financial history/commentary/anecdotes

• Bull!: A History of the Boom 1982-1999
• Against the Gods: the Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein
• Supermoney by Adam Smith
• More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places
• The Battle for Investment Survival
• The New Financial Order
• Hedgehogging by Barton Biggs
• Winning on Wall Street by Martin Zweig

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Psychology of Investing and Trading

• Psychology of Trading: Tools and Techniques for Minding the Markets
• Trading In The Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline, and Winning Attitude
• The Disciplined Trader: Developing Winning Attitudes
• Lessons from the Greatest Stock Traders of All Time by John Boik
• The Education of a Speculator by Victor Niederhoffer
• Psychology of Risk by Ari Kiev
• Trading to Win by Ari Kiev

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How to structure and interpret information/data

• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte
• Supercrunchers: Why Thinking By Numbers is the New Way to be Smart by Ian Ayres
• Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of Evidence for Decision Making by Edward Tufte
• Envisioning Information by Edward Tufte

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Value Investing and Valuation

• Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies by Tom Copeland
• The Rediscovered Benjamin Graham: Selected Writings of the Wall Street Master
• The Dhando Investor by Mohnish Pabrai
• Hyperprofits by David Goodman
• The Triumph of Contrarian Investing
• The Entrepreneurial Investor by Paul Orfalea
• Contrarian Investment Strategies by David Dreman
• Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Phil Fisher
• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
• The Warren Buffet Way by Robert Hagstrom
• The Warren Buffet Portfolio by Robert Hagstrom
• The Essential Buffet by Robert Hagstrom
• Super Stocks by Ken Fisher
• The Inefficient Stock Market
• Wall Street on Sale by Timothy Vick
• In The Shadows of Wall Street: A Guide to Investing in Neglecting Stocks
• How to Beat the Market with High Performance Generic Stocks
• The Little Book that Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt
• The Focus Investor
• Counterintuitive Investing
• A Non Random Walk Down Wall Street
• Stock Market Logic by Norman Fosback
• Margin of Safety by Seth Klarman
• Mosaic: Perspectives on Value Investing
• Contrarian Investing: Buy and Sell When Others Won't
• Expectations Investing
• The 5 Keys to Value Investing by Dennis Jean-Jeacques
• Value Investing: A Balanced Approach by Martin Whitman
• The Aggressive Conversative Investor by Martin Whitman
• Value Investing: From Graham and Buffet and Beyong by Bruce Greenwald
• The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher Browne
• One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch
• Beating the Street by Peter Lynch

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Understanding price and volume action

• Studies in Tape Reading by Richard Wyckoff
• Tape Reading and Market Tactics by Humphrey Neil
• Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Jesse Livermore
• How To Trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore
• Monster Stocks: How They Set Up, Run Up, Top and Make You Money by John Boik
• How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market by Nicholas Darvas
• How To Make Money in Stocks by William O'Neil
• Way of the Turtle by Curtis Faith
• Trend Following by Michael Covel

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Books from other disciplines which provide thought-provoking models/metaphors for investing/business

• Linked: How Everything Is Connected To Everything Else and What It Means by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi
• Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software by Steven Johnson
• Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research by Stanislav Grof

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Some good books for understanding specific industries

• Why We buy by Paco Underhill
• Value Creation: Strategies for the Chemical Industry by Florian Budde
• Achieving Excellence in Retail Banking by Reinhold Leichtfub
• Entertainment Industry Economics by Harold Vogel