Reviews (163)

This book pays for itself
If you read and follow the principles in this book you will make enough money on your trades to pay for this book many times over. I have been active in the market for years (Averaging <20% return a year) and I agree with this author completely having lived out the greed, fear, and mistakes he talks about.Read this book and save yourself a lot of unnecessary losses.
One of the top TA books
This book is a gem amongst average books.I've read about 100 Technical Analysis books... and I've gone back and re-read this one 6 times.Very important.

Still good today
The info in this book stays current it's the "Art of War" of trading ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Futures    5. Futures And Options Trading    6. Investments & Securities - General    7. Options (Finance)    8. Options (Futures)    9. Speculation    10. Stocks    11. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    12. Investment & securities   

Reviews (64)

Technical Analysis Made Easy
This is an easy guide to technical analysis of the markets. It could be compared to the Edwards and Magee book on technical analysis. It has lots of illustrations showing many examples of all the items that are covered in this book and there are a lot.
TA's "Must have" Book
A "must have" book to those who will venture in Technical Analysis.Considered to be the "Bible"...You cant go wrong with this one!!! an A+++

Basic Introduction to Technical Analysis
I am not going to write a review defending or attacking the practice of technical analysis, which is roughly defined as the use of historic trading data, especially prices, volume, and open interest, usually visually displayed as charts, in order to predict future prices of securities, currencies, and commodities.If you believe in pure market efficiency or fundamental analysis only, you're not interested in technical analysis and should stop reading right here.If you are interested in technical analysis, this is an excellent place to start.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Commodities And Commodity Exchanges    5. Commodity exchanges    6. Finance    7. Futures market    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Banking    10. Business & Economics / Finance    11. Investment & securities   

Reviews (77)

A mediocre followup to Trading for a Living
I should probably begin by stating that I've read Elder's first book, Trading for a Living, and found it interesting but not groundbreaking.While it had some interesting concepts and had some great technical advice, the book did not revolutionize me as a trader.This book is more of the same with a little more added toward the end.In it Elder essentially restates what he taught in his first book, tweaks it a little (but not enough to justify buying another book), and then shows a few handpicked trades of his and attempts to demonstrate his theory in action.
Great Basis
Having been through many authors/gurus this is very simply the
Not for Short-Term Trading
I am glad that Elder recognizes that applying his concepts to short-term trading, such as daytrading, is much harder than applying them to a longer time horizon.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance    5. Futures And Options Trading    6. Investments & Securities - General    7. Stock exchanges    8. Stocks    9. Trading rooms (Finance)    10. Business & Economics / Finance    11. Investment & securities   

Reviews (181)

Required reading for anyone serious about working on Wall Street.
Everyone has read this, and its easy to understand why. One of the best written books about Wall Street ever, Michael Lewis is superb as he goes about describing his experience at Salomon Brothers during the 1980's as a bond salesman. Introduces us to the legendary trader John Meriweather before he started Long Term Capital Management.

Interesting and well written...
This should be required reading analysts and associates along with `Monkey Business: Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle' and `Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success'. Each gives a different and illuminating perspective on the ups and downs of the many different departments that make up large, institutional finance organizations. Moreover, there are in totality especially useful if you have no idea about how finance actually operates on a day-to-day basis beyond what you see in your economics courses (definitely the case at Harvard, U Chicago, MIT and the like, where these firms heavily recruit). Can definitely give those without and an internship or direct experience the ability to level the playing field to a large degree.

Wall Street Demystified
For those of us that have an innate disbelief for brokers, traders, advisors and the likes working from Wall Street, this is a must read.For those of you who take lessons and advise from financial advisors, money experts, radio and TV charlatans, this book should be mandatory.
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Subjects:  1. (Michael M.)    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Bonds    5. Brokers    6. Business    7. Business / Economics / Finance    8. Business/Economics    9. Corporate & Business History - General    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Investments & Securities - Stocks    12. Lewis, Michael    13. Salomon Brothers    14. United States    15. Business & Economics / Economic History   

Reviews (10)

Good book to understand quantitative finance
Luenberger was a professor of optimization and his books on that subject are also very good. Clear and Precise. But sometimes he is extremely concise, so that you need to work a bit to completely understand a point.
Investment Science must have
Great book, covers lots of material and goes beyond by using the log utility to portfolio growth. Great buy!!!!

One of the few books I have purchased twice.
This is the best book by far on the theory of finance.The book covers all the important fundamental concepts and develops them into practical models without going overboard and introducing every possible variation on the model.the style is both conversational and mathematical.It is replete with discussions about the material, but it doesnt gloss over the math.I took professor Luenbergers course at Stanford, and it piqued my interest in finance enough to pursue it professionally.(At the time, I was a masters student in electrical engineering.)I purchased several other books in finance.I dont even know where they are now, every time I have a question or need to build a new model, I go straight to Luenberger.This book is so good, I bought a second copy just as a backup, in case I lose my copy and the book goes out of print. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Cash flow    5. Economics - General    6. Interest rates    7. Investment Analysis    8. Investments    9. Investments & Securities - General    10. Mathematical models    11. Operations Research    12. Applied mathematics    13. Business & Economics / Operations Research    14. Business | Management | Theory    15. Economic theory & philosophy    16. Investment & securities   

Reviews (35)

the best book in options
This book is a really useful and practical introduction in derivatives from a guy who knows what he is talking about.
FOR EXPERIENCED TRADERS
VERY INFORMATIVE, WRITTEN BY AN ACTIVE TRADER, MANY USEFUL TIPS TO BE APPLIED ON THE JOB. ALL IN ALL AN EXCELLENT BOOK. PROVIDES REAL HELP AND KNOWLEDGE, MUST BE READ BY ACTIVE TRADERS.

Real bookfor traders
really great to figure out the intricacies of options. if you need something more conventional just get hull; this book is bysomeone who does it for a living and has different intuitions than what you get in the ivory tower.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Derivative securities    5. Exotic options (Finance)    6. Futures And Options Trading    7. Hedging (Finance)    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Investments & Securities - Options    10. Options (Finance)    11. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    12. Stocks & shares   

Reviews (5)

Difference between 2001 First edition and 2004 Second edition?
Given that the 2001 First edition is selling for $30 less used than the 2004 Second edition, is there a big difference between the 2 editions.Should I just save myself $30 and buy the first edition?
A big improvement
This text is a great improvement over the material the CFA program used in the mid-90s. Since it is intended to provide a survey of basic statistics and their applications in finance, it would be wrong to expect a deep treatise on any one subject.There are many real world applications used to describe the concepts tackled in this book. The learning outcomes listed at the beginning of each chapter provide a road map for the reader so that all salient points will be absorbed. Think twice before buying
I have purchased this book because it was recommended reading for the CFA program. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Investment analysis    6. Mathematical models   

Editorial Review

There's a big difference between "making a living" and making a life. Do you spend more than you earn? Does making a living feel more like making a dying? Do you dislike your job but can't afford to leave it? Is money fragmenting your time, your relationships with family and friends? If so, Read more

Reviews (155)

This is the one & only book on achieving financial independence in my personal library...
This is the one & only book on achieving financial independence in my personal library that I have fully subscribed to the working principles as formulated by the two authors. The two authors came with excellent credentials.
some free advise....
By definition it seems all books written on personal finance are as inspiring as reading the phone book only spiced up a bit with neat little graphs and pie charts.However, what this book does is take a step back from the usual sermon about compound interest, dollar cost averaging, putting ten percent away, (you are getting bored already, aren't you?) and address the cost of money as well as the value of money. More than a financial book this is more of a practical philosophy book that considers quality of life as much as net worth.I would recommend you buy this book, but as a practical consideration, if you are trying to control spending, a trip to the library may prove wiser.

Awful
This has to be one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read. At one point the authors ask: if money equals security, wouldn't you feel safe walking through a major American city at midnight with a suitcase full of cash handcuffed to your wrist? If money really did equal security, you would! I stopped reading after that.
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Subjects:  1. Personal Finance    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Consumer Finance    4. Personal Finance - Financial Planning    5. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Money Management    6. Modern fiction    7. General    8. Personal Finance - Money Management    9. Business & Economics    10. Finance, Personal   

Reviews (6)

The absolute classic of modern technical analysis!!!
Anyone that would ever give a negative rating for this classic of trading literature, doesn't have the slightest clue as to what they have just read.This is "THE" single most innovative trading text to hit the public's bookshelves in the last 30 years.This book single-handedly revolutionized the technical analysis of financial markets.I am almost speechless that someone could write a negative review of this book....

A classic
You'd have to appreciate that nearly every method or tool in this book is almost common knowledge. RSI, ADX, DMI, Parabolic, volatility breakouts, pivot point reversals and so forth are all commonly used nowadays.However, back in 1978 when it was hand calculated and charted..Wilder probably had no idea how revolutionary his work has become.

An original work of enduring value from a true innovator
Parabolic SAR, Relative Strength Index, Directional Movement Index (ADX) -- developing even just one of these would constitute an important contribution to technical analysis. Yet all of these popularly followed indicators and more were the work of this one man and were first popularized in this single 1978 classic. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Commodities   

Reviews (3)

A Great Book to Learn Natural Gas Trading
Even if you do not have a solid understanding of derivatives, this book is really good explaining step by step how the different derivatives are used for hedging natural gas; regardless if you are the producer, trader, or end user.The author gives many examples of how each derivative works.I highly recommend this book if you are starting out as a junior trader, risk products trader, supply planner, etc.

educational sources for practical trading purposes
I have not seen any book that describes its domain with such generous detail and is geared for real life trading. The contents may not be enough for those who trade only financial energy instruments, but it is indeed a good course material for the market makers, and hedgers, namely end users and producers. I highly recommend this book to those who are involved in natural gas industry.

Excellent Resource for Natural Gas Traders
Was very pleased with the material contained in this book.Although I am a beginner in the natural gas trading field, I found Sturm's book both easy to understand yet challenging in its scope.A great deal of emphasis isplaced upon various hedging techniques and many helpful diagrams areincluded to portray the trading flow.Overall a very unique and insightfulbook for beginners and for those with years of experience in tradingnatural gas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Commodities And Commodity Exchanges    5. Commodity exchanges    6. Engineering - General    7. Finance    8. Futures market    9. Gas industry    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Natural Gas    12. Options (Finance)    13. Gas industries    14. Investment & securities   

Reviews (88)

Pearls of wisdom - encrypted over and over
First off let me assure you that Mark Douglas deserves all the generally positive reviews he's received for this book and for "Trading in the Zone."What Douglas has to share is essential, extremely valuable information for both aspiring and veteran traders alike.That said, stand warned that Mr. Douglas has quite a tedious writing style.He suffers (and thereby, so does the reader) from a particularly diffuse, circular, and repetitive style.He gives redundant a bad name.Here's a sample, you be the judge:
Search has ended
After 20 years of searching for system to make me a successful trader it turns out you are what makes a system successful or not.This book is a must for a serious trader on understanding the psychology of what makes you a successful trader.

lcsmith
This book probably deserves a 4th star but there was nothing new. I was hoping for more. I really like this guy because I suffered the same fate. I beleive he is honest and sincere.I agree with him. If your already successful buy Market Wizzards if your not have this delivered next day air ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Commodities    6. Futures And Options Trading    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Stock exchanges    9. Stockbrokers    10. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / General    11. Stocks & shares   

Reviews (10)

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
As a financial professional who strives daily to help my clients make smart choices about their money, I am impressed by Bill's personalized approach to helping people take control of their lives by showing them ways to create and implement a viable foundation for their ideal financial future.There are many approaches of course, perhaps infinite, to planning wisely for your future.No one method or process is perfect.However, if you're truly serious about taking financial control over your future, whether you invest for yourself or work with a competent professional, then seek ideas and methods that are focused on helping YOU fulfill what's important to you in life.Bill's work talks directly about doing this and in beneficial ways that can help you make real progress towards achieving your lifetime goals and fulfilling your values.

Solid and broad-picture financial book for investors
Bachrach does a great job at helping investors identify their own personality type and recognize what is really important to them in investing.You wont find stock tips in this book but you will find the tools needed to create an overall roadmap and financial plan to help you meet your true root financial goals.This is the important part.One of my favorite points that Mr. Bachrach makes, one that I emphasize with people I advise is that there are certain things you can't hire someone to do for you: spending time with your family, exercise, travel etc.There are some things you can delegate- financial planning is one of them.Bill Bachrach also has a healthy and objective view about advice for investors who are not sure if they want to use the services of an advisor.
Live your life following what's most important- Your Values
Bill Bachrach's book can help all investors, young and old, to reach all their financial goals so they can live the best possible life.Because everyone is different, that best life will be different for everyone.Read more

Subjects:  1. Finance, Personal    2. Financial planners    3. Investments    4. Values   

Reviews (41)

Develop Advanced Financial Modeling Skills
As a university teacher of strategic corporate finance and optimal investment, I have watched the financial industry analytics transcend hand calculation with financial calculators to financial modeling with spreadsheet software. Depending on whether the financial specialty is in corporate or banking/brokerage, the job skills requirement can range from corporate cost control to optimal portfolio design. Thus, modeling skills services both company research and financial planning.
amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing, these kind of tools are basic for anyone interested in a financial career. Its an excellent book, an it is easy to read and very dynamic and useful
A useful handbook for financial modeling
This is a quite useful handbook for its easy understanding excel sheets and graphs demonstration.The CD-Rom attached is very helpful for practicing financial modeling problems. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Finance    7. Financial Applications - General    8. Managerial Finance    9. Mathematical models    10. Microcomputer Accounting & Financial Software    11. Microsoft Excel (Computer file    12. Microsoft Excel (Computer file)    13. Microsoft Visual Basic for app    14. Microsoft Visual Basic for applications    15. Spreadsheets - Excel    16. Budgeting & financial management    17. Business & Economics / Finance    18. Excel   

Editorial Review

Starting from scratch, simply by picking stocks and companies for investment, Warren Buffett amassed one of the epochal fortunes of the 20th century -- an astounding net worth of $10 billion and counting. That awesome record has made him a cult figure. Read more

Reviews (74)

Great biography book
This book is a very good read to say at least -- nicely written with good details of Warren Buffett's mentality, strategy, and learning process.

Unique account of Buffett's rise to financial stardom
A rare account of Buffett's life and financial ventures, detailing several milestones in the evolution of Buffett from wiz kid to financial guru.

An excellent financial biography
Buffett is a fantastic biography on one of the 20th century's most well-known investors. Far from being just a financial volume or a how-to-invest-like-Buffett, Lowenstein's work is a genuine biography, and a very well-written one at that.That's not to say one cannot learn something about Buffett's investing style by reading this book; in fact, I believe I learned more about how the man has been so successful from this book than from any other source on Buffett.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Buffett, Warren    5. Business    6. Capitalists and financiers    7. Stockbrokers    8. United States    9. Biography & Autobiography / Business   

Reviews (7)

Not substantive enough
I must agree with reviewer Ira Balli from London below.This book lacks substantive information regarding the quantitative methods and therefore is merely an introduction to quant ideas that have been discussed in the marketplace.Of course, anyone who might have proprietary and successful quant methods would be foolhardly to disclose them, so one should not expect that from any public writer.
Don't buy this book
I am trading since 10 years, lead two hedge funds and I am about to finish my study in Msc of Mathematical trading and Finance.
professional
This book is written by a market professional. And it is obvious from the start. There is no hype, and the whole approach is based on maths and probability. The book is concise, and it would be very difficult to make the text shorter than it is.
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Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Futures And Options Trading    6. Investments & Securities - General    7. Mathematical models    8. Portfolio management    9. Stocks    10. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    11. Investment & securities    12. Management & management techniques   

Subjects:  1. Budget    2. Budget process    3. Budgeting    4. Business & Economics    5. Business/Economics    6. General    7. Governmental Budgeting    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Program budgeting    10. Public Affairs & Administration    11. Public Finance    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / General    14. Economics, Finance, Business and Industry    15. Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects    16. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (6)

Must have for anyone interested on Derivatives
I really must thank John Hull for this book. The way every topic is covered gives you basic knowledge to enter the depths that await you regarding futures, options and other derivatives. The book is so masterfully written that the approach to every topic is very fluid. Once you've covered the book, you are ready to go on with a more complicated book, including Hull's "Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives" which has a more anylitical approach than this introductory book. The examples are the easiest ones and you can understand everything so clearly I wish there were more books like this.

The best nontechnical introduction book on Derivtatives
Hull wrote a classic book for the introduction to futures and optionsmarkets. It's for the serious reader who doesn't want to all the deviationsand basics of option pricings. If, after reading this book, you're stillinterested in derivatives you cann proceed with Hull's "Options,Futures, and Other Derivative Securities", Kolb's "Futures,Options, and Swaps", or for the very ambitious student Wilmott's"Derivatives or Quantitative Finance".

Excellent book, must have for finance nuts.
The material is similar to his other book, OptionsFutures and OtherDerivatives, but much more easy to read.With Brealy & Myers, thisforms a good complementary text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Finance    6. Futures And Options Trading    7. Futures market    8. Investments & Securities - General    9. Options (Finance)    10. Problems, exercises, etc    11. Economics    12. Investment & securities   

Reviews (67)

I loved this book at first, but. . .
When I frst read this book several years ago, I loved it.However, I like to go over my library of personal finance books to get a little shot of encouragement when I need it or just for some info I might have forgotten.After going back to this book, I couldn't get through the silly story again.It just did not go down as well on the second helping.The story and the characters get old very fast.Skip this one and buy the automatic millionaire or the total money makeover instead.

Good advice is buried in this 1950's Educational Film Strip
My dad gave me this book. I'm young (25) but not a novice when it comes to my finances. Some of the things discussed in here I'm already doing but some of it was new to me. If you can get through the annoying and downright stupid conversations (not one "joke" in here is even close to being funny) between the "barber" and his "pupils" you'll leave with some good information.The "story" is written in the fashion of a 1950's film strip on finance...I felt like it was almost talking down to me in some sections as if I wasn't intelligent enough to understand some of the concepts. Read this book, but also check out Suze Orman..especially if you're in your 20's. (and to the publisher: do you really want a review by Arthur Andersen on the back of the book?)

Great Book...
The wealthy barber is a great little book. It explains investing to the layperson, without fancy language, or needlessly complex concepts. The Barber - told in an series of monthly haircuts to his customers - explains how one should undertake the path to financial freedom, regardless of what their income levels are.There is no real trick here, or advice on what to invest in, rather, just the founding principles one must undertake to learn before they start saving for their families future. For example, Roy, [the Barber] explains how important it is to start investing early, and how compound interest works. Also, how anyone can save a nice little nest egg by putting away just a few dollars off their weekly paycheck.
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Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Consumer Finance    5. Finance, Personal    6. Investment Finance    7. Personal Finance    8. Personal Finance - Financial Planning    9. Personal Finance - General    10. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / General    11. Small businesses & self-employed   

Reviews (57)

Just a Great Book - Every Investor Must Read
I guess what I find funny is that some of the other reviewers say this book does not help. Having read the book I am really quite taken aback.
Great Book for soon to be investors
When I first read this book, it really reinforced the concepts of investing.
Very nice
It is a book that you have to read if you want to know how a very succesful make it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economic