5 comments about Foreign Currency Trading: From the Fundamentals to the Fine Points.

1. ... I have no idea what objective these guys had in mind when they sat down to write this book.... This book is just a bunch of information thrown together (probably downloaded from the internet) and they obviously took no time to put any real effort into this book. I was terribly dissappointed with my purchase of this book.....look elsewhere if you are interested in getting started in forex trading.



2. As others have said clearly, this book is a waste of trees, ink and the time of its reader. The "authors" should be ashamed of such blatant hucksterism and poor description of even the most basic aspects of trading. Even if you are a neophyte, look somewhere else.



3. I'll summarize this book for you -- "Foreign Currency Trading is difficult, if you want to learn more, send us some more money and we will enroll you in a class."
   
   Save your money, buy yourself a newspaper instead.



4. Well when i grow up i to be Russell R Wasendorf, whether sr. or jr. I think these two are the greatest salesmen around. I bought a wonderful book which adorns my bookcase and adds colour and life to my room. Whats more is that i found the same book in my brother's home. Thinking he 'borrowed' it I asked him, He replied saying he 'invested' in it and it works well as a sleep aide . Seriously some points for beginners are reasonably covered but most of the book was a waste of time, paper and resources. There were no Fine points covered in the book to memory but if there were it was lost in the dribble.



5. I was looking for a basic book teaching the concepts and trading practices and fundamentals. This book has a lot to say about none of the topics needed to help someone become a trader. If you are looking to have someone trade your account you might be helped by it. There are a lot better books out there "Getting Started in Currency Trading" is a fine example. This is the best buy for the money when you are done reading it you will be much better informed to move ahead. Getting Started in Currency Trading: Winning in Todays Hottest Marketplace (Getting Started In.....)

5 comments about Options:Essential Concepts, 3rd Edition.

1. This book presents a highly readable overview of the subject of options and I would recommend it to anyone. I have not been able to find one book on options which is as wide ranging in its scope (i.e., history, pricing, strategy, individual and institutional investors' approaches, how the trading floor operates, how market makers trade, etc.). The authors have struck a good balance between depth of the subject matter and readability. There are more detailed texts available in the area of strategy (McMillan's _Options as a Strategic Investment_) or pricing (Natenberg's _Option Volatility and Pricing_), but I would especially recommend this book to individual investors interested in options. After reading this book they will have a much stronger footing from which to approach the forementioned other books (which are also excellent, by the way).

   The previous reviewer's comments should be disregarded as I cannot conceive of anyone writing about this subject matter any more clearly (yes, I have read both of Fontanills' books) -- the authors appear to have put much effort into this book judging by its clarity, and one nitwit's daffy comments should not dissuade you!




2. Wow, amazing, excellent, insufficient superlatives to describe my feelings - this one and Sheldon Nattenberg's Option Volatility and Pricing and you know more than most of the wall street professionals in my opinion. I found it practical and insightful, particularly with respect to the institutional trading strategies and how the trading floors operate.



3. This book is somewhat like 'A Random Walk Down Wallstreet" only applies to option trading, not just Wall Street and goes beyond.To the nit wit that blasted this book, I seriously doubt if he took the time to read it.I also recommend Safety First Investing and Wall Street Money Machine for more option techniques.Good books.



4. This is definitely not an easy reading book. It's essentially a dry college textbook, drier then most Physics textbooks. I am not too sure why people like this book. It's rated fairly high, which was why I initially bought it, but now I regret it. The book is written by multiple authors, therefore some chapters are better then others. But overall it's difficult to read because in some areas, the descriptions are too terse, in others too detailed to the point of confusing. I've owned this book for almost three years and I've never been able to consistently read through it. I will drop it because it's too frustrating. Then I try again a couple of months later and I drop it again. I essentially gave up and decided to go ahead and read Lawrence McMillan's Option book. His book has a better flow because it's the same author throughout, and he does a pretty good job of explaining the subject. This book is only good for probably a reference book, but not for advancing your techniques of Options trading. I am going to try and sell this book instead of using it as a reference.



5. This is a good introductory book on options.
   Pros: comprehensive coverage of a subject,fairly easy to read and understand for a beginner in options.
   Cons: the same concepts explained multiple times in different parts of the book. That's probably because chapters are written by different people. For example, look at put-call parity or covered call in the index. It's not a reference book. A short chapter summarizing option trading strategies in one place is clearly missing.

No comments about Anxiety Free Option Investing: Using Covered Spreads as a Hedge vs. Downside Risk.

5 comments about Stock Options-Getting Your Share of the Action: Negotiating Shares and Terms in Incentive and Nonqualified Plans.

1. I have been a fan of Tom Taulli's writing for some time now. I highly recommend this book to any financial advisor, broker, or person who has stock options. He makes the tax and financial planning implications of stock options easy to understand. In addition, the book offers many useful tips and pitfalls to avoid from happening.



2. This book tremendously helped me negotiate a good option plan for a private company I recently went to work for. I would have taken the company's original offer and would have overlooked important terms in my plan and if I did not read this book. Anyone who is offered an option plan must read this book. I can not stress it enough. I learned they are as negotiable as my salary and benefits. It scares me to think of what I would have left on the table.



3. I wish I would have read this book before I exercised my options, I would have paid alot less to uncle sam. If you want to make sure you get the most money for your options, I'd get a copy of this book. The tax implications can get complicated and Tom lends clear guidance and strategies.



4. Congradulations, Tom. Finally, someone has written a book that is understandable and readable for the financially saavy and not so saavy tech employee... This book contains information that is essential for (i) the employee who is interested in knowing the good and less than good about stock options and (ii) the executive and board who needs to correctly incentivize the employee base. Tom's book outlines the types of options available, how options work, and their tax and securities law treatments. The section on negotiation is particularly interesting and contains information not often available in a book directed at those of us who don't care to read a legal treatise. This book is well worth the read. Good luck and may your stock options be everything you hope them to be.



5. I'm a programmer based in Silicon Valley and have received stock options over the years. No question, there is a lot of misinformation on the subject. Then again, the subject is extremely complex! However, when reading Taulli's book, things became much clearer. The sections on AMT were especially done well. If you want to understand your stock options, Taulli's book is a great choice.

5 comments about What Works in Online Day Trading.

1. This is an eclectic book. It doesn't focus on a major theme and is a collection of different people's views plus the author's.

   I would not recommend this book for beginners who want to learn the basics because I don't feel the foundation is thorough.

   It is a good book for those who want to see how others trade, their diverse techniques, and their opinions on trading. Also of value are the risk management techniques.

   A more appropriate title would be: Different techniques by various traders and other trading tips.




2. I have read many "trading" books, and find this one a pleasant suprise. Section Two includes a good source of trading strategies that work, each one written by people who actually trade. Strategies covered include 1) pure price action by Gary Smith, 2) breakouts by Mark Seleznov, 3) seasonals by Steve Moore, et.al., 4) patterns by Mark Etzkorn, 4) springs and upthrusts by Hank Pruden, 5) Bow Tie patterns by Dave Landry, and a few others.

   The strategies include a good summary of setups, entries, stops, and exits. These summaries are general enought that you can program them in most any backtest software you use, not just Tradestation or C++. I use them to backtest with TC2000 and TC Companion.

   The book also has very good information on risk mangement, the mechanics of trading and the mindset of different trading styles.

   The great thing about this book, is that it is a well integrated compilation of tools and techniques from a variety of well known and/or highly successful traders. The editor did a wonderful job of taking this diverse group and integrating the book into a very logical and usable flow.

   While it may be too much for the pure beginner, this book will be most appreciated by the intermediate to advanced trader.




3. This is not your ordinary trading book, but one that teaches some real "usable" techniques. The book is broken up into chapters written by different people, so the tone of voice will change frequently. The prize of this book is the Seleznov breakout method, which anyone can use to trade profitably for life. That alone is worth thousands of times the price of this book. I'd recommend this for any serious amateur/semi-pro level short term trader who may be lacking a consistent trading system.



4. I decided to give this book a chance in providing me essential elements of a typical intraday technical trading system. Sure I wasn't expecting a copy-paste daytrade system that suits everyone.. if there ever was one...
   It's just, if you're starting out in daytrading (asuming you've been doing numerous of position & swing trades) looking for honest information, this book does the job. Eclectic but essential and honest. The actual job of creating a profitable system, simple or complex, still is yours.. .



5. This book has strong and weak chapters and average usability. It consist of a mixture of good advice: "Nervous money tends to become some elses money", long and tideous explanations on online technology, lame explanations about charts: "The vertical (Y) axis shows the price level, and the horisontal (X) axis shows time"...if you did not know this or could not figure it out yourself, you should nok trade at all. Stronger chapters looked at risk control & money management and some interesting interviws with for example Linda Bradford Raschke. The money management section helped me a lot and if you have not figured out that theme yet I would buy this book only to read those 42 pages.

5 comments about The Money Tree: Risk Free Options Trading.

1. Over the last five years, I've examined hundreds of schemes for making money in the stock market. Now, I don't want to say anything bad about all those schemes, but I will say this: The concepts in The Money Tree actually work as advertised! I am retired, and need to make my meager resources last out my lifetime. My lack of success in the market had me ready to put my money in a 2% savings account and hibernate. But then I read this book. It has literally changed my life.



2. I found this book to be very interesting and powerful in that it not only provides a simple covered call strategy but a stock selection method that complements the overall strategy. The book gives any one the basics to set up a conservative covered call portfolio that should provide a comfortable income. You can order a set of CD's that implements the book's basics and the CD's are very reasonable.
   I have set up my IRA account to implement the covered call/ stock program set forth in this book.



3. If it so good why would SOMEONE bother writing the same review over and over again. I have written many of covered calls and 25% is a bit lofty for a return. Look into more honestly reviewed/written books for details/strategies and see what you can do experientially. Start small and watch what happens to your returns on an annualized basis. Have an exit strategy before you start.



4. I have not read this book, but I had to comment on its title: I would hate for a novice investor/trader to be taken in by the promise of "risk free" options trading. Synthetically, selling a covered call is identical to selling a naked put, with exactly the same risk/reward profile. The fact that lots of investors do it, and are allowed to do so by their brokers, has a lot more to do with the brokers' risk tolerance than its risk profile for the individual. Yes, you can increase your returns with this strategy, but please, learn how to do it from someone who will tell you the truth about the potential outcomes.



5. I consider myself a very experienced, professional investor. While I agree w/ the comment by another reviewer that "risk free" is too strong a word - I really liked this book. The book is very readable and communicates a basic yet powerful option writing strategy. While I stress that each investor must understand the risks involved in every trade, I also believe that this book is worth a read.

5 comments about The Four Biggest Mistakes in Option Trading (Trade Secrets Ser).

1. There are four basic mistakes all beginning option traders make, these are:
   1) Relying solely on market timing;
   2) Buying only out-of-the-money options;
   3) Using strategies that are too complex; and
   4) Casting too wide a net on option choices

   Relying solely on market timing.
   It causes failure because it ignores implied volatility. It can lead to paying far too much to purchase an option. It would be like buying a stock without knowing its P/E, or buying a car without knowing its blue book value. The way to avoid this mistake is by carefully analyzing which options are best suited to achieve your objective. Also, measure what is the current implied volatility of these options and compare it vs. the historical volatility of this option. This will give you an idea of the current valuation of this option, and whether it appears overpriced or underpriced.

   Buying only out-of-the-money options.
   By doing so, you ignore the probability that the option will eventually be in-the-money. It leads to buying options with little likelihood of profiting. You can get lucky once. But, such a blind strategy is a sure way to get wiped out in option trading. Instead, you should know exactly what is the probability of you making money on each option trades. This entails knowing the "Delta" of a specific option. If an option has a Delta of 20. It has a 20% chance of being in-the-money.

   Using strategies that are too complex.
   This leads to unfavorable risk\reward situations. First, you should determine your objective and make certain the trade you are going to make can achieve those objectives without more risk than you can handle.

   Casting too wide a net.
   You will spend too much time wasted looking for opportunities among illiquid options. By doing so, you will waste a lot of your potential returns on the wider bid and ask spreads of these less than liquid options. Instead, focus on securities that have actively traded options.

   This book is a real eye opener on option trading.




2. This book is useful in directing novice options traders to the four biggest mistakes usually made in this area. The book does what is says with describing the theory behind the authors arguments but unfortunaly does not provide market examples on how that should be implemented in real life. Having read other books by this author, I am sure he is capable of supplementing his theory with examples . One of the mistakes he mentions is buying only out of the money options and he recommends buying in the money options. Unfortunately he does not address the fact that this approach could still result in a total loss if the option ends out of the money by expiration day. In addition to be successful in trading in the money options your timing needs to be accurate enough to be certain you do not face a total loss. Timing is never addressed in this book and you would need to supplement this by other books that focus more on this area.
   Why 5 stars? Even with these shotcomings it is important that beginners know where they can go wrong and then focus on what to do right.



3. by far a worthless book on options,
   the cover looks great, but this has no
   value; I learned more on the optionsxpress
   website than this book, anyone who has
   read an options book would not
   appreciate this book it assumes you
   know nothing about options and really
   tricks you into thinking that the author
   knows what he is talking about.



4. Well written and concise. Very very importan for ALL Option traders to own and keep in their library. If anyone understands a little bit about "Implied Volatility", this book is a must!



5. This is the first review I ever share on Amazon. I tend to keep my thoughts to myself, but this book is more a pamphlet that leads to their service advertisements. I think someone must bring this "scam" to light. (Please check the number of pages in this "book", then divide by 4 to get the equivalent pages of a book)
   
   The 4 items that this book covers are common sense that any experienced investor and intermediate trader would have developed in the first 3 years at the respective area.
   
   Use the cost of this book and buy a deep out of money contract. It will be more profitable.

2 comments about The Market Is Always Right.

1. I have read other books by Mr. McCafferty and have found this one to be the most valuable, not to mention entertaining. It seems as though most of the newer books out there are just a rehashing of commonly known techniques and offer little valuable insight into how the market actually operates, that is not the case with this fine book. Mr McCafferty seems to understand the way the markets operate and the players in the trading community. He mentions several successful traders and their methods and explains them very well, probably better than those traders could themselves, which is a true testament to his ability as a writer. I learned specific strategies that have changed the way I trade and have been surprised by how well the simple things Tom mentions (and many of us overlook) have worked for me. I can say that I am a more profitable trader because of what I read in this book and for the [$$] it cost me, that is an unbelievable deal. Thank you for unselfishly sharing your trading experiences with us Tom, my life has been enriched because or your words.



2. This is a 100% trading psychology book. No FA, no TA, but ten chapters or the author's so called principles on trading psychology, which are

   1. The market is always right.
   2. It's all in your head.
   3. You cant prepare enough.
   4. Supply and demand rule the markets
   5. Commit your thoughts to paper
   6. Developing and perfecting your trading shtick
   7. Enhancing your shtick
   8. Discipline
   9. Staying the course
   10. On becoming the ideal trader

   Though the above can be commonly found in most trading books, the author had done it relatively well by drawing many uncommon analogies, stories, idiomatic phrases that put life into the book. In particular I like his description of successful traders as captains in the oceans, mice in the laboratories and actuaries in insurance companies.

   In short, if you wanna read a good trading psychology book, this is it. If you want TA or FA knowledge, look somewhere else.

   p.s. The seven cardinal sins of trading in the last chaper is a favorite of mine. They are:-

   1. Pride, which challenges the first rule of trading: The market is always right.
   2. Greed, holding onto trades hoping for more and more profits while all TA signals are telling you the party is over.
   3. Envy, drains positive energy from their psyche, leaving them mean spirited and weak.
   4. Anger, that when Greek gods decided to destroy a human, they got him angry and let him destroy himself.
   5. Lust, equates to ignoring key defensive rules or self control. The unbridled gambler is the epitome of lust, doubling up after every loss.
   6. Gluttony, a lack of focus. Trading becomes obsession They eat and sleep trading.
   7. Sloth, that a lazy successful trader is an oxymoron. He or she just doesnt exist.

No comments about The Best of the Professional Traders Journal: Options Trading and Volatility Trading.

5 comments about Global Convertible Investing: The Gabelli Way.

1. Hart Woodson has put together an easy to understand guide to convertibles. The book covers all aspects for hedge funds to outright purchasers of the product on a global basis. In depth enough for the seasoned professional and yet basic enough for those trying to understand convertibles for the first time.



2. This book is a fantastic resource for investors who are new to convertibles, convertible experts and everyone in between. It provides a great breadth of topics as well as a perfect amount of depth. It covers the full range of convertible products, the theory behind them and convertible investing strategies. I'll be keeping this book handy.



3. A must read for anyone interested in a clear and consise review of all the relevant information regarding this timely topic. Mr. Woodson demonstrates his precise and broad understanding of all the issues surrounding convertible investing, and presents such knowledge in a profounding easy to read fashion. This one shouldn't be missed. Clearly one of the authoritative sources out there!!



4. Quite a few books have been written about the specialized subject of convertible securities, but Hart Woodson has distinguished himself by writing a comprehensive book that includes all of the latest types of convertible securities as well as the latest strategies--in plain language that a beginner could comprehend, and with sophisticated equations included for the sophisticated quant. Better still, the book is not simply an ad for convertibles nor for his employer, Gabelli Asset Management. The pitfalls as well as the potentials are described. Hart can write. Hart has broad experience. He puts it all together in this practical book.



5. I am unsure what book the rest of the reviewers are reading; but it was not this one. The book is not only ambiguous, but poorly crafted with topical transitions sloppy. I can comfortably say that there is not a single section of the book that adequately unveils the dynamics of various convertible instruments or their pricing. Indeed, the book reads more like a glossary than an explanatory text and for persons new to converts, the spate of regurgitated pricing theories will likely do more harm then good. Perhaps the one strength of the text is that it serves as a broad reference for readers truly interested in converts to seek out more educative pieces. For more informed readers, modest incremental knowledge seems to be the only gain.