No comments about Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre.

1 comments about Advanced Options Trading: The Analysis and Evaluation of Trading Strategies Hedging Tactics and Pricing Models.

1. Mr. Daigler's work, Advanced Options Trading, provides a sound overview of option pricing models and the variables that influence pricing for stocks, futures, and exotics. The model of focus is Black-Scholes, though I give Mr. Daigler credit for a renewed look at works by Cox, Rubenstein, and Ross. In addition to the sometimes-tedious theoretics of options, Daigler examines hedging techniques and arbitrage. Overall, a rigid yet unimaginative examination of derivatives, nothing surprising just reaffirming. Floor trading and market makers may find its presentation a pleasant refresher, otherwise look to McMillian or Sheldon Natenburg's works.

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.

5 comments about The Day Trader's Manual: Theory, Art, and Science of Profitable Short-Term Investing.

1. This book looks good, had one or two good reviews. But I wasted my money on it, because it put me to sleep. Written for the older crowd, with techniques used in the 80's. Definetely did not help me much, even though I sadly read %70 of it.



2. I was looking for "How To" Day trading book. Reading this book was torture. I felt Mr. Eng was trying harder to impress upon the reader his vast knowledge of the theory of economics, rather than teaching one how to day trade. I admit, I couldn't force myself to read the whole book. By the time I finished part two, feeling I'd gained nothing out of those 186 awful pages, I moved on to more exciting authors.



3. Way too much unusable information. I kept waking up throughout the book, hoping to get to the parts about day-trading I could put into practice. (It never happened)



4. I had rated the author's first book "Trading rules: Strategies for success" with 5 stars. I never expected such a frustration with this book.

   Perhaps the trader did try to make this book as a day trader's manual by including everything he deemed fit into a 322 page book: trading psychology, rules drawn from his own experience, chaos theory and in particular many TA tools like Market Profile, Elliot Wave, Gann Fan, RSI, Stochastics and so on. He then used nearly 40% of the book in 14 cases to elaborate those tools. The problem is, though I believe it's the intent of the author to make the book as concise as possible, it's simply impossible for most, even some professionals, to grasp the usage of the aforesaid TA tools. Even worse, the cases just did not help at all.

   In a word, a big disappointment for this one and I suggest those who would like to give the author a try to bet on his first book "Trading Rules: Strategies for success".




5. I anxiously waited for this book to arrive and was disappointed. Though the material may apply to some traders, it was like reading a physics manual. Very little up to date practical info. Candlesticks are not discussed at all. This book may be OK for a casual look over, but there are far better books such as Profitable Candlestick Trading by Bigalow, Toni Turners books, Nissans Candlestick books, Elders books, The Disciplined Trader, The Market Makers Edge, and many others that get into the real meat if you want to learn the art of day, swing, and position trading. Trading is not a get rich quick scheme, it is not gambling, but rather a deliberate planned approach to trading stocks and futures for fun and profit. It takes a lot of hard work and years of study to be consistently successful. You are going to have to focus on the art of the trade, not the money to get it done. Reading all of the books you can find on the subject is definitely suggested. But this one, I cannot recommend.

5 comments about Covered Call Writing with Qs and Diamonds: Double-Digit Returns on Ready-Made Portfolios.

1. A primer on options, having little to do with Qs, Diamonds, other than that is the vehicle. Not sure you need to buy book to see benefit of diversification in underlying asset -all other risk aspects remain the same.



2. It was a my husband's favorite Christmas present. This is his favorite strategy - he has really been enjoying the book. He says all you need is a minimum of one thing you didn't know to catapult you farther - this had many more than one! Thanks.



3. If you want to find out how to take 12% out of the market in cash per year, this book is for you. It's clear, concise and comes with instructions on how to create P/L templates on Excel. In addition, they'll send everything you need to get started on Excel in your email for free. The book set-up moves from simple on to complicated, lots of graphs and plenty of examples. My problem, which may be not a problem for others, is that pesky 12& gain per year. If you've got plenty of investible capital, that might be enough. But, if you don't, it isn't. For me, an annual return of 12% just isn't enough when you figure in your time and trading fees and the fact that you're essentially selling covered calls on the underlying Qs and Diamonds. On the other hand, Kadavy states up front that this is a 'conservative' approach to using options. The best thing about this approach is that you no longer have to chose from the confusing universe of optionable securities, all you use here are QQQQ and DIA. Simple and conservative.



4. I'm was sitting on potential profits watching stocks go up and down
   now thanks to the step-by-step instructions I schnitzel a nice profit.



5. This book is fine for the "housewife," or "elementary teacher," or a "journalist or liberal arts graduate" who wants an elementary introduction into covered calls... and then only if... they have no finance, or financial analysis knowledge. But... if you've got that type of education and experience... take a pass.
   
   Any "B School" graduate could have written this book. The author fails to provide any real insight into the practical stratigies at the bottom of a market cycle, or specific "how to" guidance. Obviously, selling covered calls at the bottom of a market cycle, will yield very disappointing results. This is a strategy that's fine for the top of a market, or sideways market - but for the bottom of a market cycle, you're going to want to be on the buy side of the calls, or you're going to miss the big gains.
   
   Nor, does he provide any insight into "how to read the market trends" (technical analysis) to alert you as to what type of market you're in, or about to experience, which should guide your strategy.
   
   A more cycnical reviewer would suggest... the guy's a charlatan.
   
   But... hey... that's just me... I'm just sayin...

5 comments about The Disciplined Online Investor.

1. Dr.Hendlin's new book on the psychology of online trading hit the spot with me.It was just what I was looking for. He offers relevant and useful psychological concepts to help both short-term traders and long-term investors deal with the strong emotions and wild thoughts that are part of the online trading experience. The book is written in a smooth conversational tone that makes digesting the ideas presented easy even for those with little psychology background. Hendlin does an excellent job of presenting a fair and balanced view of such issues as: dealing with fear and greed; feeling in control of emotions; how to create a home trading environment that is optimal for trading; and how not to get caught in trying to be a perfectionistic trader. What I really liked about this book is that the author does an admirable job of addressing the most important issues for both short-term active traders as well as long-term investors. Hendlin made me more aware of how fantasies and inner chatter affect my trading. He offers numerous exercises for readers to help them become more aware of themselves while trading. This is the first book on the psychology of trading that I didn't put down because it was boring or because if offered only obvious platitudes by traders with no real background in psychology. This guy definitely knows what he is talking about. I would have liked the author to share more of how Eastern thinking relates to trading--a topic he teases us with but to which he only devotes the final chapter.



2. Hendlin's new book is simply the best at addressing the mental and emotional aspects of trading that has yet appeared in the trading literature. He is the first to look at moment-to-moment thoughts, feelings, images, and fantasies which arise while one sits at the monitor watching quotes and executing trades. I found much of value in his analysis of such topics as balancing fear and greed; not getting caught in perfectionistic thinking; learning the yielding method of self-control; dealing with the information overload; and what the thinking of short-term traders has to offer long-term investors. In addition, Hendlin offers readers a typology of trading styles according to personality types that will be of benefit for all those who have never considered how their personality relates to their trading style. This book is easy to read, not requiring a background in psychology to make use of its concepts and tools. Hendlin offers numerous examples from his own trading experience that make the concepts come to life. His willingness to share some of his own trading mistakes and explain them in psychological terms adds to his presentation. The author might have included some graphs to help make some of his examples more obvious. This book is not for those who are looking for a primer of trading systems,or technical or fundamental stock analysis. Nor is it aimed at those seeking simple answers to difficult questions. But it will defintely make you re-think some of your basic assumptions about the trading game.I now have a greater appreciation for the complicated and vital role of the mental side of trading. The book jacket maintains this is a "one-of-a-kind" book in the investing world. What I initially thought had to be hyperbole ended up being accurate. I've never read one quite like this before. And it has the single best cover graphic on an investment-related book I've ever seen. Highly recommended to both active traders and serious long-term investors.



3. This is a compulsive person's dream. To have a psychologist tell them its OK; That they can master their compulsive behavior and still get to dive in head first into the substance of their choice, trading. Definitely marketed toward novice day traders who have so much to risk. I was disappointed.



4. Dr. Hendlin's book should be found on every serious investor's bookcase. The increased volatility in today's markets demands a psychological reference targeted specifically to investors. The "Fear and Greed Trilogy" section of the book provides an excellent framework for understanding emotions and actions during dramatic market movements, both up and down. Investors will find that this book hits home!



5. I purchased this book after reading about him on a website. I feel that his advice was interesting for the novice investor. However for experienced traders, i think that the advice here is redundant.

4 comments about Put Option Writing Demystified: Earn Double-Digit Cash Returns While Waiting to Buy Stocks at a Discount.

1. I would highly recommend this book to any stock investor who is looking for some new ideas to earn back the money they've lost in the bear market. Who ever heard of being paid immediate cash to wait to buy stocks at a lower price? That's what this book taught me to how to do. It sounds too good to be true, but I know it works because I've done it after reading the book. I wanted to buy the Nasdaq 100 Trust (QQQ) at a lower price. Instead of just waiting to see if it went lower, I wrote put contracts on the QQQ at my buy price using what I learned in the book. I collected $485 in cash in my brokerage account the next day. The stock didn't hit my price, so I didn't buy it the first month, but I got to keep the $485, which was a 24% return on an annual basis. The next month I did the same thing (collected $625 this time). My price was hit and I bought the QQQ shares for 15% less than the price when I started this. In the meantime I collected $1,110 while I waited to buy my shares for 15% less. This is explained so well that anyone can do it. Nobody I know seems to know about this. It's all in this book.



2. Dear Author!

   Just bought two books from Amazon, Put option writing and covered call writing. Thanks, your books are very useful, I will recommend to some of my friends about these wonderful books
   
   Thanks again,
   
   Readers
   Kenny




3. I ordered the book new, I found the data useful and assisted my in proving a point that i needed to prove. Highlighting and tabbing book caused ink to distort to the point of making the pages blank. Ink just falls off page. I expected better for the cost....



4. The title for this book is patently misleading. Introduction to put options would be more apprpriate; nothing is 'demystified'; granting different levels of experience in options trading if you know the difference between a put and a call save your money. As is the usual with these types of books half to two thirds of the book is devoted to explaining options.

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.

2 comments about Options Demystified.

1. "Options Demystified" is a worthy addition to McGraw-Hill's "Demystified" series, easily living up to its claim of being a self-teaching guide. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject of puts and calls, but this large-format paperback is by far the best I've come across for the aspiring option trader. It is comprehensive, well organized, generously illustrated and easy to understand. The book also includes many quizzes and a "final exam" to help the reader master the material.
   
   The author, Thomas McCafferty, has been around commodities, stocks and options for many years and written numerous books on those subjects. This one not only lays out the basics of the options game, it also condenses much of the author's impressive horse-sense into a very readable and relatively short work (251 pages, plus an excellent index). "Options Demystified" should be on every trader's shelf. Even pros will find some pearls here, including a chapter on "trading philosophy" that's perfectly attuned to today's frothy markets. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone looking for an options primer that is both comprehensive and easy to imbibe.



2. This was a quick enjoyable read which provides an overview of options. This is a good first book to read to see if you want to invest more time studying.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Options and Futures.

1. I have read a few books on futures and find many gaps in basic information. As I struggle to put the pieces together, this book was a breath of fresh air. Comprehensive, including interesting history of the beginnings of these markets. Thorough, including pricing, quote info, basic info on each commodity, financial, index, etc. You need other readings about options, but the BEST basic book on commodities and futures



2. I personally prefer stock, bonds, and mutual funds, but you can make a ton of money trading futures and options. As the author says "People can reap huge profits, or lose their shirts".
   
   The book gives a very good overview of all the major markets, including history of futures trading as well as how large an order should be, the typical margin put up, and how volitle of and investment a particular futures market can be, like advising corn as a good starting point and staying away from metals. I also agree with that philosophy. Another thing the author does in explaing the markets that i like is that he informs the reader of all the factors that can influence price fluctuations and how to try to time your movements into and out of the markets based on these trends. I also like that he does admit that there is a time to sell a winner and to sell a loser to cut your loses instead of going deeper in debt. sometimes it is best to get out after your first margin call.

   The thing that I think makes the book most valuable are the options strategies. These also work very well with stocks and some index funds. As the author states these are very limited profit potential, but there is also very little risk. If you guess the market pretty well then there is almost no risk. My favorite of these is also the most basic the straddle option. Here you can make money if prices go up on down, but not if they remain fairly consistent. You typically purchase and at the money call ( right to buy) option and an at the money put option ( right to sell)the only risk involved is the money that is initially paid for the option. Both are purchase at roughly the same strike price so if a price swing up or down will net the option holder some money. Their are other strategies such as the bear put spread, and bull call spread as well as married options were you are actually buying futures. I personally do not like the three becasue all involve selling an options contract which theoretically can have unlimited loss potential. Unless you are very experienced and have a good track record stay away from them.

   In conclusion options and futures are very risky intruments. I would advise simply playing the stocks and funds, but if you like this market i would advise buying optiosn, the most you risk there is the amount you paid for the options, and there are no margin calls, I persoanlly know someone who was almost driven to bankruptcy becasue he did not know what he was doing and got into the futures market. I must admit though that the futures market intrests me more than and other area of finance and investing.




3. If you have to start somewhere it might as well be here. This book is one of a kind. It opens up the world of futures and options perfectly. The author, Mr.Barrie, doesn't hesitate to tell you about your risks potential. He emphasizes it over and over in fact. The only thing he doesn't develop fully is why futures and options are so risky.

   In my 11 years as a futures investor, broker, and author, I have come to discover that leverage is the criminal that makes futures so risky. If Mr.Barrie had spent more time developing that along with some solidly proven money management techniques I would have given him a 5 star rating.




4. Scott Barrie is absolutely incredible. This book is precise, complete, and can help anyone thoroughly understand the commodity and options markets. This is, by far, the most "user friendly" futures book I've ever read. Great information. Also, I had the fortunate experience to see Scott speak at a seminar and I discovered some highly profitable trading information that has made me quite a bit of money. Scott is highly recommended.



5. Let me start by stating that Scott Barrie does a great job converting the subject matter in this book to something that a casual, perhaps even disinterested party, can understand. I have never read any of the other Complete Idiot's Guides, but if this is how they deal with the incredibly complex subject of Commodities Trading, I wont be buying any of them again for other subjects. This was the third book in my commodities trading education. After book's one and two, this book taught me nothing. Not one thing. It does not provide enough depth on any of the multitude of subject matters that are required knowledge of the trader. However, it does touch on nearly every matter that a trader should be deeply knowledgeable about. This book was so short on details that if you were to read this book and then attempt to trade even a single transaction, it is my opinion that you would have NO IDEA what you were doing. If you are interested in Trading, a better first book is Futures 101. That will give you a better understanding if you know nothing. This book really is for people who know nothing about trading. And dont have an interest in trading either, but are interested in the subject as hobby of sorts.