Option

This is such a quick read, you could actually read it while IN labor! Dr. Datta has the unique gift of being able to boil down very complex subject matter into a format easily understood by the average layperson. It is succinct enough to be used as a reference while in the hospital, and is a book that is much needed in today's Ob environment. I would have liked more info on the specific drugs used for anesthesia with an epidural, but aside from that, a great find!

Dr. Datta does an amazing job of explaining all the pain relief choices including natural childbirth and drug assisted options. The book also talks about all the physiological changes and provides some history of different pain relief choices. The author covers water birth and walking epidurals, as well. The book is written in a very reader friendly format and can be read in a few hours. Childbirth and Pain Relief also has a great question and answer section and an informative glossary. Every pregnant woman should read this book before going into the delivery room.

Dr Datta has covered every aspect of OB analgesia and anesthesia and more. As a childbirth educator in the 21st century, I know that women want to know everything, as they well should. This book is easy reading and covers physiologic changes, childbirth options,and pharmacalogic pain relief. There are many women who know that they want an epidural and that's that. This is the book for them to start with. Dr. Datta has included good references, websites and a excellent glossary. So for those that want the answers to what OB anesthesia is all about and didn't know what to ask, this is the book for you.

this book starts out giving the basics of the futures markets. the meat of the book is about bullish consensus which i found very interesting. the author states this isn't a trading system but a supplement to trading systems.i would reccomend this book.

What you will come to know in several years can be assimilated in little time with this book written by the master. Because most people are going towards electronic trading, they are devoid of the emotions that people have witnessed in the trading pits. Often times, things that are percieved in a convoluted way are at the human level pychologically simple, and that is what this book is taking you towards. Everything good and nothing bad.

Ironically the low sales of the book (I inferred from the Amazon sales rank) tells the high value of it, if ones believes the contrary opinion theory, that conventional wisdom, usually the popular one, always put the majority/public to the wrong side.

The author had honestly and successfully delivered what one could grasp from the title: profiting by contrarion opinion (to be precise, bullish/bearish consensus) in futures markets. He explained why the futures market is a money game, why the minority always win, why conventional market wisdom (yeah, your analysts included) always fail...He did that so well. That's all I wanna say.

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I have used this book for two courses in my MSc degree in Financial Maths...well this book is hard to understand at first glance, but, once you are introduced with a good course on stochastic analysis and applied probability, this is an illuminating book...I particularly enjoyed the part on foreing equity derivatives and exotic derivatives.....Harmed with patience this is definitely the book by which you can effectively gain a sound a knowledge on modern mathematical finance theory....reading in conjunction with Bingham-Kiesel book, could help understanding the foundation of the subject.

I've been using this book on and off over the last year. At first I was very impressed with the level of detail in the mathematics, especially as it was the only book at the time focussing on risk-neutral methods and covering BGM. But I've become increasing disillusioned with it of late. It's difficult to explain, but although the whole book is written in traditional theorem-proof style, there are no real proofs! (I have a PhD in math and have done research for 10 years so I should know a little about proofs.) The only "proofs" provided are basically symbol shifting, but the heart of the math is strangely absent. This is especially strange given the Springer series in which it appears.

In short, if you want a catalogue of methods this book does the job, but if you want a deeper understanding try Lars Nielsens book.

This book covers essentially everything needed for a serious financial math study. It captures the spirit of modern financial math. For people with math, physics or engineering background, when you feel comfortable woth John Hull's books, then this book is right one, and a must one.

Even more than Wilmott's book, C&S's book gets into the details of pricing derivatives. The choice of topics is truly excellent, and the copious source code included is a superb move. I am currently using this book (and others) to teach a class in Financial Programming.On the other hand, errors are frustratingly frequent. Not so much in the source code, but in the prose. It would be nice to see a floppy disk of code come with the book, a la Hull. There are no exercises in the text, which I consider to be an egregious error, because exercises are really the only way to learn the material.C&S try to make finite difference schemes seem less intimidating by expressing them in terms of probabilities (to stress the link between trees and more general lattices). This works OK for explicit schemes, but for the more important implicit and Crank Nicolson schemes is weird and unnatural. It fails to give the reader any clue as to how to do finite differencing on his own. (Their odd changes of variables don't help, either.) Wilmott's treatment of the subject of finite differencing is far superior.

This is a much needed resource for financial engineers which provides the step by step details with repeatable examples necessary to implement the models covered in the book. Far too many authors and academics show their arrogance and lack of interest in providing the level of information needed by their readers to actually implement the material covered in their books on derivatives models. This book is the exception.

Authors have succeeded remarkably well in providing studends and practitioners with a book on derivatives concentrating purely on numerical methods. The writing and notation is clear and free of unnecessary staff. Focus is never lost. Almost all aspects that are relevant are covered. However, for the next edition to make the book perfect, I suggest that authors add little more on newer term structure models; HJM, BGM, etc. Also a short chapter on zero estimation would be great, since the building block of term structure derivatives needs to be supplied before derivative price calculations start. Probably even credit derivatives, since that area is currently blossoming. Authors do a particularly outstanding job in presenting the more difficult term structure calculations and they give an excellent treatment of the forward algorithm. Well, what can I say ? In conclusion, an outstanding book, well worth the price.

This book is a very good textbook for beginers, especially mathematicians or physicists with PDE backgroud. Unfortunately, PDE is not a cure-all. It may be cumbersome in many cases. Like most research papers by the same authors, it lacks diversity.

An extremely well written, readable and thorough book. Worth every penny

This book offers very comprehensive review of a wide variety of different types of options and different approaches to evaludate the price. The mathematical side is clearly explained and it does not require extensive knowledge of probability theory. It gives deeper coverage of exotic options compared to other books on the same topic.

I was looking for a "dummies" book on options trading (puts, calls, volatility, etc.) so I ordered it. What I got was a comprehensive review of the ramifications of owning stock options issued by the company that employs you. In short, I felt like a dummy for not researching further before purchase. Don't make the same mistake I did. There is a silver lining, though. I promptly repackaged the book in the shipping box that I received it in and sold it through Amazon, recouping almost all of my original cost. If you have any books you don't need or want, I wholeheartedly endorse Amazon's used book marketplace. I gave it 5 stars because of this experience, and the fact that it is another top-notch example from the excellent Dummies series, just not what I was looking for. Incidentally, if you're looking for what I was looking for originally, you can't go wrong with anything Larry McMillan has written.

A well rounded discussion on almost every facet of options, from how to understand the legal implications of the stock option plan to taxation. Simon explains preIPO, IPO, lockup periods, blackout periods, Rule 144 stock in detailed and desciptive ways. The chapters on taxation give an excellent overview - even of the 83b election and is probably sufficient for most. For more comprehensive discussion and tax strategy read Pastore's book.

By far, the best, most thorough, and most honest book on stock options I've ever read. Even though other books (such as Pastore and Thomas) cover taxes on stock options in more detail, the author definitely provides more than enough information, including considerations I've never seen elsewhere - ordinary income tax and AMT implications of working in multiple states, for example. And he covers the dreaded AMT trap of ISOs with detailed scenarios, better and easier to understand than I've seen anywhere else. But by far, this book's greatest value is in the author's no-holds-barred discussion of - as he puts it in one of the chapter headings - the good, the bad, and the ugly of stock options, including an entire chapter on stock option agreements and what to watch for. Like most Dummies books, there is humor and sarcasm, but the author doesn't overdo it; it just makes the book extremely readable. Even those who have had stock options in the past - whether or not they made money or not - will find value in the author's fresh perspective and post-crash look at just about everything about options.

Not without flaws, but a damn good trading book. The author presents 3 methods, which are probably fairly well known, but to have it clarified and presented with examples certainly would help a trader add another tool to their box. I did notice plenty of varied entries and often vague exits, which may have been a result of curve fitting to the examples. However, it is of a minor concern.

First off, I'd like to say that for someone who loves technical indicators like the MACD and Parabolic Sar, I really enjoyed this book. Having read many books where technical indicators are simply described on their individual merits, it was wonderful to find a book where the author actually presented some systems in a concrete and clear manner.

I'm sure you'll find this book very clearly written, with the 3 systems clearly illustrated with examples on the entry method along with a few exit methods.

Before explaining his systems, the author presented some quite introductory materials on the technical indicators used - this is good and systematic, and certainly helps the beginner, but if you are an advanced trader with clear ideas of your own trading system, you may not find this book so useful.

TOM MADE A VERY HIGH QUAOLITY SMALL AND HONEST BOOK.

HOPE HE MAKES ONE FOR PLAYING FOR KEEPS IN OPTIONS.

Bill and Laurel Cooper's book "Sell Up and Sail" is a source of excellent information and advice if you don't mind a little preaching and British humor. For me, the opinions add to the human element of the book. What I found most useful is the amount of practical information and detail that the authors provide. Too many authors cover subjects in such a broad and abstract manner as to be nearly worthless. The Coopers, however, discuss the experiences they've had, the lessons they've learned, and how to avoid the problems they faced. You might not agree with how they solved some situations, but you'll come away more knowledgeable. The Coopers' sailing was done on some fairly large boats (a 55 foot steel ketch and a 60 ton sailing barge), however, they go out of their way to discuss how their experiences apply/translate to smaller boats. I've no plans to cruise in anything larger than 40+ feet, but I still found this book extremely educational as well as entertaining.

Note that this is a pretty densely written book with a good deal of detail. If you prefer an equally broad treatment, but with less detail and an easier read, I'd recommend Walt Gleckler's "All About Crusing".

My husband and I've had a yacht for a few years now, but so far have only cruised up and down the Arabian Gulf. We intend to sell up and sail ourselves, and this book is a superb brief and humorous guide to doing it, with lots of hints; from how to persuade your partner to join you, what to store in your fridge, and how to deal with people, pets and pests. Also, the more serious elements such as dealing with entering strange lands. Plus it's an enjoyable read. We both laughed and enjoyed the discreet cynicism and escapism. Soul Mates?

We liked that both husband and wife contributed chapters about various subjects relevant to each's role. (You get to choose yours - do you want the engine room or the galley?) Lots of references were included, as well as useful agencies for the long-distance cruiser. We'll be making the space to squeeze this book aboard when we go.

I don't know what the reviewer from Dover, NH read, but it wasn't this book. The Coopers go into great detail about what is involved in becoming a yachtie. They did it in 1976 on a 55' steel ketch, which was probably an easier time to do it, with much less regulation. Yes, it does have a UK bias (they are English after all). However, the latest edition (4th edition, 2000) is full of up-to-date, sensible and well thought out ideas and what a person needs to think about if planning this type of alternative lifestyle. Definitely a must read for the wanna-be yachtie!

This book is well-written, easily understood, and well-organized. It's a good starting point for someone who is passive and tends to become a victim, and wants to move beyond that, without "switching to the dark side" and becoming abusive. It does ignore one mode of problem-solving; it describes the aggressive, passive, and assertive ways to tackle problems, but it ignores the manipulative, sneaky approach.

THE ASSERTIVE OPTION may be an "older" title (1978), but it remains one of the best resources in clearly understanding and changing your ability to effectively assert yourself! A must for the library of helping professionals (the reviewer is a psychologist), it is easily readable by lay audiences, yet contains dynamic insights and sugestions for all readers. Jakubowski educates the reader as to the "personal rights" of every individual - the basis for allowing the self to stand up and be counted - as well as step-by-step guidelines to effective assertive behavior and communication.

I could type 1000 'thankyou's. For those of us who grew up in an abusive envirionment subject to brutal aggressive behavior this book is a life saver. The easy to read and real-life style make it especially useful.

My original exposure to this book was in a class I took prior to 1984. I still refer to it when ever I need to reinforce confidence in myself and my ability to behave in an assertive manner even when challenged by highly charged emotional situations.

Disappointed. Another review by a major brokerage employee trying to drum up business. I do not care about the history of the investing world or how the good old boys operate on the floors of the major exchanges. They are irrelevant to the little
guy at home who wants to know HOW, not WHAT. Short on specifics, long on "Boy, do I know a lot that you will never know, but if you try really hard and have the perspicacity of a saint and minimize your losses and maximize your gains, you will maybe do ok". Give me a break! Save your money and time!

Everyone always touts direct access stock trading and how great it is for the retail investor, but Mr. Silverman is one of the first to address this issue for futures trading.

Although I don't agree with everything Mr.Silverman has to say about floor traders, his experience definitely lends credence to the ideas in his book. I have been trading futures for the past 12 years, both as a broker and an investor. In that time I have written three books on futures trading.

Mr. Silverman has done a great job of putting this book together. I definitely recommend this book to those who have listened to my seminars or purchased my books.

I have bought a lot of books about futures trading and after reading them I usually feel like I have wasted my money. That's why this book was such a delightful surprise. In addition to providing useful and understandable information about electronic trading, the author, Mr. Silverman, can really write. It was really interesting to learn about life on the trading floor and how it compares to trading electronically. His anecdotes about his 20 year career in the futures markets really brought to life the pressures and rewards of being a professional trader. I especially appreciated his insight into e-mini trading. For the first time, I understood the shenaningans that the traders on the floor and on the screen pull to provide themselves with an edge over the retail trader. The great thing about electronic trading, as Silverman argues, is that it allows someone like me who cannot trade on the floor of an exchange to compete on a level playing field. By opening a window into the secretive world of the successful trader, Silverman shows that the differences between the professional and non-professional trader are relatively small when trading electronically. His advice has already helped me improve my p/l. As they say about the movies, if you buy only one book about futures this year it should be this one. I highly recommend it.