Option

The best thing about Lindsay's book is that she allows the pregnant woman to consider single parenting. It is so important for women considering adoption to explore ALL the alternatives, not just adoption. This book offers a well-rounded look at the options, without bias or hidden agenda. I wish I'd read it during my crisis pregnancy.

While waiting to be chosen by our son's birthparents, our social worker recommended this book. It is a deeply moving look into the birthparent's hearts as they make the difficult decision whether to choose parenting their baby or making an adoption plan. It's an excellent book for pre-adoptive parents looking to understand and respect the birthparent's point-of-views.

It is a well written book, but this edition is plagued with print errors, and mistakes in at least one chart. Don't make the same mistake I did; buy the last edition (I bought mine on the store with very little time ...) Anyway, I guess the last version is corrected and updated. I like the fact that mixes personal experience with academic and corporate studies about the market!

For the price this is a great book to learn and help understand the specifics that make up all the basics in trading commodity-futures. After reading this book, I felt as if I had taken a formal college course on the subject of Futures and understood it much better from various angles now. There's no "hype" in the book, no agendas, no further products or services to buy being pitched to you, just plain vanilla (ok, french vanilla) basics being laid out for you in textbook fashion for you to digest in your own terms. I like that - it's refreshing in a way. It is probably like this because it was really written 20+ years ago (don't worry, it's been revised many times to be modernized - 5th edition, 1993). The book was originally written and printed in "Commodities" magazine as a popular mini-course series (before the magazine changed it's name to the modern "Futures" magazine we know it as today). Even though I knew much of the content from personal experience (the most costly way) or from other readings, my CTA, etc, I did not always understand the "why" behind the rules I was following & how the markets work the way they do from both a technical and fundmental perspective (dynamics). Of the some 28 chapters, I really took interest in almost every one. I can't say that about most of the other trading books I've read. Put it this way... if I could keep only 5 trading books, this would be one of them. You'll likely dump more than that on the commissions for 1 trade - or, worse yet, even more than that on 1 bad trade. ** Beginners, I recommend the following: If your goal is to have deeper pockets from trading - then you must first go deeper in your understanding of futures markets & trading them (i.e. Read the book).

This book takes classical chart patterns and describes how to develop an options strategy to trade such patterns. The book is quite distinctive in this respect. How should we use options to trade a potential head and shoudlers bottom? This book tells you how, together with flow charts of the possible paths whcih a pattern could develop into. Traders who do not trade in options but like chart patterns should also like this book. I bought it because it gives insights into chart patterns. Now, as I begin to trade options, I feel I should get a lot of insights into converting my patterns into option strategies.

This book is well written. The explanations of when and how to use the various option tactics is clear and concise. Charts are provided so the reader can see how the option strategies actually worked.

For anyone who wants to understand the passing game. This book is easy to read, has lots of diagrams, and is user friendly. If you want the tools needed to implement a winning passing game this book is for you!

Coach Rice has produced a masterpiece which has withstood the test of time. Although written in the 1980's, "Winning Football With the Air Option Passing Game" remains an important treatise on using formations and motion to isolate a given defender against two receivers. Quarterback reads then become as easy as checking one receiver and coming off to the other if the first is covered.

This makes Rice's book invaluable to those coaches who are looking to insert some passing into a ground-based attack, rather than spreading out five receivers and throwing on every down.

Of course, Coach Rice does such a masterly job of explaining and diagramming his pass route combinations that even pass-happy offensive coordinators will find useful insights here.

Highly recommended.

This is a book written at a time when Nasdaq was very close to its pinnacle in 1999. Not from hindsight (of the index level today), but sheerly by content, the book is full of flaws in nearly every topic it covers, especially those on Technical Analysis. Facts, and pure facts were abundant. However, trading system, strategy and insight were in short supply. The authors might have been so optimisstic and carried away by the beautiful picture they painted about trading in Nasdaq that money management and discipline had rarely been mentioned, and the "real tactics for real profits anytime anywhere" on the front cover were by and large absent.

p.s. This book contains the highest number of cartoon (eight) in those trading books I ever read. Sadly, most were drawn with one single theme, that "Day Trading would annihilate the brokers". That should have implied something about the direction and quality of the book, which I had mistakenly ignored.

Electronic Day Trading to Win is a not only a must-read for prospective day-traders, but for anyone dealing with equity investments. The authors reveal the evils carried out daily on the floors of the NYSE and AMEX, which was a real eye-opener for me. Day traders have been given a negative image by Wall Street and the media, and the authors of this book reveal the reasons why and go on to explain how intelligent, educated day trading can actually be LESS risky than position trading or buying mutual funds. Although I doubt most people have the discipline (or the cash) to become successful day-traders, the techniques and principles the authors promote can also be applied to any type of investing. If you have the requisite capital and the nerve, I believe you can make money using this book.

Electronic Day Trading To Win is a must read not only because it explains the necessary theories behing day trading, but it also shows you the road map to getting started in a very practical way. This book is both informative and enjoyable to read combining the most pertinent information with some profound and humurous commmentary. I give this book a strong buy recommendation!!!

I have folllowed the markets for years. A friend of mine recommended I purchase this book. I am skeptical of system trading. I was intrigued by the credentials of the authors. These did not appear to be people who needed the money. Rather it was apparent that they truly wanted to share their creativity and reearch. Having read the book 2 times and the second half of the book 2 more times, my conclusion is correct. This book is a value and a significant contribution to the writings of how markets behave and how to use indicators to trade successfully. I recommend this book to serious traders and investors.

My friend who is a successful trader recommended this book. I was skeptical at 1st but reading the first few pages I realized the authors knew what they were writing. The methods for trading described in the book were easy to learn and have paid for themselves thousands of times over. trading has now become sport for me and a profitable one to boot!! I can't recommend this book too much. It's great!!

I develop trading systems and have found many rich trading ideas described in the various chapters. I do not trade options often and elected to skim over the 1st half of the book. The back half has ideas for intraday trading as well as longer term trading. Al though the author does not serve these important ideas on a platter to a trader emphasizing thir relevance to successful trading, almost all discussions are packed with menajngful information and trading ideas that I can apply and test easily.
Bottom line: if you are looking for a black/whir turn-key systmeatic approach to trading, this book does not go that far. However, what this book does provide is a plethora of risch, new trading ideas that will definitely improve timing of trades.

Most people who trade either stocks, options, or futures lose money. This is because they 1) are undercapitalized, 2) have no system or 3) don't understand the instrument they trade. 4) some combination of 1, 2, and 3. This book won't help you if you don't go into the market with enough money, but it will help you develop your own system (after a lot more research) and figure out how to use options to increase returns or limit risk.

This book describes just about every fundamental strategy you could try with options. It covers the total return concept of covered call writing, the pros and cons of option buying, examines various types of spreads (vertical, calendar, and diagonal) and the various delta (price) neutral strategies.

There is some advanced math here (in an appendix), but anyone of average intelligence and stock market knowledge could follow it.

Don't pay attention to those reviewers who trash the book--they have no clue. I constantly refer to this book in order to gain a better understanding of different option strategies. No matter which direction option markets evolve, the information of this book will still apply.

I won't say I've read every book on Options out there, but I've looked at a range, from the very complex, full of calculus equations and whatnot, to the very simple, and to my mind, this is the best out there. First of all, it is very thorough and well organized. It goes step by step through virtually every option strategy, analyzing the various payoffs, follow-up actions if the market goes against you, etc. It is written clearly and concisely, with lots of examples. One reviewer says it's too complicated. If you think this book is too complicated, then you simply should not be trading options. Period. Another critic says there are too many examples. Yes, there are a lot of examples, and if you find you understand the concepts the author describes just fine without the example, then you'll probably just skip them. However, if there is something you don't quite get, the examples are a real help. I think some reviewers were hoping for a book that would tell them how to get rich in a few months trading options. Well, good luck, and let me know when you find it. But for a terrific reference that every serious amateur will go back to time and again, then this book should be the first on your Options bookshelf.

This is the most comprehensive book written on options and its strategies. There is nothing missing in here. The book covers all the strategies and each includes all the calculations needed to figure out what you have at risk. After reading this book I was able to calculate margin requirements, profit, loss, and risk.

Thomsett provides the necessary information, but it requires great patience to absorb it all. He repeats himself constantly, as if the goal were to stretch the number of pages in the book.
After reading this book, I found another book that provided all I needed to know to get started with options. It's concise and easily understood. Read the following and be ready to make some money using options: The Short Book on Options: A Conservative Strategy for the Buy and Hold Investor

This was the first book I had ever read on options, and by far and away it was the easiest to understand. The reason this book is so accessible to beginners is because Thomsett doesn't spare the examples -- unlike most other books on the subject Thomsett provides clear examples for EVERY concept and strategy he discusses. He doesn't delve into complex theoretical models and mathematical formulas, but that obviously wasn't meant to be the scope of this book to begin with. I find it laughable that anyone would say this book is dry or too hard to understand, there's nothing difficult to understand about it at all!

My only complaint is with the publisher: In future editions please get rid of the green ink!

I'd like to see Thomsett come out with a more advanced sequel written in the same format.

Getting Started In Options is a very helpful Investment Guide. Michael Thomsett spends a good deal of time discussing Puts, Calls, and Advanced Strategies by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each scenario. This neutral tone is certainly a breath of fresh air when comapred to the many books out there by snake oil salesman types whose prime objective is to get you to attend one of their Thousand Dollar Sessions. This book gives many easy to read examples whereas even an advanced beginner can comprehend Bull and Butterfly Spreads. On top of all that, the glossary at the end of the book gives a clear definition of the key terms in the Options World.

The only minor issue is that Thomsett should emphasize that a Written Covered Call that expires worthless can significantly add to the percentage gain on a specific transaction. Otherwise, Thomsett gives his audience many good ideas for maximizing one's profit in the Options Market. An excellent reference book that will yield many returns.

Pattern cycles show swing traders where to find consistent profits

Future trading is where you hold a position for 1-3 days and capitalize on cyclical swings in buying and selling behavior.

Master Morning gaps

Use multi-time frame Fibonacci retracements to locate turning points

Watch the market clock

New high generate greed carrying prices higher

Use math-based indicators to verify the price pattern

Buy at support and sell at resistence

Strong price movement pairs disciplined momentum strategy with preferred swing trading.

The swing trader checks the 60-minute chart for support-resistance but uses the 1-minute chart to time execution of the short-term flow of the market

Market insiders use the volatility of first-hour executions to fade clean trends and empty pockets

Time should activate exits on nonperforming trades

Decide how many bars must pass before a trade will be abandoned, regardless of gain or loss

Volume leader predicts price change. Volume reflects latent energy that releases itself through trend

Expect to stand aside, wait, and watch when the markets offer nothing to do

Constricting price bars, lowering volatility and range placement signal the end of one swing and the beginning of a new impulse
Oscillators measure this important guage through overbought-oversold polarity

Price acts differently at tops and bottoms

Breakouts and breakdowns attract many participants but require precise timeing to turn a profit

The highest profitability will come when entering a position at the end of a low-volatility period (contracting bar) and exiting on a volatility peak (expanding bar) just as the trend pulls back
Technical Analysis teaches traders to execute positions based on numbers, time and volume

As volume cranks up at 3:00pm don't expect anyone to change the channel

Big volume kills moves

The Commodity Channel Index (CCI) is a timing tool that works best with seasonal or cyclical contracts

RSI indicator is supposed to track price momentum

Sixty percent or more of total daily participation occurs during the first and last hours

Spend more time controlling losses than seeking gains

Every good analysis should validate current conditions through both forward (strength) oscillators and backward (momentum) indicators

Popular oscillating tools, such as RSI and Stochastics, identify overbought-oversold markets. Moving averages and MACD look back and measure momentum change. Or swing traders can just draw simple trendlines and channels in all time frames and use those instead as primary momentum tools

The lack of a simple linear relationship between volume and price change frustrates attempts to make accurate predictions

Don't fall into the complexity trap

Wow, this is a very good book. I don't understand why anyone would attack the language or the approach. If you want to read a comic book, head over to the grocery store. They have quite a lot of them.

The language and terminology used by the author adds greatly to the comprehension of the material. And there is an EXCELLENT glossary in the back of the book. I've also noticed that his terms are not grabbed out of "thin air". Most of these concepts originated in excellent studies on the futures markets done over the past 20 years. For example, "negative vs positive feedback" comes from research done by Raschke and others in the early 1990s. Farley just does a much better job explaining the complex ideas to the average trader, and telling them how to take swing trading positions based on their power.

This book is very original and not part of the cookie cutter garbage that passed for a "trading book" before the bear market started. It's SO appropriate that MST showed up just as tougher days hit the stock market. Farley's book offers a very effective way to deal with these choppy markets. And he does a fabulous job getting the message across. Reading the book does not take an advanced college degree. But it does require a commitment by the reader and a willingness to learn something new.

Highly recommended!

I found the text to be powerful, informative, and very helpful. Its not for everyone. It does requires the reader's attention but overall its an outstanding work. 5 Stars. This has become one of my favorite TA books without question. At the time I read it, it seemed to incorporate everything together. I have kept it close by my computer and have referred to it many times.

Farley is not for beginners by any means. And he has to be read carefully to be understood. But this is a a very, very good book - probably one of the best. There are many pages of in-depth strategies. Yes, the book should be written more clearly but reading it is absolutely worth your time.

I heard Farley in an interview state he purposely challenged traders by starting the book with topics that confused and frustrated them the most. He also said he left the noise level "high" in the charts because that was the real world that traders had to trade.

As for the one star ratings - I cannot understand how much they missed the brilliant content. Definitely not for everyone.

I feel that Day Tader II is really a rip-off as it basically just reguritates most of the material found in volume one. THIS is typical Bernstein -- the goal is dollars from book sales, not educating the reader. Mr. Bernstein does not respect his readers, and this is the sad part because he obviously is a highly intelligent man who probably could contribute a lot to the field of daytrading education if he weren't so needy and greedy. I wouldn't go so far as to call him "Jake the Snake", but I do think he should put more care into the content of his books.

Bernsiein has another excellent book. He reviews the tactics taught in Compleat Day Trader I and then goes on to elucidate a number of more advanced topics that, like his other systems, give very clear entry and exit points and therefore help to minimize the risk.

Jake also again warns of the risks of day trading and shows the importance of developing one's own rules and consistently following them in order to avoid making costly mistakes.

I also cannot help but be impressed with an author who plainly states that he is willing to help his readers, provides a means for his readers to contact him, and then actually makes good this statement. I had some difficulty with one of the trading systems Jake presented because the charting program I was using had a mind of its own. While the manufacturer couldn't help me to clear things up, Jake went out of his way e-mailing and faxing me to help work through my system problems, even though the problem has nothing to do with Jake's system.

Jake has another highly informative and easily read book which should be on every day trader's bookshelf.

Having read many books on Day Trading and attended courses and seminars, this book added "confidence". It gives you simple systems to work with, 30MBO, InsideDays, Gaps, etc.. It also tells you what the indicators lack and what most traders lack to succeed, discipline. Use the 30MBO but don't change the method. Stick to it. Be disciplined. Aimed at the futures and commodities traders, these methods also work with fast high volume, high votility stocks. I emailed Jake with a question on the 30MBO and got a reply in hours, that's value. I have ordered his next book, "The Complete Guide to Day Trading Stock". Can't wait. I cannot see how anyone (who is not a beginner) would not benefit from this book.