Book Description

This text remains the only text in the market that presents a balance of financial theory and applications.The authors maintain the same four goals as with the first edition: helping learners to make good financial decisions, providing a solid text for the introductory MBA course, motivating learners by demonstrating finance is relevant and interesting, and presenting the material clearly. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

This bible contains errors
First, my review refers to the 1997 3rd edition.

Since this book is regarded as the bible of derivatives (it was also my first introduction) I will leave it to others to praise it and concentrate instead on what's wrong with it. First and foremost, one cannot learn how correctly to formulate solutions to stochastic differential equations from this text: eqns. (10.7,8), e.g., are not correct for arbitrary returns but are valid only as approxmations for small returns (Hull leads the reader to believe the opposite). The problem is that Ito's lemma is only stated, not proven, and it's the proof that shows one how to formulate correctly the stochastic integral equations that Hull calls 'stochastic difference equations'. When volatility depends on returns and/or time, then the errors made from following Hull's oversimplified treatment become serious.

My first impression of Baxter & Rennie's 'Financial Calculus' was that it was unnecessary and a waste of money. My opinion reversed completely after realizing (under prodding by a physics colleague who's an expert on sde's) how badly Hull's approach to sde's really is. Also, the systematic derivation of Black-Scholes from the assumption of a replicating, self-financing strategy in B&R is very nice. As Feynman said, we don't really understand a result until we can derive it from many different viewpoints. The method is not really different in principle from the standard short derivation given in Hull, but it does provide a nice, clear example of what is meant by replication and self-financing in the terminology of Brownian motion/sde's.

Probably the best for practitioners; useful for theory
This book is a solid introduction to pricing derivatives and explains in lucid detail all the techniques you need to get up and running with numerical valuation. It is aimed, I would say, at advanced MBA students and practitioners on the job already. That is to say, Hull doesn't spend too much time on theory (for instance, his explanation of HJM summarizes several of their papers and a number of preludes into a few paragraphs).

I would also say that the more theory-oriented reader would benefit from reading Hull. It provides a fresh picture, distinct from the essential theoretical foundations of Merton, Duffie, Campbell, and Cochrane. Thus, to learn CAPM, state prices, or portfolio choice, look elsewhere; to learn how to price derivatives in practice, this is your best bet.

Very useful manual for practitioners
This is a great manual for market practitioners. It does not use detailed math, does not go into issues of corporate finance. But it is very easy to follow and it is "complete". More than that, the book is to the point and very clear. Market professionals will find the examples spread around the book very useful for their daily work. The surprising new book by Nefci which I just got, but did not have time to study in detail, seem to provide all the missing links.

I had used an earlier edition of Hull, and it appears that John Hull adds all the relevant material needed for market finance with each new edition. In fact I have purchased several books on Mathematical Finance and Derivatives but few of them remain on my desk for future consultation.

One of the great foundation texts in finance(******) 6 stars
I am a huge fan of this book. The fourth edition was the single most influential text in my study for my MBA. It opened new kinds of thinking for me and helped me understand the intuitions and they methods for valuing the various kinds of derivatives. While the language is not simple, it is not arcane. Some complain that the mathematics are not rigorous. So what? There are such books on the market and are suitable for those that want them. This is the standard book for thousands of MBAs who need a solid foundation, but do not need to be able to higher math to understand how a binomial tree works or to even create one my hand. Certainly, it is helpful to understand the math as deeply as you can. However, the reality is that most of the time practitioners use pre-made tools to run their Monte Carlo simulations rather than programming from scratch.

There are several new chapters on very helpful and interesting topics (using futures for hedging, numerical procedures, swaps, credit risk, real options, insurance, derivative crises, and more). Some of this is new and some adapted from previous editions. Other material has been rewritten and clarified.

DerivaGem 1.5 is included with the book, but a URL is provided to get the latest version from Prof. Hull's website.

This is a terrific book and I consider it one of the most valuable on my shelf of business texts. It is one I would never want to be without and one of the few I am willing to keep up with the new editions. While no book is perfect for every use in every situation, this is one of the great foundation texts.

Simply the Best!
This is the bible of options and futures markets. It is very well written, clear, and relatively easy to understand. However, you have to read it carefully as it minces its words. Every sentence is packed with information and is important. You may find 'easier' books, but they will not go the distance. So, save your money and get the best of them all. Risk Magazine lists this book as #4 among most widely cited papers/books between 1988 and 2003. No surprise there! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best by far of slim pickings
I reviewed every Money and Banking text I could get my hands on before selecting Mishkin's text to use while I was an instructor at one of the top universities in the US. Mishkin's text was hands-down the best text. But there weren't a lot of alternatives to choose from. This text gets used in a lot of MBA programs.

The thing I liked most about this text was its comprehensiveness. Mishkin did a far better job than the other text of introducing stock options. And of course, he covered the banking (money multiplier, bnak loans, etc.) side comprehensively. Good job with exchange rates, too.

Weaknesses: Need more on the insurance industry, particularly with the biggest banks now firmly in that business. Need more on financial futures. And finally, I'd like to see a little more mathematical rigor. I supplemented the text in an undergrad class with some more mathematical articles from the economics literature. ... Read more

Book Description

The world's most exciting, fastest-growing new market? It's where you least expect it: at the bottom of the pyramid. Collectively, the world's billions of poor people have immense entrepreneurial capabilities and buying power. You can learn how to serve them and help millions of the world's poorest people escape poverty.

It is being done-profitably. Whether you're a business leader or an anti-poverty activist, business guru Prahalad shows why you can't afford to ignore "Bottom of the Pyramid" (BOP) markets.

In the book and accompanying CD videos, Prahalad presents...

Why what you know about BOP markets is wrong A world of surprises-from spending patterns to distribution and marketing

Unlocking the "poverty penalty"

The most enduring contributions your company can make Delivering dignity, empowerment, and choice-not just products

Corporations and BOP entrepreneurs Profiting together from an inclusive new capitalism

"C. K. Prahalad argues that companies must revolutionize how they dobusiness in developing countries if both sides of that economic equation areto prosper. Drawing on a wealth of case studies, his compelling new bookoffers an intriguing blueprint for how to fight poverty with profitability." Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect,Microsoft

"The Bottom of the Pyramid belongs at the top of the reading list forbusiness people, academics, and experts pursuing the elusive goal ofsustainable growth in the developing world. C. K. Prahalad writes withuncommon insight about consumer needs in poor societies andopportunities for the private sector to serve important public purposes whileenhancing its own bottom line. If you are looking for fresh thinking aboutemerging markets, your search is ended. This is the book for you." Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State

"Prahalad challenges readers to re-evaluate their pre-conceived notionsabout the commercial opportunities in serving the relatively poor nations ofthe world. The Bottom of the Pyramid highlights the way to commercialsuccess and societal improvement--but only if the developed worldreconceives the way it delivers products and services to the developingworld." Christopher Rodrigues, CEO, Visa International

"An important and insightful work showing persuasively how the privatesector can be put at the center of development, not just as a rhetoricalflourish but as a real engine of jobs and services for the poor." Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme ... Read more

Book Description

The Alternate Edition includes all of the same features and benefits as the Standard Edition.Its only difference is that it includes four additional chapters on more advanced topics: Risk Management; An Introduction to Financial Engineering; Option Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions, and Leasing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Book
I am new to Finance aspects. This book very well served the purpose. Thank you ... Read more

Book Description

This widely respected financial accounting text captures the predominant market share among graduate, MBA, and better undergraduate programs. It focuses on presenting, with great clarity, both the basic concepts underlying financial statements and the terminology and methods that allow students to interpret, analyze, and evaluate actual corporate financial statements. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Don't waste your money
If I could burn this book, I would. It is that bad. For an "Introduction" book used in an intro MBA class where most accounting types have already tested out of the class it is overly complex and confusing to the layman. Wordy beyond belief. The only redeeming feature is its ability to put you to sleep. Keep it on the bed stand.

Overly complex
This was the first accounting book I've ever read when I took my very first accoutning class at my graduate business school. For those who are new to accounting, this is not at all a good introduction. The authors simply inundate the reader with a plethora of information which is way too wordy and unnecessary at the beginning level. The authors seem more concerned about leaving nothing out in their writing as opposed to teaching the readers about the basics of the balance sheet, income statement, cash flows, inventory valuations, etc. It almost gets to the point in which I suspect the authors are simply showing off what they know as opposed to genuinely understanding that a reader like me has no previous accounting background. The chapter contents are not too logically organized and the explanation of concepts are excessive and unnecessarily complex. The authors seems to forget that when it comes to teaching accounting to someone who has never took accounting before, they should keep the concepts as basic as possible before going onto more in-detail discussions. The authors does the exact opposite and explains the accounting concepts from the intermediate point of view first, leaving the reader to come up with his own interpretation of what the basics should be. This is a complete waste of time for the reader, for all students would prefer that the authors get right to the point, directly and clearly, about how to construct a balance sheet, income statement, etc. The good thing about this book are the highlighted study problems presented in each chapter. The questions are useful and stimulate good application thinking, and the answers provided are an adequate explanation of how the questions should be answered. Unfortunately, the authors don't include enough of these study problems. If they had expanded upon these study problems and made them more comprehensive to the relevant chapter material, this book would have been a much more stronger teaching tool. Instead, we have an unnecessarily complex and not too organized textbook which is not really adequate for the beginning accounting student. Most of my fellow classmates did not enjoy reading this book and felt that it is an unsatisfactory way to be introduced to the world of accounting.

The worst accounting book
This book is the worst accounting text book I have ever seen. It is poorly organized and full of distracting explanations which turn easy and clear points into long and complex stories.
Definately supplier-oriented product by MBA professors.

Best Buy!!
The book clearly explains the concepts and methods of financial accounting required for the MBA course.
The langauage used is clear and unambigous.
In short a must buy for any MBA student!! ... Read more

Book Description

The market leader, Brigham/Houston, continues to grow in reputation as the most effective approach for learning the basic finance principles, tools, and applications. The Concise version of the extremely successful Fundamentals of Financial Management text offers an briefer alternative containing the same level of rigor concerning the topics covered.It is also updated to reflect the latest in theory, research, real-world examples, and use of technology. The seamless, integrated ancillary package - done by the authors - is a hallmark of this package that makes the subject more accessible for learners. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Long Way Book
I was very disappointed in this book because I looked forward to my finance class in college. But this book was poorly put together - one short paragraph would talk about carry forward and back but nothing was elaborated on the subject - it would just go right into the equation. I heavily depended on the professor's lecture and not once referred to the book when studying for the exam. However, I did use the book to make sure I was using the correct terminology for the exam. ... Read more

Book Description

Come Into My Trading Room
A Complete Guide to Trading

You can become a successful trader. It has been done before, and it is being done right now, today, by people around the world. If you enjoy learning, if you are not scared of risk, if the rewards appeal to you, and if you are prepared to put in the work, you have a great project ahead of you.

In Come Into My Trading Room: A Complete Guide to Trading, Dr. Alexander Elder takes you far beyond the three M’s (Mind, Method, Money) of his international bestseller Trading for a Living. He teaches you to manage your money and time, as well as strategy, so that you can enter the markets with confidence and exit with profits. This essential book educates the novice and gives more power to the professional through expert advice, proven trading methods, and something entirely unique–a visit to Dr. Elder’s own trading room. You get to follow him through several actual trades, whose entries and exits illustrate many of the key concepts of this book.

Come Into My Trading Room offers:

• A complete introduction to trading essentials
• An overview of trading psychology, both individual and mass psychology of the markets
• A practical overview of technical analysis, including new indicators and systems
• A step-by-step guide to risk control and money management
• Exact instructions for keeping records and organizing your time
• A visit to Dr. Elder’s private trading room, reviewing several of his recent trades

Be sure to work through the companion volume to this book–Study Guide for Come Into My Trading Room–before you risk a dollar in the markets. The Study Guide features 100 questions and answers and almost 50 charts to test your knowledge. Grade yourself to make sure you know enough about the nine key areas of trading. Work through eight case histories, select entry and exit points, and find out how well you understand what needs to be done in every trade. Use Dr. Elder’s Study Guide to make sure that you can measure up to your competitors and surpass them.

Come Into My Trading Room will help you master a new way of trading stocks, futures, options, and currencies. Unparalleled depth and a wide range of coverage give you the best chance to become the trader you’ve always wanted to be. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

A Complete Introduction to Trading Essentials
I really enjoyed the first book by Dr Elder, "Trading for a Living" very much. I have just finished Dr Elder's new book, "Come Into My Trading Room" and have enjoyed it very much too. There are several new ideas in the new book. A lot of the material in this book was presented in "Trading for a Living". It is the best book that combined the 3Ms -- Mind, Method and Money Management -- required for successful traders. It expands on the methods presented in "Trading for a Living" and makes the triple screen concept very clear.

I think the great difference between this book and other trading books is Dr Elder's background as a psychiatrist. He provides valuable insights into understanding the human element of market behavior, and the individual trader that makes his work unique. Dr Elder shares his own, successful trading strategy in a clear, concise, and easy to understand style. He does a great job showing some of his successful trades. I'm sure this is one of the finest books on developing trading skills. It is not only fun and easy to read but it is profitable. It pays back.

An Excellent Follow-Up to Elder's Trading For A Living
Alexander Elder gained well-deserved prominence for his first book, Trading For a Living. It's one of my favorite books on trading. Out of this classic came such new indicators as the Force Index, which is one of the indicators I use regularly in my chart software. I read Elder's follow-up, Come Into My Trading Room, in hopes of learning additional insights of the Force Index. While I found some new information here, I was even more impressed by the following lessons Elder shared:

1) "Some of the best trading opportunities occur after false breakouts" - I'm finding this more and more these days, which is why I actively use my Momentum Divergence indicators to separate the fakeouts from the real breakouts. Elder does a great job showing numerous charts throughout his book, laying the groundwork for the divergence examples he explains in great depth when you step into his trading room in the final chapter with many actual trading examples. You need to understand the concept of divergence to trade today's markets more profitably, and this book will be a great help in showing you how to trade divergence setups.

2) Triple Screen - Elder explains the important of using multiple timeframes, though he advocates two to no more than three time frames. The key concept is that whatever timeframe you use, you need to go up to the next longer timeframe to get confirmation. This provides the bigger picture trend to define the nature of your trades, and then you can return to the shorter timeframe and make more tactical decisions with this broader trend in mind as well.

3) Grade Your Performance - Elder actually quantifies trading effectiveness by defining the width of the channel for a stock, and what percentage of the move the trader actually captured to determine his grade. Regardless of how a trader measures his performance, it must be tracked in order to make improvements and experience constant improvement.

4) The SafeZone Stop - While I have not tested this indicator in my systems yet, Elder's SafeZone Stop looks like a more effective way to place a trailing stop than standard moving averages. The SafeZone Stop appears to adjust more rapidly to trending versus flat periods for a stock, compared to moving averages. This new technique should easily be worth many times the price of this book by itself.

5) Chapter 9: Trading for a Living - This chapter was my most highlighted chapter, as Elder covers the stages of growth from beginning to professional trader, covering a wide range of topics on trading discipline, time management, organization and developing a viable trading plan, to highlight just a few.

All in all, Come Into My Trading Room is an excellent follow-up to Elder's Trading For A Living, and I think you'll also find it a quick and thought-provoking read.

Great book. This should be the first one you buy.
The book is very well written and drives home the three Ms over and over. You can't hear it enough because when your finger is on the trigger, this training will help you execute with confidence. You will not be a loser if you follow the plan. The problem is, very few have the discipline.

I have long been and investor, but I wanted to improve my exit strategies. I knew successful traders had to have great exit strategies or they could not survive very long. Consequently, I actually bought a book on trading. The book helped me with exit strategies, but also completely opened up the world of trading. While I still invest for the long term, I have set up an account for short term trading. I read the book and worked through the workbook in about three days. I already had much of the preliminary work established from my investing experience.

Within about a month, I had a trading plan that I liked and a sound money management and trade evaluation system. While I still primary invest in longer term trends, I have had a blast making numerous small short-term trend trades.

This book will help any trader who reads it with an open mind and strictly adheres to the Three Ms - Mind, Method, and Money (Management). If you are and investor, then this book will expose you to what else is going on with your markets.

Sequal to trading for a living
Very good book. I agree that the charts could have been better and more relevant to wha Elder was discussing in the text. His mental toughness section is excellent. Trading is a mental game, and a trader has to stay mentally tough or take a break. Mark Douglas's books are the best on this. Laurence Connors places a big emphasis on this too.

Improvement In My Trading Room
Dr. Elder holds nothing back. The author shares with you a method, a system, and a technique for trading that can be applied to all markets.

This book and the study guide will take you step by step through the process of trading. If you don't have a trading plan this book will show you how to develope one. Also the author nudges you to awareness of the all important step of making the trading plan yours. If you are a novice this can be a huge hurdle to overcome without guidance. If you are a more experienced trader and can admit to yourself your result could be better, buy the book, its worth it.

Dr. Elder includes step-by-step guides for risk control, money management, record keeping and many more trading essentials that cannot be touched on in this review. ... Read more

Book Description

This classic bestseller discusses the differences faced in international environments, the overall strategies companies can take, and practical alternatives for operating abroad. Its abundance of colorful maps, strong engaging and opening cases, and classic and contemporary examples provide a balanced approach to all functions of business.More than 15 new cases have been added to this edition, all of which engage the reader with hot topical issues; these include Cran Chik, Luikoil, Cisco Systems, Johnson & Johnson, and Global Sofware Piracy. It has excellent coverage of Latin America, and reviews the latest institutional actions, market trends, and company activities. It provides an extensive background section, a comparative environmental frameworks section, a section on theories and institutions (trade and investment), a section on the world financial environment, business-government relationships, operations and tactical alternatives, and a section on managing business internationally.For readers involved in international business, whether they are employees, managers, or owners/CEOs of such corporations. Also an excellent resource for individuals seeking to expand their current businesses to the international market. ... Read more

Book Description

Financial statements are the basis for a wide range of business analysis.Managers, securities analysts, bankers and consultants all use them to make business decisions.There is strong demand among business students for course materials that provide a framework for using financial statement data in a variety of business analysis and valuation contexts. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Useful if cumbersome
This review applies to the edition WITH CASES. This isn't recommended for anyone who is just starting out with choosing investments. Beginners might be better off with a more general overview of financial statement analysis (FSA) like Higgins' "Analysis of Financial Statements" or Fraser and Omriston's "Understanding Financial Statements".

This was one of two textbooks used in a financial statement analysis course I took for my MBA. Most chapters are down-to-earth and as a whole the book is well-written.

The other text we used was Penman's "Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation" which was also a great resource as far as gaining a basic understanding of the mechanics of financial statements and how to build a valuation model.

I contrast the two books because while Penman provides a run-down of several different models analysts can use (and does a good job of arguing for the Residual Income Model of valuation model as being the best), Palepu delves into the implications of companies' choices of accounting methods and provides more insight into what different kinds of businesses should look like in terms of their financial statements.

The cases at the end of each chapter add a lot of value to the text because they get students to focus on the specific issues detailed in each chapter. By picking apart different companies' financial statements we learned to use financial statements to assess the success or failure of companies' efforts to carry out their business strategies.

I rate it "Good - 4 stars"

Required Text
This is a required text at my school, but after having read the first 5 chapters there is almost nothing of value that I have read. I have spoken to several people that have used this text for the class in prior semesters and they told me that they had stopped reading it after the first several chapters also.

Excellent Capstone Book
This book is an excellent description of all the elements that would go into reviewing a potential investment opportunity. It is not a detailed book in one category, such as financial accounting, but it ties business strategy analysis, financial analysis, forecasting analysis, and valuation analysis together. Most other books focus on one area and don't tie all of these together well. This one takes you down the path to evaluating the opportunity to its fullest. It is an excellent capstone book after you have sifted through the details of strategy, finance, and accounting.

Just same old story
I am using this book for a business valuation class now. Nothing but a binding many buzzy theories. Too many stories in a limited pages. This is not a good book for those who wants to deepen understanding of one subject.

A good book blending accounting, investing and finance !
This book is also a bestseller in Japan. Here someone called it "The only textbook now available that broadly explains accounting figures in the valuation model of the firm". This is a good book for beginners. Although the contents might be somewhat easy, the order in which it is written is very meaningful. You will probably have read everything in this book somewhere else, but certainly not in this order ! The importance of the ideas in this book go beyond its contents !! ... Read more

Book Description

The CPA exam is changing. You need to change as well...to a book that better prepares you for the CPA exam and for business. This is the only book of its kind that demonstrates how to prepare financial reports and then how to analyze what those numbers really mean. Every manager has incentives to present his or her firm in the most favorable light to lenders, equity investors and others. And, every manager wants to use the flexibility allowed by GAAP to manage the firm's earnings to achieve certain goals. Revsine, Collins, and Johnson explain these incentives and help readers spot cases of earnings management, which disguises a firm's true performance. For anyone preparing to take the CPA exam, and for anyone who wants or needs a working knowledge of accounting, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis. ... Read more

Book Description

The purpose of this book is to help you learn how to manage your money to derive the maximum benefit from what you earn.Mixing investment instruments and capital markets with the theoretical detail on evaluating investments and opportunities to satisfy risk-return objectives along with how investment practice and theory is influenced by globalization leaves readers with the mindset on investments to serve them well. The material is intended to be rigorous and empirical yet not overly quantitative.We continue with unparalleled international coverage, newly rewritten and reorganized derivatives material to be more intuitive and clearer, three additional chapters on derivatives pricing for those who want more detail, rewritten material on multifactor models of risk and return, and new CFA problems for more practice on computations concerning investment decisions. To manage money and investments, one needs to learn about investment alternatives and develop a way of analyzing and thinking about investments that will be of benefit and allow a foundation as new tools and investment opportunities become available.Reilly/Brown provide the best foundation, used extensively by professionals, organizations, and schools across the country.A great source for those with both a theoretical and practical need for investment expertise. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Very thorough! The only real book on PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
I would have given Reilly's book a five (5) star if its explanation had been slightly simpler and there were key check figures / solutions for chapter exercises & problems at the back. The coverage on most topics in both "Investment" and "Portfolio" parts has been written in much depth supported by research from various well-known journals. I have 3 editions of this same book (1989, 1997 and 2001 - the one just before this edition) and each time Reilly has improved & updated it a great deal. This is the ONLY textbook which really examines the subject of PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT in detail (especially on bond & derivatives) unlike other texts which merely "introduce" the subject after covering the Investment Analysis part in some depth. Eventhough it is meant for those who have some knowledge of finance or basic investment, its comprehensiveness makes it a great reader for those who want to know more about the subject e.g advanced undergraduate in business. Excellent text for those pursuing MBA in Finance or CFA professional qualification but will require some asssitance in getting the problem figures checked. Overall, a fantastic piece of work; unfortunately not meant for self-study...

Excellent compendium of theory and practice
Whether encountered through an MBA equity analysis course or the CFA program, Investment Analysis will be an indispensable reference book for investment analysts, fund managers, and finance professionals for years to come. Although it is not an introductory finance text, it covers most of the basics. The book also delves on esoterica about derivatives, value investing, hydrid securities, and hedging. All in all, Investment Analysis is a good textbook that will be appreciated by academics, professionals and students alike.

Prof. Reilly is awesome!
Buy this book! GO IRISH and GO AIM XVIII!!! (aim.nd.edu)

Perfect intro
It is perfect for an introduction, and shows you the way where to learn more

Traditional, but not mainstream finance
As an introduction to traditional finance, this is a very good book. Most recent financial innovations that got a company like Enron into trouble are not covered, however. In addition, other off-balance sheet products that are financings or are fungible with bonds aren't covered. For instance, total return swaps and the exploding credit derivatives market are ignored, and that is a shortcoming in a book on portfolio theory and the capital markets.

Credit derivatives and total return swaps are used to round out and diversiry both equity and bond portfolios. Tavakoli has written an excellent book on these products: "Credit Derivatives" (Second Edition). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Derivatives Book
The cover and page quality make this book a joy to read compared to other derivatives texts on the market.

Even more important, Dr. McDonald's writing is clear and logical. His theory is current and well laid-out. Compared to Hull it has more PDE's and sound theory. Compared to still other derivatives texts, Dr. McDonald gives more applications to supplement the theory.

If I could only recommend one derivatives texts to students and practitioners needing a thorough overview of the market, this would be the one.

A brilliant book by a master teacher
Far too many books on derivatives are written by academics who claim to be writing for intelligent professionals but are in fact really trying to impress their colleagues. This book is a wonderful exception to that general rule. It is written by a master teacher who understands the importance of knowing several different ways to solve problems, and who provides numerous examples so that the reader can check his/her own answer. The book also provides software in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) so that the reader can experiment with the results explained in the text and apply them to his/her own problems.

McDonald is very concerned to explain the intuition behind the numerous formulas presented in the text, and presents the various chapters in an expertly-designed sequence so that new results nearly always become understandable as more general ways of seeing results presented in earlier chapters. The material progresses gradually from basic to complex, so that the dedicated reader becomes thoroughly acquainted with results that have only recently been discovered. As a consequence, this textbook becomes a handy reference work to be kept at one's desk for daily use.

I came across this book more or less by accident, and as I was browsing through it I noted with particular interest several substantial discussions of how derivative pricing can be done with real probabilities so as to arrive at the same results as pricing done with the pseudo-probabilities (or risk-neutral probabilities) discussed in most texts. These sections provided an extremely important clarification of an issue that undoubtedly occurs to nearly all students of derivative pricing but is nonetheless ignored in nearly all of the relevant textbooks and literature. I knew right then that the author understood what questions were occurring in the minds of his students and how to deal with them.

This book is a bit more expensive than some rival texts, but it is entirely worth it because of its tremendous clarity and because of the software that accompanies it. In reality, this book is a bargain.

Excellent Book on Derivatives Markets
I had the privilege of using the manuscript of this book for two advanced finance courses I did at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University---the Author's home) and just got a chance to read the final published book. This is an excellent book on derivatives markets which should appeal to three types of readers: 1) MBA students doing their first finance course on derivatives; 2) Non-finance professionals who can easily grasp quantitative aspects of derivatives pricing schemes but lack an an intuitive understanding of why, where and how derivatives are used (I was in this category until I attended Kellogg); and, 3) Corporate finance professionals trying to understand different risk management tools. Bob McDonald did a great job in maintaining a good balance between mathematics of derivatives pricing schemes and logical explanations of several economic concepts one would encounter in derivatives. This book is going to be a popular MBA text book very soon.

In the first four chapters of the book, the author assumes that the prices of different derivative securities are known and discusses how these securities can be used for insurance and speculation (Chapter 4 has a nice introduction to risk management). Chapters 5-8 explain pricing methods for futures, forwards and swaps using simple discounting models. Chapter 6 has a lucid discussion on how would "futures contract price vs. time" curves for different commodities differ based on the seasonality, transportation costs and storability aspects specific to each commodity.

Starting in Chapter 9, the author discusses different option pricing models. The material presented in Chapters 10-13, where in the author discusses binomial option pricing models, Black-Scholes formula and delta hedging, is clearly the highlight of this book. I did not find such a crystal clear discussion of binomial pricing models and the rationale behind delta hedging in any other text book. In Chapters 15-17, the author discusses financial engineering (how to create a required payoff from basic building blocks) and corporate applications of derivatives (including real options). In the remaining chapters (Chapters 18-24), I would recommend Chapters 18, 19 and 24 to all the readers. The other chapters are not really necessary unless you plan to work on developing derivatives pricing schemes.

In summary, I strongly recommend this book to every serious student of finance. ... Read more

Book Description

The Ninth Edition of this market leader communicates the complexities of international finance clearly and authoritatively.The book features a streamlined presentation, expanded attention to emerging markets, several new chapters, and four new decision cases with an emerging-markets focus.An accompanying new Casebook by Michael Moffett includes in-depth decision cases keyed to the coverage in the Eiteman text. The authors have a knack for communicating the complexities of international finance to today's students in a manner that is clear and understandable.For anyone interested in business. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good, yet not good enough.
This book gives plenty of background into international finance. Unfortunately, it has some big flaws, in my opinion. First, there are not enough calculation examples. Second, there are too few questions at the end of each chapter. In addition, you must go to the author's website for the solution. Once you get there, you will be surprised to find out that the author has only solved maybe two out of eight problems. That's annoying. I do not recommend this book. Take a class from another professor who uses a different text book.

The International Financial Environment
Discuss the changing world attitude toward multinational corporations and identify the evidence cited which sheds new light on the old attitude that multinational companies crowd-out local firms.

tests
tests, guidelines, most important points ... Read more

Book Description

John J. Murphy has now updated his landmark bestseller Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets, to include all of the financial markets.

"If one could read only one book on technical analysis, this should be the one." --Knight-Ridder Financial Products and News (on the first edition, Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets, 0-13-898008-X)

This outstanding reference has already taught thousands of traders the concepts of technical analysis and their application in the futures and stock markets.Covering the latest developments in computer technology, technical tools, and indicators, the second edition features new material on candlestick charting, intermarket relationships, stocks and stock rotation, plus state-of-the-art examples and figures. From how to read charts to understanding indicators and the crucial role technical analysis plays in investing, readers gain a thorough and accessible overview of the field of technical analysis, with a special emphasis on futures markets.Revised and expanded for the demands of today's financial world, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in tracking and analyzing market behavior.

"One way to get started in technical analysis is to read a good book on the subject.One of my favorites is Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets:A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications by John J. Murphy.It's an easy read." Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Managing Director, Prudential Securities Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Technically speaking, one should buy this book
Investing isn't easy. Investing profitably is even harder. As a result, investors are always looking for that 'angle', that 'edge' that will help them realize more consistent profits.

In the past 2 decades, many on Wall Street have come to believe that technical analysis of stock charts is one of those tools. Having worked in the financial services markets since 1987, I do believe that technical analysis can be a helpful tool. And if you are looking for a definitive source of TA, then look no further.

Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets by John Murphy covers all the basic aspects of TA: philosophy, chart construction, fundamental vs. technical analysis, trends, major technical pattern recognition, moving averages, oscillators, times cycles, computer trading systems and much more. He also covers different methods of charting, including bar, point and figure and candlestick (be aware that most of the analysis techniques he presents apply to bar charting, not PnF or candlestick).

What I like most about the book is that it written clearly, simply and logically. It uses many graphical examples that SHOWS the reader what to look for. It does not rage on about the merits of TA (which many investors feel is complete hooey) but how to apply basic (and sophisticated) TA techniques. I use TA frequently in my business and find that it helps me manage my client's portfolios more effectively, especially when it comes to SELLING a position, whether to lock-in gains or limit losses.

If you are a TA convert, or if you have an interest in learning more about it, this book is a useful guide and should be purchased. Today, it remains one of the few investment reference books that I keep in my office.

The Reference for Every Serious Trader
Murphy's tome on technical analysis is rqeuired reading for any practioner in the financial markets. As a professional trader, I constantly refer to the book for soldifying core technical and trading tactics. A true gem of a work.

comprehensive
thorough and complete, the reader is left believing that upon completion they have seen and learned all there is to be known about charting.

a bible of technical analysis (if you're a believer). i cannot recommend it highly enough.

Excellent book on technical analysis
This is a great book on technical analysis. The fundamentals are all here from pattern recognition to indicators. TA is essential anyone who wants better entries and exits on stocks and other financial instruments. This is the building block to using trading strategies to win in both bull and bear markets. For actually trading strategies, I recommend Dave Landry on Swing Trading or Street Smarts, but this book is the perfect start.

A necessary trading reference....
As a well-respected technical analyst with 30+ years experience, there are few markets John Murphy has not seen. The difference between him and most other analysts is that he has documented them as they happened through his Murphy Market Message Newsletter. It is easy to look at a chart in hindsight and perform rear-view mirror analysis. Anyone can do that. What is more interesting is reading commentary from experts while the market is unfolding which is what Murphy does a number of times every week. His books are peppered with examples of market moves and quotes from his newsletter analyzing the move as it happened which makes reading his books all the more interesting.

As someone who basically introduced intermarket analysis to the broad technical analysis community, John has watched markets move one another since the late 1970s and documented the whys and whatfores and then carefully recorded his thoughts for the benefit of the rest of us.

Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets is without a doubt one of the best introductions and general discussions of technical analysis on the market today. It has been recognized by the Market Technicians Association and International Federation of Technical Analysts as such and is required reading for both the Chartered Market Technicians designation from the MTA and the Diploma of International Technical Analysis by IFTA. In fact, their required reading lists are great places to get ideas on which books the professionals are reading!

But it is a book that is not only for those new to trading and technical analysis. It is for everyone and anyone dedicated to improving their investment or trading returns by getting the right information direct from the source. It is a book I have read multiple times and will read again this year. It's well-written and an enjoyable read. It is also a book you won't get tired of reading over again and one that you will find a very useful reference. There is very little to complain about except that I wish it was longer. Then again I can't really complain with over 500 pages of great information and charts.

Matt Blackman - Technical Writer/Reviewer Email: matt@tradesystemguru.com
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Contributor to Stocks & Commodities Magazine, Working Money, Traders.com Advantage, Active Trader, Traders Mag (Europe) and SFO Magazine ... Read more

Book Description

"Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn't good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans."

This, in a nutshell, is the advice given to a new Area Manager on his first day--in an extraordinary business book that will help everyone, in every kind of organization or business, deliver stunning customer service and achieve miraculous bottom-line results.

Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach how to define a vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month.

America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. Raving Fans includes startling new tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace--and turn their customers into raving, spending fans.

Reviews (65)

I'm a Raving Fan!
Kenneth Blanchard continues his trend of writing easy-to-read books with BIG ideas for making your business better. Raving Fans is a book of stories relating how fictional companies have created an environment of delivering awesome customer service. A guy that has just been put in a managment position requiring a turnaround goes on a fictional trip with his "angel" to visit businesses that have figured out their vision and their system to deliver customer service extraordinary. Based on three simple principles (Decide, Discover, Deliver), each company has created a group of Raving Fans (not just customers, but fans) who wouldn't consider shopping anywhere else for what one of these companies offers. Within each story is other nuggets of common sense and good ideas that can be implemented in any company that has customers and wants to create fans. We required our store managers to read the book and each created a list ranging from 20-40 points that they can put into effect at their stores to improve customer service. This is a simple, must-read for every business owner and manager.

Great Model for Approaching Perfection through Innovation
A major problem with most books on management processes is that that do too little to focus on how to make large amounts of progress beyond what is now done. Raving Fans is a big success in providing you with simple instructions for making large strides toward achievable perfection.

Imagining perfection is a critical first step to improvement, yet most people have never thought about what that could mean. Then testing that perfection with customers (and potential customers) must be done to be sure that there is a valid opportunity, and to be able to understand customers' ideas about achievable perfection. Then attaching the idea of continuous improvement toward that vision is also valuable, and useful. There are plenty of practical tips about how to do each part, which is key to making this book so valuable.

One of the reasons that I enjoy writing reviews about books on-line is that I can find a Raving Fans that agrees so much with my own perspective and research. This book will quickly get you past your Psychology of Disbelief, Bureaucracy, Procrastination, Communiation, and Ugly Duckling stalls.

Good for Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles . . . and good for you, too!

Fluffy
Way too fluffy. It should have been presented as a bulleted list, not a book. If you must get this book, I recommend the print version; Charlie's voice is quite annoying.

good concepts, juvenile delivery
The intellectual content of this little book could fit nicely and succinctly in a 500-1000 word magazine or journal venue. Instead, Blanchard sticks to the successful story telling formula that served him well in The One Minute Manager. The concepts are good, and I think their true value lies in their simplicity. They are easily understood and therefore should be easy to apply. Successful implementation may be another matter. If you agree with the concepts, and it's hard to see how you wouldn't, the actual book is a great tool to get them out to your people. The long narrative has the effect of beating the points into your head and the examples leave little to the imagination as to how the concepts can be fleshed out. I have found that people who last raved about Who Moved My Cheese also rave about this book. Those who don't care for this type of cutesy, least common denominator writing style will try to get through it as fast as possible and glean the concepts for further consideration afterwards. It can be read cover to cover in about an hour and a half at a pretty leisurely pace. Regardless of whether or not you like the style of the book I think you will find the concepts and down to earth examples good food for thought in your own enterprise.

Raving Fans
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is an easy read and contains some great fundamentals on providing excellent customer service. Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy reading Time Management is an Oxymoron. ... Read more

Book Description

Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (FCF) is written with one strongly held principle– that corporate finance should be developed and taught in terms of a few integrated, powerful ideas.As such, there are three basic themes that are the central focus of the book:1) An emphasis on intuition; underlying ideas are discussed in general terms and then by way of examples that illustrate in more concrete terms how a financial manager might proceed in a given situation.2) A unified valuation approach; net present value (NPV) is treated as the basic concept underlying corporate finance.Every subject covered is firmly rooted in valuation, and care is taken to explain how particular decisions have valuation effects.3) A managerial focus; the authors emphasize the role of the financial manager as decision maker, and they stress the need for managerial input and judgment. ... Read more

Book Description

Get the bestselling guide to trading systems, now updated for the 21st century.

For more than two decades, futures traders have turned to the classic Trading Systems and Methods for complete information about the latest, most successful indicators, programs, algorithms, and systems. Perry Kaufman, a leading futures expert highly respected for his years of experience in research and trading, has thoroughly updated this bestselling guide, adding more systems, more methods, and extensive risk analysis to keep this the most comprehensive and instructional book on trading systems today. His detailed, hands-on manual offers a complete analysis, using a systematic approach with in-depth explanations of each technique. This edition also includes a CD-ROM that contains the TradeStation EasyLanguage program, Excel spreadsheets, and Fortran programs that appear in the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Tools
Actually a 4.5 star. Not the same remixed crap that bloats a traders library. Useful strats that actually work not just in theory but where it counts....in your portfolio. ... Read more

Book Description

This text, now in its tenth edition, is clear and concise with shorter chapters that allow for flexible course organization without compromising coverage.Designed as a mid-level approach to personal financial planning, this text is written in a conversational style with many real-life examples.The life-cycle approach, practical applications, and decision-making focus are reinforced with expert advice, helpful tools, and real-life examples. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Superb Introduction to Financial Planning
I bought this book for a non-credit Financial Planning class at Florida State.I didn't stick with the class, but I'm keeping the book.It seems to cover just about everything anyone except a financial professional could ever need to know about the financial planning process.If there's a downside to the book, it's that it reads like a textbook; HOWEVER, that's what it is.AND, being a GOOD textbook, the writing is clear and understandable.

Anyone who would order this book should know that I received an e-mail today (February 24) from the instructor of the intro class at Florida State, making reference to a ninth edition.The instructor did not specifically mention this book by name.However, since [Amazon.com] is showing the eighth edition as of February 24, it may be safe to assume that this is the book the instructor was referring to.

Excellent resource for taking financial control
I had to purchase this book for a university course I once took (several editions earlier).This book is a great resource for taking you through the personal financial planning process.This book may seem a bitintimidating but if you want personal financial success, it is worth goingthrough the book.It will take you step by step on how to achieve yourfinancial success.This is the best textbook I have ever purchased.

Looking for help
This isn't a review.I'm looking for help.Anybody order this book?The one I need for a course at Florida State has this description:

Personal Financial Planning by Lawrence J. Gitman & Michael D. Joehnk (Note:This shrink-wrapped package should include worksheets to accompany thePersonal Financial Planning textbook as well as a computer diskette.) ISBN:0-03-028076-1 (Eighth Edition - 1999) Published by Dryden Press (asubsidiary of Harcourt Brace)

The Amazon.com description doesn't say ifit includes the goodies.Anybody know?

E-mail me atmark_n_tam@yahoo.com

Thanks ... Read more

Book Description

Bestselling author Salih Neftci presents a fresh, original, informative, and up-to-date introduction to financial engineering. The book offers clear links between intuition and underlying mathematics and an outstanding mixture of market insights and mathematical materials.Also included are end-of-chapter exercises and case studies.

In a market characterized by the existence of large pools of liquid funds willing to go anywhere, anytime in search of a few points of advantage, there are new risks. Lacking experience with these new risks, firms, governmental entities, and other investors have been surprised by unexpected and often disastrous financial losses. Managers and analysts seeking to employ these new instruments and strategies to make pricing, hedging, trading, and portfolio management decisions require a mature understanding of theoretical finance and sophisticated mathematical and computer modeling skills.

Important and useful because it analyzes financial assets and derivatives from the financial engineering perspective, this book offers a different approach than the existing finance literature in financial asset and derivative analysis. Seeking not to introduce financial instruments but instead to describe the methods of synthetically creating assets in static and in dynamic environments and to show how to use them, his book complements all currently available textbooks. It emphasizes developing methods that can be used in order to solve risk management, taxation, regulation, and above all, pricing problems.

This perspective forms the basis of practical risk management. It will be useful for anyone learning about practical elements of financial engineering.

* Exercises and case studies at end of each chapter and on-line Solutions Manual provided
* Explains issues involved in day-to-day life of traders, using language other than mathematics
* Careful and concise analysis of the LIBOR market model and of volatility engineering problems ... Read more

Reviews (5)

All the old & all the new...
The world of finance has moved quickly, with new instruments, synthetics, cash flow instruments, and dozens of other new products. Neftci does a great job explaining all of them, pricing them, and gives wonderful examples of the uses of them. Not as academic as his other works, and I think even more helpful. A must have for those who work in the City or on the Street.

Bravo!
It is such a comprehensive and reader-friendly financial engineering book! Neftci explained the complex financial concepts with plain English, simple examples and graphs. Any one with less financial background can understand the concepts with less effort. It describes and covers the most concepts that many financial practitioners may use at daily business. From Volatility surface to Greek Letters, from Convertible bond to Synthetic CDS, it provides the most financial concepts than any other books. It is one of the best reference books that are available in the industry.
Even though it explains the structured financial products, such as CDO, it will be much more valuable to the book, if it describes in more details on valuations of CDO and MBS. Since those structured financial products are started to pick up on Wall Street and becoming fashion in the financial industry at the current stage. After adding those products, the book will become the most comprehensive and sophisticated financial engineer's handbook.

An excellent reference for professionnals and students
Principles Of Financial Engineering came as an excellent surprise to me, it will probably make a lot of peo