Book Description

Performing Venture Capital Due Diligence the Right Way

Venture Capital Due Diligence provides a clear and complete explanation of the venture capital (VC) due diligence process and shows you how to use it to assess investment opportunities, make smart investment decisions, and increase the return on your overall venture capital portfolio.

This comprehensive guide offers a full explanation of the VC due diligence process, from using screening mechanisms that sort out potential opportunities, to assessing the management qualities, business models, legal issues, and even intangibles of target companies. Structured around a number of carefully crafted questions that venture capitalists often ask when performing due diligence, this book puts you–the reader–in the position of a VC conducting due diligence on a particular company.

In-depth discussions of these questions and their possible answers pull together opinions from many of the major players in today’s venture capital industry, including . . .

• Richard Testa of Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault
• Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
• John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• Craig Johnson of the Venture Law Group
• Don Valentine of Sequoia Capital
• Kevin Fong of the Mayfield Fund

. . . and many others who are qualified to comment on the proper methods of performing VC due diligence and making VC investment decisions.

An essential guide for anyone involved in venture capital investing, Venture Capital Due Diligence helps you uncover potential problems, while showing you where to look and what to look for when conducting VC due diligence. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This book is a really great resource.
As a new entrant to the field of venture capital, I found this book extremely helpful. Anyone hoping to become a VC should definitely take a look.

Skip it
This book is a disappointment.

Although it is carefully documented, it is almost entirely made up of quotes from secondary sources. If you've read some basic books on private equity, you probably already read most of the sources used in this book. There is little in the way of analysis or any kind of value add.

Don't Skip this Book!
Written in simple format, layman's terminology, and constructed very well. If you are looking to build a business, even have one funded this is a book you have to read. It gives very good perspective and is a great supplement to "The Venture Capital Cycle" and "Venture Capital and Private Equity: A Casebook". The reading is highly informative and the 3 go together exceptionally well.

One of the finest due diligence books I have read.
Justin Camp puts the whole due diligence process into a logical, easy to read, and concise format. I found it both informative and thought provoking. I believe this book would not only be helpful to venture capitalists but entrepreneurs can use it to prepare themselves and their companies to attract vc funding. The book should be a reference work for anyone looking to build or invest in a young company. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Much Better Than The 9th Edition
I have been a fan of Lawrence J. Gitman's writing style for years. His approach to finance is simple to understand & this is very beneficial for both students & teachers. The 10th Edition of "Principles of Managerial Finance" (Hardcover) has the following improvements:

a. Calculation of "n" in the chapter of "Time Value of Money"
b. Adding the "Free Cash Flow Valuation Model" in the chapter of "Stock Valuation"
c. Adding "Strategic Net Present Value (NPV)" in the chapter of "Risk & Refinements in Capital Budgeting"
d. Having two (2) "Time Value of Money Tables":
d.1. more detailed tables (in terms of more "i"; note: "i" was formerly "k" in the 9th Edition) located at the back of the book
d.2. tables, printed on thick paper, located at the front of the book that is perforated (can be pulled out)
e. Up to date real world examples
f. Better presentation of the topics, notably the topics on Bond & Stock Valuation
g. The Hardcover Edition includes an Excel-based student software on the book's Companion Web Site valid for six (6) months upon activation.

The book comes with a CD-ROM. The exercises have topics listed before them. This is beneficial both for students & teachers (students can EASILY practice what they've learned while teachers can give assignments by simply browsing the topics).

This is an outstanding basic finance book & I haven't found another one that's better. However, outstanding as this book is, there is still room for improvement. My suggestions are:

a. Explain "deferred annuities" (both for ordinary annuity & annuity due)
b. Present the computation of "i" & "n" using algebra (in addition to using the methods presented in the book)
c. Include the process of interpolation in the book proper
d. Fully discuss the "Average Rate of Return"(ARR), "Discounted Payback Period" (DPP), & "Modified Internal Rate of Return" (MIRR) in the chapter of "Capital Budgeting Techniques"
e. Better explain the "Earnings Before Interest & Taxes (EBIT)-Earnings Per Share (EPS) Approach" in the chapter of "Capital Stucture"
f. Correct the error (I believe this to be an editing error) on the formula for standard deviation (Equation 5.3a, page 222, footnote section)
g. Include a "Challenging Exercises Section" for every chapter where the problems are more complex & the topics are NOT stated before them
h. Increase the six (6) month student subscription to the book's Companion Web Site to one (1) year.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn basic finance. This book is well worth buying & KEEPING.

Great Finance Book But Could Still Be Improved
This book, "Principles of Managerial Finance" (9th Edition), is an excellent finance book. It explains financial concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. Gitman gives you a step-by-step guide to understanding finance. Gone are the days when one dreads reading a finance book because of complexity. You'll actually look forward to reading this book. However, there are some items that need to be added/fully explained in the book itself (like how to interpolate, finding the number of periods in the time value of money, calculating free cash flows in valuation, etc.) & there are things that need to be clarified in the cost of capital & capital budgeting techniques sections. Nevertheless, it is still a great book well worth buying.

College Text
Having struggled through many finance courses this text truely brought the area of finance into a much clearer perspective for me. It provides a lot of general knowledge about the field and as a stand alone text is very useful. However, the assignments that accompanied the text definitley lacked substance and did not prove to be worthwhile. ... Read more

Book Description

An in depth look at the tremendous potential of this vital market with expert advice from one of the foremost authorities. The foreign exchange market is the world's largest and fastest growing financial terrain.Despite its high trading volume, it is also a market little understood and little regulated.This definitive resource brings the universe of foreign exchange within reach of every investor.The revised edition includescomplete comprehensive coverage of the euro and the latest historical and economic changes in the market.

Cornelius Luca, a renowned authority on international investing, draws on the insights of leading experts in diverse fields of specialty to explain every crucial aspect of foreign exchange.He provides investors with an arsenal of trading weapons, many on the cutting edge of technology.Demystifying the intricacies of these markets, the book includes:

Analysis of the mechanics of the market, the major players and markets, the pertinent risks, corporate trading, and methods of trading execution.

A thorough overview of foreign exchange instruments and major option strategies, with clear explanations of why currencies are traded and how to forecast currency behavior. An in-depth look at the three types of analysis: fundamental, technical, and econometric.Featuring 200 charts and graphics, TRADING IN THE GLOBAL CURRENCY MARKETS is an indispensable guide to a daunting yet promising financial playing field. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Trading in the Global Currency Markets
Loved Trading in the Global Currency Markets! While I only used it to brush up my FX knowldege, I had all my 5 FX traders read it to prepare them for this fast currency market. The book gives you everything you need, and then some. It's a very methodical book, leaving no stone unturned. It's also very objective. All other books on FX or technical analysis have "an angle". Not Luca's. In his book, he presents all facets of the industry. You just need to choose what's best for you.

Trading in the Global Currency Markets
"Trading in the Global Currency Markets" lands you smack in the middle of the currency markets and really makes you understand how all these FX traders maneuver money day in and day out. Due to the complexity of the subject I needed to take it easy, especially in the technical analysis sections. But I can now use the averages and MACD well enough to enter and exit successful FX transactions.

A 3rd Edition is called for . . .
In 2000, when this edition was released, it most probably provided a fair introduction and overview to the global forex market, but not for individual traders.

However, its use to traders, especially individual traders is limited. Since 2000, there has been an almost explosive growth in the number of forex market-makers and brokers, catering to the individual traders, making it possible and very easy for the individual to trade forex on the inter-bank system. One can now start trading a mini forex account with only $300 !!

These critical new developments in the forex trade, are unfortunately not covered in Mr Luca's book - hence my call for a 3rd edition. The amount of information contained in the various broker's websites - inclusive of "How to" sections, "FAQs", tutorials, and other background information, pretty much contains most of the info presented in Mr Luca's book, with the exception of forward contracts and options.

The Technical Analysis information presented, is similar to the stock market, but not covered extensivley. So, if you already have that knowledge, you wouldn't need to purchase this book to start trading forex. If you need to acquire this knowledge, then I would suggest any one of the excellent in-depth books on the topic of technical analysis available. These books, even though written for the equities market, will give any prospective forex trader most of the knowledge he/she will need to start trading forex.

Extremely informative!
Mr.Luca has out done himself. I am a 11 year veteran of the futures markets and I have written three book on futures trading. Mr.Luca's book exceeded my expectations. I read it and was completely enlightened at the chain of connections that drive the currency market. His technical analysis on forex trading was easily adaptable to my own strategies, plus I learned a few new tricks.

Mr.Luca's writing is very indepth and many beginners to forex trading will find a lot of information to wade through in order to find the nuggets they are looking for. That being said, any serious beginner will not have a problem with getting a thorough education in this fascinating subject.

Intermediate traders will see there mistakes and hopefully correct them by using this book.

Overall, this is a great book by Mr.Luca and I keep a copy as a refernce.

Great waste
There is nothing in this book. It's a waste of money and time reading it, and also even if it's free, you should not read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Understanding Financial Statements, 7/E retains its reputation for readability, concise coverage, and accessibility while incorporating the many new requirements and changes in accounting reporting and standards. It gives readers the conceptual background and analytical tools necessary to understand and interpret business financial statements.The book covers the tools and techniques needed to analyze and interpret financial statements, income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.For controllers, CFOs, financial analysts, credit analysts, or business managers who need a valuable reference book. For any individual who wants to learn how to read and interpret financial statements. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Review - Understanding Financial Statements, 6th Ed.
The presentation of the content assumes that the reader has some knowledge of this content area and at times leaves him/her confused as to what was discussed, making it difficult to understand. Examples that are used are often incomplete and do not provide a complete picture of how statements are generated. As someone who has no knowledge or experience in this area, I found it to be frustrating to read and comprehend the information. Not a good choice if you are a novice. Too bad I could not give it zero stars.

great book
this is a great book for beginers in such a feild. very informative. just what i was looking for.

Enron?
The Preface of this book reveals that the author's daughter "completed three fascinating and challenging years as an analyst for Enron Corporation." Indeed.

Understanding Financial Statements
This is a wonderful book for those who are new to the world of corporate finance and do not have a working knowledge of the language of finance. The definitions are clear and the examples are easy to understand. The book is thorough in its coverage of balance sheet, income statements, statements of retained earnings, and cash flow, and explains how to uncover hidden problems in review of a firm's financial statements. This is a great book for students and those who want to have the mysteries of the financial report revealed. ... Read more

Book Description

Finally, together in one place, a comprehensive step-by-step process for launching your career as a financial planner. Here is everything you need to know - from getting the right credentials to getting the rights clients. Over the next few decades, billions of dollars will be changing hands as millions of Baby Boomers retire. Learn how you can play an important role in ensuring the financial health of future generations. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Excellent preview into the Financial Planning Career
Very good book. One of the best resources I've ever seen. Lots of useful tips and suggestions about being successful in the financial planning world. I would recommend this to anybody thinking about FP as a career. Nancy is a great resource and very much up to date with current industry trends. Especially useful for new or hopeful advisers. I can't wait for the next edition. Thank you Nancy !

Best book on the market, detailed, thorough and complete.
Anyone who is interested in the career of a financial planner should consider Nancy Langdon's book the most complete resource. She covers every aspect of the career--the good and the bad. This book isn't what you'd expect, it tells the truth.

What I like most about the book is the "sensitive financial planning" ethic and how financial planners differ from brokers.

This book sees the career of financial planning exactly as it is...you will be able to assess financial institutions for what they really are rather than relying on just their marketing tactics when deciding on which company is best for you.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in financial planning--no other book comes close!

Good Information at a Basic Level
This book provides a large amount of information at a faily basic level. The information provided was useful. The book gives a broad overview of the industry and provides guidance for those considering a career in financial planning. Use this book as a starting point if you are considering a financial planning career.

Wonderful, Comprehensive Resource
This is a great resource for those who are looking for an understanding of what the industry is all about and step by step advice on how to enter the profession. Nancy's book was not the first book I read on Financial Planning. I'd read probably two or three others before she came out with her book and still had lots of questions about the nuts and bolts. I loved the book and found it very comprehensive. As a career changer, my biggest questions revolved around pros and cons of the various educational options and the process to move into the field. The chapter that discussed "planners who have been in the industry five years or less, and how they made the transition" was very enlightening for me.

Nancy's approach to the profession is definitely others-focused (you might say altruistic). You won't learn how to be a top producer from her narrative, but if you're looking for a multitude of insights into a profession that can be challenging, exciting, fulfilling, and rewarding through the service you provide to others, this is definitely the book. For me it was exactly what I was looking for.

Good starter
This book is a great overview of financial planning as a profession. It discusses the many facets and approaches to the business while maintaining an evenhanded approach throughout. It focuses the reader on one of the most important points when considering financial planning as a career, "what does financial planning mean to you, and do you want to spend your life doing that?" ... Read more

Book Description

PRAISE FOR THE WARREN BUFFETT WAY
FIRST EDITION

"Nobody has described what Buffett practices better than Hagstrom."
–Time

"Simply the most important new stock book . . . If you think you know all about Warren Buffett, you have a lot to learn from this book."
–Forbes

"It’s first rate. Buffett gets a lot of attention for what he preaches, but nobody has described what he practices better than Hagstrom.Here is the lowdown on every major stock he ever bought and why he bought it.Fascinating."
–Fortune

"Almost anybody curious about the relationship between the behavior of economics, the performance of firms, and the ups and downs of the stock market will find something of interest here."
–The Economist

"The Warren Buffett Way is accessible to average readers because Mr. Hagstrom reduces the billionaire’s techniques to some easily understandable tenets . . . the book demonstrates the rewards that can come down the road."
–The Dallas Morning News ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Belongs on the list of all time investment classics.
Other reviewers have written that this book is undervalued and they are right. Right from the start Hagstrom gives us advice on the nature of the market. He then gives management tenants, how to value a business and all kinds of investment tenants. These tenents are so fundamental that its very difficult to see how investing can be done without them in one form or the other. This makes the book timeless. Numerous examples are given from real world cases of how these tenants are used. There is also an excellent appendix that gives examples of how a business is valued. This is very helpful. Some reviewers have criticized Hagstrom, saying that if the book is true, why isnt he rich? But this is not how information is to be judged. There are many books that contain solid gold advice, but there are few who master them. Buffett is among them. If one wants additional information on Buffets methods, I suggest reading "How to pick stocks like Warren Buffett" by Tim Vick. But The Warren Buffett Way is a classic and at the top of the heap.

one of the most popular investment reads
This book is for anyone whether you are trying to understand investing for the first time or an experienced investor refreshing yourself with the principles of fundamental analysis. Hagstrom answers all the questions of what makes Buffett one of the most successful investors of our time. He talks about Buffett's childhood as a boy ambitious to turn a profit in selling Coca Cola as well as his philosophy behind which he makes his decisions on buying a particular stock. The refreshing part about investing like Buffett is whether you buy millions of dollars worth of stock or just a few shares of stock, you can still use the same principles that Buffett uses in making a decision. The methods are straight-forward and bring common sense approach to picking stocks. In it you buy stocks as if you were buying groceries and not as if you were buying perfume. It is not even necessary to know any complicated formulae about how to determine the value of a stock although some elementary math is required. If you only had to pick one book to read about investing and burn all the other books I would recommend this book. It is more informative that many other textbooks out there read by college students filled with unnecessary math and financial theory.

Worth the read
Forget B-school, read this book. Seriously, a great introduction to value investing and the Buffett mentality of risk.

Hagstrom's analysis is very easy to read and understand... a book everyone should read.

What if Mr. Market goes really crazy?
If you are reading this book just to be better informed, I think you will get your money's worth. I feel I got a five-star education. But if you are going to read it to make a decision to buy or not to buy Berkshire Hathaway, you should keep these two points in mind: First, almost everyone considers Warren Buffet to be the world's greatest investor. This special attribute of Mr. Buffet might be reflected in the price of Berkshire Hathaway stock. If Warren Buffet were no longer around, what would that do to Berkshire Hathaway? Hasn't Mr. Buffet's greatness built in a premium in Berkshire Hathaway stock?

Second, this book proves that Mr. Buffet beat Mr. Market most of the time under normal circumstances. In abnormal circumstances, Mr. Market could beat Mr. Buffet. Abnormal circumstances would exist if Mr. Market went into a long, deep depression (like he did in the 1930's and dropped in value by 90%). And could a second terrorist attack similar to 9/11 cause Mr. Market to panic and create abnormal circumstances in the economy?

No matter how good the company, Mr. Market can and will hurt the value of its stock. If there is another terrorist attack like 9/11, Mr. Market will panic and Coca Cola, Washington Post, GEICO, etc., would all suffer terribly.

Once Again, Take It With A Grain of Salt
I am not Warren Edward Buffett. Unlike Mr. Buffett, who has the delightful headache of trying to figure out where to put his steadily growing billions, I am a non-investor, sitting on the sidelines, wondering what all the fuss is about. Like most readers of this book, I have been told incessantly to invest for retirement, and not knowing exactly how I should do so, I figured it might be a good idea to glean a few secrets from a proven successful investor. Hence, I read The Warren Buffett Way from cover to cover, hoping to learn a few things.

And what did I learn? I learned that I am not Warren Edward Buffett. Unlike Mr. Buffett, whose circle of associates includes all of the Beautiful People of Corporate America, I am surrounded by ordinary people, more than a few of whom are looking for a way to get rich quick. Whereas Mr. Buffett is patient and thoughtful with his investments, most of the people I encounter are thoughtless and reckless with their gambles. These two things, which I increasingly began to ponder as I read this book, distinguish me from the Oracle of Omaha, and quite possibly from most readers of this book.

The book consists of nine chapters, and is mostly historical in nature. It details many of Buffett's past exploits in the stock market, mostly the good moves but also some bad ones, and offers some of the principles guiding Mr. Buffett's stock investing strategy, grouped into three classes called Management, Financial and Market Tenets. The first four chapters of the book delve into the early history of Berkshire Hathaway, the key influences on Mr. Buffett which helped to shape his investment philosophy, Mr. Buffett's perspective on the financial markets, and the principles by which he goes about purchasing a business. The last five chapters of the book give example after example of some of Mr. Buffett's past stock moves, and tries to show his Tenets in action.

The style of the book is mostly active until the fifth chapter, whereupon it becomes plodding. The book is extremely repetitive at points, and as other reviewers have pointed out, key concepts are not fully explained up front, suggesting that the possible target audience for this book are those having a strong background in the general principles of economics and business.

In all honesty, I have previously encountered most of the content of this book in coursework or self-study. I previously read Mr. Hagstrom's The Warren Buffett Portfolio, and found the two books to be similar in some respects. That said, I still found this book to be very interesting and useful, primarily because it exposed me to an investment approach which utilizes these concepts in ways I had not previously considered. I also found it highly interesting on an anecdotal level, given that Mr. Buffett's investment career spans The Go-Go Years, The Nifty Fifty Stocks and the 80s and 90s Tech Stock Boom, and yet he never once participated in these tech-stock manias but handily outperformed tech stock investors nonetheless.

Like I said, I am not Warren Edward Buffett and I can not expect or even hope to do what he does, but that does not mean that I can not think like him. Even Mr. Buffett cautions the small investor in this regard, as there are things that he can do that none of little guys can do. Yet, he also has said that there are things the little guy can do that he can not do. That said, the book deserves to be read by any one lacking the ability to reason through the process of investing. However, readers at all levels should not stop with this book. Others have pointed out that one could get even more information straight from the horse's mouth- the Berkshire Hathaway website.

On the other hand, as this information details past moves for which the conditions surrounding them are most unlikely to come around again, I believe that the more astute reader looking to learn more should consult The Money Game by Adam Smith for a brief historical look at financial foolishness (albeit the late sixties but the resemblance to Right Now is striking), The Theory of Investment Value by John Burr Williams for Buffett's original basis for valuation, and The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham for a more detailed explanation of the concepts of margin of safety, intrinsic value, and the benefits associated with ignoring the market noise. These three books will help one learn how to reason through the investment problem, as this is the most important step, aside from finding smart people (as Mr. Smith admonishes forcefully in The Money Game and Buffett has consistently done) and thinking more but acting less (as Buffett has said- do a few things right and screw everything else). ... Read more

Book Description

This introductory text provides a clear understanding of the intuition behind derivatives pricing, how models are implemented, and how they are used and adapted in practice. M. Joshi covers the strengths and weaknesses of such models as stochastic volatility, jump diffusion, and variance gamma, as well as the Black-Scholes. Examples and exercises, with answers, as well as computer projects, challenge the mind and encourage learning how to become a good quantitative analyst. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good book on the basics
This book comes in between Wilmott and the more technical books.
And its by no means complete, if you want a more comprehensive treatment you may want to buy wilmott.
And if you need something more technical you should
get the book by Oskendal and/or Nielsen.

If you want to get an inexpensive book then go for this.

An outstanding book in a crowded field
In recent years bookshelves (and readers) have groaned under the weight of new First Courses in Mathematical Finance. There is, of course, a huge overlap in content and it is no easy task to write a book which is both better than its predecessors and genuinely novel. In both tasks Mark Joshi has succeeded admirably: this book deserves to become the leader in its field.

Finding the right level of mathematical sophistication is a difficult balancing act in which it is impossible to please all readers. Here, the author has had a clear vision that the principal audience is the practising or potential quantitative analyst (or quant) and writes accordingly; it is impossible to do better than taking an approach of this sort. Such a quant must have a certain minimum level of mathematical background (a good degree in a numerate discipline). By definition, this has to be assumed for a decent understanding of the material, but the author always has an eye on what a quant really needs to know. Integrated into this mathematical work is a good deal of information about how markets, banks and other corporations operate in practice, not found in more academically-oriented books.

The first half of the book includes the core material found in any decent first course on the subject including basic stochastic calculus, pricing of European options through discounted expectation under a risk-neutral measure, the Black-Scholes differential equation and so forth. Where this book really stands out, however, is the exceptional clarity with which the key concepts are separated. Not only are three different ways for deriving the Black-Scholes formula presented (through PDEs, expectation, and the limit of discrete tree-models) ; much more significantly, the different roles played by hedging, replication and equivalent martingale measures in enforcing a price are made crystal clear. In whatever way you already think about this material, you will almost certainly come away with something new from reading this treatment. In my case, for example, I gained a much greater understanding of why "risk-neutral" pricing is so called.

The second half of the book, roughly speaking, covers a selection of more sophisticated material. The major areas covered include interest-rate derivatives and models; and more complicated models for stock price evolution (such as stochastic-volatility, jump-diffusion and variance-gamma) that have been proposed to correct inadequacies in the Black-Scholes model such as its failure to explain market smiles. Once the core ideas have been so thoroughly explained in the first half, a great deal of interesting and diverse material can be covered rapidly yet with a great deal of clarity and coherence, relating the new models to core ideas such as uniqueness of prices and hedging issues.

Those with quantitative finance experience are still likely to find a good deal that is new and worthwhile in this book. And if you a thinking about becoming a quant, I cannot think of a better book to read first.

Most comprehensive
This is the most comprehensive and up to date textbook on quantitative finance that I have seen so far. Joshi is an excellent mathematician and an excellent quant. He knows finance like the back of his hand, and explains it very well.

A must read for anyone interested in mathematical finance
The modern paradigm within mathematical finance is the use of martingale
methods for the pricing of options; an understanding of it is
critcal not only to quants who use these mathematical tools on a day
to day basis, but also to risk professionals in general when understanding the
risks inherent in a new product. At present, however,
there are very few accessible texts that discuss this at a level that
is suitable for the (sizeable) interested audience; texts either do not
have adequate coverage of the martingale methodology, concentrating on the
older less insightful pde methods, or concentrate (too much in the
reviewers opinion) on mathematical rigour and
require a substantial understanding
of probability theory before one is able to understand and appreciate
the finance.

Mark Joshi's book fills this niche admirably: it is mathematically rigorous
where it needs to be, but more importantly "physically" insightful --- the
author takes considerable pain in assisting the reader in developing
an intuition both for the models used and the products that are
priced. However, the mathematics is all there; more importantly
for the finance professional there are details on how to implement the
various models described. Again in marked contrast to other texts available
the book includes a number of relevant exercises (with solutions) and
computer projects --- features which this reviewer welcomes.
The book is also to be applauded on the fact that
it does not end after a discussion of the Black Scholes stock case ! Instead
the second half of the book discusses, admittedly assuming a slightly higher
level of mathematical sophistication (but never beyond, what one would
expect of a good physical sciences/mathematics graduate), multiasset options,
the LIBOR market model, stochastic volatility and jump diffusion models.
This again is a key strength of the text, rendering these subjects far
more accessible to a wider audience.

In short this is a book which anyone who is interested in mathematical
finance should have on their book shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Health Care Finance: Basic Tools for Nonfinancial Managers is a practical financial management text for those who need basic financial management knowledge and a better understanding of health care finance. Using actual examples from hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies, this text will enable you to read, analyze, understand, and use financial statements and budgets in today's health care environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Don't let the conservative nature of many fixed income intruments mislead you! These are complex, potentially risky investments, and Fixed Income Mathematics is required reading if you are to maximize both income and capital growth from fixed income investing. An expert, thorough analysis of this volatile market's latest developments is presented in the straight-forward, comprehensive style that has become a Fabozzi trademark. It will leave you with a greater ability to utilize and take advantage of basic strategies as well as the newest advances in fixed income analysis and research. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Classic, but dated.
This book covers the territory of fixed income as it existed 4 to 5 years ago. Now credit derivatives trade relative to the bond markets, and have a pricing structure all their own. First-to-default baskets and credit derivatives are important fixed income products. There has been a paradigm shift in the market in the past 4 years. Credit default swaps came out of nowhere and are now $2 trillion in size and continue explosive growth, and that's just one product in credit derivatives land.

I highly recommend Tavakoli's book: "Credit Derivatives and Synthetic Structures" (2nd Edition).

Good reference
Ok, so Fabozzi is the ultimate in reference material and general fixed income awareness. The book is good, it provides most of what you need to understand fixed income valuations, particularly essential bond pricing. However, the book really serves well mostly as a reference. There are few true explanations of formulas. With a little effort you can figure out the derivations yourself, but still, is not the point of buying a book with "mathematics" in the title to have something to guide you through that step? Again, worth having, but not the ultimate to explain the nitty gritty, though not sure that that text exists.

A good bridge between math and fixed income products
Even though this is not really a advanced book on fixed income products analysis/modeling. It is, for technical background, a good induction book for basic fixed income products with basic analysis tools.

This is a real beginner's guide
The book was a great disappointment to me. The title and subtitle (Analytical and statistical techniques) led me to think that the book covered fixed income securities at a sophisticated and advanced level. Not so. If you need to learn how to calculate a PV, FV or IRR, this is the book for you...otherwise probably not!

The ¿Perfect¿ Book For Me
Many of us will be retiring in the next few years, or may already be retired. Fixed income from our financial investments will be an important part of our lives. How many of us really know what Yield To Maturity (YTM) means? Or, for that matter, the myriad of other measurements associated with fixed-income instruments? As a retired engineer with a propensity for computational mathematics, it is my natural desire to optimize my fixed-income portfolio. This "Perfect" book gives me a good head start in my endeavors. The text is logical and easy to understand. The mathematics is "cookbook" simple. As a minimum, I will better equipped to determine the correct price for most fixed-income investments. With enough effort, I should be able to manage my own near "Perfect" portfolio. Fabozzi picks up where most writers stop, namely, the quantitative analysis.
Thank you Frank. ... Read more

Book Description

A revolutionary system for fearless trading without excessive risk

"Trading Risk provides a useful and intuitive roadmap of the risk management process, as written by an individual with unique experience and insight into this topic.It is an engaging read and covers complex subject matter in a straightforward and often-entertaining manner."
– Stanley Shopkorn, Shopkorn Associates

"Ken Grant's eminently readable new book on risk management is a rare blend of theory and practical applications. It is a great starting point for the novice and deep enough for the experienced practitioner."
– Mark R. Graham, Managing Partner, Blue Elite Fund, Ltd.

"This book describes a very practical approach to risk management in a lucid and entertaining manner.Anyone concerned with the topic of risk management ought to find it of interest."
– Susan Estes, Managing Director, Countrywide Securities

"Thoughtful, unique, detailed, actually enjoyable, and comprehensible reading for what is normally a boring and confusing topic."
– Dwight Anderson, President, Osprei Management, LP

"A must-read for risk managers of companies of all sizes who want to preserve capital and take practical advantage of trends in the marketplace.This is a clearly written, funny, and entertaining guide to a very serious topic that affects all corporations.This very complex topic was simplified and made easy to understand by a true expert in the art of risk management."
– Phupinder Gill, Managing Director & President
Chicago Mercantile Exchange ... Read more

Book Description

The Fourth Edition of Financial Accounting teaches accounting from both the preparer and user perspective.To lead students to a full understanding of the impact of financial statements on business decision-making, the authors use the financial statements from Winnebago Industries throughout the chapter and end of chapter material.Porter/Norton is unique in that it also uses a competiting company to Winnebago, Monaco Coach, to do comparative financial analysis; this is reflected throughout the text and in end of chapter problems. ... Read more

Book Description

The Bank Director's Handbook provides directors with the information they need to perform their legal and operational duties, as well as deal with the banking issues they face. These issues include strategic planning, lending decisions, interest rate risk, the use of derivaties, and more. More than a review of the legal and regulatory issues that bank management face, The Bank Director's Handbook is a well-rounded management guide that provides the essential information that bankers need daily. The Handbook is an excellent tool for assisting board members in prudent decision-making for a more effective financial institution. Coverage includes: Pertinent information on board and institutional compliance. The risks of managing asset/liability; Valuable clues and red flags for fraud and insider abuse. The Handbook is necessary to assist board members in prudent decision-making for a more effective financial institution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent guide to understanding the basics of the industry
One of the best summaries of the main marketing and economic forces shaping banks: how banks can find competitive advantage, price products, measure their performance, segment their markets, create barriers to imitation, manage risk. For NON-banking professionals (lawyers, consultants, PR execs, etc.) who need a quick intro to the banking profession. ... Read more

Book Description

Investment performance measurement is the quantification of the results achieved by an investment program. Understanding performance measurement is vital for anyone who participates in the investment process. Investment Performance Measurement is a comprehensive and integrated survey of the steps taken to measure performance as well as a reference guide to the calculation and interpretation of the various risk and return statistics commonly encountered by anyone responsible for selecting, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of investment managers.

Written in a clear and accessible style, with each concept developed through fully worked examples, this book is a valuable guide that provides you with critical insights into many areas of this important step in the investment management cycle.

This straightforward and well-rounded resource provides a step-by-step guide to the processes used by practitioners to analyze the performance of an investment portfolio.

Topics include:

• Calculation of the returns earned by portfolios and portfolio managers
• Measurement of the risks taken to earn these returns
• Measurement of the risk and return efficiency of a portfolio
• Attribution of value added over the benchmark to management decisions
• Presentation and interpretation of returns calculated using industry standards

Filled with in-depth spreadsheet examples, Investment Performance Measurement gives you all the information you’ll need to understand and implement the techniques used to measure the performance of an investment. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best book on investment performance measurement
I have read many books on this subject. This book is the best. It's well written, easy to understand, but in much detail.

Some other books only cover some calculation of returns, but this book covers all the subjects that matter to investment performance measurement: Return Measurement, Risk Measurement, Efficiency and Skill Measurement, Performance Attribution and Performance Presentation.

This book is not expensive. Good value for your money.

Anne-Mei-Ling
Indexfund Investment Group BV analyst

Clear and Concise
Excellent presentation of performance measurement. Great for the novice to advanced reader. Very concise yet thorough as well as a focused text. Calculations are clear with plenty of examples which makes this text very user-friendly. The reader can quickly begin to implement the formulas. Highly recommend to anyone interested in this important topic.

A great reference to have....
I find myself referencing Feibel's performance algorithms quite often. The book overall is well written, easy to follow, and quite organized. I recommend it to anyone that needs a good handbook alongside them or is new to performance calcs.

An education and refresher course!
It is about time that a text like this has been made available. There are others out there, but none that cover the breadth and detail required to understand what is relevant today. Covering everything to how returns are calculated, and then moving on up to other more complex issues such as risk and attribution - it lays it all out, along with clear examples to support the text. It should sit as a reference tool on anyone's desk who works in investment management. ... Read more

Book Description

Successful methodology for identifying earnings-related reporting indiscretions

Creative Cash Flow Reporting and Analysis capitalizes on current concerns with misleading financial reporting on misleading financial reporting. It identifies the common steps used to yield misleading cash flow amounts, demonstrates how to adjust the cash flow statement for more effective analysis, and how to use adjusted operating cash flow to uncover earnings that have been misreported using aggressive or fraudulent accounting practices.

Charles W. Mulford, PhD, CPA (Atlanta, GA), is the coauthor of three books, including the bestselling The Financial Numbers Game: Identifying Creative Accounting Practices. Eugene E. Comiskey, PhD, CPA, CMA (Atlanta, GA), is the coauthor of the bestselling The Financial Numbers Game: Identifying Creative Accounting Practices. ... Read more

Book Description

To accommodate sweeping global economic changes, the risk management field has evolved substantially since the first edition of Value at Risk, making this revised edition a must. Updates include a new chapter on liquidity risk, information on the latest risk instruments and the expanded derivatives market, recent developments in Monte Carlo methods, and more. Value at Risk, Second Edition, will help professional risk managers understand, and operate within, today’s dynamic new risk environment. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Still useful as reference but check out the competition
Currently the VaR literature is cluttered with books all clamoring for your attention. Thus the potential student of the subject is blessed with being in a position to make a choice. The 'reader from New York' provided a good overview of the relevant literature. IMHO, this book tried to hit a balance between breadth of coverage (different models in practice) and depth (rigour), but the result is a compromise that leaves neither the student of the subject nor the practitioner satisfied. Since other reviewers have done such a good job dissecting this book, I will just concentrate on recommending the books that I feel are better values: For beginning students I feel Kevin Dowd's provides a good overview of the VaR literature in a clear and concise way. For pracitioners and more advanced risk mangement students, I HIGHLY recommend Glyn Holton's new Value-at-Risk Theory and Practice book. His approach is totally refreshing. Instead of starting at the top of the pyramide (the value-at-risk metrics), he starts out at the bottom. He breaks down VaR into its most basic elements. By providing a detailed explanation of difference between exposure and uncertainty, he introduces readers to the mathematical and probabilitistic background material needed to formulate the VaR measure (methodology) and the metrics (resulting VaR value). Both Kevin Dowd and Glyn Holton's presentations are organized and their writing are crisp and easily understandable. You won't go wrong with either book.

No longer useful
The first edition was for a while the only book on the subject. As such, it had to be the best. But, at that time, RiskMetrics VCV approach was the only approach. Jorion analyses this approach in detail, and derives many results (for example, attributing risks, etc.). He then implies by omission that they work for other methods, they don't. He also implies by omission that RiskMetrics is the absolute greatest, it isn't - it's probably now the weakest method. Surveys show that now only 10% of banks worldwide are using this method - and the numbers are falling.

There is nothing about coherence, the problems with VaR, the fundamental problems with using it to allocate risks to portfolios...
There was no reason to bring out a new edition.

Good Book for sophisticated investment analyst
Good Book for sophisticated investment analyst

Value at Risk
The financial and banking sectors have changed dramatically over the last two decades. The traditional commercial banks are shying away from loans and relying on riskier (??) products such as derivatives to bolster the income. Non-bank financials have been consistently adding products and product lines to their inventory (insurance & loans??). As these firms change themselves, their need for risk measurement and management has also increased which in turn has driven the advances and increased focus on Value at Risk type concepts during this time.

Despite improvements in measuring risk the newspapers are full of stories where risks have been mismanaged. Jorion?s introductory chapters on risk management failures are good at proving why risk management is important. I think beginners would find the chapters that define the different types of risks (credit, liquidity, operational, legal & market), the role of VaR in regulatory capital measurements, and the first part of the VaR discussion as being useful. The chapters that specifically deal with credit, operational, and liquidity risks are also important though the author does not cover these topics as deeply as he covers VaR.

I understand that this book used to be the bible for managing financial risk. I still think it?s an extremely useful book, but agree with some of the other commentators that it could have been more than it is. With an industry that changes as quickly as the financial sector you?d hope for some more detail on current trends and events besides Basel II. (Role of new products such as credit derivatives? Do firms really care about incremental VaR or Marginal VaR, and if they do when? When is it practical to use? How do firms use it? Who are the current leaders in the techniques?). I would also have liked to see more on reputational risk (how do firms decide if a product is appropriate for a client? how would the public perceive a firm?s transactions with a particular client? Enron and WorldCom are current examples).

The difficulty in writing about this subject is that it?s very easy to be too complicated and detailed for beginners but not complicated or detailed enough for professionals. For example, beginners may have difficulties with the material if they don?t understand basic financial concepts, but professionals are probably looking for more specifics on how these concepts are applied for specific products. I?d imagine that there aren?t many readers in that middle ground. This book is definitely geared more towards the professional.

Better Alternatives
This book was rushed into print following the release of JPMorgan's landmark RiskMetrics description of VaR. Like RiskMetrics, its focus is on explaining VaR to corporate end users. For a while, it was the only book available on VaR, so it became well known. A second edition added material on topics other than VaR, but did not update the treatment of VaR. By today's standards, the book is dated.

Now there are a number of excellent books available on VaR, and these cater to various audiences. Depending upon what you are looking for, they offer a more accessible, more sophisticated, or more up-to-date treatment of VaR.

For an elementary introduction, you can't beat Butler. Downplaying theory, he shows you practical spreadsheet examples you can use to implement basic VaR models. He explains related topics, such as probability distributions, delta and gamma, and the Monte Carlo method, so the book is self-contained.

Marrison's "Measuring Market Risk" describes VaR in the context of bank risk management. More sophisticated than Butler, this is a practical, "real world" book for people starting in bank risk management. Marrison ties VaR together with topics such as capital allocation, credit risk modeling and asset-liability management.

Holton is written for practicing risk mangers or researchers. Before it even publishes, it has made a splash on trading floors where dog-eared preprint copies have become a coveted item. Holton explains in detail things like delta-gamma VaR and variance reduction for Monte Carlo VaR -- topics other books only mention. Also, Holton is the only book that offers exercises.

For use of VaR in investment management, see Pearson's "Risk Budgeting." It introduces VaR and then explains how it can be used to allocate assets between investment categories or among managers -- this is known as risk budgeting. The focus of the book is a technique from calculus that allows you to decompose risks so that the parts sum to the whole. There isn't much else written on this topic, and Pearson offers the best treatment that I know of.

Finally, there is Dowd's "Beyond Value-at-Risk." This provides an excellent survey of the literature on VaR. It also covers related risk management topics, including credit risk management and risk-adjusted performance measurement. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Energy and Power Risk Management

"Energy and Power Risk Management identifies and addresses the key issues in the development of the turbulent energy industry and the challenges it poses to market players. An insightful and far-reaching book written by two renowned professionals."
–Helyette Géman, Professor of Finance
University Paris Dauphine and ESSEC

"The most up-to-date and comprehensive book on managing energy price risk in the natural gas and power markets. An absolute imperative for energy traders and energy risk management professionals."
–Vincent Kaminski, Managing Director
Citadel Investment Group LLC

"Eydeland and Wolyniec’s work does an excellent job of outlining the methods needed to measure and manage risk in the volatile energy market."
–Gerald G. Fleming, Vice President, Head of East Power Trading, TXU Energy Trading

"This book combines academic rigor with real-world practicality. It is a must-read for anyone in energy risk management or asset valuation."
–Ron Erd, Senior Vice President
American Electric Power ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good overview
The management of risk in the context of energy or weather is quite different than in other contexts, due to the peculiarities of the data that occurs in energy prices. The high volatility of energy prices can range, as the authors of this book point out, between 50-100% for gas, to 100-500% for electricity. No doubt this kind of volatility, and other properties such as correlations and mean reversion, entails that some different mathematical strategies for modeling energy derivatives be devised. The authors give a good tour of some of these strategies, and anyone interested in energy derivatives will gain a lot of insight into their modeling when reading this book. Due to space constraints, only chapters 5 and 7, which this reviewer considered the most important of the book, will be reviewed here.

In chapter 5 the author presents techniques for energy modeling that go beyond the used of the convenience yield by using forward pricing techniques. The goal is to describe the dynamics of future contract prices that takes into account the correlations with other futures, and not on the price evolution of a single contract. Thus it is the 'forward curve' that is relevant for obtaining a useable model for derivative cash flow. The HJM model is presented as one of these, with changes in the forward curve over a particular time interval represented as a linear combination of random perturbations. For energy markets, each perturbation is specified by a deterministic shape function multiplied by a Gaussian factor. The unobservability of the factors determining the forward curve evolution makes the use of historical data mandatory if the parameters are to be estimated. But lack of sufficient historical data and its nonstationarity complicate this estimation. The authors discuss the Schwartz-Smith multi-factor model as an example of a forward curve dynamics model and give some solutions. They then move on to a model that specifies the dynamics for only the contracts that are actually traded, which in the literature are called 'market models.' The model they actually discuss is a multivariate geometric Brownian motion representation of the forward curve dynamics, where the volatility and drift functions are linear functions of the forward prices. The authors then derive the 'discrete string models', where it is assumed that the number of factors is equal to the number of contracts, and the random factors are governed by ordinary Brownian motion. String models are represented as having the advantage of being able to directly observe the factors in the historical data. The authors apply string models to multi-commodity cases, and discuss an example for monthly forward prices. They show how to match the current forward curve, the option prices, and the correlation structure for this model.

The discussion in chapter 7 revolves around finding better models for the dynamics of power prices that capture the special properties of energy prices, such as mean reversion and seasonality, and the need for stable models. They therefore introduce 'hybrid models', which they claim give a more natural representation of the dynamics of power prices, make use of nonprice forward-looking information, and can take the historical data on power prices and then extend it to information on fuel prices, outages, etc. The construction of these models is based on the use of nonlinear transformations on a collection of random variables. The random variables are essentially the system demand, natural gas and oil price, outages, emission prices, and weather at a particular time. The power price then can be written as a function of the dynamics of these factors, the latter written by the authors in terms of the corresponding tradables. Recognizing that hedging cannot be done on some of these factors, they adjust the power price formula so that the power tradables, i.e. the forwards and option prices, are exactly matched. This matching transformation is chosen so that if the forward contracts and options are priced using the adjusted formula, one recovers the exact current prices. The model, as the authors summarize it, is an attempt to explain the behavior of the tradables in terms of the evolution of the underlying factors and static adjustments to the terminal probability distribution. Historical information on the tradables and spot products is not used to calibrate the model, but it is used to validate the model. The authors distinguish between 'reduced-form' hybrid models, where the transformation is calibrated from the historical prices, and 'fundamental' hybrid models, where the transformation is calibrated from the market structure and is only tested on the historical prices. The authors discuss an example of a reduced-form hybrid model that is heavily parametrized, but has the advantage of using price data more efficiently. The rest of the chapter concentrates on fundamental hybrid models, with the author first discussing how power prices are formed in competitive markets. They consider a typical pool market, with the price determined via auction mechanisms. The authors then try to identify and characterize the underlying random variables that actually affect power prices. The time series for the price of power is written in terms of the demand using a 'bid stack' function. The bid stack function is approximated by a 'generation stack' that is found for a given time by sorting generation units by their generation costs. This approximation is checked by comparing the marginal generation costs generated by the generation stack with the distribution of power prices determined by the time series via the bid stack. There should be agreement in both approaches between the higher order moments. This comparison forms the basis of the authors' hybrid approach to modeling power prices. A transformation is found which relates the marginal generation costs to the distribution of power prices with the requirement that the prices of market instruments used for calibration are matched, and the higher moments are (approximately) preserved. The transformation is not unique, and in fact a family of transformations induced by the multiplication and stack scaling operators can be found.

Excellent subject treatment
Until now there were a handful of papers, precious few books, and mostly inside proprietary models and experience that dealt with the complex subject of power trading and all its flavors. This book provides a nice summary of many of the present issues. The treatment of the subject is somewhat mathematically rigorous, so the book might not be for traders as much as it is for quants or risk managers.

To me, the greatest strength of the book lies in its fairly detailed analysis of what DOESN'T work, i.e. why common models and methods from the financial and other commodity realms can not be successfully grafted onto the energy market without risking significant valuation and cash flow prediction errors. The hybrid model they formulate towards the end of the book is very similar to Skantze and Ilic (2001). The departure from most previous models is that they attempt to use the markets to formulate and calibrate the structure instead of relying too much on past historical price/load data, which without some empirical understanding of the underlying processes, is fraught with danger due to rapidly evolving nature of the power market (or at least once rapidly evolving--it seems to be a little static at the moment).

Some familiarity with the market and stochastic/statistical mathematics is assumed. References to specific topics and more in depth analysis of particular subjects are good. The authors have a grip on real-world trading, risk, and cashflow issues, which makes this a useful reference for just about anyone associated with those aspects of the power market. I recommend it.

excellent book
Extremely well written and right to the point, with the appropriate level of technical detail, Eydeland and Wolyniec's Energy and Power Risk Management is arguably the best book on the subject. A must have for every professional in the industry. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for A complete guide to Technical Trading Tactics

"John Person does an excellent job of explaining how to apply technical analysis to the futures markets. Since futures trading is short-term in nature, it demands precision timing tools. A lot of those tools can be found in this new book."
––John Murphy
author of Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets and Intermarket Analysis

"Easy to read and easy to follow, A Complete Guide to Technical Trading Tactics is a book traders will love."
––Larry Williams
Legendary trader and author of Day Trade Futures Online and Long-Term Secrets to Short-Term Trading

"A Complete Guide to Technical Trading Tactics is replete with useful trading tips in a logical format, presented by a seasoned trader with a flair for telling it like it is . . .sure to enrich your pocketbook."
––Larry Pesavento
40-year veteran trader and former member of the CME

"There is a Japanese proverb: ‘He whose ranks are united in purpose will be victorious.’ This book skillfully reveals how to join the most important aspects of technical analysis including my favorite (of course) candlesticks. Covers the spectrum from market mechanics to chart analysis, pivot points (John’s specialty), order placement, and much more. Use this book! It will help you along the road to victory in your trading battles."
––Steve Nison, CMT
President, Candlecharts.com and author of Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques and The Candlestick Course

"Brilliantly provides succinct descriptions and applications of technical trading techniques, gives a solid overview of the derivatives market, shows how to identify and work with a broker, and presents issues that a trader must face to be successful. A must-read for traders at all experience levels."
––Daniel M. Gramza
President, Gramza Capital Management, Inc.

"John Person provides readers the most valuable commodity they can buy on any exchange: the benefit of his vast knowledge and experience related to trading. His analysis and discussion of pivot points is an especially valuable contribution to trading literature."
––Edward D. Dobson
President, Traders Press, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

perfect
john is one of the few select people that can explain trading into one book.not only did i learn new techniques from this book but he also reminds me how i should trade.
i highly recommend this book.

Excellent in every way.
I started my career reading books from the likes of John J. Murphy, Steve Nison, McMillan, Elder, Bulkowski, etc...

This book can sit on my shelf in equal company from each of these other great analysts.

Thanks for your insight and guidance John, it is sincerely appreciated.

I especially enjoyed the section on Pivot Points.

Sincerely,
LT

Geat Hidden Jem
This book is a gem... great discussions on the lesser known areas of trading. Of course, this book does a great job of covering the standard indicators in a very well thought out fashion. But the real power J. Person's book lies on the chapters on crowd behavior, and going against the grain of the "talking heads."

I greatly enjoyed this read, and know I will be implementing many of the ideas in my own trading. Trading Tactics is a must read for all, novices as well as seasoned professionals will find something useful within its pages...SB

The great lessons to help you pull the trigger
I think the chapter on Pivots plus the candle stick patterns is one of the smartest and best visual "right side of the chart" indicators I have learned yet. What powerful signals these are. It is aw