5 comments about Option Volatility & Pricing: Advanced Trading Strategies and Techniques.

1. The book dwells on too much theory:
   
   1)Not hands on.
   2)Too much of explanation with few examples and kind of feel abstract sometimes.
   
   I got headache and resold mine. Don't get carried away by the 5 star reviews. This might not be for everyone.



2. It has been 32 days and I still have not received this book.
   
   Murray Tosh



3. I actually read this book 15 years ago (another version). It is fantastic. It is the only book I have seen on the floor of the CBOT. I took that as the biggest reason to buy the book. If they trust it why shouldn't I. Buy together with the McMillian book if you can. Both are excellent.



4. This book is best understood by options traders, or clerks training to become traders. It is hard for all the concepts to sink in without getting your hands dirty on a trading floor. I was a floor trader at the CBOE for 4 years. At a MINIMUM, the reader should have access to a live stock options quote feed and follow an option tree for a stock. Some concepts will not sink in at first and realization may occur only after months of trading. An in-depth study in stock options is best for someone who is excellent in math.
   
   Natenburg lays out all the risk factors involved in stock options: underlying stock direction (delta), movement speed (gamma), volatility (vega), time decay (theta), interest rate / margin / dividend (rho). Then there is the multitude of trading strategies...
   
   For investors out there looking for a "free lunch" from stock options, no such thing exists. Any trading strategy has trade-offs and every stock option has a price. If you believe in a "free lunch" then good luck to you.



5. Been reading lots of options books ..BUT this one JOINS the top bests books ...not only it tells you how to trade,it Provokes and Questions your thoughts...A RARE GEM

5 comments about Reading Price Charts Bar by Bar: The Technical Analysis of Price Action for the Serious Trader (Wiley Trading).

1. I am a trader who, as the author does, uses price action to trade. I advance-ordered this book, because its title promised a detailed discussion of price action well beyond what is generally available in the typical books on trading. In this regard I am not disappointed. The author, who is a scalper, does offer what I consider to be the best presentation of how to select trade entries and exits using price action. This is an approach that many good traders use, but it is an art rarely written about in great detail. If an in depth discussion of bar to bar price action is what you're after, the Brooks' book may be your only choice.
   
   Unfortunately the book has many annoying faults that could have easily been remedied by better writing, careful editing, and better layout and printing. The main fault is the writing. What the text needs is careful editing by one skilled in technical writing and armed with a red pencil. There are too many needless words and too many awkward sentences. Sentences such as "Bar 15 was a break to a new low, and it had a strong bull reversal bar off the new low, and it overshot two bear trend channel lines." (Pg 298) Sadly, this kind of writing confronts us on every page. Presumably, the author meant to say: "Bar 15 broke to a new low but closed as a strong bull reversal bar that overshot two bear-trend channel lines." There are so many run-on sentences that one wonders whether the author is trying to start a war on commas. Punctuation is far too lax. This may seem like nitpicking to some, but these faults, all easily corrected, make reading this book far more of a chore than it ought to be. There is really no excuse for such poor editing in a fifty-dollar book. I suppose the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, is as much at fault as the author.
   
   In spite of its faults, this book must be commended on being the first to take on an analysis of price action in such depth. Perhaps with a second edition we will get a book that looks and reads as it ought to. If so, Dr. Brooks' book could potentially find itself in the top rank of books on trading.



2. This is probably one of the Most Original Book focused on Technical Analysis of Price Movement. Author has developed Simple Concept of Tracking Pure Price movement with Just 1 Indicator ( 20 Period EMA ) to generate Trade Ideas. One of the Few Books if mastered could be great for Day Trading. With All these Positives the Biggest Negative of this Book is Narration Style of Price Movement Logic, it is too complicated & tough read inspite Author's genuine effort to suppliment ideas with Lot of Charts. This Book is certainly NOT for Beginners. Would Love to See this Author(Al Drooks) come up with Workbook or Some Web Site Support for this Book.
   Overall One of the finest & Most Original Book but Very tough Read



3. Just finished the Book, And really enjoyed it I will have to read again and a gain, Warning it is very hard to read and someone new to trading will have a very difficult time with it. That being said it is worth the read and the reread. If you can find Al's I Trade show webinars it will help in the understanding.
   Also as mentioned on the cover for serious traders. You won't find any widgets or mystical gadgets that you can slap on your charts for guarantied profits. This book is about hard work and understanding. You must learn what the smart traders already know. This book is a piece of that puzzle. Good luck hope it helps.



4. This book is excellent for the trader with a basic understanding of technical analysis. Though it is primarily written for the day trader it is also benefical for swing and position traders. The only reason I didn't rate this book 5 stars is that in a couple of places you weren't perfectly clear on the intricacy of the set-up he was demonstrating without refering to the glossary. Overall you will definitly get your moneys worth from reading this book.



5. Al Brooks explains the behavior behind price patterns by way of bar analysis in superb detail. You'll understand how indicators plots what just happened whereas reading price action gives an immediate heads up as to what's really going on and the psychology behind it. Lots of material are covered, all based on sound market principles. Possibly the best book on trading in terms of practical value I've read. It's not an easy read, but if one is really committed to master the markets, this book is a must have.

5 comments about Technical Analysis for Dummies.

1. I've learned one thing after reading the first six chapters of this book: I need to stop trying to trade until I understand what I'm doing. I really didn't know what I was doing. Now that I know that, I'm going to finish reading this book, and I've already ordered another book listed in the appendix of this one.
   
   Without knowing much about technical analysis yet, I'd say that this book seems to be opening a door to a whole new world for me. As far as the quality of this book goes, it seems to be touching on all kinds of topics that can be further investigated.
   
   If you have an interest in the stock market and want to trade (not invest -- that's different), (and as someone who doesn't know much about it yet), I HIGHLY recommend this book as a starting point.



2. Like all dummies books, this is an excellent start to learn some basic concepts about technical analysis. The author writes about the most common TA studies. Good for those who want to invest in the stock market or foreign exchange. It's an initiate's book; you'll want to read other books on the subject to get the whole picture.



3. this book does not tell you what happened in =1929= 1930= 1987 =1990=it tells you what technical analysis is now==and where you are with your education and how far you need to go to to finish = you do need to have some knowledge of technical analysis = this book is about learning technical analysis



4. This book offers a good theoretical introduction to the basics of technical analysis.The problem that is not addressed in this book is the probability of failure of even the strongest technical signals in real market trades.This is why it is critical that actual examples form real stock trades be included to stress to the reader that not all setups will be profitable and excercising money management and risk control are important.This is where this book fails.
   If you are an absolute beginner and want to start with learnings the basics of technical analysis then this book is a reasonable good start for the price and for this reason my actual rating is 3.5 starts. However you will need to read other more practical books that reinforce the theory you learned by using combinations of technical indicators and demonstrating how they are applied in real trading.



5. This was one of the first books I read that introduced me to Technical Analysis. I had 'studied' the subject extensively on the web, but this book helped solidify my foundation that I needed.
   I would highly recommend this book.
   
   In my opinion this book brings everything down to the practical level. So many books that I have studied on this subject have a hard time bringing things down to the simplistic level (which is fine in many contexts). This book gives very practical advice.
   
   Paul
   http://www.vesticator.com

5 comments about Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management.

1. All I can say is that I wish I read this book before I started trading...
   All of mistakes I've made and regretted are covered in this book.
   Buy it! READ and UNDERSTAND it back to back you fool before trading!



2. Elders book is a good introduction to technical analysis and the setting up of a trading system for beginners.
   
   After reading the novice trader should depart from the book and start to explore on his/her own.
   
   Elder touts his own system (which via backtesting does not do well at all) and his view on investor psychology is basically Freudian - which is very crude and decontextualized.
   
   Read for fun - not enlightenment. Burn after reading.



3. I'm just a little over the half of this book and I found it very honest and full of friendly advices... It completely broke my naive conceptions about market behaviors and miths... totally recommended!!!



4. Trading for a Living is THE definite trading book. Every aspect of trading is covered in this book, from analysis through to psychology. It is a must read for anyone invovled in trading.



5. I have read many, many investment books over the years, and this one is by far one of the most helpful. I won't repeat all of the many benefits which are talked about in other reviews. However, I will mention a couple of specific sections which really helped were discussing the need for consistently using a trading journal, equity spreadsheet, and also the many psychological insights given throughout this book. Also, the humorously relevant experiences given are most enjoyable to read.
   
   One suggestion I would give is to also buy the audio version of this book.. there is so much great info given, and it significantly increases the learning process to listen to it over and over again while driving. However, the audio version is abridged and you must have this book to be able to see and understand some of the needed formulas and examples it provides. This book along with Dr Elder's other book "Come Into My Trading Room" are definitely on my top list of highly useful investment books I own.

5 comments about Investing For Dummies, Fifth edition.

1. I never received my book and I ordered it over a month ago. this stinks



2. This product is exactly what I need to start my financial journey. The Seller got the book to me in due time and it was in good condition. Anyone interested in gaining financial literacy and getting their money in order...get this book.



3. I didn't think reading about money/investing could ever be this fun or interesting. Straight talk and clear definitions for all the finance jargon.



4. Great book, lays it all out in terms I can understand. I started investing based on this book, and I refer to it often.



5. I've read several "for Dummies" books, and in general the entire series is well written, concise, and gives you what you really need. However, I was very disappointed in this one. The book is really dedicated to the three methods of building wealth: equity (stocks, mutual funds, etc.), real estate, and small business. But there isn't enough info on any of the three subjects to do much with. You're better off getting a separate book on real estate if you plan on pursuing that. And nothing he says regarding small business is of much use to accomplish anything. That leaves stocks, bonds and mutual funds, which is what most users would purchase this book for. Regarding that, if you are completely new to mutual funds then this is the book for you as it will explain the basics. However, if you are beyond the very basics (i.e.; "What is a mutual fund?"), and are looking to seriously invest, then I think you'll be disappointed. And if you are looking to get into buying stocks directly, then this book seriously falls short. The entire section on stocks really just explains a canned stock report from a given company. Utterly useless unless you plan on subscribing to that service. No talk of forward PE's, valuation, etc.. Also, the author's continual insistence that you should stay in mutual funds because you "can't beat the market" since there are so many pros out there is utterly ridiculous. There are many gurus out there that have proven track records of generating higher than average returns. Just emulating Warren Buffet's portfolio will do that.
   
   I was looking for a book to dig more into stock valuation, company analysis, etc. and this book barely even touched on any of that beyond definitions. I wouldn't even call it Finance 101, since there is very little about monetary policy, bonds, interest rates, etc.. If you've picked out at least one mutual fund in your life (or purchased a stock directly), then this book is way too simple. If you tremble at the thought of picking a mutual fund and have no financial sense whatsoever, then this is your book.

4 comments about Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame.

1. This is a great book for serious and experienced option traders. The author discusses the effects of price pinning, volatility crash and time decay the last two days before option expiration and strategies - ratio spreads, straddles, strangles, etc for benefiting from these effects. This book is a logical continuation from his previous work - The Volatility Edge, however one does not need the first book to trade the ideas discussed here
   
   Warning - the approach involves day trading and one needs an account that is not subject to the day-trading regulations ( > $25K) to trade around option expiration. This is not a reflection of the book or fault of the author, this is just the way things are
   
   Highly recommended!



2. Before going into the details of my review I will quote some statements from the book:
   "A relatively large amount of minute by minute stock and option data was used in preparation of this book....... First and foremost `in importance' was accuracy because slight discrepancies can cause significant errors in volatility calculations"
   
   "It is certainly reasonable to study option expiration by studying the behavior of individual stocks that is one end of the spectrum . The other end involves development of custom data bases and software"
   Before I buy any book, I usually look through the Table of Contents to get a glimpse of what the book covers. In this book the search inside feature was not available, so my decision to buy was based on the one review available at the time. Even though I am a successful options trader I could not resist the high potential profits in few hours mentioned in the review.
   After reading the book, and based on the author's own assertions quoted above, an average option trader can use ideas qualitatively by studying the behavior of specific stocks and its effect on option premium at expiration. This may include volatility near expiration, open put call position lopsidedness, and distorted time value of the premium among others. While this information is available in other books , this book is useful in that it consolidates it in one small book together.
   To quantitatively apply the concepts in this book you have to be able to: (1) obtain extensive and accurate stock and option data. (2) Be able to program and (3) be a full time dedicated option trader. Fortunately, I am a programmer and a full time option trader. I tried to get as accurate data as possible and generate option volatility decay charts for specific stocks I felt are good candidates. What I found is that there is a lot of noise in the volatility decay charts, as the author himself admits, that makes is difficult in practice to achieve such returns , even though it is possible in theory assuming ideal entry and exit.
   I rate the book 5 stars for theory and research and 3 stars for practicality of application thus a total rating of 4 stars.



3. In a very pithy and dense 'follow-up' to his previous "classic" The Volatility Edge in Options Trading: New Technical Strategies for Investing in Unstable Markets and a reasonably good workbook The Options Trader's Workbook: A Problem-Solving Approach, Augen provides a (very) serious options trader some key insights and strategies in dealing with options expiration dynamics.
   
   This book is not for the casual investor looking to make a quick profit and some of the strategies mentioned, as the author himself points out, could have implications regarding whether you could be classified as a day trader for tax purposes.
   
   The book is organized in three chapters. In the first chapter, the author explains three key observations regarding option pricing dynamics - volatility collapse, strike price pinning, and acceleration of time decay. He explains how each of these components contribute to option prices in the expiration week (and day) and provides some strong hints as to how to exploit them using some detailed examples. In the second chapter, the author provides some guidelines on the use of statistical models to identify potential candidates for implementing some of the strategies based on the three concepts mentioned above. The third chapter provides detailed descriptions of specific trading strategies on expiration Thursday and Friday.
   
   Now, the caveats. While the book provides a serious student of options and a trader some excellent insights, it is not clear how accessible the tools one may need to execute any strategies outlined (thankfully, the author doesn't provide or pretend to provide a formulaic approach, but rather a generic, well thought out framework with enough details that a serious reader can develop his/her own strategy based on risk profile). The effectiveness of these techniques cannot, obviously, be solely judged by the examples the book contains. So, one needs to take a patient approach in critiquing the book's approach - it will take some time to develop a trading strategy and enough data points to make any meaningful conclusions regarding the effectiveness. But, it is clear that a serious reader will benefit tremendously by being encouraged to look into a perhaps a niche area in option trading in a very systematic and through manner, which in itself can significantly improve one's experience in option trading. A must-have book for the serious options student/trader.
   
   (for what it is worth, I consider myself as a fairly conservative options trader, mostly focusing on spread strategies with a day job far away from the trading pits)



4. I'm an options trader. That's how I make my living. I've read all the books, been to the seminars, and have the scars from experience. So believe me when I say this book is different. It's not the same options books with a different cover. It's not going to start all over from scratch about what are options. This little book is packed with an out-of-the box winning strategy that takes advantage of the institutional moves (for once!). The pinning of stocks on expiration day is a phenomena that has been noted for some time. How to make money from this is not so clear. Mr. Augen takes advantage of institutional trading behavior on expiration day and details not only which stocks to trade but which strategy and what time of day to apply each strategy. [read this last sentence again] This approach is not conjecture but a statistical study as to how certain stocks move. This is a genuine money making strategy that can earn 200%-300% or more in a few hours. Just recently a straddle purchased on a stock mentioned in the book could have been purchased for $1 and sold for $6 a few hours later. The beautiful thing is that institutions can't even take advantage of this strategy!
   
   My previous favorite book on options was Mr. Augen's Volatility Edge which, again, is in a class by itself. His next book was the Options Trader's Workbook which will push your knowledge on options like no other. I don't know why Mr. Augen is disseminating this strategy that most people would jealously guard. I can only assume from the nature of his other books that he is one of those who loves to teach and sees success in other people's success. Thank you Mr. Augen!

5 comments about Understanding Options.

1. I recently purchased two books on options trading. I'm a beginner so I needed something that clearly explained how options trading works. Understanding Options by Michael Sincere is an excellent book for a beginner. The other book that I purchased is Options Made Easy (2nd edition) by Guy Cohen. If you're a beginner, Option Made Easy isn't so easy. I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner. Stick with Michael Sincere in Understanding Options. It's a worthwhile investment!



2. While many people understand the basics of investing in the stock market, the options market creates a whole additional level of complexities and intricacies. In this book, Michael does a great job of explaining the basics to the layman who is looking to get started, but doesn't know where to start. Further, he expands on basic strategies that can be used after identifying potential trade opportunities.
   
   If you've ever dabbled in options, but felt a bit clueless, or if you have heard all about options, but haven't the slightest clue what your "options" are, this is a great read to get you started in the right direction.



3. I am your typical small investor, in love with penny stocks and ETFs. A friend got me curious with options trading and saw how he was making returns, however he wasn't just going to stand over my shoulder all day and tell me what to do, so I had to learn. Among the many books I have bought and read was this one. "Understanding Options" isn't written in legal jargon and confusing terms; it is written in very laymen terms that most anyone can follow and comprehend.
   
   Especially in today's economic climate, you need guidance as to how to play the market. Those seminars by the airport just take your money and confuse you even more just to sell you expensive software when you still never understand the fundamentals. Knowledge and information are critical in any sort of investing; if you plan to trade options on any level, you'll be glad you read this book.



4. This book was not worth buying. It is too rudimentary. Even someone who doesn't intend to trade options would want to know more than this book offers. For someone who wants to trade options it is totally inadequate.



5. I have been trading equity options for several years at a fairly basic level. I found this book to be very good for a beginning options trader. It is well written and laid out in a very easy to follow format. However, the reader will probably want a more advanced book if he or she has had some experience with options.

5 comments about The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies.

1. Gives basic details on many option strategies. As an income trader, I often use the covered straddle / strangle technique: both listed in the book as not recommended! Not to argue with the author, since the audience for this book is wide, and therefore one must take a conservative stand. So, after noticing one of my favourite strategies being marked not recommended, I naturally then searched the entire book for other not recommended strategies, which did give me a few ideas!
   
   A person new to options would probably like the book for the most part. However, I'd recommend the Options Playbook, by Brian Overby as an easier to understand, and more practical, first options book for beginners.



2. I've found this book useful. It is the best book I've seen in regard to providing a complete, consistent, and logically presented overview of option trading strategies. As others and the author note, it's more of a reference book than something you read front to back.
   
   PS: The grammatical errors noted in earlier reviews have been addressed.



3. This book explains ~60+ options strategies from simple calls and puts to the complex (e.g. laddered spreads, condors, butterflys). What impressed me the most is he gives risk versus reward information on each strategy and he even recommends never using a few of them as the risk is just too great. He uses a cool visual indicator system as well (skull and crossbones for unlimited risk). The book doesn't need to be read cover to cover either to get a lot from it. One can use it as a reference to quickly get the info on a particular strategy.



4. This book is easy to understand the option strategies and I found very practicable to apply the strategies in real trading.



5. This hardcover should not be your first reading about options. It assumes that you are already familiar with options trading, and just want a reference book at hand.
   
   For each strategy, e.g. "Short Iron Butterfly", there is a description, context (outlook, rationale, net position, effect of time decay, appropriate time period to trade, ways of selecting the stock and options), risk profile, Greeks, advantages and disadvantages, ways of exiting the trade, and an example.
   
   However, the ways to select an option are not always adequately covered. For example, in the "short (naked) put" strategy, the author simply writes "Give yourself as little time to be wrong". The concept of Annualized Premium is not covered, there is no method given to select the best option from different strike prices and expiration dates. If you are interested in this technique, you can find it in "Options as a Strategic Investment" by Lawrence McMillan, chapter 19, or there is a special book "Using Options to Buy Stocks" by Dennis Eisen.
   
   You may keep this book as a quick reference, but if you didn't read anything about options yet, I have some recommendations. If you are not quite familiar with the stock market, I would suggest "The Options Course" by George Fontanills and Richard Cawood. If you did buy stocks already, then skim through Trading Options For Dummies by George A. Fontanills; or Options Made Easy by the same author as of the reviewed book.

5 comments about Mastering the Trade: Proven Techniques for Profiting from Intraday and Swing Trading Setups (McGraw-Hill Traders Edge Series).

1. I think this book was very helpful, it covered different plans, setups, it stresses good money and risk management techniques. I found there could be something of use either from a novice to an experienced person point of view. John Carter puts down some nice example views, and explains them very well, also includes web-sites to see or use. In all I would definitely recommend this book.



2. First of all, i should point out that no one should expect someone to release "proven techniques for profiting" about the markets. The title is just for marketing purposes, and none of the trading methodologies in the book are by no means consistently profitable techniques. However, some chapters can be valuable for beginners.
   
   Conclusion: Low value.



3. THE TRADING BOOKS I HAVE SEEN ARE MOSTLY GARBAGE.
   THIS ONE IS A CUT ABOVE THOSE.
   BUT, AFTER READING THE CHAPTER ON GAPS,
   (HE FADES BOTH THE UP AND DOWN) I GOT BUSY WRITING
   A PROGRAM TO TEST IT. DOESN'T WORK.
   JUST FROM THE OPEN TO THE CLOSE GAP UPS TEND
   TO GO A BIT FURTHER AND THE SAME FOR GAP DOWNS.



4. The author has an interesting way of presenting the material in that each chapter deals with how to trade a specific setup. Each chapter discusses a specific play including: trading the gaps, pivot points in trending markets, fading the opening tick, scalping, swing plays, end of day plays etc.
   This allows a more in depth discussion of how to handle each trade situation..
   Most other books usually have a technical analysis chapter that focuses on technical indicators and/or chart patterns but does not go into depth on how to trade each specific trade setup.
   One of the few reservations I have is that the author mentions his website and tries to sell his indicators too hard which is somewhat of a turnoff.



5. THIS BOOK IS YOUR AVERAGE SALES PITCH BOOK. EVERY CHAPTER HE EXPLAINS HE HAS SYSTMES AVAILABLE AT HIS WEBSITE WHICH HE MENTIONS ABOUT A BILLION TIMES. [...] I DONT RECOMMEND ALL THE STRATEGIES HE EXPLAINS ARE CUSTOM TAILORED TO HIS SYSTEMS AND THE FUTURES MARKET

5 comments about Options Made Easy.

1. Guy Cohen takes a very casual and informative approach in this book. While options trading is an intimidating and daunting subject, Cohen does an excellent job making the reader feel comfortable with the material.
   
   The book provides a solid introduction to options trading. It also touches on quite a few related subjects - macroeconomic factors (which I found excellent - crisp and informative), fundamental and technical analysis, trading and investment psychology, etc., which provides the reader with a more holistic view on trading. While the primer on technical analysis is relatively short, Cohen provides several links to other references on the subject. He stresses that this book is NOT enough to cover the advanced topics, which are pretty crucial to understand before one starts trading seriously.
   
   I feel that this is the case with most of the chapters. They provide a solid introduction, but not many details. For example, I found the chapter on Greeks, which describes how the worth of your position is affected by various variables, to be somewhat incomplete and fuzzy. The chapter on fundamental analysis, while interesting, is completely unnecessary for this book - and feels out of place. The other "fuzzy" chapters on trading and investment psychology, setting strict rules, etc. are geared toward beginners and repeat a lot of obvious things, which frankly don't belong in a book about an advanced subject like options.
   
   That said, the book does a good job introducing the reader to a few semi-advanced options trading strategies. Cohen discusses collars, synthetic calls, covered calls, bull call spreads, bull put spreads, straddles and strangles, and butterflies and condors. For each one, he explains the risk and reward profile and how the position is affected by Greeks. Cohen also provides a lot of graphs and illustrations, even if some are overly simplistic and unnecessary.
   
   The appendix features a nice strategy table with lots and lots of options trading strategies. It would be great to see more in-depth discussion of each one, but, again, this book is geared toward beginners, and there are limitations to the material that can be covered.
   
   There are a couple small errors in the Second Edition, 7th Printing of the book. On p. 139, Diagram 5.1 shows an incorrect diagram for a synthetic call, and p. 161 shows the same erroneous chart. However, I got in touch with Mr. Cohen, and he assured me that this has already been corrected. It's great when an author is so responsive about his/her writing, I always feel that makes a book better.
   
   One major missing component in this book is the pricing of options. Cohen never really explains how one should tell whether certain options are over- or under-priced. In the Greeks chapter, he describes the variables that go into option pricing (via Black-Scholes), but he doesn't go into much detail. In my opinion, a more in-depth discussion of option pricing would be very useful. While this is a complex topic, and perhaps there is no need to go into all details of the Black-Scholes model, I think Cohen can at least point the reader to some calculators or reference materials. This is an important component of options trading.
   
   In conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone who has not had any exposure to options. Cohen makes an easy-to-read introduction that, while not necessarily making you completely ready to go trade options, can get you started on the right path.
   
   Pros:
   + easy to read, even about this daunting subject
   + covers many broad investment topics
   + good, in-depth discussion of risk/reward profiles for several strategies
   + excellent summaries at the end of each chapter: "major learning points"
   + many, many examples from Cohen's trading experience
   
   Cons:
   - some of the topics don't belong and can be skipped
   - not enough on option pricing, Greeks chapter could use more detail
   - some diagrams are overly simplistic and unnecessary



2. This is a book that describes option strategies suitable for beginner to intermediate level traders.It introduces the reader to the different basic option instruments in a textbook like format.This is helpful in that each strategy is summarized in table form with different variables listed (greeks, etc).Although the author does include a chapter on fundamental and another on technical analysis , what the book leaves out is how to trade the different strategies presented in real market situations using real stocks.I do realize that this may not have been the intended purpose of this book , and for this reason, I recommmend that you supplement it with books that are more geared to the practical application of basic option theory.



3. As a professional trader, I do not suggest this book for beginners. This book does not have a good explanation for beginners. It is good for people who have experience and want to learn more about option. My suggestion for beginners is to read OPTIONS DEMYSTIFIED (by Thomas McCafferty) first to get a clue about options and then read option made easy book. The book (OPTION DEMYSTIFIED)I mentioned has a great explanation for beginners. It is easy to read and understand. The writer did a great job to make it as easy as possible.



4. I was extremely disappointed with this book. I thought it was written for people with little knowledge of options. It has many confusing charts & analysis & written with terms that are not part of the average persons financial vocabulary. I will go out to by a "dummies" book. It was a complete waste of time.



5. Although this book seems to be well written, with a title like "Options Made Easy" one would assume that it would be a good book for the inexperienced options trader. If you're a beginner, this isn't the book for you. It assumes that you have knowledge about the subject. Read "Understanding Options" by Michael Sincere first. After you become familiar with the subject, then read Options Made Easy.