June 2004 Books For Traders
Ponzi
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 Ponzi
(347 pages, $14 softcover, 2004, ISBN 0-7679-1499-6) by Donald Dunn, published
by Broadway Books.
The republishing of this 1975 biography seems altogether fitting in light of today's recent corporate shenanigans. The tie-in is exemplified by Senator Peter Fitzgerald's quote on the cover of the book of his comment to former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay: "You, sir, are the most accomplished confidence man since Charles Ponzi." This book is about the man who is synonymous with the classic "rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul" scam in which money from new investors is used to reward earlier ones. In six months, Charles Ponzi went from an unknown Italian immigrant to a "wizard of finance" lionized by the public and politicians alike. Based on interviews with people who knew Charles Ponzi, including his widow, this book recreates one of the most notorious and colorful financial con artists and the mad, money-hungry era in which he thrived. |
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The Top Mutual
Funds: 23rd Ed. (457 pages, $24.95 softcover, 2004, ISBN 1-883328-18-7)
published by American Association of Individual Investors.
Concise and organized for quick reference, this book provides thorough and up-to-date information on more than 400 of the best no-load and low-load mutual funds as seen through the eyes of the American Association of Individual Investors. This edition features year-end data and fund information for 10 years of returns, net asset values, distributions and expense ratios, three-, five-, and 10-year average annual returns, performance during bull and bear markets, fund returns and a rankings, fund manager and portfolio compensation, and much more. |
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The Trader's
Guide To Key Economic Indicators (267 pages, $39.95 hardcover, 2004,
ISBN 1-57660-139-0) by Richard Yamarone, published by Bloomberg Press.
Investing without understanding the economy is like planning a beach trip without checking the forecast. Bad weather can wreak havoc with a vacation, just as putting money into markets during unfavorable economic conditions can destroy plans for a comfortable retirement, a new house, or a college education. Written from the combined perspective of a former trader, academic, and current Wall Street economist, this book will guide you through the nuances and nitty-gritty behind the numbers and data releases. You don't need to manage millions or billions of dollars to benefit. This book will help you form decisions and a sound investment strategy. |
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Cybernetic
Analysis For Stocks And Futures: Cutting-Edge DSP Technology To Improve
Your Trading (246 pages, $79.95 hardcover, 2004, ISBN 0-471-46307-8)
by John F. Ehlers, published by John Wiley & Sons.
In this book, the author, a Stocks & Commodities Contributing Editor, takes the next step in developing and demonstrating effective new trading tools through the application of modern digital signal processing techniques. Obtaining accurate cycle measurements within five samples with virtually zero lag, these tools have proven in real-time use to consistently provide traders with razor-sharp buy and sell signals in virtually any market -- meeting or exceeding the performance of commercial systems that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Advances made in computer technology in the past two decades have clearly outpaced advances in trading software and practice. This book seeks to restore the balance between computational power and user proficiency. |
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Trading Day
By Day: Winning The Zero-Sum Game Of Futures (375 pages, $65 hardcover,
2003, ISBN 0-9740921-1-8) by F.H. "Chick" Goslin, published by California
Publishing.
This book asks you to temporarily put aside all your knowledge of trading and take a clean, fresh look at this simple, yet far from easy, business called trading. The book then shows you three natural laws of trading, provides numerous trading rules, and explains how to put all these to practical use. These laws and truths are then applied to nine markets on a day-by-day basis for 10 days. Whatever your trading experience, this book clarifies the fascinating, but difficult, game/business of trading. While specifically directed at the futures trader, any trader -- whether of futures, stocks, bonds, or any other assets -- will benefit from this clearly written and insightful book. |
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The Best Business
Stories Of The Year: 2004 Ed. (471 pages, $15 softcover, 2004, ISBN
1-4000-3146-X) edited by Andrew Leckey and John C. Bogle, published by
Vintage Books.
The best review of this book could well be a condensed list of the stories inside. The titles are provocative and many of the sources are recognized as leaders in the American press, financial and secular. Having John Bogle onboard as the guest editor lends credence as well. The stories concern Tyco, Sprint, telecommunications, executive pay, Qwest, Wal-Mart, Elliott Spitzer, Alliance Capital, the massive debt problem, Anderson Accounting, and much more. The stories are interesting enough that you will enjoy the read, whether you like business or not. |
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