Books for/about - security

Options, Futures and Other Derivatives (6th Edition)

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Authors: John C. Hull

ISBN: 0131499084
List Price: $169.00
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Best book for quants new to finance
I recently entered the field of quantitative finance from physics, and this book has been by far the best resource as both a learning tool and reference. Its bredth of coverage is outstanding, covering topics as simple as bond yields and zero rates, to sophsticated libor market models, weather derivatives, bermudan swaptions, etc. While a bit wordy at times, Hull does present all the mathematics in a tractible manner. Books with more mathematical sophistication, such as Brigo & Mercurio, while interesting, are far less useful on the trading floor.

With each chapter Hull presents several "Business Snapshots" providing practical real life illustrations. Overall, this is a great purchase someone with a quantitive background new to finance.

Summary: Just classical
Insightful, shines with intuition, easy to follow. Good start point, inspire further study, and visit it regularly you'll get more.

Summary: Hull Options
Explanations are fine, practice questions can be very technical. Not sure of the purpose of "assignment questions". Should only get if you're required because of school.

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The One Percent Doctrine

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Authors: Ron Suskind

ISBN: 0743271092
List Price: $27.00
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Summary: Praise for "The One Percent Doctrine"
This is the careful work of a careful and insightful journalist. If you want a window on the twisted logic of the Bush Administration and its neocon ideologs as they misguided our run-up to the Iraq fiasco, read this book.

Summary: The Haunted (White) House
The scariest novel I've read since Stephen King's "The Shining." Substitute the snowed-in lodge with the White House and it is the same story.

Summary: Truth is scarier than fiction
If you've been paying attention to politics in the United States since 9/11, this book will be of interest. If you suspected lies and schemes from the White House leading up to the war in Iraq, this book will add fuel to your fire.
Suskind unravels the story from the inside, with playfully written scenes between key characters involved in the intelligence community and the Bush administration. Not only will you learn about terrorists who are not, but you will also learn about Cheney's "one percent" doctrine, which, in a nutshell, states that the US government must act on anything which has a one percent chance of happening. From this platform, the US has invaded a country which (according to CIA experts at the time) had nothing to do with 9/11 and which had no WMD capabilities -- ok, maybe there was a 1% chance they might. Forget the 99% chance that they don't.
By far one of the most frightening and enlightening books I've read in a long time.

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	Jim Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World Publisher: Simon & Schuster Authors: James J. Cramer
ISBN: 0743224892 List Price: $26.00 Amazon Price: $15.60 Usually ships in 24 hours Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: The man is a great teacher. I liked this book for several reasons: 1) I appreciated how he presented the material in as 'plain English' as possible. 2) The Cyclical Investing and Trading Chart was a prize. 3) I enjoyed how he included situations and stories from his personal life in the book serving to break up the drier material (rather than the book being solely a "Text-Book" of sorts). 4) I liked the last chapter the most, probably because he transformed complex subjects and market tools into easily understandable subjects and market tools. I hope, Cramer, that you have started your next book. I can't wait to read it. (Also, I would love to read about some of the more complex and technical methods you used while utilizing options). Thanks for the enlightenment Summary: The cyclical nature of stocks, explained The most important take-away from this book is how Jim breaks down the Business Cycle into the various phases. It culminates in one simple yet masterful stroke of genius: an entire sector-by-sector cyclical wave is graphed for the readers across 2 full pages. This is known as 'the gameplan' and on a very basic level, lets you know what forces will be acting against your stocks at any given time. Invaluable. Summary: Great book - funny and insightful Jim Cramer's new book was a pleasure to read and I would recommend it anyone. Many of the reviewers on this board have stated the book is for beginners or it contains no unique or complex trading strategies. I disagree. Jim shows that there is no excuse for not doing homework on a stock and you HAVE to understand the basic financials of a company and understand some of the basic sectors and how they move with seasonal economic cycles. This sounds so basic in the eyes of many people but few follow his sound rules. The bottom line here is that you must do research on companies you want to invest in and you need to stick to some simple, commen sense trading strategies. One of the hardest things to do with individual stock investments is knowing when to sell, and Cramer drills this into your head and makes you aware that there are circumstances when you must take your profits or cut your losses and move on. His explanations and real-world examples are hilarious and informative, just like his TV show. Don't be afraid to buy this book, its great and you just might rediscover some of the most important and basic fundamentals that you have forgotten over the years. Summary:

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Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant

Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Authors: W. Chan Kim Ren�e Mauborgne

ISBN: 1591396190
List Price: $29.95
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Summary: Impressive customer service
Great job!! I got the book quicker than I thought I would considering the delivery to Europe, and at a much better price. And the delivery fee is totally acceptable and fair. Thanks!!

Summary: Not entirely new!
For those of you interested I strongly recommend the article by the authors (Value Innovation: The Strategic Logic of High Growth, W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne, HBR July 2004) which presented the same concept with fewer examples- it will save you time and money.
I do like the Value Innovation concept. But as the authors highlight you cannot create sustainable competitive advantage this way; the new "value-curve" can be copied easily by the competitors.

Also, the concept and framework are not entirely new; all of the examples presented in the book can be explained via the old and true concept of knowing your market/consumers' needs/wishes, and the trend of changes in your market/consumers' needs/wishes. If a firm is truly in-touch with their market/consumers, it can constantly create new sources of value, and change its value proposition as market changes.

The real problem is that firm do not stay in-touch, and that they often fall in love with their original value proposition. No new framework can change this problem. The only cure is financial troubles. Then, the firm keeps a new look at its market and consumers' needs/wishes, and when you reach this point you really don't need a new frawework. Although, the new framework might make the task of presenting your finding to management easier.

Summary: Simplistic and Vastly Over-rated
I find this strategy model to be a far too simplistic of the real business world and, thus, vastly over-rated in terms of its value. It deals with the "old" analog business world and pays little regard to the major changes sweeping corporations with the digital revolution.
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In my opinion, of far greater value is a book called "BIZNETS: The Webopoly Future of Business" by Frank Feather, and I suggest you check that out and compare before buying this one. It covers 6 case studies to find the common threads of successful strategy in the "new" and future digital business world.
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By contrast, Blue Ocean is somewhat tired. Sure, I highly regard the successes of some of the chosen companies. But the way they are presented is so 1980s. I rate it 2 stars.
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Investments

Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Authors: Zvi Bodie Alex Kane Alan J. Marcus

ISBN: 007293414X
List Price: $126.87
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 3
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Summary: 4th edition
This book is well organized, but you better have a solid calc and stats theory background. The newest edition has more chapters. Book is more wordy than concise.

Summary: Highly recommended textbook
Great book! It's comprehensive and easy to understand. Highly recommended textbook.

Summary: Resourceful: Do You Like Intellectual Pain?
This is the tome used in top MBA programs across the US.

It's comprehensive and filled with "extras" like website recs and sample CFA questons.

Everything you need to know is here.

2 thumbs up.

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	Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century (8th Edition) Publisher: Prentice Hall Authors: Frank Schmalleger
ISBN: 0131844938 List Price: $90.67 Amazon Price: This item is currently not available. Buy this book from amazon.com or from amazon.co.uk	Avg Cusomer Rating: 5 Reviews: Summary: Great working with you. Your book was in great conditions, I'll do business with you again. Summary: EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION Relatively up to date (September 11 and law enforcement reactions, USA PATRIOT Act, etc.), and very informative, this textbook provides an excellent survey of the Criminal Justice System. The prose is streamlined, clear, and somewhat non-biased. Minor corrections may need to be made (e.g. the textbook states that the majority of female sexual assault victims do not know their attacker. . .), but these flaws are minor for a textbook of this scope. The book is extensively source documented, making it perfect for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the Criminal Justice System. The CD-ROM and online tools are comprehensive, and give the reader/student a more intimate view of the author's vision. Summary: Criminal Justice. This is the best book I have read on Criminal Justice. It is fun to read and easy to enjoy. I advise anybody that is interested on the field of criminal justice to begin with this book. Summary:

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The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies

Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall
Authors: Guy Cohen

ISBN: 0131710664
List Price: $49.95
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 4
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Summary: Good next step
This is the continuation from "Option Made Easy..." by the same author.

Summary: Great Option Reference Book
Nice reference book for dipping into any options strategy you can think of. The illustrations and explanations are very efficient which means I can pick the book up and get the answers I need very quickly.

Summary: Really Helpful
This is a fantastic book that enables you to look at any options strategy you fancy and pick out the salient points, including a worked example for each one.

Definitely a dip-in type of book, each strategy follows the identical template so it feels very familiar once you've read through a couple.

Great use of illustrations, really helpful for understandng risk-reward and the Greeks for any strategy. Amusing use of icons too - shows you can have a sense of humour even when describing the serious topic of options tradng!

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See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism

Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Authors: Robert Baer

ISBN: 140004684X
List Price: $14.95
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Fascinating
One night, sitting up late, I was intrigued when I saw George Clooney on the Charlie Rose show discuss his film Syriana and how Bob Baer's book played a pivotal role in the screen play. Although I hadn't seen the film yet the trailers were very captivating. To follow up on this I bought "See No Evil" by Robert Baer.

This is a true 21st century spy novel about the inner workings (and not workings) of the CIA. A real eye opener into a glimpse of how the geopolitics of the world really works. Unfortunately, the major network or cable television channels would be much too afraid to touch on any of this stuff.

If you want to know why the Muslim nations are opposed to us read Tom Friedman (editorials in the New York Times), Michael Schearer (Imperial Hubris published under Anonymous) and William Blum (Rogue State). If you want to know why we were blind sided on 9/11 and why the "weapons of mass destruction" were never found in Iraq read this.

It also explains how one of the world's best foreign information services has fallen into a state of disrepair. And it started happening well before George Bush, Jr. came on the scene. Frighteningly, as the world is becoming more dangerous, we are unfortunately being left out of the loop of the clandestine global events that matter to us most.

Interestingly, more detail would have been revealed if not for the fact that the CIA redacted certain passages. Without giving away too much, I had to look up and see the fate of Jalal Talabani since, curiously, the name rang a bell. And for good reason. He is now the President of Iraq.

This one is definitely a page turner.

Summary: Superb!
Robert Baer is an excellent author and brings intense credibility to writings. Highly recommend this book.

Summary: Powerful Read - A must if you care about America
Saw this guy on TV and thought I'd give his biography a whirl. Former CIA agent who spent more than two decades chasing around the underworld of terror long before it was popular. He exposes some things everyone in this country should be aware of ... some sad things about our government but not surprising things. He'll take you through Chinese and Russian money ending up in Presidential campaigns and how he was drummed out when he tried to blow the whistle. He tells of Senators he tried to go to who buried him as well. Important read.

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