The Commitments of Traders Bible: How To Profit from Insider Market Intelligence (Wiley Trading) (Hardcover)

by Stephen Briese (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"…best book I have read on the COT reports...will give you a better understanding of how the commodity markets work..." (About.com: Commodities)

Product Description
Regardless of your trading methods, and no matter what markets you’re involved in, there is a Commitments of Traders (COT) report that you should be reviewing every week. Nobody understands this better than Stephen Briese, an industry-leading expert on COT data. And now, with The Commitments of Traders Bible, Briese reveals how to use the predictive power of COT data—and accurately interpret it—in order to analyze market movements and achieve investment success.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 279 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; First Edition edition (April 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470178426
• ISBN-13: 978-0470178423
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,276 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on Commitments of Traders analysis, April 19, 2008

By	Balint Kollath (Budapest, Hungary) - See all my reviews

Mr. Briese has done an excellent job of summing up his vast experience with the Commitments of Traders data and presenting it clearly, without compromises.
I am a private futures trader and the real breakthrough in my results coincides with my realization of the importance of COT analysis. The proper application of COT signals is an edge over the market - many studies show this, including my dissertation work.
But I have to warn everybody (like Mr. Briese does several times in his book) who thinks that this is the holy grail of trading. Many times the trader is faced with situations that are far from straightforward, so proper interpretation of COT data demands experience. The experience this book contains is of a man who analyzed these data from the beginnings and have personally lived through and traded the bull and bear markets of the past 35 years.
Like your library (independent of your religion) contains a copy of the Holy Bible, the trading books shelf (independent of your trading style) cannot be complete without the Commitments of Traders Bible.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth Below the Surface, May 27, 2008

By	Dr Alexander Elder (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

I still remember the impact Steve Briese'a ideas had on me when I first encountered them a dozen years ago. There are three groups of futures traders - hedgers (the true insiders!), big speculators (supposed to be smart but not always...), and the rest - small specs. The US government publishes reports about their relative positions. When you see a situation where the bulk of hedgers is squaring off against the bulk of small specs, you have the makings of an explosive move. In whose favor? Who do you think is likely to win - the insiders or the small fry?

This analysis is further complicated by the fact that hedgers tend to be on the short side of the market (you may want to look up my latest book Sell & Sell Short). Briese discovers their true bias by comparing their current position to the historical norm. A beginner may look at the numbers, see that hedgers are 70% bearish and decide that the insiders expect a decline. In fact, if their bearish norm in this market is 90%, then 70% is wildly bullish!

Briese's book covers everything you need to know about COT )Commitments of Traders Reports) - including technical patterns, currencies, metals, oil, and much more. If you trade futures, you sure need this book!

I like Briese's breezy writing style (pardon the pun!) but dislike the arrogant title of the book. I know of only one Bible, and Briese is definitely not its author. This minor quibble aside, I highly recommend his book to every serious futures trader.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Its alright, but I didnt see anything new about the COT here. , December 3, 2008

By	Mark Twain "" "Sam" (Florida, MO USA) - See all my reviews

I'd give it a C for the effort. The book is easy to read and does have a lot of information in it. However, it only contains basic COT info. I did not find any new ideas for using the COT in a trading system. I think the Uppermen book on the COT is much better if you want to use the data in a trading system. If you are really nu to the COT report, check out Larry Williams. Mr.Williams has written several books on using the COT reports in trading systems. His newest book also provides neat ideas for creating proxy COT data which I found useful.