Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stocks, commodoties and almost everything else, July 19, 2003
The Education of a Speculator is a long, sometimes meandering account of the life of speculator Victor Niederhoffer. There is no particular order to this book, at least that I could discern; Niederhoffer jumps from topic to topic, going backwards and forwards in time. The style is almost stream of consciousness, with the main subject of finance digressing into topics as diverse as biology, music and squash (the author is a serious player of squash and other racquet sports). In addition to Niederhoffer's unconventional style of writing, the book assumes a fairly high level of knowledge regarding financial markets. Those (such as this reviewer) who are not well versed in the kind of articles, charts and data found in the Wall Street Journal or Barron's will often find themselves in way over their heads. For all this, I still recommend The Education of a Speculator, even to people not especially interested in the world of investing. Victor Niederhoffer is what may be called a holistic or macro thinker; he could also be called a Renaissance man. He has knowledge of many subjects and sees the connecting links between all events, objects and disciplines. He may not be right about everything, but his perspective is always interesting, intelligent and original. He combines the streetwise instincts of Brooklyn, where he grew up, with the scholarly mindset of Harvard, where he both graduated from and taught. As for investing itself, Niederhoffer, like many speculators (at one point he describes the overlapping definitions of an investor, a speculator and a gambler), has had many ups and downs in his life. When this book was written, he was at the top of his game; shortly afterwards he was wiped out. That, of course, was several years ago and he is still active as a writer (he has recently written a new book) and investor. I have always been fascinated with the world of investing, especially the kind of volatile speculating engaged in by people like Niederhoffer. Even if you don't understand all the details and nuances, the book conveys the dangers and excitement of this unpredictable universe. The author has spent many years compiling and analyzing data concerning markets, and he discusses how difficult it is to make predictions based on past performance. It is easy to look at a chart and, after the fact, describe how stocks or commodities moved in a logical, predictable manner. Often when you try to apply any seemingly logical system using real money, the results are disastrous. Niederhoffer seems to conclude that markets are paradoxical -they are both logical and illogical; sometimes they follow patterns but sometimes they are chaotic. And, most importantly, we can never be sure when order or chaos will prevail. If there is one overall lesson we can take from The Education of a Speculator, it is probably something like this -reality is almost infinitely complex with every part connected to every other part, the whole thing organized by some vast pattern that can only occasionally be comprehended.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Black Box, August 18, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Education of a Speculator (Hardcover)
In finance, "The Black Box" describes a hidden and usually quantitative process an investor might employ to select securities or markets. The author clearly employs such a box in his work though it seems completely subjective. The problem is, he does not see fit to explain the inputs; the book reads like a mystery novel without a resolution. In his defense, he does say, at the outset, that he is not going to teach you his methods. Yet you expect more. The book is a long (very long) recounting of his own personal history (including odd digressions on Coney Island, and his father, whom he worships through a nine-year old's eyes) as well as his interests--how these things created the savant. As Flaubert might say, it's the stuff of his "Sentimental Education." But investing is not strictly literary. Imagine a Brain Surgeon explaining his techniques by alluding to his liberal arts term papers and you'll grasp the essential frustation with the book. For example, the author equates trading with the performance and appreciation of symphonic music. Indeed, he says he hires musicians to move millions in options money. Why? He doesn't elaborate; only that they are better. Horse Racing is another analogy he mentions. But what are the statistical underpinnings? How does a Racing Form connect to the Wall Street Journal? One more: He claims that only old literature can train your senses for the markets. This strikes me as absolute hogwash, a philistine bowing to Aristotle to gain class. In all, it's as though he is trying to intellectualize his profession, as if just making money is vulgar; he's staking a claim for traders in the pantheon of artists. Of course, many of his points are good ones, but there are not enough of them (a few equations would have helped). Indeed, the book comes off as an exercise in self-congratulation. And God knows what debt he owes George Soros, venerated here with religous adoration. Strange, indeed. (OK, I admit I bought a Soros book after reading this one. He at least ties his ideas to the markets.) Next time, Victor, tell us your secrets. The good ones.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Uneven some excellent parts, April 5, 2002
This is a brain dump written without much apparent discipline. Niederhoffer's egotism and hubris can grate at times and the book is somewhat self serving e.g. the circumstances that led to his quitting squash for five years were not quite as they seemed. However there is a lot of good material and if you like ideas you will enjoy the way he ties many different fields back to trading. Some of the ideas are baloney but many are not. I found it useful because it does give a lot of insight into how a top trader thinks. From reading the book it was quite obvious he would blow up at some stage, which he has in fact done. The chapter on the ecology of markets is worth the price alone. Also the one on the interconnectness of markets, and on deception and gamesmanship. However this should definitely not be your only book on trading. There is hardly any useful material on risk management. Worth a read IMO but a lot of people will not like it i.e. those looking for a cookbook approach to easy wealth.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
