Customer Reviews

Forex Revolution: An Insider's Guide to the Real World of Foreign Exchange Trading

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Author Peter Rosenstreich's short, concise guide is a neophyte's introduction to the world of foreign exchange trading. Its chief virtue is that it warns against trading if you don't have a strategy and some level of technology. Its chief vice is the suggestion that it is realistic for individual investors to expect to make money in the foreign exchange markets. The author cautions against the risks of the market (and gives good advice on spotting the most egregious frauds), but even to suggest that an individual retail trader equipped with an Internet connection, a news feed, a research source and a charting service can hope to succeed in Forex investing is a bit misleading. Perhaps, it would have been more enlightening if the author had discussed the competition that confronts the potentially foolhardy neophyte, in terms of equipment, technology and expertise. That said, readers will gain an elementary - but not really an insider's - acquaintance with the ABCs of the Forex markets and will learn the names of key agencies and approaches. We find that the book's most useful attributes include references to further reading that should deter novices from attempting to trade their own money in the foreign exchange markets. For solid basics, read on - but zip your wallet.

If you're looking for just a high level overview of the Forex market, this is probably a good start. It is not, however, a system or technique. Essentially, the author states that each trader needs to develop their own that works for their personality. Personally, I think a lot of what is in the book seems like just a long encyclopedia article -- all valid data but short of insight and any real meat.

As a really under-informed layperson, I found this book enormously useful for its clear explanations of what had been (to me, at least) a completely unknown investment area. But I have to say that I enjoyed this book just as much for the opportunity to peer into the lives of the foreign exchange traders themselves--the hours they keep, the challenges in the field. I enjoyed (funny to say this about a financial book...) Forex Revolution for these good human-interest stories as well as for its valuable insights into what I'd always assumed was a very arcane subject. No more, thanks to Rosenstreich's new book.

Great book for the very very beginner, but hardly an insider's guide.

An insider's guide would have talked about slippage/requoting, stop hunting, price shading, and all the dark stuff that really goes on behind the curtain of these retail forex companies.

You want to trade forex? First, contact the NFA and CTFC and demand this new and exciting industry to be regulated!

This book definately gives the reader a good look at the intricacies of the Forex, but it is not the final step in your education of the Forex market. The Forex market is a world unto itself and by nature is a huge gamble for a private investor. This book is a great place to start. The author uses good examples to illustrate his points and doesn't assume the reader has a thorough understanding of macroeconomics.

Lots of historical perspective, but lacks specific techniques and strategies. Also pretty dated now. Lots of filler and anecdotes, too.

Of all the books I've read on Forex this has to be the least useful. There is no central theme, no "how to"....it's a collection of dis-jointed, unrelated trivia about the foreign currency market. Not worth the paper it's written on...in my view. You'll do considerably better reading nearly anything else. Don't waste your money or your time.

So many editorial reviews on Amazon are so far off the mark...and this book is no exception. Poorly written, poorly edited and of course poorly priced. The author spends too much time on his personal observations, which are highly subjective of course, but devoid of the poignancy that would justify such missives. He then moves quickly from one topic to the next, explaining none in sufficient detail.

Much of what he writes isn't very important to a trader and is probably obvious to a student of financial markets. Laypeople will learn something about the world of forex, but this cursory treatment lacks focus. They are better off reading a few focused books. The few pages devoted to interviews from successful traders were informative, but I found myself disagreeing with some of the "facts" (read: opinions) offered up. If you must buy this book, take what is written here with a grain of salt. Then go buy a serious book on the stucture of the foreign exchange market, on risk management and on trading strategies.

This book will not make you a better trader and it certainly isn't worth the price.

It has been several years since the publishing of this book, but as far as I know it is the best and perhaps only honest, non-strategy-oriented guide to the foreign exchange markets. I actively work in the spot foreign exchange field, and I have to admit this book is one of the top factors that led me successfully to where I am now. By reading you will get the truth about "the 24 hour marketplace," learn how their is no centralized exchange, learn Rosenstreich's interesting and original insights about how to understand the origins of foreign exchange, and why it must exist, and finally get some ideas how to access this market. A few longer-term investing strategies are discussed. There are a few minor details not mentioned because of the mass mergers and changes in the finance field (e.g. a total non-mention of CME Group products and other listed foreign exchange products), but overall the book is impressively "timeless." I highly recommend this book!

We recommend this book to our clients who want to learn more about global currency markets. It gives a great introductory overview and history of currency. Brief and well written.