Guide to Financial Markets (The Economist) [Hardcover]

Marc Levinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2009 | Series: The Economist (Book 24)

Recent market turbulence makes it abundantly clear how important it is to understand the key markets. This book is the definitive guide to why different markets exist, how they operate, and how they are interrelated.

Extensively revised and updated, the new Fifth Edition of Guide to Financial Markets brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in financial instruments and provides a clear and incisive guide to this increasingly complex world.

With chapters on the markets that deal with money, foreign exchange, equities, bonds, commodities, futures, options, and other derivatives, this new edition looks at why these markets exist, how they work, and who trades in them, and provides a rundown of the factors that affect prices and rates.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fund Manager - 'a useful reference source for all those involved in the industry' and 'Financial journalists, investment advisers and fund managers could all find Levinson's guide extremely useful' The Business Economist (Society of Business Economists' Journal) -'covers the breadth of products and markets admirably. Will provide the relative newcomer to financial markets with a good overview of this extremely complex subject area.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Financial markets have been around ever since people settled down to growing crops and trading them with each other. They take many different forms and operate in many different ways. But all of them, whether highly organised, like the New York Stock Exchange, or highly informal, like money-changers in Africa, serve the same basic functions, which range from providing a way of setting prices and valuing assets, through raising capital or investing it, to managing exposure to risk.

The credit crunch and ensuing financial crisis brought home to everyone the enormous influence that financial markets exercise and highlighted the pace of innovation in them and the instruments they trade. This book explains why the different financial markets exist, how they work and who trades in them, and gives a run-down of the factors that affect prices and rates.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press; 5 edition (December 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576603431
• ISBN-13: 978-1576603437
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marc Levinson is an economist and historian specializing in business and finance. He was formerly finance and economics editor of The Economist, worked as an economist at a New York bank, and served as senior fellow for international business at the Council on Foreign Relations. For more information, check out his website at www.marclevinson.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview, November 6, 2005

By 

T. Mulholland (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Guide to Financial Markets, Third Edition (The Economist Series) (Hardcover)

This is an excellent way to gain familiarity with financial markets -- the terms, financial structures, how certain structures might be used. This is not a heavy-duty book aimed at quants; it's aimed at intelligent investors looking for concise reference material. It is also remarkable non-judgemental in that is doesn't adopt any particular investing bias (e.g., efficient market vs value investing approaches, etc). I recommend it for those looking for a good starting point in understanding how markets work.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Basic, but detailed, February 3, 2007

By 

Dale L. Jennings (Phoenix, AZ 85014) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Guide to Financial Markets, Fourth Edition (Economist Books) (Hardcover)

An introduction to the financial markets. The book covers most financial instruments and goes into some detail about each type. It isn't US nor European centric. Well worth the price as most of The Economist series are.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!, January 9, 2007

By 

J. Dargantes "sexy" (Philippines) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Guide to Financial Markets, Fourth Edition (Economist Books) (Hardcover)

This is a good book for starters like me. It gives you insight about the market, how it behaves and it also discusses the important history in the financial market.