Investment Illusions: A Savvy Wall Street Pro Explores Popular Misconceptions About the Markets [Paperback]

Martin S. Fridson CFA (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1996

What the experts are saying about INVESTMENT ILLUSIONS

"One of the most entertaining, readable, and well-informed books on personal investing that I have seen. With erudition and wit, Fridson takes aim at the shibboleths, sacred cows, and snakeoil salesmen of the personal investing industry. Investment Illusions is a practical and engaging 'how-not-to' guide." --Stuart C. Gilson, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University.

"Investment Illusions presents much good financial advice and a great deal of financial history, especially recent financial history, in an easy-to-read style. I enjoyed it." --Harry M. Markowitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Marvin Speiser Professor of Finance and Economics, Baruch College.

"Once in a while, you read a book which makes you think, 'I wish I'd read this book ten years ago.' Investment Illusions is such a book. I found it highly entertaining as well as instructive--the kind of book you pass on to a friend." --Richard Lehmann, President, Bond Investors Association.

"Illusions can seem tangible and yet be fallacious. As usual, Marty Fridson uncovers minefields in some of the most important investment fundamentals in a clever and intuitive fashion." --Tony Kao, Director of Investment Research, General Motors Investment Management Corporation.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A source of down-to-earth advice on how not to fall prey to the follies of "pert." Examines and exposes the false assumptions many investors and professional money managers make when playing the stock market. Conveys essential stock market principles by using entertaining and easy-to-understand analogies. Includes numerous, bizarre, actual incidents and hilarious media howlers to dramatize misconceptions about the markets.

From the Back Cover

What the experts are saying about INVESTMENT ILLUSIONS

"One of the most entertaining, readable, and well-informed books on personal investing that I have seen. With erudition and wit, Fridson takes aim at the shibboleths, sacred cows, and snakeoil salesmen of the personal investing industry. Investment Illusions is a practical and engaging 'how-not-to' guide." —Stuart C. Gilson, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University.

"Investment Illusions presents much good financial advice and a great deal of financial history, especially recent financial history, in an easy-to-read style. I enjoyed it." —Harry M. Markowitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Marvin Speiser Professor of Finance and Economics, Baruch College.

"Once in a while, you read a book which makes you think, 'I wish I'd read this book ten years ago.' Investment Illusions is such a book. I found it highly entertaining as well as instructive—the kind of book you pass on to a friend." —Richard Lehmann, President, Bond Investors Association.

"Illusions can seem tangible and yet be fallacious. As usual, Marty Fridson uncovers minefields in some of the most important investment fundamentals in a clever and intuitive fashion." —Tony Kao, Director of Investment Research, General Motors Investment Management Corporation.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471155519
• ISBN-13: 978-0471155515
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.6 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,174,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Incisive look at financial markets, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Investment Illusions: A Savvy Wall Street Pro Explores Popular Misconceptions About the Markets (Paperback)

A very readable book -- intelligently illustrates pitfalls & illusions of financial market investing. More anecdotal in approach, but certainly a classic of the "Where are the customer's yacht's" genre. Cuts through many of the falsehoods spread on the street. Well written and extensively researched.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, June 21, 2000

By 

James Boyd (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Investment Illusions: A Savvy Wall Street Pro Explores Popular Misconceptions About the Markets (Paperback)

This book covers many myths regarding the stock market in a readable, interesting way. However, the book overly focused on the bad side. Although the book is suitable for beginners in investing, long time value investors might not get the same portion of benefit. Most of the advise are the view of value investors. What I like most is the book contains a great deal of financial history, dated back to 16th century.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Why write if you don't have anything to say, January 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Investment Illusions: A Savvy Wall Street Pro Explores Popular Misconceptions About the Markets (Paperback)

Short stories about the darker side of investing. Nice if you can read in the investment colums of your local newspaper, but there are better books on the market worth buying.