Customer Reviews

Market Rap : The Odyssey of a Still-Struggling Commodity Trader

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Market Rap: The Odyssey Of A Still-struggling Commodity Trader is the story of Art Collins who left a job with a generous, secure income to pursue the frantic and frenetic life as a full-time floor member of the commodities exchange. In making this transition Collins endured loss of security, the consternation of family, and personal demons that threatened to undermine his dream. Market Rap is funny, poignant, harrowing, and a riveting read. Included throughout Collins personal story are highly effective trading ideas and methods. Market Rap is immensely rewarding reading for anyone who aspires to become a successful commodities broker, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in this significant aspect of the American economic system.

This book was honest, funny, and thoroughly entertaining. Mr. Collins obviously is not afraid to appear less than cool or all-knowledgeable about his subject, but he obviously knows enough to give his reader a ton to think about. In my life, I've encountered many traders who come up with systems, but I haven't met one who doesn't frequently circumvent them. Collins' own experience with such improvisations merely confirms what I've observed--a winning trading approach is incompatible with human emotion. The trades we feel the most sure about are almost always the ones that lose money. But it's obviously hard to stay one-hundred percent committed to a mechanical approach, as Market Rap confirms. I don't know how effective the systems in the book are, (I will get around to testing them), but they seem simple and straight-forward; characteristics that work the best in my portfolios also. Finally, most traders can't get enough of trading books just because they love the subject so much. What's especially cool about this book is, the author obviously shares our passions.

This book was honest, funny, and thoroughly entertaining. Mr. Collins obviously is not afraid to appear less than cool or all-knowledgeable about his subject, but he obviously knows enough to give his reader a ton to think about. In my life, I've encountered many traders who come up with systems, but I haven't met one who doesn't frequently circumvent them. Collins' own experience with such improvisations merely confirms what I've observed--a winning trading approach is incompatible with human emotion. The trades we feel the most sure about are almost always the ones that lose money. But it's obviously hard to stay one-hundred percent committed to a mechanical approach, as Market Rap confirms. I don't know how effective the systems in the book are, (I will get around to testing them), but they seem simple and straight-forward; characteristics that work the best in my portfolios also. Finally, most traders can't get enough of trading books just because they love the subject so much. What's especially cool about this book is, the author obviously shares our passions.