Customer Reviews

Options: Essential Concepts and Trading Strategies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book presents a highly readable overview of the subject of options and I would recommend it to anyone. I have not been able to find one book on options which is as wide ranging in its scope (i.e., history, pricing, strategy, individual and institutional investors' approaches, how the trading floor operates, how market makers trade, etc.). The authors have struck a good balance between depth of the subject matter and readability. There are more detailed texts available in the area of strategy (McMillan's _Options as a Strategic Investment_) or pricing (Natenberg's _Option Volatility and Pricing_), but I would especially recommend this book to individual investors interested in options. After reading this book they will have a much stronger footing from which to approach the forementioned other books (which are also excellent, by the way).

The previous reviewer's comments should be disregarded as I cannot conceive of anyone writing about this subject matter any more clearly (yes, I have read both of Fontanills' books) -- the authors appear to have put much effort into this book judging by its clarity, and one nitwit's daffy comments should not dissuade you!

This book was written by members (brokers and market-makers) and staff of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. It is excellently written, easy to understand and provides many insights into the detail oriented side of options. It discusses the various aspects of options pricing and trading strategies. I would recommend the book to beginners as well as advanced option traders

This book is readable by anyone and useful all the time! It gives you the entire gamut of the options market, and the details of how options and option trading or investing strategies are used by individuals, institutionals, market makers, brokers and the exchange itself! Invaluable!!

Wow, amazing, excellent, insufficient superlatives to describe my feelings - this one and Sheldon Nattenberg's Option Volatility and Pricing and you know more than most of the wall street professionals in my opinion. I found it practical and insightful, particularly with respect to the institutional trading strategies and how the trading floors operate.

This is a good introductory book on options.
Pros: comprehensive coverage of a subject,fairly easy to read and understand for a beginner in options.
Cons: the same concepts explained multiple times in different parts of the book. That's probably because chapters are written by different people. For example, look at put-call parity or covered call in the index. It's not a reference book. A short chapter summarizing option trading strategies in one place is clearly missing.

This book is somewhat like 'A Random Walk Down Wallstreet" only applies to option trading, not just Wall Street and goes beyond.To the nit wit that blasted this book, I seriously doubt if he took the time to read it.I also recommend Safety First Investing and Wall Street Money Machine for more option techniques.Good books.

This book seems to have it all. For the novice trader like me to more sophisticated traders. This book is a compilation of written work by a number of experts, so the reader will have information and concepts from a variety of sources. I am reading this book in conjunction with Options for the Stock Investor. Look forward to putting it all to work for my financial prosperity.

This is definitely not an easy reading book. It's essentially a dry college textbook, drier then most Physics textbooks. I am not too sure why people like this book. It's rated fairly high, which was why I initially bought it, but now I regret it. The book is written by multiple authors, therefore some chapters are better then others. But overall it's difficult to read because in some areas, the descriptions are too terse, in others too detailed to the point of confusing. I've owned this book for almost three years and I've never been able to consistently read through it. I will drop it because it's too frustrating. Then I try again a couple of months later and I drop it again. I essentially gave up and decided to go ahead and read Lawrence McMillan's Option book. His book has a better flow because it's the same author throughout, and he does a pretty good job of explaining the subject. This book is only good for probably a reference book, but not for advancing your techniques of Options trading. I am going to try and sell this book instead of using it as a reference.

I was very disappointed by this book. I had attended some free events by the OIC and purchased this book at their encouragement.

It is not easy to follow, does not cover the subject in an easy to understand manner. They try to publish to justify their existance.

I prefer an number of other books that hit the mark - McMillan, Natenburg and of course the master of all option trader's Fontanills.

Great book