Options. Plain and Simple: Successful Investment Strategies Without the Rocket Science [Paperback]

Lenny. Jordan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0273638785 | ISBN-13: 978-0273638780 | Publication Date: March 8, 2000 | Edition: 1st

Since the Greek philosopher Thales cornered the olive press market over 2,400 years ago, options have been with us. Although options are not complicated, like philosophy, they have that reputation.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

What an option is

The difference between a commodity, a futures contract, and an options contract is illustrated in the following three paragraphs, which will take you 1 1/2 minutes to read.

Suppose you're in the market for an oriental rug. You find the rug of your choice at a local shop, you pay the shopkeeper $500, and he transfers the rug to you. You have just traded a commodity.

Suppose instead you wish to own the rug, but you prefer to purchase it in one week's time. You may be on your way to the airport, or maybe you need the short-term use of your money. You and the shopkeeper agree, verbally or in writing, to exchange the same rug for $500 one week from now. You have just traded a futures contract.

Alternatively, you may like the rug on offer, but you may want to shop around before making a final decision. You ask the shopkeeper if he will hold the rug in reserve for you for one week. He replies that your proposal will deny him the opportunity of selling the rug, and as compensation, he asks that you pay him $10. You and the shopkeeper agree, verbally or in writing, that for a fee of $10 he will hold the rug for you for one week, and that at any time during the week you may purchase the same rug for a cost of $500, excluding the $10 cost of your agreement. You, on the other hand, are under no obligation to buy the rug. You have just traded an options contract.

From the Back Cover

Options, Plain & Simple is a straightforward and practical guide to the fundamentals of options. It is plain because it includes only what is essential to basic understanding. It is simple because it presents options in conventional terms, with a minimum of jargon.

It is thorough; it is not simplistic.

This book will benefit all newcomers to options, introducing them to the instruments and markets, and giving them the competence and confidence to trade successfully. It opens up new opportunities for private investors who previously felt intimidated by the mystique and jargon surrounding options, and saves brokers much of the time they spend explaining options fundamentals to their clients.

This is not rocket science. Options are explained in terms of real-life, everyday circumstances and accessible language. Clarity and practical application are paramount; unnecessary theory and jargon conspicuous by their absence. Veteran US trader Lenny Jordan takes the secrets of options to the every-day investor.

Options, Plain & Simple will enable all investors to use options wisely, by fully understanding the instruments, their risks and successful applications.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Financal Times Management; 1st edition (March 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273638785
• ISBN-13: 978-0273638780
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,340,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Few Words From the Author, July 1, 2001

By 

Lenny Jordan (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Options. Plain and Simple: Successful Investment Strategies Without the Rocket Science (Paperback)

This book has recently crossed the 5,000 sales mark, despite distribution problems and minimal advertising. The reason is that private investors and market professionals find that it clearly explains what options are, and especially, what they do. It is practical, the language is straightforward, and the math is basic.

I wrote OPS after trading options for ten years in Chicago and London. I have also given many training seminars over the years. The trainees found that all the options books were either too advanced, too theoretical, or poorly written. I finally got fed up and wrote my own.

This book has sold well because it supplies a demand. If you want to read what other investors have said about it, check out amazon.co.uk. And yes, it covers bear market strategies.

Good luck in your trading.

Lenny Jordan

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Prep. for the Series 7 Exam, February 13, 2008

By 

J. Pace "Financial Guru" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Options. Plain and Simple: Successful Investment Strategies Without the Rocket Science (Paperback)

In preparing for the Series 7 General Rep Securities Exam one of the most covered topics is on Options. This book did a much more thorough job of explaining the idiosyncracies of options trading than anything else I tried. Made a very complex topic easily understandable. Thanks for helping me get licensed!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unassuming. But one of the best around!, April 9, 2004

By 

andrew (SG) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Options. Plain and Simple: Successful Investment Strategies Without the Rocket Science (Paperback)

This is book is that damn good!
Better than Courtney Smith's, Better than McMillian (unless you want the math). Better than ...

Thanks Lenny. Pick up a couple of good pointers.