Customer Reviews

Sell Short: A Simpler, Safer Way to Profit When Stocks Go Down

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

 

 

Sell Short recommends a strategy using Puts to profit from Falling Stocks.
In Chapter 3, Mr. Shulman asks "What Exactly Is a Put?" and then goes on in the paragraph that follows with an utterly wrong definition and/or description which would leave an investor/trader totally mis-informed of the definition of a Put. This one paragraph (which deals with the most critical concept for Sell Short - buying a Put option) shows the carelessness in writing and publishing the book 'Sell Short'. Given this carelessness, how can any reader have confidence in other aspects covered in the book by Mr. Shulman?

By the way, John Wiley and Sons has published other books (example: Trade Options Online by George A. Fontanills) which cover their subject well and with care. I have also read several other books on options and each one of them is written with care for accuracy and clarity of concepts explained. I was disappointed with the glaring error in Mr. Shulman's 'Sell Short'.

This book is NOT about shorting stocks. The author specifically says multiple times in the book that he does not recommend ever shorting stocks. He does describe how you can play the short side of the market through option puts, but does not advocate or describe how best to short a stock other than to say, "...don't do it."

I was sorely disappointed because I already know about options extensively. I trade puts long and short all the time. The problem with puts are that the spreads sometimes are too large, liquidity is too low, or they aren't even offered on many stocks that I want to trade on the short side.

If you want to trade from the short side of the market using puts and are very new to the world of options then perhaps this book will be of use. If you want to learn about shorting - save your money.

I just happened to purchase Sell Short in San Francisco prior to attending the 2009 Money Show in Las Vegas. Generally well written, I finished the book over the weekend before meeting the author. On the plus side, the author emphasizes collecting your own anecdotal evidence before making a trade. This leads to an emphasis on fundamental over technical analysis. Over the past 30 years, I have made significant success using this approach. On the negative side, the stories that the author uses as examples, while good ones, tend to be repeated throughout the book. I would definitely purchase any new books published by this author. My recommendation would be that he be a little sharper in the use of techical analysis as a second step in his process. Additional recommendation: Go to hear this author speak at one of the money shows. Unlike so many salesmen at those things, he knows his business and articulates it well.

I made it to chapter 3 and couldn't believe how boring, poorly worded and incorrect this book is. In chapter 3, he gets the definition of a "put" option completely backwards! I can't trust someone who's basic premise of book is initially given to the reader incorrectly! It's not even a one star book.

I like the book -- I wrote it - and I just noticed a review that found a glaring editorial mistake in the book. The reviewer found the book contained in an incorrect definition of a put, calling into question my credibility -- a good point. My defense is simple -- it was not there in the final galley proofs, actually it was, along with an estimated 1000 mistakes (no kidding) and I made a correction that did not make it into the printed version of the book. John Wiley is the largest and most successful financial publisher in the world and I can only assume the issues with the book are the exception that prove the rule of Wiley's excellence. In my defense, I have bee training options for 25 years,my newsletter service ChangeWave Shorts has been successful and has a loyal following and I can be found at [...] for those of you who want to see if I know what I am talking about before you buy. My thanks to the gentleman who discovered the mistake and if anyone has questions, contact me at mshulman@investoremedia.com.

The author correctly stated: "this is not a trading system". For disclosure my comments are based on about a 45 minute study of a friend's copy. This is a nice read especially for a beginner to get a further overall perspective of things, it is not a roadmap to quickly put money in your pocket which makes me question the validity of another reviewer here. As those in the know(many of whom have been there and tried that) will confirm selling short/playing the short side should not even be a part of the game plan in the management of a 6 or 7 figure 401k(playing with ETF(s) as you can't short) or that 6 figure trading account at a Scottrade. The one specific I take issue with is the suggested use of ETF(s) for playing the short game/side. They are far too inefficient vehicles, just look at the charts of the likes of a FAS, FAZ, or SRS and then try to explain to me how they in anyway accomplished in their own right their intended purpose over the last 12 or 18 months.

How refreshing to read such a well-written book that tells you how to simply make money when stocks go DOWN! I always thought it was complicated and only for professional traders, but thanks to this book, I have begun trading on the short side, and booking big profits...way to go Shulman!