Mark Douglas: Any info?

marketsurfer · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from NoDoji:

His trading experience is described in the Preface to his book Trading in the Zone:

"I started trading in 1978. At the time, I was managing a commercial casualty insurance agency in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. I had a very successful career and thought I could easily transfer that success into trading. Unfortunately, I found that was not the case. By 1981, I was thoroughly disgusted with my inability to trade effectively while holding another job, so I moved to Chicago and got a job as a broker with Merrill Lynch at the Chicago Board of Trade. How did I do? Well, within nine months of moving to Chicago, I lost nearly everything I owned."

He then spent almost eight years writing his first book, The Disciplined Trader.

He was an insurance guy, who spent 9 months as a broker then blew out, and spent the next 8 years writing a book? Did you leave something out?

thanks, surf

justrading · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from marketsurfer:

I would consider those public speaking skills and book promotion tours but thanks! surf

He specifically claims "consulting" so ask. He has made a public claim naming those organisations, so yours would be a valid enquiry.

Didn't we recently have a discussion about learning from people who may be great teachers, but not necessarily have great achievements in the field in which they teach?

NoDoji · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from marketsurfer:

He was an insurance guy, who spent 9 months as a broker then blew out, and spent the next 8 years writing a book? Did you leave something out?

thanks, surf

His first book was published in 1990 and he started his consulting firm during that time period.

According to About the Author, he is "an active trader and president of Trading Behavior Dynamics, Inc., which develops seminars and training programs on trading psychology for brokerage firms, banks, money managers, among a wide range of professional organizations."

Why not give him a call and interview him?

NoDoji · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from justrading:

Didn't we recently have a discussion about learning from people who may be great teachers, but not necessarily have great achievements in the field in which they teach?

If I have a serious drinking problem, I want help from someone who had a serious drinking problem and overcame it.

If I have a serious trading problem, I want help from someone who had a serious trading problem and overcame it.

marketsurfer · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from NoDoji:

If I have a serious drinking problem, I want help from someone who had a serious drinking problem and overcame it.

If I have a serious trading problem, I want help from someone who had a serious trading problem and overcame it.

How do you know he ever overcame any problem? Serious question.

thanks, surf

marketsurfer · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from NoDoji:

His first book was published in 1990 and he started his consulting firm during that time period.

According to About the Author, he is "an active trader and president of Trading Behavior Dynamics, Inc., which develops seminars and training programs on trading psychology for brokerage firms, banks, money managers, among a wide range of professional organizations."

Why not give him a call and interview him?

you caught me! Just doing some prelimary research now, maybe I will do that....

So he never traded full time but rather started consulting and writing?

Am i following....

thanks, surf

RedDuke · Mar 15, 2013

Hi reminds me of Nisson who also only teaches. They bring in too much $ through teaching vs trading, and it is all risk free.

NoDoji · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from marketsurfer:

you caught me! Just doing some prelimary research now, maybe I will do that....

So he never traded full time but rather started consulting and writing?

Am i following....

thanks, surf

Although I can't answer for Mr. Douglas, the phrase "got a job as a broker with Merrill Lynch..." indicates he probably traded full time because he quit his existing full time job to do this.

NoDoji · Mar 15, 2013

Quote from marketsurfer:

How do you know he ever overcame any problem? Serious question.

thanks, surf

I don't know if he overcame his own trading problem. Just because was described in 2000 as an "active trader" doesn't mean he was/is a profitable trader.

Grandluxe · Mar 15, 2013

I dunno. All the guys on my trading desk used to rave about him but I never found him very useful, felt like it was a bunch of psycho-babble. I have two of his books, maybe I will try reading it again this weekend.