Retrospectively, what is the worst trading book you ever read?

<i>"From the Pit to the PC by Borsellino"</i>

Sorry, can I change my vote on worst book ever? Thanks for the reminder, <b>BearBelly</b>!

I had high hopes for this title, knowing Louis' reputation as one of the biggest S&P players in his day. Figured there'd be lots of gold nuggets & gems in there. Read that one back in early 2003 while flying out to San Diego attending a live seminar with Mohan. I did learn quite a bit there, all from a few attendees who were/are professional ES traders.

But I digress.

"Pit To PC" was nothing more than one big ego trip = self therapy for the disfunctional relationship between Lou and his father. Along the way, some mention was made about markets and trading as mere filler.

I left that book in the back seat pocket of the airplane. Feel sorry for whoever may have picked it up and read thru after me :(
 
I am in complete agreement with the apparently general consensus that most of the trading books out there are fairly worthless. I have read easily over 100 books on the market and trading, and regard almost all of them as fireplace fodder.

However, let's get some more titles on this thread. Also, a brief sentence or two explaining your choice would be appreciated.

EDIT: I just noticed, upon posting, that a few more titles were mentioned. Thanks for that. Please keep it coming, with a sentence or two about your rationale. Further, if you had the misfortune of reading the book in question during your early, formative period as a trader, did it set you back strategically and/or financially (beyond the cost of the book)?
 
Quote from austinp:

Any how-to book on trading sold for less than $500 (with lone exception of Thomas N. Bulkowski chart patterns editions) are worthless...
More...
To be candid, I would be no less suspicious of expensive material. There are plenty of reptiles out there who know that some people automatically associate price with value, and don't hesitate to exploit that perception. Although this is a bit off topic, would you care to name a few worthy candidates in that price stratosphere?
 
<b>Thunder</b>, there are no books I'm aware of priced at $500 or greater. Value of real nuts & bolts info starts above there. Not to give a public plug in violation of spam policy here, but I know of several successful emini traders who bought info priced around $4,000 from someone in Texas :eek: who teaches various chart patterns to trade. While it isn't something I personally use, the info there can provide a very sound basis for trading success.

Likewise, there are brief courses for sale in the $500 area from proven traders that give a solid base to operate from. One example is a 1,2,3 pattern course offered by a high-profile veteran trader, which definitely works.

In certain market conditions I use that specific info to catch moves in the ER that otherwise run away from any other signal. I spent $395 for the CD, and it has returned many times that cost in a few ER trades this year alone. Might even use it today, should the markets get surprised by FOMC and start blowing up or down the charts real hard.

**

As for the $20 to $50 books? All I've ever read offer nothing to me at this point of my career, exception being Bulkowski's on certain price patterns applicable to short-term trading.
 
something along the lines of "how i made 1mm in the stock market" forgot who wrote it or actually could care less. luckily I borrowed from the local library and did not have to put forward any earned money. Ego maniac that tells how he could pick the bottom everytime during the tech bust and instead of going short.
 
Can anyone who's read any of Thomas N. Bulkowski's books provide some insight into how helpful they would be to someone interested in the futures markets? I read the reviews of his books and they seemed mainly geared to individual stocks, is this so or would it be beneficial to read and apply to any financial instrument?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top