Trading Books

It is hard to believe that so many individuals and companies could have been so treasonous at the time our service personnel were laying their very lives on the line to protect their investments, reputations, and the world from the likes of Hitler.

This is a book that gives you insight into some of America's
corporation that actually traded with the Nazis during World War II.You are given actual names of some powers in American industry
who did business with Nazi Germany during the war. Some of the biggest corporations in the Unites States profited due to "Trading With The Enemy".Some of the companies that are named in this book are still in operation today.This is a good history
book that serves as an exposure of American business. This is
definitely a very good read. It might change your outlook on
American history.

This is a difficult to read book. Author is trying to state that Americans helped the Nazis during WWII. I believe he does prove that some high Americans had contact with the German government during the war. However he leaps to conclusions, which are fantastic. Historical fact is disregarded. He refers to all Germans as Nazis. We know that this is simply not true. He charges some Americans with not only doing business as usual, but also trying to impede the American war effort. Batt , vice chairman of the War Production Board was detailed as helping the government work out its war production problems, but also aiding and abetting the Nazis by keeping the production in his factories low. These are allegations he publishes, with little support. Some of this book is true and is disturbing, but other stories are just tales, and should be labeled fiction. If you think that the CIA killed Kennedy or that Elvis is still alive, then this is the book to read.

In any newsreport from any war-era to anyplace of wartorn politics, with any research - United States is also a global business entity and that even includes financial aid, military aid, survival aid, technical support. And all of this at times gets thrown back at us. As by war, economic balance etc.Even with lives lost and property lost.Trading with the Enemy is exactly that during the Nazi era and US (copperations, companies, financial organizations, megamoney people) directly or indirectly supported the Nazis. This does get into account of who and what did. Truth is 'wilder' than fiction!

Anyone following current news should read this book. Most Americans are not aware of the technology we peddle overseas that gets shot back at us. This book reveals that there is some history of doing this.

The book is a great guide to understanding the different models used on Wall Street to capture the intricacies of modeling and pricing derivatives. The books focus of using models as a tool and NOT a solution is a great reminder to both traders and salespeople.
This summarized when the author describes the pricing of a digital cliquet.
"Those sellers using local Vol models will certainly value a digital cliquet at a lower price than sellers using stochastic volatility. Perversely then, those sellers using an inadequate model will almost certainly win the deal and end up short a portfolio of misvalued forward-starting digital options. OR even worse, a dealer could have an appropriate valuation approach but be pushed internally by the salespeople to match (mistaken) competitors' lower prices."

I found this book by Jim Gatheral very useful from a practical standpoint. His insight for trading applications is remarkable. I reccommend this book to any derivative trader to read from cover to cover. Its filled w/ useful tips and concepts that will save you and your firm from the many pitfalls that arise in marketers trying to satisfy their clients at the house's expense.

Managers should make this required reading for all traders.

The Volatility Surface is a MUST READ for anyone who desires a deep and practical understanding of the pricing and risk management of derivative claims. Thoughtful enough for academics but accessible to the practicioner. The picture on the back jacket is a masterpiece as well.

Too often we see authors unnecessarily overcomplicate mathematics. Jim Gatheral on the other hand does the reverse. By taking a difficult subject and presenting in a wonderfully concise and pedagogic style he shares with the reader his deep knowledge of volatility. Such an important financial quantity which still appears to invoke fear, Jim Gatheral uses his enviable blend of master practitioner and brilliant academic to combine both the real-world finance principles together with the underlying mathematics to demystify volatility.

The working is beautifully laid out, in a manner that is patient, friendly and approachable - and shows that quant finance need not look greek! This is the measure of a true genius!

As a teacher of mathematical finance, I have no hesitation in strongly recommending this book to students, researchers and practitioners in the field of derivatives.

Jim Gatheral has done everyone in quant fin a service by gathering and organizing his lectures, practical execution issues, and experience in this welcome volume, The Volatility Surface: A Practitioner's Guide. This is simply an excellent, clear work that defies the logic that good valuable books in finance don't get written because authors make more money elsewhere. Compare Gatheral with the execrable collection of disjointed papers with Jarrow's name slapped on it (Volatility, Jarrow, et al,1998). This is the book they were trying to write, but it took a practitioner who had his hands dirty and worked hard to try to explain what he was doing to write it.

Topics are rolled out extremely well, and Gatheral dives right in to where practitioners swim: volatility isn't a single data point, or a smile, but a surface and needs to be thought of that way. In explicating the volatility surface and the possible explanations for shapes Gatheral raises the level of conversation for everyone in the field: this is the way we must think of volatility now (until something better comes along, but given the curse of dimensionality my guess is we will be here for a very long time).

This is an excellent, necessary book. Full disclosure: I am not an expert in this field and only have friends who are (many of them are editorial and AMAZON reader reviewers cited here). This book assists me in having interesting and comprehensible conversations with them, but if there are any flaws they likely would escape me. So far, my friends who are experts all agree: thank you Jim Gatheral, excellent job. Very helpful and well worth the money.

For some unfathomable reason the publisher issued this via their "childrens book" imprint. The implication that this is not for a mature audience may have kept it from getting the notice it deserves.

Harriet McBryde Johnson is a great story-teller and that most of her stories reflect her own experience is natural. That they also have broader social/political ramifications (without being "preachy") is equally important.

This is a milestone in disability rights literature largely because it gets so much of significance about the "movement" across in a format that should be accessible to mainstream folks.

Love.

ok. i liked this book. it was cute. girl with disablities, makes friends at camp and finds out about herself. and there were some good parts but i kinda sorta expected more. you know? i expected it to be deeper, MORE deeper. and the letter to Willie at the end was a little like the epilouge in harry potter: cute, but if you're going to write one, tell us about everyone.

other then that i liked it. =]. the walkie talkie thing was cute too.

This novel is fresh and unique, and will open your mind and your eyes to a differenty way of viewing the world. Like much of her work in the disability rights arena, and her essays, Harriet McBryde Johnson challenges traditional notions of normality. She may also be giving us a peek into what she, herself, was like as a teenager--fiercely intelligent, independent, and a bit of a troublemaker. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Jean always believed that she was just like everyone else: a pretty, popular, high school senior. The fact that she used a wheelchair did not matter to her, or to anyone. That was before she arrived at Camp Courage. It is there that she meets Sara, an assertive, outspoken, disability rights advocate who makes Jean question everything she thought she knew about herself and the world. Jean begins to learn about disability pride and that being different can be an empowering experience.

I went to a camp for people with disabilities for many years. I always had a good time there and look back on that time in my life with fond memories. I always felt respected as a person with only a couple exceptions. Reading about Jean's experience made me glad that I went to the camp I attended. I do not think anyone there was evil. It was just interesting to read the seemingly divergent viewpoints of the campers and staff. I also found it fascinating reading about living with a disability in a time before any civil rights protections had been enacted for people with disabilities.

The epilogue was frustrating for me, until I realized this was probably a true story. Books like this make me realize how important it is for me to be involved in disability advocacy. I am very glad I read this book and even if you do not have a disability, I think the themes of discovering who you are and who you want to be are very relatable.

Jean feels fantastic about her place in the world. Why shouldn't she? She's seventeen, an honor student at Crosstown High School, her friends are great, and her family supports all of her dreams. But this summer, Jean spreads her wings, away from the cocoon of her parents, friends, and her small town, and spends time at Camp Courage--"Crip Camp," as the campers sarcastically refer to it--a camp for children with physical and mental disabilities, and she finds her confidence is shaken. For the first time, Jean must admit that, because of her cerebral palsy, she is different from the other kids at her high school.

Set in 1970 with an epilogue to bring the reader into the year 2000, ACCIDENTS OF NATURE is an excellent overview of how kids with a range of challenges--cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, amputations, autism, asthma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy--feel condescended to by the world. For example, to make sure no one feels bad at the camp carnival, everyone
wins a prize at the games. Jean and her friend Sara refuse to play, on the basis that there is no challenge in playing a game if one is certain to win. The games then become a metaphor for Crip life, as Jean muses:

"When the games are rigged, does it make everyone a winner--or no one? ... I believe in competition. The program seems to be that handicapped people aren't up to it; we can only pretend to be winners. I don't want to pretend. I want to achieve, really achieve. Or I will take my disappointments just like anyone else" (p. 136).

Johnson captures the pain, anger, and fear of being shunned by the "normal" world in the character of Sara, and explores the naiveté of thinking that no one notices one's differences in the character of Jean. Weaving the two together through the bond of friendship, Johnson creates a captivating, educational storyline.

The overwhelming negative of this book--and the reason I am awarding four stars instead of five--is the epilogue. Without giving away the ending, I'll say that I'm not sure what the author was thinking when she wrote this epilogue; I can think of no other way to describe it but as frustrating, aggravating, and absolutely annoying. Ms. Johnson, what were you thinking?

Still, ACCIDENTS OF NATURE is an excellent book, overall, and well worth a reader's time; I recommend it with a strong four stars.

Reviewed by: Mechele R. Dillard

In their new book, Perry and Schweitzer make perfectly clear that Antisemitism is not merely a social problem but an international, religious, and political one, and is not limited to those categories. They do not bash anyone but fulfill the historian's responsibility of precise analysis and interpretation based on evidence. It is utterly wrong to believe that no one can really understand Antisemitism: Thanks to books like this one, it is well and widely understood. The authors hold out real hope for those who seek to combat Antisemitism, and give an example of what can be done by their part in the successful struggle to rebut and utterly discredit the notorious Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel. One of the great merits of this book is its demonstration that Antisemitism was created by non-Jews and is in essence a problem for non-Jews. They make it clear that peace and reconciliation between Jews and non-Jews will not come through pious hopes and the vague goodwill of loving those who hate you. Appropriately, an editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch urged Congressman Moran and Patrick Buchanan to get over their absurd prejudices and delusions about Jews by studying this book.

Since the 1967 Israeli-Arab War, antisemitism has been revived throughout the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. The age old canards of ritual murder and deicide, and the recent ones of holocaust denial and anti-Zionism have gathered new adherants among Islamics and Christians.
The authors of 'ANTISEMITISM', Marvin Perry and Frederick M. Schweitzer, have written a very readable and scholarly work explaining clearly the genesis and development of the many ugly heads of antisemitism. The factual material presented leads to conclusions which are not necessarily 'politically correct', but are logically sound. The authors describe the historical basis of religious and racial antisemitism which enables the reader to better understand the recent works of Catholic writers such as James Carrol and Gary Wills which deal with church bigotry. The present day use of well-worn anti-Judaic myths by Islamic fundamentalists and their camp followers are dealt with in an understandable manner. The authors collectively bring decades of scholarly expertise in writing this important book.

Marvin Perry and Frederick Schweitzer have written an important treatment of the origins and development of antisemitism from antiquity to the present. The authors begin with the account of the death and trial of Jesus in the gospels which portray the
Jews as "Christ Killers," creating a myth that has been nourished in the Christian church throughout the centuries. The second chapter covers the outrageous and absurd accusation that the Jews practice murder of Christian children as a religious ritual. Such allegations, common in the Middle Ages, began to appear again in the 17th century in eastern Europe. This blood libel is still flourishing, especially in Arab countries,

The third major subject is the demonization of the Jews: Christians equated the Jews with Satan or the Antichrist during the Middle Ages, and the Jews were blamed for the Black Death. Luther laid the foundations for German antisemitism, although the authors point out that "anti-Judaism during the middle Ages and the Reformation was essentially theological, not racial." A racial anti-Judaism arose in Spain, where it was argued that the Jews were wicked not only because of religion but also because they had bad blood. In the 19th century, extreme nationalism and Volkish thought (which saw the Jew as a racial inferior) set the scene for modern, racial antisemitism. Another
strand of calumny centers around the notorious forgery, the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, which lays out a conspiracy on the part of leading Jews to take over the world. The authors show that the Protocols was widely accepted in Germany and was an important ingredient, along with Volkish nationalism, in the Germans' acceptance of the Nazi doctrine of racial antisemitism. More recently, the Protocols have found
widespread approbation in the Muslim world.

Chapter four concerns the economic view of the Jew as Shylock. Again, the authors trace this phenomenon from the Middle Ages into modern times. A very interesting section deals with Karl Marx's antisemitism in his essay "On the Jewish Question," and
Werner Sombart's writings in support of Marx's views. A particularly sad conclusion to the chapter details Henry Ford's use of the Protocols of Zion which led Hitler to declare that Ford was his inspiration.

The final chapter deals with the denial of the Holocaust by neo-Nazis. After addressing the views of individual deniers of the Holocaust, the authors refute the myth itself. The final topic is the growing antisemitism in the black community. The authors argue that, although Jews were heavily represented in the civil rights movement, there has been a deepening alienation between African Americans and Jews. Louis Farrakhan, as head of the Nation of Islam, has taken advantage of this alienation and exacerbated it.

This study, based on the latest scholarship, is carefully conceived and well-written. Its spirit is ecumenical and irenic. Its subtitle, "Myth and Hate from Antiquity to the
Present," neatly sums up its contents. Its timeliness is underscored by the recent statements of the prime minister of Malaysia at a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Echoing the conspiracy theory of the Protocols of Zion, he asserted that the Jews rule the world by proxy and that they invented socialism and communism.

Perry and Schweitzer have written an interesting and informative analysis of why the Jewish people have faced so much hatred and adversity throughout their history, including up to the present. The authors look at a number of myths about Jews, such as Jews as Christ killers and ritual murderers, the diabolization of Jews, denial of the Holocaust and anti-semitism and the Nation of Islam. Each myth is examined and debunked through a reasoned analysis of historical fact. This is an important book for today's world as many of these myths continue to live on, as evidenced by Holocaust deniers and events such as the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's not yet released film, The Passion, depicting the trial and death of Jesus. Although slow going at times, as a layperson, I found this scholarly work quite readable and highly worthwhile.

There are so many books attempting to understand a hatred that has morphed like an indestructable virus from the religious hatred inspired by the gospels, to the social hatred that survived the reformation, to the racial and political hatred that brought us the holocaust, that one questions the need for yet another. This volume is a worthy addition.

The authors counters the Christian anti semitism with a critcal assessment of the gospels. They counter the absurd tales of blood libel with factual counter evidence. They counter the ridiculuous economic conspiracies with a bright illumination on the modern devlopments of capitalism, communism and democracy. Yet they readily acknowledged that the myths have such a strong hold on the ignorant and the hateful that it is often impervious to logic and evidence.

Their best addition to the liturgy is the chapter on holocaust deniers; the reader will become well equipped to defray these thinly disguised anti semitic frauds. They also devote a chapter (there are only 6) on the Nation of Islam (not to be confused with traditional Islam) as led by Farrakhan and the anti semitism they have established in the black community.

He soundly trounces the publishing of the "The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews," a "protocol' like document that aims to stir black anti-semitism by blaming the Jews for the centuries of black degradation of the slave trade. While filled with very official looking footnotes and facts that may dupe the ignorant it is another ridiculous anti semtic fraud that the authors clearly place in the same trash heap as the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion and the Holocaust deniers.

The book spends less time analyzing anti-semitism in the Arab world, but that alone could consume volumes; (Read The Return of Anti-Semitsm by Gabriel Schoenfeld) and they do not devote much attention to anti semitism of the modern political Left. For that see The New Anti Semitsm by Phyllis Chesler or The Changing Face of Anti Semitsm by Walter Lacqueur.

In spite of those noted shortcomings it is well written, offers detailed response to specific antisemtic charges and adds more information about the deniers and the Nation of Islam followers. For those who want to learn how to respond to modern anti-semtic charges this may be the best single book of a very distinguished group of new writing on the longest hatred.

Ever wondered what the guy behind the wheel is thinking of the ambulances you see stuck behind a#@!holes who just keep driving and won't get of the way? Or what that guy thinks of busy body members of public who want to gawk at the "free entertainment" that is some poor person goes through the indignity of needing their help. Then Blood, Sweat and Tea is the book for you!

Brian Kellett (or better known as his online pseudonym Tom Reynolds) takes the reader on the journey that is life as a London Emergency Medical Technician. This book will have you laughing out loud at the stupidity of the public and shaking it at the same time as you realise these dregs of society are delaying ambulances and tying up their time while those who need them die waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The book is a series of online blog entries throughout the year of 2003 (from the author's popular blog website Random Reality which makes it extremely easy to pick up and put down again when you need to or only have a few minutes to spare and fill in that time.

During 2003 Reynolds drives both normal ambulances as well as a Fast Response vehicle (vehicle which can arrive on scene faster and therefore before ambulances for the most severe call outs). Reynolds has a number of serious and heartbreaking clients as well as a lot of lighter entries as well. He also recounts the day he found out about the London terrorist bombings and went into work on his day off to help out and do what he could.

Some examples of the idiots he comes across and writes about are pedestrians who walk out in front of him when he has the sirens on and lights flashing. People who open the back door and abuse him for blocking the road while he is doing life saving work on a patient. People who use the ambulance service as a taxi. People who use it for insurance scams such as whiplash. Morbidly obese people who injure paramedics who are lifting them and who often die as results of the delays their excessive weight has caused. Motorists who flash their headlights in anger as the ambulance crosses onto the wrong side of the road to get around traffic at an intersection. There's hundreds more.

You can't help but like the author and hope if you ever need an ambulance, you get someone like him. You'd like to think that those who are tying up the ambulances with unnecessary call outs will learn from this book but something tells me they are too stupid or cool as they see it to read a book.

I'm also not sure in fact I highly doubt it but there are some other really good funny books also under the author name Tom Reynolds called Touch Me, I'm Sick: The 52 Creepiest Love Songs You've Ever Heard, and I Hate Myself and Want to Die: The 52 Most Depressing Songs You've Ever Heard. Those books are written by someone claiming to live in the USA (Wisconsin if my memory is correct) so they are probably a different guy but they are funny and Reynolds is a pseudonym in this book so they could well be the same guy. I recommend reading them though, whether its the same guy or not.

If there's ever a sequel to Blood, Sweat & Tea, I'll buy it as this is a damn good interesting book!

This is what being in an ambulance is like. Everything from being called cause someone feels funny, because they've taken grass, to the heartbreaking infant deaths, this has it all. Some of it is scary stuff and his advice on Blogging and Keeping your Job is priceless, I was very moved and cried at least once (the entry Victims is heartbreaking). It covers a year in the life of Tom, the year is 2003, Tom wavers between being caught up with the family dramas and a sense of unreality about it all. There are times when I really felt sorry for him and times that I wanted to slap him and remind him that he could be that person some day. I don't blame him for his attitude, he has to keep sane somehow.

The minute I could I subscribed to the RSS feed for his blog.

I would recommend this book to anyone thinking about becoming a health worker. Even if it means just so you can understand how it is for those people on the other side of the line.

Why only 4*? The blog is 5*.

Honestly, this is a fabulous book. It is in my top 10 for the year! From the moment I picked it up I loved it, and it has been responsible for many bouts of laughter amongst myself, my colleagues at work and my family at home.

Being an ambulance officer myself, I can totally relate to the jobs the author has written about. It amazed me that half a world away EMT's are suffering the same highs and lows as we are.

If you have ever wondered what type of work we are going to as we scream past you lights and sirens, then this is the book for you. It is well written and has a good mix of the humourous sides of the job, the frustrations that can be faced, and the times of sympathy for the patient and their respective families.

You won't be disppointed in this book, regardless if you are and EMT yourself or just plain curious .... Highly recommended!!!

Blood, Sweat and Tea started as a blog called Random Acts of Reality. The author of both is an EMT for the London Ambulance Service in East London. Having read some of the entries transcribed in the book I realized that I have read them in the blog, though at the time I was not a regular subscriber to the blog. I've enjoyed the book enough to subscribe to the blog so I will be a regular reader in the future.

Therein is the main problem with the book, it is a better blog than it is a book. Without the blog framework of date stamps and comments it is hard to see the natural flow of events from one day to the next. The book also removes most of the "off topic" entries that the blog has. These off topic posts provide a segue between the EMT posts so much of Reynold's personality doesn't come through except for when he's complaining about his job.

While books and blogs both involve the written word, they are organized differently. Blogs like diaries are organized naturally by the dates on which entries are written. Books don't always work when organized chronologically and Blood, Sweat and Tea certainly would have benefited from some organization. The title itself could have provided inspiration for three separate categories that the blog entries could have been organized under: "Blood" or the actual emergencies, "Sweat" the annoying day to day grind of the job and "Tea" for the humorous or off topic entries. The book's jumble of topics gets in the way of reading the book at a normal pace.

I've never read the original blog that this is apparently from, nor have I ever worked in the emergency services. But if you want a great book that you can pick up and read any amount of, large or small, in a single sitting, without having to remember any plot details or break-off mid chapter then this is the one. A fascinating insite into how stupid / tragic / brave / interesting ordinary people can be, and how the emergency services deal with them. I almost got 'roids through sitting there far too long while reading this - there's always "just one more" anecdote to read before putting it down. Fingers crossed he brings out another, I don't care if it's a cut and paste from some website I've never seen. I hope the ambulance-bosses read it as well, and learn what it's like for the people on the "front line".

This book is the perfect "study at home" manual for the Aikido student. It's hard to remember all the Aikido techniques, and this book is exactly what the student needs for that purpose. I would recommend it to anyone studying Aikido.

This is the English translation of the volume by Aikido Founder Ueshiba Morihei called "Budo Renshu" ("Budo Training"). Ueshiba Sensei's first book, this volume was originally published in 1933. Techniques are illustrated with drawings and accompanied by brief narrative instructions. The techniques are MUCH closer (in fact, nearly identical) to Daito Ryu Jujutsu than the flowing post-World War II Aikido, as Ueshiba Sensei was still associated with his D.R.J. teacher, Takeda Sogaku. You will also get a taste of the original philosophy of Ueshiba's martial art, as a section called "Secret Teachings of Bu-do", composed of 38 poems he wrote, even includes one poem which alludes to the martial strength of Imperial Japan;

" 'Bu' received from the Gods at the beginning of the world,
Is ours for protecting the nation:
The Emperor's exhalted voice!" [....]

As most works on Aikido present the philosophy of Aikido developed by Ueshiba Morihei in the aftermath of WWII, this book offers a unique look at the art BEFORE it had reached its final stage of development. It was written during a period of time when combat was still necessary to survival, and a practical art was more likely to have a "-jutsu" attatched to the end of its name than a "-do". This was Aikido in the days before deep philosophical theories and teachings based on love and flow. Ueshiba sensei was 50 years old at the time this volume was published. It is a lot of fun to go through this book and compare the techniques with those used in modern forms of Aikido, as well as related schools like Hapkido. If you're interested in the development of grappling arts or in considering the development of Aikido as an art, this book will be useful for you.

Aikido was invented during the early 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba. His art can be called the art of peace and simplicity. It's probabily the only Japanese martial art that can defend against Chinese martial artists.

Ueshiba learned all sorts of Chinese martial arts and remodeled it into a simplified version of self-defending. He is a really open-minded artist -- he does not refuse absorbing anything that is good for his purpose. He removed the ingredient of attacking, and created Aikido.

He is a very intelligent man. The intelligence transformed into the way of Aikido. His idea is to make you collapse yourself if you attack him!

I read the Japanese edition of this book, and I would recommend this book to all people who love Chinese and Japanese martial arts.

If you are learning some sort of martial art, this book is a really nice reference as well.

But don't forget Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do!! They have something very similar -- the simplicity.

This is the first book written by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. This was intended as a technical manual for his students and not for those outside the Dojo. It has the diagrams for completing 166 techniques. If you are looking for a book to explain Aikido and the History of O'Sensei, this is not the book for you. But if you want to have the Book that O'Sensei wanted his students to use for review.....this is a must.

Supposedly, Morihei Ueshiba gave this manual to all students who had attained 3rd dan (which was teaching certificate at the time) and it contained many of the more advanced and secret techniques in Aikido. So I was elated when this book came out and bought it with expectation that with the secret technique written in this book, I can finally become like O'Sensei and beat up 200,000 people and finally avenge the death of my master.

Unfortunately for me, and my master, this book contained no new secret techniques which enabled me to gain superhuman powers and flip people over just with my death stare. In fact, I had already known 99% of techniques in this book. Furthermore, Aikido techniques are mostly Ki (internal power) and footwork, and this book concentrates mostly on the upper body techniques, which are neccessary, but certainly not advanced techniques.

it's about time for a new edition. Since 2002 there is Solaris 10, ASE 15.0.2, Oracle 11g, etc. I agree with all of the 5 star reviewers and there were no print quality issues with my copy. Biggest problem would be for Mr. Packer to assimilate and digest all of the information from the new RDBMS software available now. If I could I would give this book 6 stars. (By the way, many of the chapters would still be relevant for specific RDBMSs running on AIX, HP, Linux, etc.)

The content of the book is very good; with information not found elsewhere.

The print quality is horrible. Some of the pages are visibly crooked, and illustrations with grayscale detail look like they are photocopies of photocopies. The gradient on the chapter headings suffer from this too.

I bought this book thinking that i would get some good ideas in order to get a little bit more performance from our servers, however once i started reading i could not put it down until 5 hours later.
It cuts all the small talk, and it breaks down every topic in an understandable format and teaches you what you really need to know.
The section on how to improve DISK performance was great, i implemented many things that i learned from reading this book.
Just buy it, you wont regretit.
Its a small price to pay for a good piece of mind.

This books answers the questions that most others do not. A very technical approach, with great editing and no errors. The books covers architectural issues, Oracle tuning but scores really big in optimizing the Solaris environment (OS and hardware/disk).

This book doesn't belong on your bookshelf it belongs on your desk beside your workstation. Mr. Packer's clarity, conciseness and comprehensiveness in his coverage of a complex topic is a tour de force that few technical writers are able to achieve these days. Written for an intelligent reader in mind, the subject matter is explained simply, directly and elegantly. No profusions of analogies, this author knows what he's talking about and he can explain it.

The organization of the chapters is first-rate. You can get to the heart of the matter with a quick glance at the table of content. The indexing is excellent. I'm amazed that I can find an entry for most of the topics I'm looking up. It has become my first point of reference for configuration and tuning issues.

Do yourself a favour, BUY IT! I'm already looking forward to the second edition of this masterpiece.

This book is a fantastic resource for investors who are new to convertibles, convertible experts and everyone in between. It provides a great breadth of topics as well as a perfect amount of depth. It covers the full range of convertible products, the theory behind them and convertible investing strategies. I'll be keeping this book handy.

Hart Woodson has put together an easy to understand guide to convertibles. The book covers all aspects for hedge funds to outright purchasers of the product on a global basis. In depth enough for the seasoned professional and yet basic enough for those trying to understand convertibles for the first time.

Quite a few books have been written about the specialized subject of convertible securities, but Hart Woodson has distinguished himself by writing a comprehensive book that includes all of the latest types of convertible securities as well as the latest strategies--in plain language that a beginner could comprehend, and with sophisticated equations included for the sophisticated quant. Better still, the book is not simply an ad for convertibles nor for his employer, Gabelli Asset Management. The pitfalls as well as the potentials are described. Hart can write. Hart has broad experience. He puts it all together in this practical book.

A must read for anyone interested in a clear and consise review of all the relevant information regarding this timely topic. Mr. Woodson demonstrates his precise and broad understanding of all the issues surrounding convertible investing, and presents such knowledge in a profounding easy to read fashion. This one shouldn't be missed. Clearly one of the authoritative sources out there!!

I am unsure what book the rest of the reviewers are reading; but it was not this one. The book is not only ambiguous, but poorly crafted with topical transitions sloppy. I can comfortably say that there is not a single section of the book that adequately unveils the dynamics of various convertible instruments or their pricing. Indeed, the book reads more like a glossary than an explanatory text and for persons new to converts, the spate of regurgitated pricing theories will likely do more harm then good. Perhaps the one strength of the text is that it serves as a broad reference for readers truly interested in converts to seek out more educative pieces. For more informed readers, modest incremental knowledge seems to be the only gain.

For those who had not read any other Gann's trading book, this is an excellent choice. I assure you that you would be fascinated by Gann's superb insight and intelligence that had transcended over half a century. Though it focused primarily on commodities, the principles are applicable to stock trading as well. Traders can definitely benefit from them.

For those who had read other Gann's books before, you may feel that this one is quite similar to his previous books (this is Gann's last book published). In fact, the rules set here are over 95% identical with those laid out in "45 Years in Wall Street" Gann published two years before this. However, as one reviewer wrote that the above average price ($49) of this highly valuable book is still lower than one single pip of a commodity futures contract, I think it should still be an essential item in any Gann friend's personal collection.

If i could keep just one of my gann books this one would be it , it is packed full of ideas even a non gann follower could benifit from this book.

I like this book. It does not promise "90% accurate signals" or treat reader with condescension. It teaches three things: 1) "swing trading" methods, 2) how to pay attention, 3) never forget stop loss orders.

The book itself is structured in three large parts: 1) W.D. Gann's approach to markets and trader's discipline, 2) examples of trading patterns from various commodities all the way from 19th century, 3) addendum from 1951 with some more details and clarifications.

Some people complain that Gann's writing style is too monotonous and droning. It is true in the sense that he does not entertain. But he does cover more ground than all those easy-reading "Trading for Dummies" book which are typeset in triple space with large charts.

Parts of this book and interpretations of Gann's methods are available on the web - but it is still nice to have it as a book.

This book is a hodge-podge of techniques presented in a droning, labored style. However, literary taste is not what draws traders to the works of Gann. Gann's writings supposedly contain "hidden clues" as to how to forecast price levels at a specific time in the future for financial instruments.

Applying an honest effort to Gann's material, it appears that the SP500 index (SPX) should sell at 1172.50 on Wednesday, 11/03/04. I am writing this review on Monday, October 4, 2004 when the index is priced at 1137.22. If this projection is close to the mark - you may want to consider buying this book.

WD Gann wrote this updated version of the book in 1951. Yes, 1951. His methodologies and style, as well as his world view, are so....well 1950's. However, what he provides to those of us who want to be successful in trading commodites is a broad set of 'do's and dont's' that you can find in nearly every trading book written today. You know, "stop loss orders", "dont over trade", "never risk more than X%" of your capital on a given trade, "let your winning trade's ride", "get out of a bad trade immediately", "when in doubt, there is no doubt".... We have read them all before. NONE of this is of any real value to the modern trader. However, what is of value, is getting a recognition of the painstaking historical analysis that WD Gann went through BEFORE he traded any commodities. This book includes several 100 year analyses of all the traded commodities of his time. The analyses include what happened in the "month of September in 1897" in cotton. And then that is followed by the next relevant technical occurance, which happened in October of 1897. He does this for many of the commodites of the time from 1841 to 1941. What the reader comes away with in my opinion, is that commodities are cyclical in nature. And that if you can holistically 'feel' the history and the motion of the cycles that exist in each commodity, you can trade more effectively. This includes understanding the 'how we got here' and the relevant bigger picture points that one can glean from looking at the historical data on a specific commodity. For example, that in the last 100 years (1841-1941), (I am making this up) Corn has reached a new yearly high in the month of June 22 times, and a new low in August 36 times. Whereas, new highs were reached in February only 2 times, and new lows reached in December 2 times. This information is valuable to a trader who knows what to do with this type of information. In my view, dont look to this book for more information on "how to trade" as much as you should look at 'what to do' to improve your chances of success. One last note, if you are looking to get some background or academic knowledge on how GANN lines are used, or GANN Boxes or any of the other GANN ascribed technical tools used or invented by GANN, this book DOES NOT show, teach or discuss any of them.

I had never even heard of the I Ching before I was introduced to this book and after reading the front inside and back inside covers was doing my first reading! The rest of the book was just as easy to read and understand. I was disappointed when the book ended! The real life adventures only helped me to understand this complex and very interesting form of divination. Anyone interested in any of the divination arts should have this book!!!

OK, maybe I'm slightly biased (co-author Amy __is__ my mom and I __did__ write the foreward) but I still think this is one of the best new books on the I-Ching in twenty years. The fact is, most books on the I-Ching are arcane and difficult to understand and make this wonderful tool for decision-making almost impossible to use. Amy and Rod's book makes it easy for regular (i.e. non-academic) people to use the I-Ching in their daily life. What more could you want?

If you're an academic student of the I-Ching, then you'll want to review this book for general ideas about a different, more "utilitarian" approach than Wilhelm and others. However, if you're a person who just wants to find an interesting entry into a thousand-year-old divination tool, then you'll LOVE this book.

And please, let me know if you disagree.

Charlie

What gets me about this version is not only is it glib and superficial, not only do they teach you away of coming up with a hexagram that is totally bogus from a mathematical point of view--it's that they don't even seem to have any idea what some of the lines mean.

But please, don't take my word for it. Pretend you just drew hexagram 55 with the fourth line being the one you read (the changing line). Here is what Alfred Huang, who has the best i ching on the market, says:
"The fourth line corresponds with the bottom line. They are both yang lines and their situations are the same. The bottom line thinks of the fourth line as his "corresponding lord." The fourth place considers the yang element at the bottom as "his lord of like nature." --seeking a positive companion--brings good fortune."

In other words, it's telling you whoever you are asking about is someone you have a deep compatability with. You like them and they like you. You will probably bond.

Now check out what is in the easy i ching: "Heavy curtains cut out all the light. Cut off from the light and in the dark. This is an obstructed and unsuitable position. Confusion and lies abound. You cannot see or be seen. When you understand the confusion, you will see the light."

Hello? Where did they get all that negative crap? They just made it up, apparently. This is a fairly positive line but they don't have any idea on earth what it even means. Do you really want to bother buying an i ching put together by incompetents who have no idea what they are even talking about? Listen, my friend, there's a reason you can buy this thing used for a buck and a half--it's garbage.

I enjoyed this book.Its an easy book to understand and written in simple English.Simple instructions to learn I Ching.Printed in reasonable size print too.(I didnt need to wear my glasses).The authors method for a reading is simple too.
I prefer their method.Overall,a good book with plenty of information make this book an ideal beginners book.You can learn to do an I Ching reading for yourself within minutes of starting to read this book.This is a good size book.Larger than most,and,good quality.Not a cheap book on cheap paper.Good value.This should be the first book you buy on I Ching.

I also recommend these books:
1)"I Ching:a new interpretation for modern times".
By Sam Reifler.
2)"Practical guide to the I Ching".By Kim-Anh Lim.

This is an excellent practical explanation of the I Ching, making it easy to use. I have a few I Ching books, but this is by far the easiest to understand and use for daily divination. Even the book construction makes it an awesome tool - the page edges are rough, making it easy to flip through and the back page diagram of upper/lower trigrams makes finding the right trigram number simple.