http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_criterion Size your bets at half Kelly. There, I saved you the price of a book
I just finished reading Profitability and Systematic Trading by M. Harris and although I do not like all that code at the end because I will not use it, the book has one of the best chapters in risk and money management I have ever seen, for practical traders, not for academic research.
Once you have a "set-up" that you have been using consistently and therefore have a decent idea of what your risk/reward is, then half-Kelly is an excellent way to go IMO. Joe.
As simplistic as they are, I think the Turtle money management rules are a good read, especially if you're just starting out and don't want to get slapped in the face with mathematics. Best of all, you can find the rules with an internet search, so you're not out a single cent.
The 2 books I would look into are: Trading Risk from Kenneth Grant and Profitability and Systematic Trading by M. Harris. Also you can follow this link for a quick and simple look into money management: http://financialsaint.com/cms/cms/viewer/page/422
just read poker sit & go bankroll theory articles off of twoplustwo.com that is all i am using and i have found it to be more applicative and useful than the system my company uses
Yes, and the 1/2 to 1/4 part is key. Full Kelly has the uncomfortable property that it will pass through N% of your account N% of the time on the way to maximizing growth. Most people couldn't stand the idea of passing through say 30% of their initial balance, and with good reason.