... the way I feel about it (speed reading) - I mean, you gunna do this with a book on trading/investing?? Ain't that kinda a little breakneck? I mean, when I read a book on trading I mark up every other paragragh/sentence with a yellow highlighter - I try to absorb everything the book has to offer and make sure I understand all possible segues into knowledge the writer has to offer that could help me learn how to improve my trading. Did I mention putting post-it (side) notes into the pages and writing down in a journal my own thoughts as they come to me while reading a particular book? Maybe I go a little overboard ... these books represent one of the few ways I have to even access trading knowledge to learn how to trade better. ol
harrytrader wrote: > Book Review : "A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market" > When a mathematician plays stock market it's a catastrophe or > rather he is just another Irving Fisher because not all > mathematicians should be alike ... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465054803/104-4679101-9329556?v=glance Reading this book (which I have) is entertaining but mostly a waste of time. If you are really interested in the what mathematicians are doing w.r.t. markets at least in terms of models, there are several books but I would start with browsing the online journal http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/Quant rather than books like this. As anyone can clearly see, what math people are doing is quantitative Technical Analysis.
Dave, I hear you. Most of the people I know are traders, so this is a mute point amongst us, as we all derive our living from the markets, some of us a more humble living then others. But I have learned an important lesson in life (more than one I assure you.) Some people will believe what they want in the face of _any_ evidence, even smart people. Here is the funny thing. When you are doing OK as a trader or investor, people will argue with you that it cannot be done. You argue back that it can because in a sense, if these people are your friends, you want some sort of recognition from them, or in some cases, you simply believe you have done something hard and want to let the world know how smart you are. But a funny thing happens when you are blatantly good and start having monster years. All of a sudden, if you are that kind of person, are driving Ferrari's and are moving into a $5M house on ocean front property, are sending your kids to private school, and can take a year or two off to go and see the world, well, you get the picture (the old rich call this the nuveau rich, but hey, I can't blame someone for enjoying the spoils of their success a little bit ) _NOW_ your friends, old ones and new ones that you don't ever remember befriending, believe you are God and want to know what you are doing. A funny thing happens though, YOU NO LONGER WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, because the success is it's own reward and there is nothing in it for you. But even in this case, _some_ people will write you off as a statistical anomally, as a lottery winner. But you know what, you no longer care! LOL Leave the discussions of whether one can "beat" the market to people that don't know, and think they know. Steer the conversation back to sports or the weather or to how many angels can dance on the head of a pin...I learned that lesson myself not too long ago... nitro