I just bought and started reading Thomas Bulkowski's "Getting Started in Chart Patterns" after reading his current article in T/A of Stocks & Commodities. It's not listed in the book review section yet so I'll bring my question here. His "Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns" is listed and has great reviews on ET. However, the cost for the second edition is $100. I'm not above spending $100 on a useful book, I spent more than that for Tony Oz's "The Stock Trader" and almost that much for "McMillan on Options". But if it is the same stuff that is in Getting Started in Chart Patterns I'd rather get Nisson's "Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques" next, which also has great reviews on ET. Also, is Bulkowski's "Trading Classic Chart Patterns" worth looking into or is it also the same stuff as his other two? Like William O' Neil's books, I don't want to read the same book in different covers. I enjoy them the first time and don't want to get redundant. So far I like Bulkowski's "Getting Started" book. I've also read Jack Schwagger's "Getting Started in Technical Analysis" but found it to be very dry. So dry that I couldn't get into it. Bulkowski's book is much better suited for a remdial mind like mine.
they are good books. however, in an interview, he noted that his career win % is only 49% (his winners are much bigger than his losers), so that doesn't suit my personality, but i respect his research. his second edition adequately addressed criticism that the research in his first edition was based on patterns that occured during bull market. in a nutshell, i came away with, trade momentum stocks that have formed a tight consolidation as they break out.
His books are very good and I found Getting Started in Chartpatterns an easy read mostly because he writes it as a story of him teaching someone. You also might want to check out his website. http://mysite.verizon.net/resppzq7/index.html I use and show several of the patterns in my journal and some guys are getting very good trading them. Good luck, 4re