There's a book about the strategies employed by many long/short funds: http://www.amazon.com/dp/067179227X
LOL, I remember reading that quite a while ago. Boesky was the one that really shocked me, had made it as a hedge fund mgr, risked it all for what would be like $20 to the average guy, greed kills! Enron, LTCM, the list goes on and on, glad you are still posting here!
The list of crooks is steadily growing longer, so it is easy to be cynical. Even where there is no prosecution, like the latest case involving the 'Fabulous Fab' in which Paulson is mentioned, one has to ask do they really know how to make money the straight way. GS did not pay $550 million because they were pure as the driven snow. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed reading a few books and intend to read a couple more. What I got out of them that has made a difference to me is how one defines a view of a market and then expresses that view in a variety of ways. That's what got me looking at options in the first place. Books I've Read; Inside The House of Money - Drobny Money Masters of Our Time - Train Hedge Fund Market Wizards - Schwager Planning to Read; More Money Than God - Mallaby The Alpha Masters - Unlocking the Genius of the World's Top Hedge Funds - Ahuja Preview them on Amazon and decide if that's what you are looking for.
Trade like a hedge fund by Altucher is the book applicable to retail investor to copy strategies. It's s great book full of powerful ideas-- although some are outdated. All the other books are story books for dreamers unless you are really in the biz