Quantum Leaps (Hardcover) Jeremy Bernstein (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Leaps...=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258234514&sr=8-6 I read this book in one sitting. It is small. The central theme of the book is Bells theorem, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell's_theorem a notoriously difficult concept/experiment to understand and very few have done a good job of explaining it, although I think Bersntein's book may be the best attempt. But the consequences of it are perhaps the cornerstone of modern science. You can't really consider yourself educated without understanding Bell's Theorem, imo. The book throws other tidbits in for spice. The reason I quoted the post above on Kabbalah is that he goes into the parallels between quantum mechanics and some religions, in particular hinduism, and the Dali Lama's great interest in the subject matter. Most professional physicists treat the subject matter of the connection between quantum mechanics and eastern philosophy/religion with a smile on their face. I understand this retort. It is not so much the connetion that they find silly, it is that like most of these "new age science", there is no real way to prove or disprove anything. It is all conjecture with a lot of hand waving for evidence. The problems is that these are not crackpots making these assertion from the "religious" side. They are highly respected people. However, I believe this should be viewed more as philosophy rather than science. Imo, one day, when conciusness is better understood, these guys will stand up and say, I told you so.
rollingstatic on the best book <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xeUUqFmabl8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xeUUqFmabl8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> Nitro, let's see a video of you talking about your faves and ideas--- just reading is getting tiresome. time to move to video.
How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite by Richard R. Lindsey and Barry Schachter (Paperback - Aug 3, 2009) http://www.amazon.com/How-Became-Qu...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258926005&sr=8-1 I picked up this book while programming at Borders. Occassionally during compiles, I would turn to a chapter and start reading. Let me back up a bit. Four years ago I went to work at an options market making firm. They have a model that was cryptic and I did not understand it. I was not privy to how it actually worked, but I understood the parameters that went into it to "calibrate it". Still, when I left, I was clueless as to why this thing worked so well. Anyway, sitting at Borders, I expected very little from this book. So I randomly opened the book to this chapter, and lo and behold, my mind starts making connections at the speed of light about the very model I didn't understand four years ago! Too funny. This one chapter has gone a long way to heling me understand things I did not understand four years ago critical in my education. I then read some other chapters and while they were not as interesting to me, the value is there. Strongly recommended.
I've always been highly skeptical of quants. Why shouldn't I be? They keep blowing out and passing their hat around for the big comeback. Did any of these quants develop methods for trading individual stocks? It seems like most of them stick to commoditties, futures and oddball derivatives. Maybe I'll pick this one up, you'll have to do a better job of convincing me first though....
It is leverage that kills because it leaves no room for error. Quants deal in models, and models are a simplification of the real thing, either by necessity, or by design. For example, you can model flight of a Boeing 747 using a paper model. For the most part, it has similar dynamics. The greatest mistake in any model is not having the bounds of error. If your leverage used can cause a loss that is outside the bounds of error of your model, you are a catrastophe waiting to happen. Some of the chapters I read (I didn't have time to read the whole book yesterday) talk about trading single stocks, but generally, unless at the highest frequencies, (imo) most quantitative models work better when trading one instrument against another. It is not hard to convince yourself. Easy enough to walk into a library or bookstore and start reading before buying. My motivation is not to inflict, but to suggest.
yes because ultimately Buddhism is also a study of reality. Quantum physicists who truly understand the book below this will have their brains fried and be committed to a mental asylum. what is truly existent and not truly existent, these views are all erraneous. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fundamental...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259002561&sr=1-1
if you can't define it with a mathematical equation you don't own it the equation cuts the pikers out the pack
take this simple equation.. \vec{F} = \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}(m \vec{v}) can you anything more than this already says?
The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care (Hardcover) ~ T. R. Reid T. R. Reid (Author) (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Ameri...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259532733&sr=8-1 I am reading this book briskly and while I am not done yet, I have learned an enourmous amount because it answers some basic questions I could never get answers to. If you have questions about HC in the US and how that compares to Socialized medecine around the world, this book is the ticket. Strongly recommended (so far). No, required reading is more exact.