Product Description

A common denominator among most new traders is that, within six months of launching their new pursuit, they are out of money and out of trading. High-Probability Trading softens the impact of this "trader's tuition," detailing a comprehensive program for weathering those perilous first months and becoming a profitable trader.

This no-nonsense book takes a uniquely blunt look at the realities of trading. Filled with real-life examples and intended for use by both short- and long-term traders, it explores each aspect of successful trading.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14503 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780071381567
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From the Back Cover
"The Goal Is to Teach All Traders to Think with the Mindset of a Successful Trader..."

While successful trading requires tremendous skill and knowledge, it begins and ends with mindset. What do exceptional traders think when they purchase a quality stock and the price immediately plummets? How do they keep one bad trade from destroying their confidence--and bankroll? What do they know that the rest of us don't?

"Some trades are not worth the risk and should never be done."

High Probability Trading shows you how to trade only when the odds are in your favor. From descriptions of the software and equipment an exceptional trader needs to high probability signals that either a top or bottom has been reached, it is today's most complete guidebook to thinking like an exceptional trader--every day, on every trade.

"It's not how good you are at one individual thing, but it's the culmination of every aspect of trading that makes one successful."

Before he became a successful trader, Marcel Link spent years wading from one system to the next, using trial and error to figure out what worked, what didn't, and why. In High Probability Trading, Link reveals the steps he took to become a consistent, patient, and winning trader--by learning what to watch for, what to watch out for, and what to do to make each trade a high probability trade.

"Why do a select few traders repeatedly make money while the masses lose? What do bad traders do that good traders avoid, and what do winning traders do that is different? Throughout this book I will detail how successful traders behave differently and consistently make money by making high probability trades and avoiding common pitfalls..."--From the preface

Within 6 months of beginning their careers full of promise and hope, most traders are literally out of money and out of trading. High Probability Trading reduces the likelihood that you will have to pay this "traders' tuition," by detailing a market-proven program for weathering those first few months and becoming a profitable trader from the beginning.

Combining a uniquely blunt look at the realities of trading with examples, charts, and case studies detailing actual hits and misses of both short- and long-term traders, this straightforward guidebook discusses:

• The 10 consistent attributes of a successful trader, and how to make them work for you
• Strategies for controlling emotions in the heat of trading battle
• Technical analysis methods for identifying trends, breakouts, reversals, and more
• Market-tested signals for consistently improving the timing of entry and exit points
• How to "trade the news"--and understand when the market has already discounted it
• Learning how to get out of a bad trade before it can hurt you

The best traders enter the markets only when the odds are in their favor. High Probability Trading shows you how to know the difference between low and high probability situations, and only trade the latter. It goes far beyond simply pointing out the weaknesses and blind spots that hinder most traders to explaining how those defects can be understood, overcome, and turned to each trader's advantage.

While it is a cliché, it is also true that there are no bad traders, only bad trades. Let High Probability Trading show you how to weed the bad trades from your trading day by helping you see them before they occur. Packed with charts, trading tips, and questions traders should be asking themselves, plus real examples of traders in every market situation, this powerful book will first give you the knowledge and tools you need to tame the markets and then show you how to meld them seamlessly into a customized trading program--one that will help you join the ranks of elite traders and increase your probability of success on every trade.

About the Author

Marcel Link has been trading professionally since 1991. He is the founder of linkfutures.com and is a TradeStation consultant. Linkfutures.com serves the trading community with daily commentary on the markets, along with insights into technical analysis, training, marketing, and other information that can be vital to traders. Link can be reached for questions or comments at marcel@linkfutures.com.

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Customer Reviews

This book ties everything together
I've read some of the reviews (or should I say criticisms) of this book. They write that it's for beginners, there are just a couple of setups, and the obligatory discipline "cut your losses" warning chapter. I think people are missing the big picture.

If you want a detailed book about technical analysis, with lots of explanations, setups, etc. etc., there's "Technical Analysis Explained" by Martin J. Pring, or you can buy something by Jack Schwager or John Murphy.

If you want a book about building and testing a trading system, there's "Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom" by Van K. Tharp.

If you want a self-help book about discipline / psychology, there are a lot of those, some in the investment section, some in the psychology section.

If you want a book about day-trading, there are a ton of those as well.

The thing I like about this book is that everything is there in one place. At the end of each chapter, the author gives you pointers on what to do and what to avoid doing to reinforce your memory of the principles. The book is written in a very readable style. I got this book about three weeks ago, and by applying some of the principles I learned from the book, I made two profitable trades (which I would not have normally made) and avoided making a trade which I normally would have made. This trade would have been a loser. As a result of reading this book, I made and saved enough money in the last three weeks to buy ten copies of this book. Isn't that why we read these books???

solid
This is probably one of the most realistic books on what it takes to trade professionally. The author starts by correctly stating how difficult it is to trade successfully. He gives a time frame of 3 to 5 years, although he states it took him seven years to be consistently successful (he refers to himself as a slow learner).

He also discusses unrealistic expectations of beginning traders, who typically open accounts of $10,000 to $25,000, and expect to make a living trading such accounts. The author notes that the best fund managers on Wall Street, who can consistently return 35-40 percent, command salaries in the seven and eight figures. Even if a beginner could produce such returns their first year (extremely unlikely), could they live on 40 percent of $10,000? When Wall Street investment firms want to hire a trader, they go to the best business schools, recruit the top graduates, pay them maybe over $200,000 their first year just to sit in training classes for months. They tell these trainees they do not expect them to make any money for at least two years, and these are individuals who have access to some of the most experienced traders on Wall Street. When they do finally start trading, they are closely watched and given only modest amounts to trade. Would you be surprised to know that the average professional trader is successful on only approximately 50% of their trades? With some futures trading systems, it is closer to 30 percent. This is why taking losses quickly is the single most important aspect of successful trading.

The book also covers the basics of trading systems, including indicators, stops and exits, typical trading system characteristics, backtesting and system writing.

While he also touches on trading psychology, this is the weakest part of the book, and is mostly biased towards his own hurdles, which were taking too large a position in too many different markets. He refers to this as "overtrading", although I would define overtrading differently. For those looking for a book on trading psychology, try Mark Douglas' books, such as "The Disciplined Trader", and "Trading in the Zone".

Finally, the book is interspersed with anecdotes about real trades and traders, which are invaluable about how not to trade, and are often hilarious. One example, the author stated he once held positions in 15 different futures markets at one time on a $5000 account, although this seems impossible, if one was to meet the margin requirements of each market.

This is the one!
At the risk of being repetitive, I'm going to have to give this book another stellar review. Like many others, I have read a hundred other trading books and this one stands heads above the rest. The author is obviously an active trader and is not ashamed to divulge his weaknesses, even current ones. He covers all of the necessary bases (psychology, money management, risk management, setups, tradeable markets, etc.) without being exessively wordy. He is one of the few traders who can actually write relatively well. He manages to explain arcane and complex trading concepts using understandable and economical word choices. The review structure at the end of each chapter is an excellent technique to enhance the learning process.

Yes, most of the information is more useful to the novice trader but one neeeds a basic comprehensive understanding of trading to get the most benefit. On the flipside, since it is so inclusive, the book could serve as an excellent refresher for the seasoned trader. That trader might even come across a concept long forgotten and be able to turn it into a profitable strategy.

HPT has become my primer. I come back to it every few months to review sections that I feel weak in. I recommend this book to everyone who asks me for that "one book" that can get them a head start in learning to trade.

Great job Mr. Link! I eagerly await your next contribution to the world of trading literature.

Product Description

How two former traders of William J. O'Neil + Company made mad money using O'Neil's trading strategies, and how you can, too

From the successes and failures of two William O'Neil insiders, Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple: How We Made Over 18,000% in the Stock Market in 7 Years is a detailed look at how to trade using William O'Neil's proven strategies and what it was like working side-by-side with Bill O'Neil. Under various market conditions, the authors document their trades, including the set ups, buy, add, and sell points for their winners. Then, they turn the magnifying glass on themselves to analyze their mistakes, including how much they cost them, how they reacted, and what they learned.

• Presents sub-strategies for buying pocket pivots and gap-ups
• Includes a market direction timing model, as well as updated tools for selling stocks short
• Provides an "inside view" of the authors' experiences as proprietary, internal portfolio managers at William O'Neil + Company, Inc. from 1997-2005

Detailing technical information and the trading psychology that has worked so well for them, Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple breaks down what every savvy money manager, trader and investor needs to know to profit enormously in today’s stock market.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3670 in Books
• Published on: 2010-08-23
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.31" h x 6.32" w x 9.24" l, 1.29 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780470616536
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From the Inside Flap
How is it that so many traders and investors lose money in the market, while others—like authors Gil Morales and Chris Kacher—have shown the ability to earn huge returns on investment? As Bill O'Neil himself says, "Human nature being what it is, 90% of the people in the stock market—professionals and amateurs alike—simply haven't done enough homework." Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple: How We Made 18,000% in the Stock Market is your homework. And if you invest in the market, you can expect that there will be a test involving your own money.

The result of years of observation and the subsequent application of the commonsense rules learned, Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple details the small realities that make up the stock market, including:

• The importance of a 6–7% automatic stop-loss policy on stock purchases

• Sit tight and be right, or "take your profits slowly"

• The value of psychological capital, and how mastering your own psychology allows you to operate from a position of strength

• Position concentration, and how diversification—"kissing all the babies"—is unnecessary

• How timing the market is possible and necessary, despite claims to the contrary by those who can't

• Mistakes novices or lazy investors make, such as averaging down or purchasing only cheap stocks

• How O'Neil applied historical precedent to box theory to come up with consolidation patterns ("bases"), such as: ascending; cup-with-handle; double-bottom; square box; flat base; and high, tight flag

• Using early buy points in the form of "pocket pivots" to gain an advantage in difficult market environments

• Using gap ups as buy points to jump on board of some of the most powerful stocks

• The finer points of O'Neil-style short-selling techniques

It took years to identify, analyze, catalog, and verify the characteristics of winning stocks for O'Neil to finally perfect his system. Authors Gil Morales and Chris Kacher save you the time and—if you're an investor, money—by bringing together in one comprehensive guide, the commonsense investment philosophies that allow them and you to Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple.

From the Back Cover
"In these historically difficult markets where quantitative easing and forced selling are the norm, Gil Morales and Chris Kacher show how to apply, with incredible success, their unique investment tools and methods in an increasingly volatile trading environment. However, beyond their 'pocket pivot point' investment method, their short-sale setups and their groundbreaking 'Dr. K market timing tool,' what is truly amazing is to learn how professional traders analyze their mistakes and correct them. It is not great tools that make great traders, it is humility and flexibility combined with decisive action that determines one's 'success or failure.'"
—Pascal Willain, independent trader and inventor of volume-based indicators, author of Value in Time

"If you only read one book this year, read this one. It turns everything you know inside out and changes the way you see the things that matter. In a world full of fake promises and hype, here is something real. Morales' and Kacher's vision, passion, and dynamism is [proven]by their results. Lots of people talk, they have delivered. If you really want to succeed in a very uncertain world, read this book. It will change your success."
—Dr. Michael Meegan, author of All Will Be Well

What the market will do is anyone's guess. What it is doing should be anything but.

From the successes and failures of two William O'Neil insiders, Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple: How We Made 18,000% in the Stock Market is a detailed look at how to trade using William O'Neil's proven strategies, as well as what it was like working side-by-side with the Wall Street legend.

Detailing both the technical information and the trading psychology that has worked so well for them, and including a market direction timing model, Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple breaks down what every savvy money manager, trader, or investor needs to know to profit enormously in today's stock market.

About the Author
GIL MORALES is the author and publisher of www.GilmoReport.com; coauthor and publisher of www.VirtueOfSelfishInvesting.com; a former senior proprietary internal Portfolio Manager and Chief Market Strategist for William O'Neil + Company; and is currently a Managing Director of MoKa Investors, LLC. He also co-authored, with William J. O'Neil, the Wiley title, How to Make Money Selling Stocks Short. Mr. Morales received his BA in economics from Stanford University.

CHRIS KACHER is a frequent contributor to www.GilmoReport.com; coauthor and publisher of www.VirtueOfSelfishInvesting.com; a former research analyst and senior proprietary internal Portfolio Manager for William O'Neil + Company; and a Managing Director of MoKa Investors, LLC. He received his BS in chemistry and PhD in nuclear physics from the University of California at Berkeley.

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Customer Reviews

Excellent Addition to the CANSLIM Literature
This book is an excellent addition to the CANSLIM literature. To understand this book's place in the grand scheme of trading literature, I have to digress first.

If you have been trading for a few years and have read some of the classic literature on trading (e.g., Market Wizards series), you know that the vast majority of successful traders are trend followers. The objective of trend followers is to capture trends in markets with limited risk. The rules of trading that all trend followers stick to are letting profit run, cutting losses short, and manage risk.

O'Neil is in his core a trend follower. He suggests cutting losses at 7-8% or less. Once he latches onto a big trend, he sits tight with the trend until the trend runs its full course (e.g., his trades in Chrysler, Syntex, Pic `N Save, Amgen, Charles Schwab, AOL, Sun Microsystems, EBAY, and more recently in AAPL). O'Neil also manages risk of his trades by rigorous stock selection, broad market timing, and position sizing.

How good is O'Neil? According to some accounts, O'Neil has an average annul return of over 40% for nearly half a century (1962 - present). That's better than anyone else with such a long-term track record. His numbers are better than those of Warren Buffet's, Peter Lynch's, and even George Soros'. Some have argued that given O'Neil's great rate of return over such a long period, why then isn't he as rich as Buffet or Soros? The answers are: 1. Although O'Neil is indeed very rich (2 Billion plus according to some accounts), O'Neil doesn't put all his capital in the market. 2. O'Neil doesn't trade other people's money, thus he doesn't have the leverage that Buffet and Soros have had. 3. O'Neil started with five thousand dollars, while most other big guns started with a lot more money, either theirs, or other people's money. 4. O'Neil's trading style doesn't allow him to trade multi-billion dollars - imagine selling 1 millions shares of a small stock at the market when your stop loss is hit! So, for whatever reasons, O'Neil is not as rich as Buffet or Soros on paper. But what the dickens does that matter to you? If you are reading this review, chances are you are a small fish, most of you may just want to make a little extra money to supplement your regular salary, some more ambitious may want to make enough money consistently in the market so that you can "trade for a living", and still a few, like myself, strive to "make millions" - So, the fact O'Neil is not as rich as Buffet or Soros shouldn't bother you. Because in your and my league, that is, the league of traders who manage the amount of money ranges from thousands to a few hundred millions, the best long-standing player is William O'Neil.

In stock trading, the most reliable and confirming indicator suggesting lasting power of a leading stock with superior relative strength is that in its same industry group, there are one or more other leading stocks demonstrating similar superior relative strength (remember DRYS, TBSI, and TNH all moved at the same time, then POT, MOS, CF, TRA all moved at the same time, then FSLR, SPWRA, TSL, STP, CSIQ all moved at the same time?). Thus, using this analogy, if a host of traders out of the same group (O'Neil's group, in the broader sense, the trend-following crowd), using largely similar strategies, all achieved superior results, then there must be something special about this group. The only difference is that all the leading stocks will finally top out and become the best shorts while the best traders get better and spawn another crop of superior traders.

Take a look at this long list of some of the best traders spawned by O'Neil's teaching: David Ryan (of Market Wizards fame, 1985, 1986, and 1987 US Investment Champion, with performance numbers of 161%, 160%, and 118% for those 3 years, respectively), Cedd Moses (1991 US Investing Champion, 379%), and Lee Freestone (1991 US Investing Championship, second place, 279%, 1992 US Investing Championship, second place again, 120%, and 1994 US Investing Champion - first place finally, 234%). Rumor has it that Mark Minervini (of Stock Market Wizards fame) also worked for or was [more likely] heavily influenced by O'Neil and David Ryan. According to Jack Schwager, Minervini's average annual compounded return between 1995 and 1999 was 220 percent, including his 155% first place finish in the 1997 US Investing Championship.

Kacher and Morales, the authors of this book, are two more recent outstanding students of O'Neil's. Kacher's performance numbers: from 1996 to 2002, 110% per year for 7 years (could have been much higher had he decided to fully use his available capital, also remember he has included in the two and half years of the great bear market at the beginning of this century). Jil Morales' performance numbers: from 1998 to 2005: 80% per year for 8 years (excellent numbers given that a large chunk of this timeframe falls right into a once-in-a-life time bear market).

So, Kacher and Morales' numbers speak for themselves - they are among the best. They are like the leading stocks from the No 1 industry group! So, their book is a must "long" for any serious trader.

That's why I had placed a pre-order several months ago before the book was published and as soon as pre-orders became being allowed. So far, I have gone through the book only twice, and already liked it. The meat of the book, in my opinion, is Chapter 5 and Chapter 7. Chapter 7 discusses the Dr K's Market Direction Model, which is Kacher's formalization and refinement of O'Neil's concepts of using follow-through days to identify general market (a.k.a, broad market indices, such as the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500) bottoms and using cluster of distribution days to identify general market tops. Chapter 5 discusses entry points that are different from, and supplementary to, the classic O'Neil new high breakout of the nine or so O'Neil patterns (e.g., cup and handle, double bottom, flat base, and others). I don't know if these newly introduced "pocket pivot" are indeed very efficacious patterns with superior Risk/Reward ratio and reasonable reliability - but the concept is certainly interesting and one should check them out and back-test them thoroughly before applying these new concepts to his/her own trading. I find the buying-gap-ups entry more useful but once again I need to do more research myself before I can decide if or how I should incorporate it into my trading. I personally find the Dr K's Market Direction Model chapter most interesting, because I have been trying to do the same thing in the past few years. So, this chapter, plus Chapter 2, which Kacher describes how he made 180 times of his capital in 7 years using this model and individual stocks selection, will be most helpful to my evolution as a trader. Given any kind of decent seminar nowadays costs the trader thousands of dollars and more, and any mistakes in the market cost even more, I'd say the book is worth many times over its nominal price.

Of course, the book is not perfect; nothing about the market is perfect because the market is not perfect. I agree with the previous reviewer's (Chandra Sekhar) comment that the writing can be improved. There are some inconsistencies of thoughts. For example, at the beginning of Chapter 7, page 226, the authors say that "while a market direction model may seem like a `timing model', we do not ascribe that term to it, since it does not adequately describe our approach in using such a model. A market direction model, in contrast to a timing model, should be... ". I bet anyone who is reading this would assume that the authors meant to say that market direction model is not equal to market timing model, however, the terms "market direction model" and "timing model" are used interchangeably throughout this Chapter and especially in Chapter 2, where the author would say "my timing model sheds much light on the character of the market" on one page (Page 35), and then one page later say "My market direction model is almost always on a buy signal during such times (Page 37). So, after having perused the relevant sections 3 or 4 times, I still don't know what the difference between "Market Direction Model" and "Timing Model" is. Overall after reading the book, I think they are the same, but the author seems to have especially pointed out they are not identical - I am still confused.

Also, I wish that Kacher could have been more transparent and been less ambiguous about the rules and construction of his market direction model. But I assume that this model is proprietary and its full construction is not intended to be fully disclosed to the public.

In addition, as the previous reviewer (Chandra Sekhar) hinted, Morales' trading of CUBE using a shipload of call options is not something that the readers of this book should aspire to. One of the most confusing aspects of the market is that in it, there are good trades, there are bad trades, there are wining trades, and there are losing trades. And they are not the same thing. A winning trade could be a bad trade. And in the case of Morales's hugely winning 1995 CUBE call options trade that increased his capital by 500% (not 1000% as the previous reviewer said) it was actually a bad trade. Why, because Morales could have lost all his money and would never be able to trade again. So from a long-term survival point of view, this trade is a bad trade, because he obviously overtraded, meaning, had he repeatedly position-sized like that(seems that he betted all his trading capital on that trade), very soon, he would have been wrong and could have lost everything. However, I am glad that Morales survived a potential disaster (partially based on skills, but largely due to luck), developed himself into a more disciplined trader (otherwise either his numbers would be astronomical or he wouldn't be here), and now can share with us his trading experience and techniques.

So, despite the minor flaws mentioned above, all in all it is an excellent book. The book will help traders in general understand how other traders achieve their super performance and help CANSLIM traders in particular gain a deeper understanding of the O'Neil strategy. The authors share with us some techniques that they developed. By going through all the trading examples and trying to grasp the thought processes behind their writing and their trading examples, I've confirmed and validated some ideas that I independently came up with (e.g., there must be more ways to get into a trend than just O'Neil style base breakouts and 50-day MA entry), which are somewhat similar to the authors'. While the various gems throughout the text are valuable, the opportunities this book lends to confirming one's own ideas with the ideas of some of the world's top CANSLIM traders is invaluable.

A must buy for growth/momentum investor who want explosive returns..
In a year around 40 to 50 books on trading are published, I read most of them, there are very few which have actionable trading ideas and can help you enhance your trading skills. Trade Like an O'Neil Disciple: How We Made 18,000% in the Stock Market is one of the best books I have read in recent years. I am already reading it second time and taking extensive notes.
If you are growth/ IBD/ momentum/ CANSLIM kind investor you will find practical ideas and some new ways of entering and exiting trades. You will also learn how explosive returns are possible under right circumstances using those methods.
The book also goes in to details of short selling and has couple of good short selling strategies.
The book is not for beginners and those looking for simple methods without much effort, you need to have some foundation about growth and momentum investing before appreciating and understanding it.
A must buy for growth/momentum investor who want explosive returns..

A Stock Investment Classic!
I do not believe the title above is too presumptuous. I truly believe that this is one of the great, classic, must-read books for stock speculators. I have read most, if not all, of the great stock market investment books, and this book certainly qualifies for the short-list. Anyone who has read William O'Neil's books and trades using his techniques must read this book!

I am going to have to go back now and re-read this with a fine-tooth comb and take copious notes on all of the techniques and strategies. As others have discussed, the authors give excellent, honest accounts of the authors' remarkable trading experiences and their priceless personal interactions with William O'Neil.

Additionally, I applaud the authors for their frequent use of marked-up charts to accompany the text. These frequent examples really bring the concepts they are teaching home in a visual manner so that the reader's confidence in the particular technique is constantly being improved. Several examples using different stocks are provided, both graphically and verbally, so that there are lots of opportunities to pick up the nuances of each technique. Also, the charts are remarkably legible. I didn't have to get out my magnifying glass to read all the details.

This book is a steal at this price when you consider that seminars that teach this kind of material cost thousands of dollars. Moreover, some of the material in this book is not currently available at all in any seminars to my knowledge. In fact, this is the only place that I believe some of this previously proprietary trading information has ever been published. The chapters on pocket-pivot purchases and sell rules are worth at least ten times your purchase price.

Thank you Mr. Morales and Dr. Kacher for this spectacular work! Your genius truly shines through.

Product Description

Many say few know more about stock trading than Michael Swanson, who ran a top ranked hedge fund for four years and has built up a huge audience of readers on his website WallStreetWindow.com thanks to the accuracy of his market calls and investment acumen, including making over 50% in 2008 in one of the worst years for the stock market ever. His book Strategic Stock Trading demystifies the stock market by explaining what truly makes the stock market and individual stocks move the way they do and shows you how you can take advantage of it. The book explains the principles required for you to become an elite trader in the stock market, including what and when to buy and sell using the Two Fold Formula, how to manage risk, and how to be able to foresee real changes in the overall trend of the market before the crowd does. There are many investment books that describe aspects of technical and fundamental analysis. This one puts them together and shows you have to really use them in a strategic way backed by real life experiences and examples. It also discusses the psychology of investors in the market and how hedge funds and institutional investors now influence the stock market more than ever before and what the individual investor must do in this type of market to succeed.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6104 in Books
• Published on: 2010-09-08
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

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Customer Reviews

Finally "Strategic Stock Trading" eliminates ambiquity
I have read numerous books concerning trading stocks covering everything from the fundamentals to the technicals. I have read a few books and articles in reference to the physiological aspects of trading stocks. I have taken classes, followed others strategies' and plans, I have prayed to the almighty! This little 127 page book was able to condense all that I have done and clarify the truth of how to make money trading stocks. It is a rare event for me to become sentimentally attached to a paperback book. Miss this one, and you'll forever wonder!

Mike Swanson is brilliant!
I'm a veteran financial planner (27 yrs) and I've followed Mike intently for over two years. I have watched his recommendations nearly always hit (nobody's perfect). No matter if it's a bull or a bear market, Mike tells and shows his students how to seize the opportunity!

I acquire every bit of information this guy puts out and "Strategic Stock Trading" is the latest in a long line of well researched, well written, indispensable wisdom delivered by the author. I highly recommend this book!

Excellent Book for all Investors!
This book will assist any investor, experienced or not, on the proper techniques of trading the stock market. Mr. Swanson did an excellent job writing this book. It is loaded with great tips and excellent advice. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a "Common Sense" approach to investing. Since the book is short, I keep it handy for a quick reference. If you follow the guidelines that are set forth in this book, you will become a profitable investor. I am a better investor for reading this book. Thank You Mike Swanson!

Product Description

Making informed trading decisions regardless of the market's condition

Savvy traders can make money in both up and down markets. Trading For Dummies, Second Edition is for investors at all levels who are looking for a clear guide to successfully trading stocks in any type of market. It is also for investors who have experience trading and who are looking for new, proven methods to enhance the profitability of their investments. This no-nonsense guide presents a proven system for analyzing stocks, trends, and indicators and setting a buy-and-sell range beforehand to decrease risk in any type of market. It stresses the practice of position trading, conducting technical analysis on a company and its performance, and research methods that enable the trader to strategically select both an entry and exit point before a stock is even purchased. This updated guide features updated stock charts, position trading tips and techniques, and fresh ways to analyze trends and indicators.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99911 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .90" h x 7.30" w x 9.10" l, 1.25 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780470438404
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From the Back Cover
Now updated — your guide to trading success regardless of the market!

Want to make smarter trading decisions? This strategy-packed, no-nonsense guide presents a proven system for analyzing stocks, trends, and indicators and setting a buy-and-sell range beforehand to decrease your risk in both up and down markets. You'll discover the benefits of position trading, conduct technical analysis, and research your entry and exit points before you even purchase your stock.

• Build your trading toolbox — know the markets and exchanges, find a broker, set up your brokerage account, and determine your computer/Internet needs

• Explore position trading — discover the benefit of executing trades in and out of positions and holding positions for various lengths of time, depending on trends

• Find value in fundamental analysis — observe market behavior, understand economic indicators, find critical information in financial statements, and make the most of analysts

• Take on technical analysis — build and read charts, identify trends, recognize bull and bear patterns, and differentiate between stocks that are range bound and ones that are trending

• Develop strategies for buying and selling — know your risks, gather key info through analysis to build your optimum trading strategy, and develop your own powerful trading system

• Jump into the deep end — from swing and day trading to derivatives and foreign currency, get the basics of these riskier forms of trading

Open the book and find:

• The ins and outs of trading stocks

• Fresh ways to analyze trends and indicators

• Updated stock charts and Web sites

• Position trading tips and techniques

• Step-by-step instructions for building and reading charts

• Key money management techniques

• Warnings about frauds and scams

• Top ten trading survival techniques

• Huge trading mistakes to avoid at all costs

About the Author
Michael Griffis, MBA, is an active stock broker. He writes extensively about investing and marketing, benefiting clients in the banking, and brokerage industries.

Lita Epstein, MBA, has written more than 25 books to help readers understand the complex worlds of money and finance, including Bookkeeping For Dummies and Reading Financial Reports For Dummies.

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Customer Reviews

Good Introduction to Position Trading
Let me first state -- this is not a book for day traders! Although there are chapters on both swing and day trading, the authors concentrate on position trading. Hence, they include several chapters on fundamental analysis and focus on slower signalling indicators. Now, that's out of the way...

The book is well-written, with the not-too-serious yet informative style that hallmarks a good "Dummies" book. The organisation is top notch, and the authors re-iterate tactics they have previously covered when doing so provides a good learning example. There is a limited amount of technical analysis, with the primary focus on patterns (breakout and continuation) and simple indicators--moving averages, MACD, relative strength, e.g.

As with most "Dummies" books, you are not by any means an expert on the topic when you finish. However, I believe the reader, having paid close attention, will have a good grasp of the concepts he or she will need to trade, and that this book provides a good introduction and foundation for further research in the field.

I give the book 5 stars for well accomplishing the authors' stated purpose, but caution that, if you are looking for a book on short-term trading, you could be disappointed. That having been said, I think it makes a fine base for further reading into such trading. Your mileage may vary.

Great Introduction
IMHO The reason the "for dummies" brand has been successfull aside from the catchy name, is the actual content and material of the books themselves.

This book has been a great read for some one like myself that already had an idea of what investing entails, but that does not preclude total beginners with no idea from gaining an immense amount of great information from this book.

It is written in plain language and is a great place for a beginner to start his journey.

Excellent foundation for the beginning trader
Trading for Dummies is an excellent book for anyone interested in starting to trade stocks. This book really kept me wanting to read on and on because every section was filled with plenty of information. The way the chapters are arranged were very good in that you don't have to be going back and forth to understand the whole concept. One thing I noticed was that this book is for someone who wants to be a position trader as opposed to a day trader, which is good because that is what I want to do. For someone who knows absolutely nothing about how the stock market works, this book is an excellent read. Overall I give it the full five stars.

Product Description

Come Into My Trading Room
A Complete Guide to Trading

You can become a successful trader. It has been done before, and it is being done right now, today, by people around the world. If you enjoy learning, if you are not scared of risk, if the rewards appeal to you, and if you are prepared to put in the work, you have a great project ahead of you.

In Come Into My Trading Room: A Complete Guide to Trading, Dr. Alexander Elder takes you far beyond the three M’s (Mind, Method, Money) of his international bestseller Trading for a Living. He teaches you to manage your money and time, as well as strategy, so that you can enter the markets with confidence and exit with profits. This essential book educates the novice and gives more power to the professional through expert advice, proven trading methods, and something entirely unique–a visit to Dr. Elder’s own trading room. You get to follow him through several actual trades, whose entries and exits illustrate many of the key concepts of this book.

Come Into My Trading Room offers:

• A complete introduction to trading essentials
• An overview of trading psychology, both individual and mass psychology of the markets
• A practical overview of technical analysis, including new indicators and systems
• A step-by-step guide to risk control and money management
• Exact instructions for keeping records and organizing your time
• A visit to Dr. Elder’s private trading room, reviewing several of his recent trades

Be sure to work through the companion volume to this book–Study Guide for Come Into My Trading Room–before you risk a dollar in the markets. The Study Guide features 100 questions and answers and almost 50 charts to test your knowledge. Grade yourself to make sure you know enough about the nine key areas of trading. Work through eight case histories, select entry and exit points, and find out how well you understand what needs to be done in every trade. Use Dr. Elder’s Study Guide to make sure that you can measure up to your competitors and surpass them.

Come Into My Trading Room will help you master a new way of trading stocks, futures, options, and currencies. Unparalleled depth and a wide range of coverage give you the best chance to become the trader you’ve always wanted to be.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20556 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.05" h x 6.18" w x 9.24" l, 1.22 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780471225348
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From the Inside Flap
How long will it take you to become a competent trader and how much will it cost?

What markets should you trade and how much can you expect to make?

What rules should you set, what methods should you use, how should you split your trading capital?

If these questions interest you, you picked the right book. Written by a professional trader, an expert in technical analysis, and a practicing psychiatrist, Come Into My Trading Room: A Complete Guide to Trading comes out nine years after Dr. Alexander Elder’s international bestseller Trading for a Living, reflecting his latest discoveries and concepts.

Come Into My Trading Room opens with a brief primer–aptly named Financial Trading for Babes in the Woods–aimed at newcomers, but containing important information for experienced traders. It clarifies topics whose mastery is essential for everyone: what markets to trade, how to interpret financial theories, and how to handle common barriers to success.

Moving up from the basics to the heart and soul of Dr. Elder’s methods, Come Into My Trading Room teaches the three key aspects of trading–Mind, Method, and Money. First, you see that the key to winning is in your mind–discipline. Then you learn how to find the best trades and make the most efficient entry and exit decisions. Dr. Elder shares his favorite analytic tools and covers system testing, day-trading, as well as longer-term swing trading, his new Impulse trading system, and a new SafeZone method for placing stops. These methods will allow you to trade with a high level of confidence in any market–stocks, futures, options, or currencies.

Moving beyond technical analysis, Dr. Elder teaches you the rules of money management that are essential for your survival and success. He shows how to structure your account like a submarine, divided into many compartments, so that it won’t sink if one section becomes flooded. The next section of this comprehensive trading guide–The Organized Trader–takes you where no trading book has ever gone before. It teaches you how to organize your time and effort. You learn to select markets and design a decision-making tree. Good records help you learn from your experiences and rise to a higher level of expertise. Dr. Elder clearly outlines four types of records–three of them looking back and

one looking forward–that are essential for any serious trader.

In the final section of this book, Dr. Elder delivers another first in trading literature–he invites you into his trading room and takes you with him on half a dozen of his recent trades, illustrating entries and exits with charts.

Distilling twenty years of trading and teaching experience, this book will put you on the road to mastering a new way of trading stocks, futures, options, and currencies. By the time you leave Dr. Elder’s trading room, you’ll be in a position to take your trading to a higher, more intelligent, and successful level.

From the Back Cover
Come Into My Trading Room
A Complete Guide to Trading

You can become a successful trader. It has been done before, and it is being done right now, today, by people around the world. If you enjoy learning, if you are not scared of risk, if the rewards appeal to you, and if you are prepared to put in the work, you have a great project ahead of you.

In Come Into My Trading Room: A Complete Guide to Trading, Dr. Alexander Elder takes you far beyond the three M’s (Mind, Method, Money) of his international bestseller Trading for a Living. He teaches you to manage your money and time, as well as strategy, so that you can enter the markets with confidence and exit with profits. This essential book educates the novice and gives more power to the professional through expert advice, proven trading methods, and something entirely unique–a visit to Dr. Elder’s own trading room. You get to follow him through several actual trades, whose entries and exits illustrate many of the key concepts of this book.

Come Into My Trading Room offers:

• A complete introduction to trading essentials
• An overview of trading psychology, both individual and mass psychology of the markets
• A practical overview of technical analysis, including new indicators and systems
• A step-by-step guide to risk control and money management
• Exact instructions for keeping records and organizing your time
• A visit to Dr. Elder’s private trading room, reviewing several of his recent trades

Be sure to work through the companion volume to this book–Study Guide for Come Into My Trading Room–before you risk a dollar in the markets. The Study Guide features 100 questions and answers and almost 50 charts to test your knowledge. Grade yourself to make sure you know enough about the nine key areas of trading. Work through eight case histories, select entry and exit points, and find out how well you understand what needs to be done in every trade. Use Dr. Elder’s Study Guide to make sure that you can measure up to your competitors and surpass them.

Come Into My Trading Room will help you master a new way of trading stocks, futures, options, and currencies. Unparalleled depth and a wide range of coverage give you the best chance to become the trader you’ve always wanted to be.

About the Author
ALEXANDER ELDER, MD, is a professional trader, an expert in technical analysis, and a practicing psychiatrist. He is the founder of Financial Trading Inc., a firm that provides intensive trading camps for traders worldwide. Dr. Elder’s first book, Trading for a Living, and its companion Study Guide have sold over 160,000 copies in English and were translated into nine languages. Dr. Elder’s Web site is elder.com.

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Customer Reviews

Traders Magazine Review - Helen Quenet
Book Review - Come Into My Trading Room by Dr Alexander Elder

It was with a great deal of curiosity that I began to read Come Into My Trading Room. Trading for a Living, Elders first and classic book was the second trading book I ever read and even 40 or so books on from there I still rate it in my top five and frequently recommend it to others who want a considered and honest introduction to trading.

I was interested to see how the themes and emphasis had changed and developed in the nine years since the first book was published. I had briefly read a couple of reviews that suggested it didn't add much to the previous book but I was eager to make my own mind up.

So the first question I asked myself was what hasn't changed?
The style of writing is as clear and engaging as in the first book. The layout is logical and in all key areas he suggests further, more specialised reading to take you deeper into the subjects that may interest you. For the size of the book (only 313 pages), it is very comprehensive and covers the three main areas of competence for a trader. Psychology, Technical Analysis and Money Management. So the three pillars from the first book are still very much standing.

What is different? A great deal in my opinion. The psychology section is vastly improved. I thought that to be the main weakness in the first book, with an over reliance on the AA model which (because of my professional background I have issues with) He draws the title of the psychology section from another excellent book by Mark Douglas, again giving the impression that Elder himself has been learning a lot over the past few years.

The technical analysis section goes much less into describing basic TA than the first book did and instead focuses more on the application of TA to trading. It also includes an update on a method first described in the first book the "triple screen" and a section on systems trading and system testing. As someone who is toying with developing systems at the current time I particularly enjoyed his discussion of the distinction between systems and discretionary traders.

The book is not just aimed at day traders, in fact he lays great emphasis on people examining their own motives to become day traders suggesting that you require at least a years successful experience with end of day trading before you move to intraday trading. He does ask his readers to answer tough questions about themselves and if you are able to give honest answers you will profit greatly from this book.

He also concurs with one of my prejudices, which I am happy to repeat here, he stresses that traders should take their first steps in inexpensive markets to trade. So with futures for example trading the Eurostoxx50 at 10 euros per point is a better starting point for the new trader than Dax at 25 euros per point. He also provides a helpful method for working out which markets you can afford to trade. It is this applied aspect of the book that makes it so valuable. There is no irrelevant padding here, every paragraph has relevance.

The overall balance of the book is about perfect now. In the first book the basic TA took up a large percentage of the volume, this time the sections are much more equitable, with quite rightly, money management and record keeping getting a much more through treatment than in the previous book.

One change in this book (and I did wonder if he had read Tony Oz's wonderful "The Stock Trader") is an addition of some actual trade examples. I always like seeing these because following them through gives a real insight into the traders mind in a way simple chart examples can't.

I think there is a more cautious/warning tone about this book than the first. I suspect this might be because Elder runs trading camps and has had lots of experiences with wannabe traders since writing the first book. He's very aware of the main reasons why people fail and makes these very explicit in the text.

There is also a very good and well referenced basic description of the major trading instruments their advantages and disadvantages something that was missing from the first book.

The section for new traders (or babes in the wood) as he calls them covers the basics of setting up to trade from home, which instruments and markets to look at and the issues of commission, slippage and expenses. He stresses the importance of the bottom line and the need to keep trading expenses such as commission under control

Conclusion

This is a book written by a mature trader and trader educator, who has seen and done it all and can now give the most balanced, practical and honest description of learning to trade you will find anywhere. I highly recommend it to new traders and improvers alike.

An Excellent Follow-Up to Elder's Trading For A Living
Alexander Elder gained well-deserved prominence for his first book, Trading For a Living. It's one of my favorite books on trading. Out of this classic came such new indicators as the Force Index, which is one of the indicators I use regularly in my chart software. I read Elder's follow-up, Come Into My Trading Room, in hopes of learning additional insights of the Force Index. While I found some new information here, I was even more impressed by the following lessons Elder shared:

1) "Some of the best trading opportunities occur after false breakouts" - I'm finding this more and more these days, which is why I actively use my Momentum Divergence indicators to separate the fakeouts from the real breakouts. Elder does a great job showing numerous charts throughout his book, laying the groundwork for the divergence examples he explains in great depth when you step into his trading room in the final chapter with many actual trading examples. You need to understand the concept of divergence to trade today's markets more profitably, and this book will be a great help in showing you how to trade divergence setups.

2) Triple Screen - Elder explains the important of using multiple timeframes, though he advocates two to no more than three time frames. The key concept is that whatever timeframe you use, you need to go up to the next longer timeframe to get confirmation. This provides the bigger picture trend to define the nature of your trades, and then you can return to the shorter timeframe and make more tactical decisions with this broader trend in mind as well.

3) Grade Your Performance - Elder actually quantifies trading effectiveness by defining the width of the channel for a stock, and what percentage of the move the trader actually captured to determine his grade. Regardless of how a trader measures his performance, it must be tracked in order to make improvements and experience constant improvement.

4) The SafeZone Stop - While I have not tested this indicator in my systems yet, Elder's SafeZone Stop looks like a more effective way to place a trailing stop than standard moving averages. The SafeZone Stop appears to adjust more rapidly to trending versus flat periods for a stock, compared to moving averages. This new technique should easily be worth many times the price of this book by itself.

5) Chapter 9: Trading for a Living - This chapter was my most highlighted chapter, as Elder covers the stages of growth from beginning to professional trader, covering a wide range of topics on trading discipline, time management, organization and developing a viable trading plan, to highlight just a few.

All in all, Come Into My Trading Room is an excellent follow-up to Elder's Trading For A Living, and I think you'll also find it a quick and thought-provoking read.

Not crazy about it
Too well written for a 1-star, and you just have to respect the author of Trading for a Living. But I was quite disappointed.

Essentially it's a trend following methodology of entering on pullbacks to the 20 MA and exiting when they extend to the outer band (envelope, band, channel, it doesn't matter). Classic indicators are tweaked slightly and pitched as "Elder Indicators" which of course you can buy the disks for. Really this whole book could have been condensed to a 3 or 4 page .pdf file and not left any of the concepts out.

He advises against day-trading and questions whether it can actually be done profitably. That is pretty short-sighted of him in light of all the known profitable daytraders out there. His reasoning is that with his method it would be too difficult. That came across as egotistical and closed-minded to me.

The thing that really threw me off is that after a book teaching a trend-following system (and warning against other methods), the last section of chart examples are all counter-trend trades! Every single one of them is completely the opposite of what is taught in the book. You would think he could have thrown in at least one actual example that actually was trading the method in the book?

I joined his mailing list after reading the book and after almost two years of being on it, not one example of a trade set-up that comforms to the method in this book has been given. Instead, periodic "opinions" of market direction have been given for copper, oil, bonds, and the S&P 500. This from a guy who says don't have opinions on market direction. Too boot, all of them have been wrong! Got to wonder about this guy now, was Trading for a Living just a lucky fluke?

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