The Education of a Speculator

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Summary: Simplicity is not his strong point, but nonetheless...
Review: Mr. Neiderhoffer didn't feed me, he taught me how to make bread.

Rating:
Summary: Would rather read a road sign!!
Review: If your intentions are to pick up bad trading advice then this book is for you. A one star rating, in my eyes (and quite a few more readers I may add) is one star too many. Where are you now Mr. Niederhoffer!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Totally Garbage
Review: The author was more interested to justify his ego than providing any thing valuable. And his trading methods, just like his writing, lack basic consistency. And it seems to me that the arthour as a trader was more interested in 'beating the market' than making money. This is one the worst books about investing I ever read.

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Summary: Icebergs drifting on the market seas
Review: Mr Niederhoffer was without a doubt a great speculator. A winner and a strong competitor in his ventures. This book brought me some good thoughts as to how gaming, gambling and competitive sports corrolate with speculating the markets. Some very appropriate quotes are found throughout the pages and one that was specially appropriate says "Many games are won by players that are smart; many games are lost by players that are to smart". Maybe Mr Niederhoffer has been sailing to fast among the treacheous icebergs of the market seas and forgot to look at the picture of the sinking Titanic hanging on his wall. All in all it's a book that not only traders should read but everyone could benefit from its content.

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Summary: The chapter on gambling and house take is worth the price.
Review: Sort through all the hubris and squash exploits and you will find some sound advice for the novice speculator. I found the chapter on "house take" and commissions extremely enlightening. My full service broker has rued the day I purchased this book.

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Summary: Amateur
Review: There is a lot of wisdom in this book, the wisdom of a trader. This book rides the fence of autobiography and reference manual. It is not an "easy" read. The first chapter was great - an easy flowing and very interesting autobiographical story. Following that is chapter upon chapter of prose and tidbits of wisdom in a very difficult to read format. Most of these chapters could have been accomplished in half the space. Good reference book; bad structure.

Rating:
Summary: It's Bad...REALLY BAD
Review: I wavered several times on buying this book. I try to avoid auto biographical material on business people because they blow more smoke than give any decent information. I should have followed my own rule. I doubt the average speculator will find Niederhoffers squash tournamentadventures anywhere near as interesting or enlightening as he apparently does.

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Summary: One Brahmin's Foray into the Vanity Press
Review: I began to read "The Education of a Speculator" with much enthusiasm, but I found that seductive jacket-cover promises and excellent marketing were no substitute for overwrought prose, shameless self-advertisement, and simple investment cliches. Indeed, the guise of offering trading advice is merely an excuse to publicly rattle the collection of silver spoons which have fed the author's obvious intelligence (or appearance thereof). Although the book is salted with various investment proverbs, they are rather dim compared to the showcase of the Niederhoffer pedegree in neon lights - not exactly what I was looking for. Check out Jack Schwager's Market Wizards and New Market Wizards for a concise treatment of better traders, superb advise, and no egos. "The Education of a Speculator" promises unique insights into the mind of a successful market guru, and in that respect, it is quite successful - however, it is a mind affected with chronic hubris and a victim of it's own percieved success. I am forced to the conclusion that, in the world of elite traders, Mr. Neiderhoffer's particular mind-set is more the accident than the rule.

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Summary: Every investor in stocks/commodities MUST read this book!
Review: This gem of a book is very honest and strips away the cherished beliefs of "systems" traders and outright gamblers. It candidly and powerfully proves that winning trades are based on intelligence and resilient, tough, competitive psychology. It is no accident that Victor is also a formidable athlete. The book is a rich tapestry, full of great one-liners about stock trends, such as "you can't catch a falling knife." Readers who can't find a "get rich quick" method here have precisely missed Victor's point! Fools will continue to be fools. The intelligent reader will be greatly enriched by Victor's unique perspective on the markets.

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Summary: The basics are sometimes the hardest
Review: Before you tackle any problem in life you must know the basics if you want to win. There are so many books that tell you what to think and not how to, and act like speculating lives in a vacume outside of life. Niederhoffer shows how poker, horse racing and sports consist on basic principles that must be learned before any thing else. Very different type of read, if you can get this everything else is a piece of cake.