Rating: 
Summary: One of the great foundation texts in finance(******) 6 stars
Review: I am a huge fan of this book. The fourth edition was the single most influential text in my study for my MBA. It opened new kinds of thinking for me and helped me understand the intuitions and they methods for valuing the various kinds of derivatives. While the language is not simple, it is not arcane. Some complain that the mathematics are not rigorous. So what? There are such books on the market and are suitable for those that want them. This is the standard book for thousands of MBAs who need a solid foundation, but do not need to be able to higher math to understand how a binomial tree works or to even create one my hand. Certainly, it is helpful to understand the math as deeply as you can. However, the reality is that most of the time practitioners use pre-made tools to run their Monte Carlo simulations rather than programming from scratch.There are several new chapters on very helpful and interesting topics (using futures for hedging, numerical procedures, swaps, credit risk, real options, insurance, derivative crises, and more). Some of this is new and some adapted from previous editions. Other material has been rewritten and clarified. DerivaGem 1.5 is included with the book, but a URL is provided to get the latest version from Prof. Hull's website. This is a terrific book and I consider it one of the most valuable on my shelf of business texts. It is one I would never want to be without and one of the few I am willing to keep up with the new editions. While no book is perfect for every use in every situation, this is one of the great foundation texts.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best!
Review: This is the bible of options and futures markets. It is very well written, clear, and relatively easy to understand. However, you have to read it carefully as it minces its words. Every sentence is packed with information and is important. You may find `easier' books, but they will not go the distance. So, save your money and get the best of them all. Risk Magazine lists this book as #4 among most widely cited papers/books between 1988 and 2003. No surprise there!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is the only solid and intuitive book on Derivatives. If you need an intro this is the way to go. If you need something with measures and topological spaces look into Karatzas. I beleive this book has all the required material for a quant, at an early stage.
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