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Summary: This will be a Classic
Review: Over the last several years as the "hype" around online trading grew the quality of trading books seemed to be like the Nasdaq last year and make new low after new low. Alan's book has restored my faith in trading books. It is very obvious that Alan Farley has a great deal of pride in the work he presents, and wants the reader to walk away with new knowledge. Unlike so many books written to sell a seminar or site, this book gives hard hitting information and does not hold back.
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Summary: Excellent New Trading Book!
Review: This is an outstanding book on the markets. Farley's point of view is fascinating and there is absolutely no hype or hard-sell in the text. Quite amazing after all the garbage published the last couple of years. The detailed trade setups in the book are the best I've seen since "Street Smarts", and maybe even better. Very well-written, comprehensive and satisfying in both general concepts and detailed trading strategies. The Master Swing Trader belongs up there with those few books that traders 'must' read to complete their market education.
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Summary: Take your time to study this book
Review: This book is probably one of the best books on Swing Trading to be published in the last twenty years. It is a concise book on what you need to learn about trading stocks. I feel that the author should have broken the book down to three books, becasue human nature forces us to try and finish the reading as fast as we possibly can. We must however remember that it took a full semester in college to study a book of this size, and I feel it will probably take even longer than that to master the content in this book. So my only complaint to the author is that he has given us too much great content at once. It is similar to having your favorite desert at a restaurant. How much of it can you possibly have before you you surrender and say no more today?Take your time with this book and study it! It will imrove your knowledge of the market. My favorite section of the book was the 7 Bells. I feel that that section alone is worth far more than the price of the book!
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Summary: Many patterns, many trading truths.
Review: This book will help any trader seeking a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of swingtrading. The patterns and their explanations are deep and varied with many charts and step by step trade management examples. The last chapter is worth reading and re-reading. Entitled "Precise Trade Execution" it deals with entering and managing trades. So many trading books talk about patterns and indicators. But most fail to ever bridge the gap from paper trading excitement, to the realities of getting filled, with the fakeouts, whips, and shake 'n bake's that are the everyday reality of a swingtrader. If I could have read Chapter 15 a few years ago, it would have greatly accelerated my path to profitability.
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Summary: Most Trading Books Stink - This One is Great!
Review: Farley's book is in a separate class from the fluffy hype written by trader wannabes with publishing connections. Farley is for real - he has been trading for many years, and he makes money. The book gives you the real, specific trade setups that he uses to make money. He holds nothing back - you get his twenty years of learning in one book. If you are absolutely new to trading, this is not the first book you should read, but if you already understand the basics of the stock market, this book will help you take your swing trading to the next level.
Rating: 
Summary: Where is the beef?
Review: I have been trading for 20 years. I just finished reading this book. I find a lot information useful. But where is the beef? After finishing the last page, a young trader wouldn't understand what he should do next. I also find the language used is sometimes, very confusing ( to many fancy words and lack of simplicity). I guess, the author assumes that everyone alse understands the material as well as he does! Question: did this book add anything new to what I already know? the answer: not much.
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Summary: Destined to become the Definitive Book on Swing Trading
Review: Call me a skeptic when it comes to trading books. Most of the stuff written the past several years has been daytrading mush; you can go to a bookstore and read them faster than a dinner menu. I first became familiar with Alan Farley through his Internet site, the Hard Right Edge, and had been eagerly awaiting this book since August. Now having read it, the technical content is without parallel. Read every sentence and savor it like a fine wine. Having been a professional trader since 1995, some of the content took me aback because in some cases he has quantified relatively obscure market factors that are the foundation of some of my proprietary trading systems, and you think nobody else knows ;-). For example, read the "Time of Week and Month" section on pages 235-237; this section alone is extremely significant. The book is crammed with candlestick charts and systems that will take you to TradeStation or MetaStock to test out the various patterns. Part Two of the book is The 7-Bells, a series of chart patterns with detailed setups and lots of examples; a minor nit is that the candles in some of the sample charts are scrunched together. As a trader, this is the book I wish that I could have written. You may ask why a successful trader would publish a book with all of this accumulated knowledge. I guess the answer is that one doesn't HAVE to, but to share years of experience amassed in a difficult profession is extremely generous. There are plenty of good research books on trading such as "Trading Systems and Methods" and "Technical Analysis of Stock Trends", but it's great to have someone who can teach you how to build a trading strategy and then execute it; this book could be subtitled "A Practical Guide to Stock Trading".
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Summary: Must Have for Traders
Review: The Master Swing Trader by Alan Farley will improve your chart reading skills faster than any other trading book I have read (and I have a LARGE technical analysis library.) Whether you trade from 5 minute charts or never look at the market during the trading day, this book will improve your bottom line. Every book claims it is going to help you understand chart patterns, but then limits the coverage to items like the classical head-and-shoulders or triangle patterns using standard breakout techniques. Alan takes you inside these patterns, and often shows you how to beat the crowd by understanding what is really happening. His approach has much lower risk and often a higher profit potential. And that is only the start. Classical patterns are the ones that "everyone" knows, but unfortunately, what everyone knows seldom makes money. The Master Swing Trader takes the concepts that make up patterns, and shows you where invisible trades often exist. But since the general public doesn't see the early trade, they buy or sell after you have established your position. This improves your risk/reward ratio even further. This book is not for the absolute beginning trader, since it assumes some knowledge of basic technical analysis. There are several points in the book where Alan assumes you have already heard of Vic Sperandeo's 2B Top or Dr. Alexander Elder's Triple Screen method. (Keep reading - they are eventually explained.) But if you are looking for a book that does more than just rehash existing materials, this is the one you've been looking for, this is the one.
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Summary: Much more than just a "How to" book!
Review: Alan Farley's "The Master Swing Trader..." is absolutely first class. This book is so rich in useful material that you will want to read it more than once. Alan provides information that only an experienced and seasoned professional trader could provide. This is an outstanding text that will stand the test of time. Not only has every important aspect of trading been covered thoroughly, but Alan also provides a number of real-world, real-time proprietary trading setups that work. There are no black boxes here. Each trading method is thoroughly explained and illustrated. "The Master Swing Trader" forces you to think. Whether by teaching you new trading techniques or by validating your trading experiences, you will become a more complete trader because of your increased understanding of the dynamics of trading. Read "The Master Swing Trader." Study the many lessons and trading setups that are provided. Take notes and integrate Alan's material into your trading plan. This is more than a book; it is a text that will stand the test of time and scrutiny. Read it, study it, use it. You will prosper.
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Summary: A Must Read for the Swing Trader!
Review: I just finished The Master Swing Trader and I am greatly impressed. Alan Farley provides the specific trade setups and information that is so often lacking in today's trading books. Farley is giving information that I have not found elsewhere. So many trading books are overly-hyped and a waste of time. This book is a seasoned market professional passing on the wisdom of his vast experience in the stock market, and I highly recommend it.
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