Rating: 
Summary: Wanna be a swing trader?
Review: I read many trading books. However, this one really lays the practical groundwork for swing trading and investing styles. It helps both aspiring traders and seasoned "pros" build their knowledge of the trading science (and art!). I was first attracted to this book at my local bookstore, so I checked it out. I had intended on merely reading selected chapters and taking some notes. However, as I got into the book, I realized there was much more meat here. There must be a copy on my personal bookshelf. I quickly purchased it, and with my highlighter in hand and notepad, I started devouring this book. Farley's work reminds me of a college textbook in its thorough approach to technical analysis of the stock market. I need this kind of detailed background so I can properly watch both the market and specific stocks. The charting techniques he explains give both the investor and trader far greater insight into probable price trends. This will significantly increase their rates of return. I've been waiting for this trading book for the last 8 years.
Rating: 
Summary: Great ideas, disabled by poor expression
Review: Some pluses for this book: - I would have to say this book contains great ideas - both of logic and experience. Excellent in this regard.
- Not only are some of the ideas great, this is comprehensive stuff. It's almost everything you'd learn if you traded for a couple of years yourself (minus the actual experience of course) However, there are some really terrible negatives in this book: - the English is POOR. I'm not going to argue with what is good or bad English, but the simple fact that it is DIFFICULT to read make it poor. There are some very obscure expressions used to describe say, certain price movements. These are DIFFICULT to understand if not ambiguous. I do not know why the author decides to use such esoteric terms - why not use simple english?
- The diagrams are labelled somewhat poorly. Text should refer more to the diagrams!! Argh!!
- [update] forgot to mention that his elliott wave counts are basically wrong. I think he has very limited understanding of EW (even less so than me, which is quite appalling). Beginners need to be aware of this! Although the book contains some excellent ideas, I suspect most people will have difficulty extracting this information. It's such a waste it's not funny. Needless to say, the text is quite verbose and accordingly is heavily demanding on the reader's time.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book - But Not for Beginners
Review: I read several of the the reviews posted here before purchasing this book. Their appears to be an extreme divergence about the book's quality because of the writing style. A lot of people say it's "dry" or "pompous" and that they have difficulty getting through it. A lot of other people say it is an overall excellent text. I have a strong background in finance and capital markets. However, I would not rate myself an expert or even having a solid grounding in stock market technical analysis. Well, technical analysis and market pattern recognition is what swing trading - and hence this book - are all about. Farley does an excellent job laying out complicated principles into clearly stated, well-organized, non-mathematical passages. These passages are nicely complemented by graphic illustrations. While I largely read the book in order (start-to-finish), I did jump around a bit and read sections out of order. I also re-read sections several times over across different days because the book deals with conceptually difficult issues (using technical tools and market patterns as indicators to understand basic market sentiment and behavior). I think people who didn't like the book for it's style probably fall into a few categories. First, I think there are a number of people who bought the book with little or no knowledge of markets or trading and thought this would lay out a road map for how to get rich quick. Well, this book doesn't do that. To be successful as a trader takes a LOT of time, effort, study, and interpretation). Second, I think there are a lot of people out there whose most complex daily readings are on the order of People Magazine. Well, learning about complex issues, sentiment, and technical mathematically based tools is on a different order altogether than reading at Brittany Spears. If you fall into either of these categories, you probably want to reconsider trading for a vocation or avocation. Individuals with a committed interest and at least intermediate knowledge of equity markets will find this a good book. Be advised - it is to be treated more like a text book than casual reading.
Rating: 
Summary: No substance, Very wordy
Review: VERY difficult to understand, the charts in this book look like tangled spaghetti, the wording is long and makes little sense. I returned the book 5 days after i bought it. The techniques in this book are useless if you can understand them. I am not new to trading books and have read my share but this has to be one of the worst. Don`t waste your time or money on the book.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't even Finish the Book
Review: This book was too abstract for a trading book and didn't have much substance. There really isn't much you can use in this book to actually make trades with. Farley is basically a legend in his own mind I think. If you want a good book that has a lot of substance and will actually teach you how to trade, get 'how to profit in bull and bear markets' by stan weinstein, I consistantly make money from the techniques and ideas in that book. Take care, Bob.
Rating:
Summary: The worst I have read, and I've read plenty.
Review: First read Mr. DiBona's review of 3/21/2002 below, with which I entirely agree. I've traded professionally on the PHLX, been trading full-time from home for over 3 years, and read close to 20 related books. If you are new to trading, I recommend Alexander Elder and/or Van Tharpe. Beyond that, read Larry Williams, Linda Rashke, Larry Connors, John R. Hill (publisher of Futures Truth magazine), and John Murphy. For fun, read any of Jack Schwager's "Market Wizard" books (the first is the best). Complete your library with classics from Edwards & Magee and Welles Wilder. Then, and only then, begin to trade with your hard-earned money. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: This book should be clasified as FICTION
Review: Is any truth in this book? I don't think so! My only advice is: DON'T WASTE ANY TIME OR MONEY ON THIS BOOK, UNLESS IF YOU WISH TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE FICTIONS IN THIS FIELD.
Added: After submitting this review, I noticed another hyping review just posted. I add the following comments: ANY CLAIM MUST BE BASED ON FACTS. That so called 'very useful 7 bells' are never properly specified, in the traditional spirit of Edwards & Magee, as well as required for any responsible writers. In today's computer age, a reasonable question should also be asked: What is the percentage rates of success for any patterns, indicators, or any other means. Of course, if the writer could not define his/her 'useful pattern' in specific terms, then you have to use your full imagination learned from the Emporer's New Clothes to 'GUESS' what the writer is talking about.
Rating:
Summary: An easy read for anyone that understands swing trading
Review: Alan Farley wrote one of the best swing-day trading books around. His 7 bells are very useful, to complement your own trading ideas. Every chapter has useful information that you can use, as well as information that you may aleady understand.
One book will not make you a master swing trader but this one can get you started in the right direction. He understands how
easy it is to lose money trading and drives home the importance of entering the market at the correct target and cover losses quickly if it does not work out. Thanks Allen, this book is well worth the cost of admission.
Rating: 
Summary: Like milking an ancient cow...
Review: By way of analogy, a trader reading this book is a bit like a starving man sitting down to milk an ancient cow. The drops of wisdom did yield themselves, but not without prodigious effort. A starving man will still take on the job however and future second edition would benefit from a copious edit.
Before going long on this book, investigate his website http://www.hardrightedge.com to learn more about "the seven bells" which is the focus of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Poorily Written
Review: Very hard to follow and decipher. Information provided was not organized and sounded like gobbledegook. The author makes no attempt whatsoever to report proof but just shows his one example. Don't waste your time.
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