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Rating: 
Summary: GRRRREEAAATTTT!!!
Review: A delight to read, makes understanding of even the most complicated subjects easy. BEST CD IN A TEXT BOOK EVER! WHY ARE YOU READING THIS REVIEW WHEN YOU COULD BE READING THIS BOOK AND BECOME A QUANT!!!
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Summary: Not close to the best in its class
Review: A first rate book to accompany the likes of Hull. Wilmott has produced a comprehensive piece of work which address' the subject matter in a less formal approach with accompanying thoughts on the practical relevance of the theory. The inclusion of Bloomberg screenshots and workable examples in the form of a CD rom has resulted in a book more relevant to the real world. For those who can't get enough there is even a discount included to upgrade to the double volume set entitled 'Quantitative Finance'. Well worth the read.
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Summary: Great Introduction to the subject
Review: Book provides a good foundation in the quantitative finance field.
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Summary: Excellent for laying foundations
Review: Excellent book for laying foundations. Both theory and practice are covered. Read this first and then follow with the same author's more advanced volumes. Beats Hull for sophistication and ease of understanding. This book is coherent, unlike Hull which is just a random collection of disjoint chapters. Very modern.
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Summary: Author leaves gaps in his mathematical derivations
Review: I have been reading this book to try to get a better understanding of Hull's book on Options. Wilmott says he is going to keep the math simple but he often leaves out steps in his reasoning. It may be obvious to him but frequently it has not been obvious to me. In fact, I find Hull's book actually more explanatory and easy to follow on topics like stochastic processes and the creation of Ito's lemma than Wilmott's. This is disappointing as Hull gets pretty detailed in his explanations and could use more examples ( not uncommon for academics). I am not an Einstein so I will and do take out pencil and paper to derive results to make sure I understand. I have not been successful in several instances with this book.
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Summary: Excellent as in an introduction to the technical analysis
Review: This book is an excellent starting point for those with no training in the technical aspect of the equities market, although the prime focus is on Derivatives.Although Derivatives are, as of late, a maligned form of investment, this book delineates a common-sensical approach to evaluating them. There is a gentle and concise introduction to the mathematics of investments which will please many, but no doubt upset the few purists, especially those who love mathematical rigour and others who would like to retain the mystery and mastery of their universe. This is an introduction. For those who feel the need to delve deeper, Paul Wilmott has written other books which go into greater depth.
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Summary: Not close to the best in its class
Review: This book is not close to the best in class. It's collecting dust on my bookshelf. There isn't enough practical information to make it a reason to take it off the bookshelf after purchase and a read through. "Derivatives Markets" by Robert McDonald is a much better written and more satisfying book. Even the paper quality, cover, and layout are better. The chapters have practical and excellent problem sets. McDonald is also a clearer writer with a better command of the subject.
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Summary: Best explanations and best accompanying CD I've seen
Review: This book is the perfect place to start learning about quantitative finance and derivatives. All you need is some basic calculus and the rest is easy. This book is definitely for those who need to understand the mathematics behind finance but it is presented in a way that the understanding comes very naturally. The mathematics is presented in a very intuitive way. There is also an accompanying CD. This contains Excel spreadsheets for almost every chapter and model in the book. This is the best such CD I've seen. (Most authors throw in a CD as an afterthought or as part of a sales pitch, this CD is carefully thought out and adds a lot of value... If you want the best introduction to this subject BUY THIS BOOK!
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Summary: Master Wilmott
Review: Wilmott's sequence to "Derivatives" is 200 pages and 26 chapters shorter. Does that make it less valuable? Not at all! In fact, rather the opposite. Wilmott managed to improve Introduction to Quantitative Finance nicely. He cut out the exercises, added more graphs and more insightful and funny "Wilmott" explanations. Above all, the supplied CD is a real pleasure for Excel friends who will find loads of examples from the book.
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