World Famous Comics: The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies
The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies
By: Guy Cohen Publisher: FT Press Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: FT Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 400 Publication Date: April 17, 2005
Product Description: For the first time: the world's 60 best options trading strategies, all in one expert reference! *The practical, easy-to-use trading reference for every options trader. *Why each strategy works, when it's appropriate, and how to use it -- step by step! *By Guy Cohen, creator of the Optionseasy system that's helped thousands of traders achieve breakthrough results!
Options Reference This hardcover should not be your first reading about options. It assumes that you are already familiar with options trading, and just want a reference book at hand.
For each strategy, e.g. "Short Iron Butterfly", there is a description, context (outlook, rationale, net position, effect of time decay, appropriate time period to trade, ways of selecting the stock and options), risk profile, Greeks, advantages and disadvantages, ways of exiting the trade, and an example.
However, the ways to select an option are not always adequately covered. For example, in the "short (naked) put" strategy, the author simply writes "Give yourself as little time to be wrong". The concept of Annualized Premium is not covered, there is no method given to select the best option from different strike prices and expiration dates. If you are interested in this technique, you can find it in "Options as a Strategic Investment" by Lawrence McMillan, chapter 19, or there is a special book "Using Options to Buy Stocks" by Dennis Eisen.
You may keep this book as a quick reference, but if you didn't read anything about options yet, I have some recommendations. If you are not quite familiar with the stock market, I would suggest "The Options Course" by George Fontanills and Richard Cawood. If you did buy stocks already, then skim through Trading Options For Dummies by George A. Fontanills; or Options Made Easy by the same author as of the reviewed book.
It is what it says it is I started studying options about 2 months ago and this was one of the first books I purchased and it has barely left my side since. I have been searching the net endlessly for information on options and am still yet to come across an option strategy that is not in this book. It starts with a well planned contents section, allowing you to look up your strategy based on Skill level, direction and volatility among others. the 60+ strategies follow a well laid out, easy to follow structure, making even the more advanced strategies relatively easy to understand. Each Strategy shows the Risk, Advantages/Disadvantages as well as a step by step guide on exactly how to place the trade. While the greeks can be one of the more difficult part of understanding options the charts and explanations of the greeks accompanying each strategy are set out in a way so that even a beginner will find them not overly intimidating. While Im sure advanced traders may be able to point out features lacking its a cover to cover read for beginners(with a general understanding of Options Basics) and definately a handy go-to book for intermediates.
Lives up to its billing This book lives up to its billing. It methodically explains and evaluates the gamut of options techniques from most simple to most complex. In doing so, it explains the rationale for using the strategy, the risks and rewards,how to set it up and how to unwind it. It provides useful examples and good common sense advice. Best book on options trading I have ever seen.
The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies This is the sixth book I have read on Options Strategies and by far it is the best I have read. Guy walks you through the construction an unraveling of strategies in a down to earth approach. First he explains how to build your strategies from a single option trade, and then to more complex strategies one leg at a time; to improve profits and reduce costs. He then explains how to monitor the strategy and best of all how to exit the strategy when it is doing well, and if not so good. I love his continual reminders of "don't be greedy". He does a very nice job explaining which strikes to pick for the strategy and why. Guy does a great job explaining the Greeks and how each Greek affects each strategy. This book is an absolute keeper for any options library.
Outside academia, this is the only option book you'll need I have several books on options, but this is the one book that I keep on using. Most option books spend too much time on how to price an option. Unless you are active in thinly traded options, the market will dictate the current market price. This book gets right into why you are interested in options. Each option situation is broken down so anybody with a basic understanding will understand. For each situation, he discusses the Greeks (the new hip way of talking about options), risks, pros and cons, as well as an example. The only subject this book seems to fall short is what to do when your position is not going your way and how to minimize your loss.
I have a coworker that is interested in options and this was the only book I suggested he read.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
