Anyone read any good books?

[steven1976]

"How much Risk? & what're the odds of total failure?"

I put the risk on my customers. Let them pay for everything. Works great! Obviously, depends upon the business but always worth asking for money to fund any business cashflow up front.

[gazuty]

Just read : The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
Kept my interest, and worth a read

Reading it now.

[JollyGreen]

My wife struggles with certain tasks especially if it means public speaking. She often does presentations as she's very experienced in the education field and she gets so worried it keeps her awake and almost makes her nauseous. I have been helping her and she's imprived so much compared to where she was.

I am forever getting books for her, often books I read many years ago, but the latest one was totally new. She was going to a seminar and the speaker has a book called 101 Days to make a change so I bought it from Amazon. She loves it and if it is helping her then it can help others too!

It's worth investigating.

[PeterLe]

I bought Flashboys a couple of days ago with the intention of reading it on holiday next week.
I thought I would read the first chapter last night and read nearly 20% of the book.
The first 10% or so was a bit boring, but it has got more interesting.
This is a small extract of the text :-

"The market on his screen was no longer the market. His friend would hit a button to buy or sell a stock and the market would move away from him.."

Sounds familiar?

The book is about how dark pools are formed by linking exchanges and how various people use to technology to intercept orders BEFORE they hit the market. Often just milliseconds ahead, but plenty enough time to readjust the market.
I'm only just into the book, but already its making me think that we would all be very naive if we though that this isn't happening (by betfair themselves or whoever)

On a positive; It has given me a idea that I intend starting to test on the exchange today..

If the rest of the book is as good, then worth a read
regards
Peter

[LinusP]

Hi Peter,

I plan on reading that book, seems to be in the news a lot. I wonder how long HFT will be allowed to continue.

I think they are looking to turn it into a film as well.

[herbie]

by PeterLe » Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:41 pm

I bought Flashboys a couple of days ago

Im on page 161 as we speak. Its a great read.

I feel it tells of many similarities that we experience every day on the betting exchanges,especially the subject of latency. Its great food for thought.

[Michal]

Outside of probability and trading literature but essential.
Memoir of a psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz and witnessed few other concentration camps. Very sobering and humbling reading, makes you appreciate things which we tend to take for granted.
http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meani ... 738&sr=1-1

[Lyle]

Currently reading Lee Child's 'Never Go Back.' Had thought he had lost his touch in recent years but enjoying this one very much. Still only at the beginning though.

[Euler]

Currently reading: -

How Not To Be Wrong: The Hidden Maths of Everyday Life

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K ... UTF8&psc=1

[angelinarankin]

The Good Life by Hugh Mackay.In this he addresses about "What makes a life worth living?".

[Jesy_par]

If you want to save some money or you live in a country where it is very hard to find books in English (as I do) then the website investopedia.com has some great articles that can be printed out.

[JayBee]

I bought Flashboys a couple of days ago with the intention of reading it on holiday next week.
I thought I would read the first chapter last night and read nearly 20% of the book.
The first 10% or so was a bit boring, but it has got more interesting.
This is a small extract of the text :-

"The market on his screen was no longer the market. His friend would hit a button to buy or sell a stock and the market would move away from him.."

Sounds familiar?

Being a dark pool you are given the software to trade on the pool by the pool operator.

The software was coded to signal which stock, price and volume was chosen by the operator. The operator then had to then press the execute button. Of course, before they could press the execute button the HFT firm on the dark pool could buy all the stock at that price and nudge the price up to a higher level thus gaining a profit for the HFT firm. In other words, the software was set up to allow HFT firms to act as middle men between buyers and sellers.

It is conceivable that malicious trading software for trading on Betfair could do a similar thing, signalling intention before execution. You hover the mouse over a price and then that and your chosen volume size are signalled to somewhere else.

Of course, I have NO knowledge of this being done in sports betting or on any software that I know of, including Bet Angel. Although I can be hired for retrofitting.

[Iron]

I borrowed Kahneman's book from the library yesterday.

Fascinating book, and plenty of great insights about trading.

Jeff

Any of the above mentioned great choices - I'd add 'Fooled by Randomness' The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Taleb. Also,'Thinking Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman.

[PeterLe]

hi
just looking for a good book for a long trip next week...
Just seen this:-


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sports-Trading- ... ir+trading

Anyone read it? isn't Wayne on the betangel forum?

[Euler]

Not sure if he is TBH, but not sure it's worth reading as I think you are well above that level.

Try either of these two which I have found interesting and useful. Both are based around psychology: -

Little book of behavioural investing

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Little-Book ... 0470686022

The Chimp Paradox

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chimp-Paradox-M ... 009193558X