Derivative-security

I had a strong background in equity derivative models but found the leap to interest rate models difficult. What are the relationships between short rates, forward rates, and term structure? How do assumptions translate into restrictions on our ability to model the "stylized facts" of interest rates? How are assumption violations "corrected" by practitioners?

This book answers all of these questions in a straightforward yet rigorous manner. Explanations are supplemented with simple examples.

After reading this book, I had the roadmap and analytical context I needed to tackle implementation focused books like Brigo and Mercurio.

As a bonus, this book provides a very nice summary of major valuation tools. (Monte Carlo simulation of martingale processes, development of pricing PDE via Feynman-Kac, development of fundamental solutions, etc.)

If you want a concise, clearly written and excellently explained introduction to the cutting edge interest rate models used in dealing rooms today. Look no further. With an elementary stochastic calculus background from Rennie & Baxter, this book is very readable, even on a crowded train! For those who want more details & case studies, have Interest Rate Models by Brigo & Mercurio as a companion text. With useful tips on Libor & swap market model implementation, and a whole chapter devoted to convexity correction. One of the best texts on the subject I have read.

I would not recommend this book to build up an academic background but rather to develop an understanding and an intuition of how dynamic options are. As a hedge fund options trader this book has been very valuable to me to validate my own observations and where necessary to correct those observations, which at the time seemed correct, but which the author through market experience manages to convey the proper meaning. This book is not only factual but also provides you with the right frame of mind to think about options. I believe you can also use the author's experience to boost your own practical experience.

It is nearly impossible to write a book that is both mathematically rigorous and sufficiently down to earth to be accessible to the professional trader. This book is a step in the right direction. It maintains the mathematical accuracy and depth without bogging the reader down with technical derivation of formulae. At the same time, it is written by a trader whose experience in the real market compels him to constantly question the 'nice' assumptions used to derive these formulae.

Taleb is first a market practitioner who uses models and pricing formulae to enhance trading and not the other way around. If there is a discrepancy between theory and reality he doesn't blame the markets.

The book is very personal and leaves no doubt what the author's opinion is on VAR, continuous hedging and other sacred cows of modern finance. The debacle in the financial markets in 1998 and the apologetic excuses by famous traders and theoreticians indicates that there is more than a grain of truth in Taleb's skepticism.

The importance of this book is that whether one agrees or disagrees with Taleb, it forces the reader to question his basic assumptions and rethink common truths. The book is unique: it is stylish, philosophical, literary, and if one may say so of a hardcore financial book - it is very entertaining.

really great to figure out the intricacies of options. if you need something more conventional just get hull; this book is by someone who does it for a living and has different intuitions than what you get in the ivory tower.
some of the points are great but may need more updating

Ms.Farrelly has done it again. Not only a clever mystery, but I finally understand what derivatives are. Wonderful local color and memorable characters plus a good plot. Who could ask for anything more?

I always wanted to get the solutions for the chapter excercises. It does really help to understand the material .

Anyone interested in that can contact at : ankdadoo06@yahoo.com