Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions

Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions (3rd Edition) Excellent overview with enough coverage of financial markets to see the big picture and enough detail to depict the inner workings. I used this book for an MBA course and it is a good resource for graduate school. If you're not used to the rather technical writing style that prevails in economics and finance, you will find this text rather dry. Without pre-existing knowledge in financial markets, this book will strike you as confusing and a bit overwhelming. If you're just learning about financial markets, I recommend watching the daily half-hour PBS show Nightly Business Report (www.nbr.com or www.pbs.org/nbr). NBR is more analytical and less hype-filled than the financial shows on cable, and I recommend it if you need some beforehand warm-up before delving into this book. If you already have a working knowledge of financial markets and economics, this book is well-written and appropriately paced. If at all possible, try to get the hardbound edition. The paperback is so flimsy that it can't possibly withstand the rigors of graduate study. If you're a hands-on reader and thorough student, this book will fall apart on you. I would give it five stars for content, but the flimsy paperback format calls for taking off at least one star. At this price, I would expect a binding that holds up to normal reading. Flimsy book binding aside, the presentation of the subject matter is well thought-out.

I use this textbook for my Financial Markets class and I learn so much from it. Fabozzi does a wonderful job of transfering his ideas to students so they can comprehend them and learn. Because of this book, I will definately get an 'A' in my class. I recommend this book to anybody.