Options Demystified, Second Edition

This was a quick enjoyable read which provides an overview of options. This is a good first book to read to see if you want to invest more time studying.

"Options Demystified" is a worthy addition to McGraw-Hill's "Demystified" series, easily living up to its claim of being a self-teaching guide. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject of puts and calls, but this large-format paperback is by far the best I've come across for the aspiring option trader. It is comprehensive, well organized, generously illustrated and easy to understand. The book also includes many quizzes and a "final exam" to help the reader master the material. The author, Thomas McCafferty, has been around commodities, stocks and options for many years and written numerous books on those subjects. This one not only lays out the basics of the options game, it also condenses much of the author's impressive horse-sense into a very readable and relatively short work (251 pages, plus an excellent index). "Options Demystified" should be on every trader's shelf. Even pros will find some pearls here, including a chapter on "trading philosophy" that's perfectly attuned to today's frothy markets. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone looking for an options primer that is both comprehensive and easy to imbibe.