Product Description

A comprehensive guide for beginners by the leading authority on options

Whether the markets are moving up or down, options remain one of the most attractive instruments for all investors. Profit with Options is a beginner's guide to trading options, delivered in clear and engaging manner by options guru Lawrence McMillan. Starting with a basic explanation of terminology, McMillan explains complete trading methodologies with chapters on direct and contrary indicators, protecting a stock portfolio, and trading volatility. The "Q&A" section in each chapter offers readers a chance to test their knowledge in real life trading situations. Whether you are looking for new investment sources in a bear market or seeking hedge protection in a bull, Profit with Options is a lively, one-stop reference and vital tool.

Lawrence C. McMillan is the President of McMillan Analysis Corporation. He publishes the newsletter The Option Strategist and the innovative fax service "Daily Volume Alerts," updating investors on unusual increases in equity option volume. He is the author of the bestselling Options as a Strategic Investment and McMillan on Options (Wiley: 0-471-11960-1).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #539556 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 276 pages

From the Inside Flap
Profit with Options: Essential Methods for Investing Success is a powerful new guide that allows every investor to learn about options by benefiting from the wealth of knowledge and years of experience of a true options expert. Renowned options authority and "Trader's Hall of Fame" award-winner Lawrence McMillan complements his prior books with this thorough guidebook. No matter what your background, regardless of your experience level, McMillan's new hands-on manual takes readers on a "course" through the complete options trading process and provides end-of-chapter questions that will help you reinforce tactics and refine options trading skills-preparing you to apply them with savvy and strength before you are out in the real trading arena.

Profit with Options takes you from a basic clarification of terminology to straightforward explanations of complete trading methodologies, for both the beginner and the veteran trader, with chapters on direct and contrary indicators, protecting a stock portfolio, and trading volatility. Through hard-won knowledge gleaned from years of options trading experience, McMillan provides you with in-depth coverage of trading systems, factors that affect markets and market behaviors, and general portfolio-protecting strategies, while uncovering the practices of successful options strategies. Focused on actual ways to generate profits from options trading, this accessible guide will show you how to:
* Use options as predictors of market behavior
* Determine when to engage in straddle buying
* Interpret OEEX and VIX
* Choose the trading system that's right for you
* Reduce the cost of portfolio protection
* Understand and use the measures of option price changes ("greeks")
* Analyze the reasons behind volatility changes

. . . and much more.

Profit with Options will challenge you every step of the way, and the valuable "Q&A" section at the end of each chapter offers you the rare chance to test your options knowledge before going into real-world trading situations-where time and money are something you cannot afford to lose.

In clear, easy-to-follow terms, Profit with Options arms you with the facts you need to understand options-stock, index, and futures options-as well as the tools you need to implement profitable options trading strategies. Whether you're looking for new investment sources in a bear market or seeking hedge protection in a bull, Profit with Options is a lively, one-stop reference and vital tool that can help you achieve your investment goals.

From the Back Cover
"McMillan is the top name in options education, bar none."
-Paul Stevens, President, Options Clearing Corp. and The Options Industry Council

"Larry wrote the book we built an industry on," notes Ned W. Bennett, CEO of OptionsXpress, referring to McMillan's thick volume, Options as a Strategic Investment. A decade later, McMillan on Options focused on McMillan's own personal strategies and favored techniques. Now comes Profit with Options, a treasure that complements his previous works and continues his legacy of educating investors on the benefits and strategies for incorporating options into a winning investment program.

Profit with Options is a unique course book that covers every phase of the options trading process step-by-step, and then reinforces individual concepts through end-of-chapter quizzes, thereby allowing readers to refine their skills. Each chapter covers a specific concept and closes with a set of review questions and answers that will assist the reader in implementing the material covered. Focused on practical ways to profit from stock, index, and futures options, this guide covers basic to advanced concepts and includes everything you need to consistently "profit with options." Learn how to determine whether to buy options or the underlying stock, use price and volume as technical indicators, apply index options as portfolio protection, and implement powerful volatility strategies.

When it comes to options trading education, no one is more respected than "Trader's Hall of Fame" award-winner Larry McMillan. Through his bestselling books, popular newsletters, and packed trading workshops, he has become a true industry icon. In Profit with Options, McMillan's newest offering, you'll learn powerful, proven, and profitable options trading techniques with the expert guidance of one of the world's foremost authorities.

About the Author
LAWRENCE G. McMILLAN is President of McMillan Analysis Corporation. As the foremost authority on options, Mr. McMillan is the publisher of The Option Strategist, a leading advisory newsletter for the options community, and creator of the innovative fax service "Daily Volume Alerts," which updates investors on unusual increases in equity option volume. He is also the bestselling author of two books: Options as a Strategic Investment and McMillan on Options (Wiley). Mr. McMillan has spoken on options strategies at hundreds of seminars and colloquiums in the United States, Canada, and Europe. In addition to touring, speaking, and writing, he uses his knowledge to trade his own accounts actively in the options markets. Formerly a senior vice president in charge of the Equity Arbitrage Department at Thomson McKinnon Securities, Inc., Mr. McMillan is also a "Trader's Hall of Fame" award winner.

Customer Reviews

Pricey, some good stuff
This book could probably be considered the Chevy in McMillan's fleet, with McMillan on Options and Options as a Strategic Investment standing as the Cadillac and Corvette, respectively. It's a worthwhile addition, but if you're new to McMillan, you'd probably be better-served by one of his more well-known works.

This is a relatively short book that provides some tools for using options as direct or contrary indicators, and actual strategies for employing options to profit off expected movement in price or volatility. The book also provides some good guidelines for evaluating indicators like the put/call ratio (index and equity-only), VIX (old VIX, now VXO), and how to interpret volume in an options chain for possible signs of predictive insider trading. Later chapters get a little more complicated, covering some strategies for volatility buying and selling, etc.

The "workbook" end of this volume is rather thin, basically comprised of 12-20 questions at the end of every chapter covering what you've learned, with an answer index in back.

If you're a McMillan fan or new to options, you'll probably like this book. Otherwise, check into his better-known volumes first.

Unfair to be called trashy; but not too far...
I am jsut wondering why many people take this book as another 'Bible' leveled book. It sounds exactly like an insult to all those real 'Bible' books.

Some other reviewers are right: the editting is lousy, the graphs are irresponsible,...., and some other over a thousand flaws. One can expect to learn more by simply browsing Optionetics forum.

Not worth the price
I have read McMillan's other books and found them interesting and educational. But this book does not have any eyeopening material. If you are a beginner in options then this is not for you; if you are not a beginner then this book is not for you also. You probably know how volatility affects option prices etc., The author has just filled the pages with many historical charts of stocks. Instead he could have just illustrated his points with a couple of charts for each topic. Instead of a book this just deserves to be a booklet.