Customer Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction with enough detail for the lay person
Comment: I found this book after searching long and hard for some information about financial instruments in general. Having heard some of the terms described in the book, I was at a loss to know what the heck they were used for. For example SWAPS and Repos where terms I had heard in the financial media but had no idea why they would be used. This book answered my questions and more. It also placed the financial markets into a global context, as the markets are truely world-wide. Thankfully, for me anyway, there are no complex formulae or mathematical terms in the book. It is an "Introduction", therefore high level. Having said that, it still takes some time to put the pieces together, but that is not the fault of the author. Financial markets are complex and hence difficult to understand. In my opinion this book is the best available if you require a high-level, not too detailed, Introduction to Global Financial Markets.
Customer Rating:
Summary: At Last ! A book that has it all for finance newbies
Comment: A FANTASTIC book for all newcomers to finance and a briliant refresher for commercial and investment bankers who need to get a bird eye's view of the markets. How do markets inter-relate? What is the history behind the players, the products and the regulators? Stephen Valdez' years of experience as a financial markets trainer are distilled into a jargon-free guidebook. This book should be recommended reading for all new banking graduate trainees. And anyone selling to the "city" or working in a support role eg: Audit, Regulation, Compliance, Risk, Middle Office, Back Office, Law, HR, Sales/Marketing, Public/Investor Relations etc. Get it ! It's worth every cent.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best book on finance I've ever read
Comment: This is the best book on finance I've ever read. It's a comprehensive introduction to financial markets written in simple language. BUY IT.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good readable intro
Comment: This is a great grounding in global markets & written in a plain., straightforward style. I've got this new (5th) edition which has good - broad, but interesting - coverage of Chinese and Indian markets. And the further reading at the back gives good links to books on more specific ares.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good job, well done.
Comment: The book is an Introduction - a very useful one, which outlines in reasonable detail all the areas of the financial world you are likely to need to know about.
For a beginner, i.e. someone looking to study the industry, or someone looking to make a career in the industry (like me), the book is excellent because the writing is clear and the content jolly interesting!
No, it is NOT a comprehensive guide to risk management, to valuation, or to derivatives trading, or whatever else you hoped it would be. But it IS the place to start - if you happen to have half a brain, you will know after reading it which book(s) to buy next!
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