Review (PDF) The Devil's Financial Dictionary
Your Survival Guide to the Hades of Wall StreetThe Devil’s Financial Dictionary skewers the plutocrats and bureaucrats who gave us exploding mortgages, freakish risks, and banks too big to fail. And it distills the complexities, absurdities, and pomposities of Wall Street into plain truths and aphorisms anyone can understand.An indispensable survival guide to the hostile wilderness of today’s financial markets, The Devil’s Financial Dictionary delivers practical insights with a scorpion’s sting. It cuts through the fads and fakery of Wall Street and clears a safe path for investors between euphoria and despair.Staying out of financial purgatory has never been this fun.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs (November 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1610396995
ISBN-13: 978-1610396998
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 7.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #263,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #172 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Business & Professional #197 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias & Subject Guides > Business #467 in Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Dictionaries
The book is excellent and the humor helps explain the concepts and the definitions. If you are giving this book as a gift -- there is a sticker on the back with what must be a new ISBN number. DON'T REMOVE IT as doing so will rip the surface of the cover. This is one of those books that you can pick up and put down at any time since it is a humorous dictionary. That means only one thing: there is a certain room of the house where this is especially appropriate :) This is also a good gift for college seniors who might be majoring in finance or accounting.
I heard about this book while listening to the Masters in Business podcast with Barry Ritholtz and his guest Jason Zweig. I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast and Jason's use of wit and humor, and had to order the book. As a financial professional, I find many of the definitions hilarious, even though some hit a little close to home. It's a dictionary, so it's not something you will likely pick up and read cover to cover. I read a few pages here and there, and get a seriously good laugh during each and every reading. I recommend this for anyone interested in finance or for anyone who has worked in finance, provided they have a good sense of humor. Great work Jason!
A fun book, that provides serious information about investing and stock markets in a easy-reading, light way. If you are an investor, this is as pleasant a way to learn more about the system -- and it's beneficial for both the do-it-yourself investor and for those using services of various "investment counselors."
Jason Zweig regularly gives his audience a good laugh while distilling the metamorphosing wisdom that anyone working in or interacting with the financial industry better gains sooner rather than later for his/her financial health. This education is a life-long process because of the evolving cynicism that permeates the industry. The financial industry thrives on hope, no matter how un-founded and transient. In summary, the book under review is a nice gift idea, no matter the timing. Cynicism on Wall Street, a convenient shortcut for the financial industry, does not know the difference among the seasons.
It is a dictionary, so if you are looking for an exciting read on the financial markets, this book is not it. Any conseivable word that a broker might use is in this book. You can tell by reading it Jason doesn't have a high regard for most brokers and believes that most individuals should do their own investing using low fee funds such as Vanguard, etc. Even though it is a dictionary I found it entertaining and informative. If you don't do your own investing, after you read this book you just might start putting a portion of your money to self invest.
Good glossary of financial terms, using a lot of humor. If you are already reasonably familiar with financial terms, you'll love this book's light approach. But it's probably not for the pure novice who is just getting started in finance - it's not that tutorial.
This book is not what I expected; it’s still very good. Let me explain, and it will give you a better flavor of the book.The author, Jason Zweig, is one of the top columnists writing about the markets for The Wall Street Journal. He is very knowledgeable, properly cautious, and wise. The title of the book Ambrose Bierce’s book that is commonly called The Devil’s Dictionary.There are three differences in style between Zweig and Bierce:* Bierce is more cynical and satiric.* Bierce is usually shorter in his definitions, but occasionally threw in whole poems.* Zweig spends more time explaining the history of concepts and practices, and how words evolved to mean what they do today in financial matters.If you read this book, will you learn a lot about the markets? Yes. Will it be fun? Also yes. Is it enough to read this and be well-educated? No, and truly, you need some knowledge of the markets to appreciate the book. It’s not a book for novices, but someone of intermediate or higher levels of knowledge will get some chuckles out of it, and will nod as he agrees along with the author that the markets are a treacherous place disguised as an easy place to make money.As one person once said, “Whoever called them securities had a wicked sense of humor.” Enjoy the book; it doesn’t take long to read, and it can be put down and picked up with no loss of continuity.QuibblesNoneSummary / Who Would Benefit from this BookIf you have some knowledge of the markets, and you want to have a good time seeing the wholesome image of the markets skewered, you will enjoy this book.
Who would have thought a financial dictionary could cause me to spew water up my nose while reading it (and laughing). Many of Zweig's definitions are as amusing as they are accurate, making it not only educational but fun. A staple in anyone's personal financial library!
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