Showing posts with label etc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label etc.. Show all posts

12/28/2009

Review of The Oxford Style Manual (Hardcover)

What is not clear from the listing for this book in most of OUP's promotional materials is that THE OXFORD STYLE MANUAL is really TWO books in one: THE OXFORD GUIDE TO STYLE and THE OXFORD DICTIONARY FOR WRITERS AND EDITORS. Even at the combined length of just over 1,000 pages, THE MANUAL is a manageable reference work, no more cumbersome than a standard collegiate dictionary.

Although, as an American, I will continue to use the CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE as my arbiter for editorial decisions, I find Oxford's manual an excellent way of distinguishing between British and American styles of English; Part II (the dictionary) is especially thorough in pointing out key differences. Also, beginning on page 244 in Part I is a list of about 500 everyday American words with their British equivalents (tick-tack-toe = noughts and crosses). Although it would be nice to have the same list in reverse (an American's undershirt is a "vest" in UK, and his vest is a "waistcoat", something that is not immediately clear from the way the list is put together), the list is short enough for anyone to read through and become familiar with. (The CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE has no equivalent list.)

In short, a good and thorough resource.



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11/20/2009

Review of The Volatility Course (Hardcover)

Readers would buy this book assuming that they will be able to master the concept of volatility, and use it in their options trading, but this is far from being the case.
One would expect a book that deals with an advanced concept such as volatility, to take it as a given that the readers are already familiar with all the basics such as "an option gives the buyer the RIGHT not the OBLIGATION" etc.Iestimate that about 2/3 of the book deals with such beginner stuff.
On top of that, the authors don't even try to conceal that their primary purpose in writing the book is to deliver traffic to their premium web service.
I did learn a few things about volatility, but I was left with the feeling that I was tricked



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