A good description of what hedge funds are, what they do, how they make money, how they affect out economy and who runs them. Rating: 4 / 5

This book is mostly a list of the existing hedge funds. It doesn’t allow you to make judgements about whether a hedge fund is risky or safe, good or bad. You come away not knowing much more than when you started. Rating: 1 / 5

This book is concise and follows an appropriate structure. Author Philip Coggan writes with authority and wit. However, no matter how well written this 2007 book is, I wonder how relevant chapters 2 and 3 are given the sweeping changes in financial regulation as well as industry practice following the credit crisis. Perhaps foreseeing this, Coggan demonstrates very clearly just how quickly the industry changes.

What is most impressive, however, is seeing just how many of Coggan’s predictions in the last chapter have born fruit.

I would not recommend this book to the uninitiated. However, if you have some prior training in economics or finance, it is invaluable to understanding financial markets. I eagerly await an updated edition. Rating: 5 / 5

This is a great basic overview of hedge funds and shows you some of the problems that can arise within the economy from their use and abuse. I kindof wish that they had better coverage of the academic theory and principles of hedge funds but for that you’re going to have to look elsewhere like a finance textbook.

I really don’t think you’re going to get a ton of insight from this book but if it’s an overview of hedge funds that you need, then this is an excellent and cost effective choice.

My recommendation is that you buy this from Amazon vs from the Economist website. The economist website was the same price only in pounds sterling and at the time I bought it that made it 2x more if I had bought it from the Economist’s website. I do like the form factor of this book it’s small like a paperback but hard bound, easy to read and easy to get through (took me about 2hrs to skim thoroughly from cover to cover).

Amazon saved me 50% just for buying from Amazon.

Rating: 5 / 5

A wide-ranging review of the hedge fund industry aimed at anyone thinking of working for or investing in the sector. The most useful sections are the explanations of the wide variety of strategies and the debate (particularly relevant given recent events) over whether hedge funds earn their fees Rating: 4 / 5