I just finished the book. For the beginner, I think it’s a good investment. For me personally, I would have liked more depth in certain areas’. There’s alot of “filler”, and when you’re finished you still won’t actually know enough to make serious money on your own. Rating: 3 / 5

This is as basic as you can get and could be written in three pages as an outline Rating: 3 / 5

Hedge Funds for Dummies seeks to create a “reference for the rest of us” on how to use hedge funds to improve portfolio performance.

However, as a founder of a Private Investment Fund, this book really makes one think about all of the elements that you need to consider when potential investors are kicking your fund’s tires.

My copy is dog-eared and has writing throughout the margins.

Regardless of whether you are thinking of starting a fund or thinking about investing in a fund, this book will be an excellent resource. Rating: 5 / 5

Wow! This book sets a new standard for the “…For Dummies” series. It goes well beyond what you would expect from a book with such a whimsical title. Ann Logue is smart, her research is solid, and her writing is perfectly colloquial. No BS, no jargon. If you don’t have an MBA, or if you earned it before hedge funds entered the scene, take Logue’s corporate finance tutorial, meaning start from the beginning. If you don’t need the background, then jump to Part III, beginning on page 165, dealing with hedge fund strategies. This book covers the history of hedge funds, their regulatory aspects, asset allocation, risk management, the Greeks, transparency, due diligence, and perhaps the most important aspect, where does the alpha come from? Read it for fun; read it for self-defense, or prep yourself for an interview, but do read it. Rating: 5 / 5

This book covers all the bases that an investor should consider before deciding to invest. They are too numerous to mention here, but in this 342-page primer, the author clearly explains the critical information necessary to make an informed decision as to whether a hedge fund is for you.

Hedge funds have been in the news lately, but not necessarily for their supposed out performance characteristics. Nine hedge funds (for example, Amaranth Advisors) have closed their doors in the past year, some because of outsized bets by traders on the wrong side of the markets they were trading. This is not the way to increase performance. In 1998, Long-Term Capital Management blew up, even with two Noble-prize winning economists on the staff. All hedge funds are not alike and there risks that need to be taken into account.

Hedge fund assets are estimated to be $1.2 trillion with over 9000 funds in existence. For most investors, due to the stringent entry requirements, hedge funds are not an option. Wealthy individuals who may be interested in hedge funds are urged to read this book (as well as others interested in learning about the subject) before placing their hard-earned money at risk. This suggestion may save them millions of dollars in potential losses, if they decide not to invest in certain hedge funds because of their due diligence learned from this book.

Additionally, the author provides insight on setting up your own hedge fund portfolio by selecting different categories of investments. Surprisingly though, she spends a miniscule amount of time discussing exchange traded funds (ETFs) to build the hedge fund portfolio. Now that there over 425 ETFs offering all types of investment alternatives, this is one area that deserves more attention.

Overall, the author provides a credible and detailed look at the hedge fund industry. An investor needs to know the basics before committing any money to these funds. This book provides useful information to help in making the decision to invest in hedge funds.

Rating: 5 / 5