Although financial markets often try to distance themselves from gambling, the two factors have far more in common than usually thought. When, historically there were no financial institutions such as banks, lotteries constituted the ways by which expensive items were disposed of, and governments raised money quickly. Gambling tables fulfilled roles that venture capital and banking do today. Gamblers created clearinghouses and sustained liquidity. When those gamblers bet on price distributions in futures markets, they were redefined as speculators. Today they are called hedge fund managers or...

Praise for FISCHER BLACK AND THE REVOLUTIONARY IDEA OF FINANCE

-The story of Fischer Black. . . . is remarkable both because of the creativity of the man and because of the revolution he brought to Wall Street. . . . Mehrling's book is fascinating.-
--FINANCIAL TIMES

-A fascinating history of things we take for granted in our everyday financial lives.-
--THE NEW YORK TIMES

-Mehrling's book is essential reading for anyone interested in the development of modern finance or the life of an idiosyncratic creative genius.-
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Take the risk out of financial risk management

Written by bestselling author and past winner of the GARP Award's Risk Manager of the Year, Aaron Brown, Financial Risk Management For Dummies offers thorough and accessible guidance on successfully managing and controlling financial risk within your company. Through easy-to-follow instruction, you'll find out how to manage risk, firstly by understanding it, and then by taking control of it. Plus, you'll discover how to measure and value financial risk, set limits, stop losses, control drawdowns and hedge bets.

Financial...

Description:
The dry, unforgiving winds of the Sahel swirl dust over the plains around the orphanage. Ali, a young Chadian boy of seven, spends his days shooting marbles and playing soccer with his fellow orphans, waiting with hope to be taken away to a different world. When Laurent and Clara Girard drive through the orphanage gate one day, Alis life is forever changed. The French couple adopts him and brings him to Chads bustling capital, NDjamena, where motorcycles roar across paved roads and the market is open late into the night. But Ali soon finds that his new experiences dont align with...

"God pummeled me. My most horrific experience. Also my best."

The Oracle is the enlightenment of a profound principle the author learned during a desperate season of his life. The power to transform a life finally awakened him. Embracing its message on one of his darkest days, he wrote The Oracle to revive hope and inspiration for the prosperity God offers each of us.

The Oracle assures prosperity to the soul who observes its message, and a curse to the one who rejects it. Promoting a shift in one's mind, this universal law prompts wellness, abundance, hope, purpose, and a...