Risk Takers: Uses and Abuses of Financial Derivatives

by John E. Marthinsen

Risk Uses and Abuses of Financial Derivatives, Third Edition, by John E. Marthinsen, goes to the heart of the arcane and largely misunderstood world of derivative finance and makes it accessible to everyone—even novice readers. Marthinsen takes us behind the scenes, into the back alleyways of corporate finance and derivative trading, to provide a bird’s-eye view of the most shocking financial disasters of the past quarter century. The book draws on real-life stories to explain how financial derivatives can be used to create or to destroy value. In an approachable, non-technical manner, Marthinsen brings these financial derivatives situations to life, fully exploring the context of each event, evaluating their outcomes, and bridging the gap between theory and practice.

386 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for an MBA class. It had a nice balance of stories about criminals and incompetent individuals, taking risks and making mistakes (usually with other people's money). I was surprised how few of these cases I had actually heard about, especially considering most of them were at least high profile enough to warrant changes in legislation and/or business oversight. I'm not sure how interesting Risk Takers would be to the average reader, but it definitely seemed to hold the attention of, and spark conversation among, the members of a Derivatives & Options MBA class.