How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite

How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite
Richard R. Lindsey,Barry Schachter | 2007-07-09 00:00:00 | Wiley | 386 | Business Life
Praise for How I Became a Quant

"Led by two top-notch quants, Richard R. Lindsey and Barry Schachter, How I Became a Quant details the quirky world of quantitative analysis through stories told by some of today's most successful quants. For anyone who might have thought otherwise, there are engaging personalities behind all that number crunching!"
--Ira Kawaller, Kawaller & Co. and the Kawaller Fund

"A fun and fascinating read. This book tells the story of how academics, physicists, mathematicians, and other scientists became professional investors managing billions."
--David A. Krell, President and CEO, International Securities Exchange

"How I Became a Quant should be must reading for all students with a quantitative aptitude. It provides fascinating examples of the dynamic career opportunities potentially open to anyone with the skills and passion for quantitative analysis."
--Roy D. Henriksson, Chief Investment Officer, Advanced Portfolio Management

"Quants"--those who design and implement mathematical models for the pricing of derivatives, assessment of risk, or prediction of market movements--are the backbone of today's investment industry. As the greater volatility of current financial markets has driven investors to seek shelter from increasing uncertainty, the quant revolution has given people the opportunity to avoid unwanted financial risk by literally trading it away, or more specifically, paying someone else to take on the unwanted risk.

How I Became a Quant reveals the faces behind the quant revolution, offering you?the?chance to learn firsthand what it's like to be a?quant today. In this fascinating collection of Wall Street war stories, more than two dozen quants detail their roots, roles, and contributions, explaining what they do and how they do it, as well as outlining the sometimes unexpected paths they have followed from the halls of academia to the front lines of an investment revolution.
Reviews
It is interesting to read these tales in light of the financial disaster of recent times. These babes in the woods have destroyed our economy and any moral underpinnings of the banking industry. I recommend reading this in conjunction with the new book by Scott Patterson.
Reviews
The stories are pretty good at first but they start to all sound very similar after the first 5 or 6.
Reviews
I really enjoyed the personal insight into the 20 quants spotlighted in this book. There are so many brilliant minds featured on CNBC and Bloomberg TV and these guys are on there all the time. So it was interesting to read about so many of them and how they stumbled upon being the best and brightest at the forefront of their industry. It really is a must read if you are thinking about going into financial math or if you just want some insight into the masterminds of financial mathematics.
Reviews
THe book is boring! talks about history of the elite's and thier transition from nerds to quants. Most of the stuff doesn't even makes sense as all they talk about is thier work in physics and its importance.
Reviews
I almost threw the book away when reading the first chapter. The first chapter of any book is very important. I don't understand usingr what criteria the editors of the book had to choose someone whose writing is so uninspiring and even annoying. Especially, the tone of his writing is inappropriate and too casual; is the person really serious? While I admit that that person was smart enough to be succuessful as a quant as he started the new career, I don't sense any degree of seriesness or struggle involving his life-changing decision to become a quant. He might have to be smarter to appreciate that not everyone is smart as he is.



Other than the first chapter, I utterly enjoyed some variety of people's experiences. It is very good to have certain variety. However, the book offers too much variety as to completely lose the focus. For the reader's point (people with no finances backgroud), the most crucial thing is to have some hope that (even) they can be successful and some assurance that what they are preparing to become quants is relevant. In that senese, the book title "How I became a quant" is absolutely misleading.

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