finance and investing

The writing in this book is tiny, a strain on the eyes. The author should have used larger fonts, that would have made it a 4 star. The descriptions are good on the explanation and meaning of the patterns. The CD ROM just repeats whats in the book word for word, with poor graphics. I would also recommend candlesticks charting explained by gregory morris in combination with this book.

I'm quite pleased with the material presented in this book and the clarity with which it is presented. I don't know how much credit to give to Mr. Pring versus the charting method he illuminates, but Pring makes candlestick charting entirely accessible to any reader possessing the intellectual tools requisite for competent analysis and trading. To be certain, I'm much impressed with some of the advantages candlestick charting provides the trader over conventional western charting and so a good part of my favorable impression of this book may lie in my approval of the techniques that Pring describes.

My own trading style relies somewhat on technical analysis but is also heavily influenced by fundamentals and market psychology. What I found most attractive in Pring's candlesticks was the way in which he focused on what this or that pattern revealed about the attitudes of market participants not just from day to day, but more importantly during the day. As a swing trader, I find this approach absolutely essential in detecting shifts in sentiment on a relatively short term basis, but in a broader context than within the electronic strictures of pure day trading.

Above all else, I give Pring credit for simplifying this analytical technique down to its basic components and including excellent descriptions and charts. While I'm inclined to conclude that most Technical Analysis books are overpriced, I believe that any book that can give the trader reliable new tools is ultimately worth the price. I believe this book fits in that category. I recommend this volume to anyone who desires more than rudimentary knowledge of candlestick charting. I doubt that any discussion of candlestick charting extending beyond Pring's teaching would really add much to the topic. I highly recommend this particular volume.