The Futures: The Rise of the Speculator and the Origins of the World's Biggest Markets

This is another offering book bought during book fair. Well, the previous one failed partially in my humble opinion. Let us see how this one goes...

This is a book that traces the beginnings of future trading to the present days. The author did enough homework and this book recorded precisely the whole process on the origins and growth of the future markets. Overall, the story telling is clear and I think readers will find it easier to digest along the way.

However... I must admit that this is another boring book. In fact, it is the usual typical historical book and it is actually barely entertaining. In my humble opinion, the author focuses too much on the academical side of the story. At the end, there is no fun in reading this book.

Entertaining aside, I thought the author missed out some serious stuff too. This is a book about future markets. Yet, I found no charts or tables in the whole book. Well, statistics are the best tool to tell stories at times. As such, I found it weird to read a serious story without serious stuffs.

For a full rating of 10, I am going to rate this book at 4. It is again another book that failed to inspire me in any way. The fact is... it is always very hard to get excellent books during a fair. What a disappointment... 

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance

As I mentioned before, I am short of investment books at the moment. Hence, any book will be my choices right now. In fact, I do not mind reading lousy books. Reading itself is already an amazing journey. To be able to judge at the end of the journey means we did catch up something along the road. So, whether it is a good or bad journey, a journey is still a journey to appreciate...

This book was actually grabbed during a book fair. In fact, it was grouped in those offering books where I can buy the next one with RM1. Well, I admit I was in the rush that day and this book was simply bought to make up the number. At the end, I did not even realize that this is another book on 2008 financial crisis... Gosh, so boring, LOL!

Well, please do not get me wrong. This is not a lousy book. But, ever since 2008 sub-prime crisis, this kind of books are all over in the markets. With year 2015 is around the corner plus markets everywhere were making new highs recently, this book does not seems appealing at all. The author did an excellent analysis with tons of ideas as future solutions to face another possible "white swan" (as according to author) in long run. However, I do find that ideas presented although sounds logic with sense... the solutions will be costly. In fact, I do not think authority will react such a way. After all, we are passing 6th year since 2008 and those solutions may not sounds applicable and relevant anymore.

As a summary, this may be a good read right after the 2008 crisis. However, to read it in year 2014 does not seem right in the first place. Rating wise, out of 10, I am giving it 4. Overall, not much of refreshing thoughts throughout the whole reading process... 

Liar's Poker

This is a weird situation... I read tons of investment stuff... but, I actually missed out this very popular book, LOL. In fact, it was on my shelf long time ago. However, it never came across my mind to grab it...Now; I think time is just right as I got very limited books on investment to choose from...

At the end; well, not a bad choice of book to know what a trader's life is like inside a major Wall Street firm! In fact, this is a book full with humors and hilarious. The author did so well that I think majority readers would find it easy to digest the whole book.

However, I started to get bored with things happened in 1980's. In fact, after reading so many books on investment, this topic does not attract me anymore. Besides, the author tends to drag and repeat in certain chapters. Things get worse when the author tried to explain history of various peoples in Salomon Brothers. Gosh... honestly, I am not keen to explore so much of details, LOL.

Overall, I think I did pick up some great stuff here and there throughout the whole book. However, it is definitely not my cup of tea. In fact, I felt bored at times with the dull explanation which I do not think is needed in the first place. As such, for a full rating of 10, I am going to rate it at 4. Frankly, I think I prefer "Moneyball" & "Flash Boys"...

这个历史挺靠谱：袁腾飞讲世界史

看了上一本那么枯燥的历史书籍后，忽然想起了袁腾飞。还记得这本书是袁腾飞三系列中的最后一本。前两本专注于中国史，这一本只谈世界史。一年前，阅读了前两本，就一直把这本搁着。趁现在被毛主席书籍逼得闷死了，是时候找回袁腾飞了。。。

老袁的历史书籍就是有趣！枯燥？不可能。老袁不让我们一边阅读一边狂欢大笑就不叫袁腾飞了。跟前两本（袁腾飞讲中国史上+袁腾飞讲中国史下）比起来，这一本世界史还真的有过之而无不及。如果说前两本都值得满分（中国史下集给予9分），这一本肯定也值10分！

诚如媒体介绍般，袁腾飞嬉笑怒骂的讲述风格只是普及历史知识，并且让这种普及变得有趣。因此，读者读的完全不沉闷。袁腾飞的确是把“死去”的历史“活生生”的带到大众面前。该正经时，读者看到了作者很细腻的揭破苏联其实是二战希特勒的得力助手。该幽默时，我们也看到了作者分析意大利屡战屡败的“浪漫”。如果读者的心态和我一样（想一目十行，又想观其大略）的话，这个历史书籍肯定是越读越靠谱！以我的角度来说，世界史我也看上了好几百本。因此，好读书，不求甚解肯定是我读世界史的宗旨。。。而，这本书恰恰起到了它的作用！

最后结论：赞还是赞！！！这是一本个人很推荐的上等之作！！！既想充实知识，又不想把自己搞闷，那袁腾飞这本书籍肯定是首选！！！

毛泽东军事思想教程

这是一本很有含义，但非常枯燥的书籍。个人认为，除非您是毛泽东迷（如我）；不然，想好好的啃完这本书的确不容易。。。

先说一说排序问题。个人认为这本书本身的排序就不生动。都说是教科书了，因此每一章几乎都以教科材料为出发点。再来，作者是提供了很多真实列子来衬托毛主席的军事智慧。但是，有些列子就是有重复性和乱七八糟的排序。

历史书籍本来就不好读。关于毛泽东的书籍，更是很难找上一本令人非常满意的书籍。或许，毛主席的地位始终是那么的显赫。因此，提笔人很难收放自如的发挥手笔。。。抛开枯燥的因数，内容的呈现有时真的能够起到一定的效果。这本书籍就是一个很好的例子。内容虽丰富，但阅读时，专注力很容易被打散掉。这真的让我想起袁腾飞。如果说这本伟大的军事教学落到袁腾飞的手笔下，效果肯定会好很多。

评分方面，连毛泽东迷如我都觉得沉闷。。。我觉得这本书如果落在其它读者手中，应该会惨不忍睹，呵呵。。。10分满分，本人给予4分。如果不是那么的枯燥，分数应该可以高一些。毕竟，如我以上所说，这本书的确很好的记载了毛主席的军事智慧。