Some are born with it. Others acquire it. Everyone wants it. It's the ultimate market wisdom, and your key personal asset on the road to financial success—it's intuition. In The Intuitive Trader, Robert Koppel draws on his extensive knowledge of the markets—culled from decades of frontline experience, as well as insightful interviews with top traders—to lay out a fascinating, practical "blueprint" for developing and honing intuitive trading skills.

Success depends on refining your intuition to a level that allows you to take the next step with unshakable confidence. But bringing yourself to this level is a daunting challenge—one that often requires you to override the logic of your acquired knowledge. It begins with self-awareness, a notion that many traders resist, looking instead to black-box trading systems and the expertise of self-proclaimed "gurus." Koppel explains why relying solely on empirical reasoning can actually inhibit your trading performance. He demonstrates why you need to combine the deductive with the inductive—integrating the intellect with the intuitive.

Along with penetrating analysis by psychologists and psychiatrists, The Intuitive Trader is filled with industry success stories from the likes of:

• Linda Leventhal, the independent trader and current member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange who discusses the thrills and dangers of trading in the pit;
• Howard Abell, equally at home trading on the floor or in front of a computer screen, who recalls a lifetime of lessons in the importance of understanding—and loving—the process;
• Thomas Belsanti, the interest rate, stock option, foreign currency, and livestock wizard who explains how he stays motivated and confident day in, day out;
• Charles Faulkner, the strategies expert whose extensive writings on the science of success explore how and why people succeed in the market.

With extensive exercises that will show you how to use intuition to enhance your trading performance, The Intuitive Trader provides the insights and techniques you need to take your trading to a new level.

Advance praise for THE INTUITIVE TRADER

"The Intuitive Trader is an indispensable addition to a trader's library. Bob Koppel has clearly identified how traders can distinguish true intuitive trading impulses from market hunches. I highly recommend The Intuitive Trader."—John F. Sandner, Chairman Chicago Mercantile Exchange

"Koppel has opened the door for those willing to do the work. He has done a superb job with this difficult subject."—John R. Conheeney, Jr. Chicago Board of Trade

"The Intuitive Trader is well-written...and clearly presented. Throughout his writing runs the thread of simple common sense. The Intuitive Trader is an important book that will remain fresh years into the future when the trading system you bought no longer works..."—from the Introduction David Silverman, Director Chicago Mercantile Exchange

"Koppel cuts new ground in the exploration of intuition...that most traders will find as relevant and as indispensable as a quote screen. The Intuitive Trader is a must read for both the veteran and aspiring trader."—from the Foreword William J. Brodsky, President Chicago Mercantile Exchange

Rand Financial Services provides expert clearing and execution, services for the CTA/CPO, and institutional services. Rand is a member of all principal U.S. commodities exchanges

Smart and Funny, the Underlying Search for Meaning is Never Lost

"THE NEXT STEP" is the story of a man coming to terms with his upended life. As a boy, CB wanted to join the circus. He loved the music of the calliope and marveled at the daring of the human cannonball. But now, self-realization has produced paralysis followed by grand schemes and magical thinking: messianic urges brought to life through the wonders of raw talent, teleporting and FedEx. CB's personal journey takes him from the left field bleachers of Ebbets Field to Venice, the Holy Land, even to the casinos of Las Vegas. In the process, he reinvents himself and saves the world.

Praise for The Next Step

"Koppel's humble shipping clerk delivers magic, heartache, laughter, tragedy and wonder to your doorstep at the speed of imagination. A spellbinding journey."

-Jonathan Freedman, Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism

"You do not need to leave your favorite reading chair to take The Next Step's giant imaginative leap into the ecstasies of self-creation and a man's journey to squeeze new meaning out of life. When all seems to be lost, this book will sweep you off your feet."

-Tom Folsom, The New York Times Bestselling author of "The Mad Ones"

www.nextstepthenovel.com

Putting money at risk in the markets exposes every trader to fear, greed and a host of other destructive emotions. For the first time ever in paperback, The Inner Game of Trading shows the reader how to master the psychological skills that are essential to successful trading. It is an insightful, colourful book that reflects the collective wisdom of the best traders in the business.

Make RATIONAL decisions in the IRRATIONAL world of investing

""Readers will find within these pages new truths that will help transform their thinking. This is more relevant than the latest strategies, trading systems, or technical chart formations.""
--William J. Brodsky, Chairman and CEO, Chicago Board Options Exchange

""Koppel offers pioneering insights, backed by substantial research, that help explain how psychology influences financial decisions and drives markets.""Investing and the Irrational Mind""is a must-read for both the professional and nonprofessional investor.""
--Robin Mesch, President, Mesch Capital Management

""If there is truth to the Yiddish proverb that 'man plans and God laughs, '" read "Investing and the Irrational Mind" to gain an essential understanding of what to do with your stocks and bonds when God is cracking up. As the sages advised, "'All the rest is commentary.'""
--Yra Harris, CME Group member, President of Praxis Trading, and author of the daily investment blog Notes from the Underground

"""Investing and the Irrational Mind" explains the psychological barriers to making good investment decisions--and more importantly how to overcome them. Koppel shows the dangers of our own habit-driven behavior, biases, and heuristics and how they lead us to violate our own investment axioms.""
--Alexander Abell, Director, BlackRock, Inc.

""Investing is fraught with uncertainty, which gives rise to psychological issues that investors ignore at their peril. Bob Koppel has written a fascinating, entertaining, and comprehensive examination of this multifaceted area of inquiry. If you invest for a living, or even if you're just a student of the psychology of self, you will find beneficial insights in the pages of this book.""
--A. Thomas Shanks, President and CEO, Hawksbill Capital Management

About the Book

Most investors are driven by greed and panicked by fear, which is why so many lose so much during market upheavals. It's also why so few gain so much. What separates the winners from the losers? People who remain calm, focused, and analytical during market ups and downs always come out on top--and snatch the losses of those who panic.

"Investing and the Irrational Mind" gives you the tools for overcoming the self-destructive impulses that stand between you and profit. Behavioral finance expert Robert Koppel reveals why your brain sends certain negative messages during the investing process. Applying the latest advances in neuroeconomics and insights from top traders, he provides a program for building the habits used by the world's most successful investors.

"Investing and the Irrational Mind" teaches you how to: Identify negative, self-defeating patterns of thought Tailor your goals according to your particular investing psychology Develop a framework for overcoming irrational thoughts in investment decisions Use one of your most powerful investing tools--intuition

The investing world operates by the law of the jungle, with a new surprise lurking around every corner. How often have you abandoned a perfectly sound investing strategy because you panicked? ""Success requires focused concentration that permits an unbiased perception of the market,"" writes Koppel. ""All we can ever control is ourselves, but that is more than enough.""

Armed with 30 years of experience as an analyst and fund manager, Koppel helps you develop a focused, disciplined, confident, and profitable approach to investing using the best tool at your disposal: your brain. Filled with surprising insights into human behavior and rock-solid financial advice, "Investing and the Irrational Mind" helps you draw consistent profits in an inconsistent investing world.