The Secret of Candletick Charting by Louise Bedford

Topics Covered:
* Candlestick Charting
* Single Candles, Multiple Candles and Candle Addition
* Reversal and Continuation Patterns
* Fine Tuning Entry and Exit Signals using Candles
* Maximising Short Term Profits
* Gaps, trends and support/resistance
* Trading Psychology

If you are looking for a simple and easy book on Candlestick Patterns then “The Secret of Candlestick Charting” is for you. Louise Bedford is excellent in getting her understanding across to readers and the information is so easy to comprehend.

"The Secret of Candlestick Charting is focused, as the name suggests, on candlestick patterns and learning to identify them. Identification of the most common candles is discussed but the beauty is once the pattern is shown in artwork, Louise Bedford then shows how these actually tend to appear in charts which can seem quite different at first.

Louise Bedford links everything regarding candlestick patterns to the psychology of the market. This is particularly useful for people who have always regarded a chart as just price action. At the end of each chapter is a set of review questions to complete. This is a great learning tool as you evaluate your understanding of the concepts that have been covered before trying to move on. Once candle identification is covered the book moves in to looking at these candle patterns in reference to other chart patterns and line studies to find high probability trading opportunities. At the end of this book Louise interviews David Chia, a well known broker and trainer that uses candlesticks.

The interview provides an interesting insight in to his opinions on trading. This is a very fascinating book and I highly recommend it to any one wanting to improve their knowledge on trading in general.

The Secret of Writing Options by Louise Bedford

The writing of options in a sideways market is one of the few safe and effective ways to generate income for those with a blue-chip portfolio or a margin loan drawing capacity. “The Secret of Writing Options” by Louise Bedford is designed to guide interested readers in this field. This book provides detailed guidance on the subject of writing covered calls and puts to generate income. Louise Bedford takes a conservative approach concentrating on practices to protect the investor from loss. Both writing options on existing stock and undertaking a 'buy and write’ strategy are covered in detail however, this publication is not for those wishing to trade options on the options market.

The major topics covered in this book are:
· the benefits of writing options;
· a detailed explanation of the nature of call and put options;
· the stocks to use;
· an appreciation of both the buyer's and seller's perspectives;
· an analysis of pricing issues;
· an introduction to candlestick and trend charting;
· strategies to use;
· taking dividends into account; and
· putting your knowledge into action.

Learning "the secret of writing options" is assisted throughout the book by examples drawn from the Australian market, well-structured chapters, review questions at the end of each chapter, and a comprehensive glossary. I found this book to be an excellent read and a practical guide to the writing of options.