The Compleat Day Trader: Trading Systems, Strategies, Timing Indicators and Analytical Methods

The emergence of the Internet along with the increased volatility of the financial markets have combined to fuel an explosive growth in the interest and practice of day trading. So it should surprise no one that there's a parallel explosion in the number of books about day trading. Jake Bernstein, who has been involved in the futures industry as an author and trader for some 30 years, adds The Compleat Day Trader to this cadre. It offers a solid introduction to day trading and evaluates various techniques and strategies, including moving averages, intraday application of stochastics, support and resistance, gaps, and scalping. Bernstein spends several chapters discussing trading psychology, and he sees successful traders as developing a balance between technique and "art." He writes:

My experiences as a trader have led me to the conclusion that successful day trading is built upon a unique foundation combining art and science. If pressed to "guesstimate" as to the proper mix of both qualities, I'd say that approximately 70 percent of successful day trading consists of technique or science and 30 percent skill and/or art. This, however, would be a misleading statement inasmuch as both elements are symbiotic; without one, the other would be ineffective. The successful day trader combines both elements synergistically to produce profits, consistency and longevity.

As he does in the sequel to this book, The Compleat Day Trader II, Bernstein shows an obvious preference to futures trading, but many of the techniques described should apply to other markets as well. --Harry C. Edwards