Trade with Passion and Purpose: Spiritual, Psychological, and Philosophical Keys to Becoming a Top Trader

by Mark Whistler

Book Overview

Successful trader Mark Whistler draws from the fields of psychology, spirituality, and philosophy to emphasize how self-honesty, self-esteem, emotional balance, and confidence form the foundation of successful trading. He demonstrates how adherence to a small number of core principles vastly improves chances of success, and shares interviews from top traders to exemplify his point that even the most successful traders have had to overcome setbacks...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470039086
• ISBN13: 9780470039083
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Unique psychological insights you won't find elsewhere

One mark of a great book is how original its content is and how much it adds to the existing literature. This book gets 5 stars on both of these fronts. Having done an immense amount of psychological study and soul searching over the last 2 years in an effort to progress in my trading career, I was impressed by how this book was able to still take my trading (and life) mindset to another level. I thought I had read it all, but throughout the book I found unique insights and novel (at least as applied to trading) subjects. By the end of the book I felt a sense of liberation by immediately starting to apply some of the concepts I had read. This book will serve as a great aid to any trader no matter the experience level... it is certainly not limited to those wanting an intro to the psychology of trading. In fact, I find it ideally suited to the experienced traders (struggling and successful) who have already read it all and think there are no more new insights. For me, being a very ambitious trader with very high standards and goals, I found it the perfect aid in helping me find the balance of staying grounded in the good and bad times, and being self forgiving and accepting. You can't imagine the difference that acceptance can make, and this book is full of great practical advice on how to reach that. And it's not all just fluff- it comes from a real trader and is backed by much scientific study and a long history of reliability. We all have read about traders being in the "zone"... well don't expect to reach there too easily without knowing the concepts in this book. They're truly indispensable no matter how much you already know about trading psychology. Great book.

Want to stay centered and focused ?

This book will undoubtedly put you in the right frame of mind,in your tradeing and in moving forward in life. When you are in doubt,and freeze up, when the markets move against you,Mark will teach you how to get centered and put it back into perspective and be decisive. This is a book you will want to read again,because of how positively it makes you feel about yourself and your future! very nice work,thankyou!!! RW Campbell

An absolute read for anyone in business.

This deeply researched and eloquently presented piece will serve everyone that is seriously engaged in the markets. If you have capital at risk, money to invest, or simply want to better understand your place in the economy, don't just read this book; take it to heart and find your purpose! Zachary Springborn Chairman Rialto Technology, LLC

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!

This book should be read by every market trader. It brings the investor to look within himself to find the path to success. When is the right time to pull the trigger and buy or sell that stock? Is fear driving us to make bad decisions? Like the mythological Greek figure Sisyphus, are we destined to repetitively pushing a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down for eternity? Whistler explains that the boulder and the hill won't change. Only you can change yourself and figure out how to make that boulder stay at the top of the hill. The book first lays the groundwork to looking within to determine your goals and then to find the answers. It explains Eastern philosophies of Morita therapy and dogma, and overlays that with Western psychology, all in an easy to read and easy to comprehend style that is applicable right now to both trading or everyday life. Self honesty, self esteem, emotional intelligence, ego, humility, pride, courage, fear, and greed clearly have everything to do with success in the markets, and Whistler helps the reader come to grips with himself. This is the edge any trader needs to maneuver through the markets against predators successfully. This is the third book I have read by Mark Whistler and it amounts to his best work yet. It is very easy to read and I find myself inspired from every single page. Typically technical books don't have me yearning to read the next page, but Whistler has the unique ability to make it feel as if I am reading my own story. He's been through it all and isn't afraid to admit his failures. This book is the best investment for anybody that is fighting their way back once they realize that fear is already influencing their decisions negatively. I know I am a better trader after reading this book and look forward to the next in his arsenal.