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Ed Thorp, who wrote the first book on card counting back in 1962 - Beat The Dealer, has just come out with a new book.
Ed is one of our heroes in the world of blackjack and we wanted to let everyone know about his new book - A Man For All Markets. Details are below!
The incredible true story of Edward Thorp: the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer, invented the first wearable computer, and started a revolution on Wall Street.
Professor. Card-counter. Bestselling author. Hedge fund manager. Growing up in a family that struggled to get by, Ed Thorp never imagined that he would become a professor who would mathematically prove how card-counting gives every player an edge; that his discoveries would cause such an uproar among the casinos that they would attempt to change the rules of the game; that he would invent the wearable computer, heralding the technology that we use today; that he would write a bestselling book, or that he would take his knowledge of gambling to Wall Street, revolutionize investing, and make millions. And yet, all of that happened. Thorp went on to Wall Street. Using the Kelly formula to get more buck for his bang, he profited even during the crashes of 1987 and 1998. This is the true story of a man who, through a series of twists and turns, went from a professor to a gambler to an investor. This is an exciting personal look at the predictability of chance and how to walk the tightrope between risk and return.
ABOUT EDWARD O. THORP
Edward O. Thorp is the author of the bestseller Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One. It presented the first scientific system ever devised for a major casino gambling game and revolutionized the game of blackjack. His book Beat the Market helped start the derivatives revolution that transformed world securities markets. Based on his work, he launched the first market neutral hedge fund in 1969. Dr. Thorp, with Clade Shannon, also invented the first wearable computer in 1961 to win roulette. He has also written Elementary Probability, the Mathematics of Gambling, and numerous mathematical papers of probability, game theory, and functional analysis.
He completed undergraduate and graduate work at U.C.L.A., receiving the B.A. and M.A. in physics, and the Ph.D. in mathematics in 1958. He has taught at U.C.L.A., M.I.T., and New Mexico State University, and was Professor of Mathematics and Finance at the University of California at Irvine.
Ed is one of our heroes in the world of blackjack and we wanted to let everyone know about his new book - A Man For All Markets. Details are below!
THE CARD-COUNTING PROFESSOR WHO TAUGHT THE WORLD
HOW TO BEAT THE DEALER, INVENTED THE FIRST WEARABLE COMPUTER, AND STARTED A REVOLUTION ON WALL STREET
A MAN FOR ALL MARKETS
From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market
By New York Times Bestselling Author
Edward O. Thorp
Foreword by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“If this autobiography is typical of his writing skill, [Thorp] is a masterful storyteller. He’s the kind of guy you might expect to spend his autobiography telling us how awesome he is, [instead] he comes across as an immensely likable man who figured out what he was good at and spent his life doing it. Readers who like to read the life stories of ambitious, creative, and successful people with fascinating stories should be steered in this book’s direction.” —Starred Booklist
“It's the kind of thing any would-be investor, to say nothing of casino cowboy, ought to read. Thorp’s in-the-trenches account of gaming the system(s) is a pleasure—and instructive, too.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“An extraordinary autobiography which reads like a novel and contains insights into what has gone wrong with the financial system along the way.”
—John Kay, author of Other People’s Money: The Real Business of Finance
“It’s all fun, fascinating and filled with lessons we can all use to be more successful in business and life. Learn and enjoy, I did!”
—Joel Greenblatt, author of the New York Times bestseller The Little Book that Beats the Market
Professor. Card-counter. Bestselling author. Hedge fund manager. Growing up in a family that struggled to get by, Ed Thorp never imagined that he would become a professor who would mathematically prove how card-counting gives every player an edge; that his discoveries would cause such an uproar among the casinos that they would attempt to change the rules of the game; that he would invent the wearable computer, heralding the technology that we use today; that he would write a bestselling book, or that he would take his knowledge of gambling to Wall Street, revolutionize investing, and make millions. And yet, all of that happened. Thorp went on to Wall Street. Using the Kelly formula to get more buck for his bang, he profited even during the crashes of 1987 and 1998. This is the true story of a man who, through a series of twists and turns, went from a professor to a gambler to an investor. This is an exciting personal look at the predictability of chance and how to walk the tightrope between risk and return.
ABOUT EDWARD O. THORP
Edward O. Thorp is the author of the bestseller Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One. It presented the first scientific system ever devised for a major casino gambling game and revolutionized the game of blackjack. His book Beat the Market helped start the derivatives revolution that transformed world securities markets. Based on his work, he launched the first market neutral hedge fund in 1969. Dr. Thorp, with Clade Shannon, also invented the first wearable computer in 1961 to win roulette. He has also written Elementary Probability, the Mathematics of Gambling, and numerous mathematical papers of probability, game theory, and functional analysis.
He completed undergraduate and graduate work at U.C.L.A., receiving the B.A. and M.A. in physics, and the Ph.D. in mathematics in 1958. He has taught at U.C.L.A., M.I.T., and New Mexico State University, and was Professor of Mathematics and Finance at the University of California at Irvine.
A Man For All Markets
From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market
By Edward O. Thorp/ A Random House Hardcover
ISBN (Hardcover): 9781400067961/ ISBN (E-book): 9780812998740
On Sale: January 24, 2017
More Praise for A MAN FOR ALL MARKETS
“An amazing book by a true icon; Thorp launched revolutions in Vegas and on Wall Street by turning math into magic, and here he weaves his own life lessons into a page turner as hot as a deck full of aces. Loved it!”
—Ben Mezrich, New York Times Bestselling Author of Bringing Down The House and The Accidental Billionaires
“What a CV! Figure out how to win at Blackjack using card counting? Check. Build the world’s first wearable computer? Check. Find the formula for valuing financial options but use it to make money rather than win a Nobel Prize? Check. This book is in part the gripping story of how one man’s genius and dedication has solved so many problems in diverse fields.But more importantly it’s a fascinating insight into the thought processes of someone with little interest in fame, who has mostly stayed under the radar, but who has followed his inquisitive mind wherever it has led him, and reaped the resulting rewards. There is nothing more important than knowing how to think clearly. Read this book and learn from a master.”
—Paul Wilmott, Founder, Wilmott Magazine
“Whether you are an aspiring professional player, a casual gambler, or an occasional visitor to Las Vegas, you can feel the impact of Professor Ed Thorp’s intellect on that desert city. In 1962, Thorp published the classic book Beat the Dealer. The text was based on Thorp’s original research that stemmed from his curiosity about the game of 21, and was billed as a “how to book” for the lay person to beat the casinos at blackjack. And simply stated it changed everything. … The book chronicles Thorp’s heroic-like arc from his humble beginnings growing up in a family that struggled to get by – first in the cold winters of Chicago and later in the sun soaked cities of southern California, where he excelled in a variety of high school science courses and ultimately earned a scholarship for his exceptional talents in physics – on through his professional career as a gaming guru, and ultimately to his amazing success in a stock market-centered career, where he would take his knowledge and understanding of games of chance and apply it to the biggest casino in the world, Wall Street…A Man for All Markets chronicles Thorp’s personal journey in navigating the unexpected and sometimes dangerous obstacles that come along with challenging the status quo of a wealthy corporate adversary.”
—Nicholas G. Colon, Professional Advantage Gambler and Managing Director of Alea Consulting Group, a casino gaming consulting firm
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