How I Became a Quant

Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite

Richard R. Lindsey, Barry Schachter, Barry Schachter, Richard R. Lindsey, Barry Schachter, Richard R. Lindsey

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9780470452578
  9780470050620
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781118044759
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Finance
• Index: Business

Praise for How I Became a Quant

"Led by two top-notch quants, Richard R. Lindsey and Barry Schachter, How I Became a Quant details the quirky world of quantitative analysis through stories told by some of today's most successful quants. For anyone who might have thought otherwise, there are engaging personalities behind all that number crunching!"
--Ira Kawaller, Kawaller & Co. and the Kawaller Fund

"A fun and fascinating read. This book tells the story of how academics, physicists, mathematicians, and other scientists became professional investors managing billions."
--David A. Krell, President and CEO, International Securities Exchange

"How I Became a Quant should be must reading for all students with a quantitative aptitude. It provides fascinating examples of the dynamic career opportunities potentially open to anyone with the skills and passion for quantitative analysis."
--Roy D. Henriksson, Chief Investment Officer, Advanced Portfolio Management

"Quants"--those who design and implement mathematical models for the pricing of derivatives, assessment of risk, or prediction of market movements--are the backbone of today's investment industry. As the greater volatility of current financial markets has driven investors to seek shelter from increasing uncertainty, the quant revolution has given people the opportunity to avoid unwanted financial risk by literally trading it away, or more specifically, paying someone else to take on the unwanted risk.

How I Became a Quant reveals the faces behind the quant revolution, offering you?the?chance to learn firsthand what it's like to be a?quant today. In this fascinating collection of Wall Street war stories, more than two dozen quants detail their roots, roles, and contributions, explaining what they do and how they do it, as well as outlining the sometimes unexpected paths they have followed from the halls of academia to the front lines of an investment revolution.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 - David Leinweber
• Chapter 2 - Ronald N. Kahn
• Chapter 3 - Gregg E. Berman
• Chapter 4 - Evan Schulman
• Chapter 5 - Le slie Rahl
• Chapter 6 - Thomas C. Wilson
• Chapter 7 - Neil Chriss
• Chapter 8 - Peter Carr
• Chapter 9 - Mark Anson
• Chapter 10 - Bjorn Flesaker
• Chapter 11 - Peter Jäckel
• Chapter 12 - Andrew Davidson
• Chapter 13 - Andrew B. Weisman
• Chapter 14 - Clifford S. Asness
• Chapter 15 - Stephen Kealhofer
• Chapter 16 - Julian Shaw
• Chapter 17 - Steve Allen
• Chapter 18 - Mark Kritzman
• Chapter 19 - Bruce I. Jacobs and Kenneth N. Levy
• Chapter 20 - Tanya Styblo Beder
• Chapter 21 - Allan Malz
• Chapter 22 - Peter Muller
• Chapter 23 - Andrew J. Sterge
• Chapter 24 - John F. ( Jack) Marshall
• Notes
• Bibliography
• About the Contributors
• About the Authors
• Index