My Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and Finance by Emanuel Derman

In My Life as a Quant, Emanuel Derman shares his journey from being a theoretical physicist to becoming a quantitative analyst on Wall Street. This book provides insights into the world of quantitative finance and reflects on the similarities and differences between the fields of physics and finance. 

 

I felt this was an exceedingly honest book. From the very first chapter, I felt an immediate connection with Derman’s narrative. He talks about the tough times, the times he messed up, and the times when things just didn’t go as planned. His descriptions of his early days as he navigated through academia minefields and eventually stepped into the fast world of Wall Street, struck a chord with my own ambitions. Whether you’re a math geek like me or just curious about quantitative trading, this book is an eye opener.