This is an excellent introduction to the financial markets by an author with a strong academic approach and practical insights from trading expereince. At a time when the proliferation of financial instruments and the increased use of sophisticated mathematics in their analysis, makes an introduction to financial market intimidating to most, this book is very useful. It provides an insight into the core concepts across markets and uses mathematics at an accessible level. It equips readers to understand the fundamentals of markets, valuation and trading. I would lighly recommend it to anyone looking to understand the essentials of successfully trading, structuring or using the entire range of financial instruments available today."