Book review: "Diary of a hedge fund manager" by Keith McCullough

Keith McCullough and Richard Blake wrote this book in 2011: "Diary of a Hedge Fund Manager: From the Top, to the Bottom, and Back Again". Keith McCullough was also the author of the mcmmacro blog (already discontinued in 2008). This book has nothing to do with Information Security. At least it does not have a explicit link. Why do I post this review then? Let's summarise it in telegraphic bullet points:

- Being a hedge fund manager is tough. The author mentions how starting work at 4 am was nothing extraordinary. Time required on a daily basis to follow companies and feel markets' sentiment is huge. Information security displays the same trait.

- The book uses the professional sports world (more specifically, hockey) as an analogy. In both fields, required efforts and focus and existing competition are comparable. Also applicable to Infosec? I think so.

- The mantra in hedge funding: Liquidity, transparency (well, actually the authors claim that during the first decade of this Century it was insufficient) and returns (on each and every single quarter!).

- This book also suggests a higher degree of self-involvement in personal financial investment strategies. I would also suggest the same for personal Information Security strategies.

- Short-term performance, during those early years of hedge funding, was given more priority than to adherence to principles. How is the Information Security field in this respect?

Please share your comment


Happy reading!

Expertise comes with time