Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
A Man for All Markets cover art

A Man for All Markets

Written by: Edward O. Thorp, Nassim Nicholas Taleb - foreword
Narrated by: Edward O. Thorp
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $43.86

Buy Now for $43.86

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The incredible true story of the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer and, as the first of the great quantitative investors, ushered in a revolution on Wall Street. 

A child of the Great Depression, legendary mathematician Edward O. Thorp invented card counting, proving the seemingly impossible: that you could beat the dealer at the blackjack table. As a result he launched a gambling renaissance. His remarkable success - and mathematically unassailable method - caused such an uproar that casinos altered the rules of the game to thwart him and the legions he inspired. They barred him from their premises, even put his life in jeopardy. Nonetheless, gambling was forever changed. 

Thereafter, Thorp shifted his sights to "the biggest casino in the world": Wall Street. Devising and then deploying mathematical formulas to beat the market, Thorp ushered in the era of quantitative finance we live in today. Along the way, the so-called godfather of the quants played bridge with Warren Buffett, crossed swords with a young Rudy Giuliani, detected the Bernie Madoff scheme, and, to beat the game of roulette, invented, with Claude Shannon, the world's first wearable computer. 

Here, for the first time, Thorp tells the story of what he did, how he did it, his passions and motivations, and the curiosity that has always driven him to disregard conventional wisdom and devise game-changing solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. An intellectual thrill ride, replete with practical wisdom that can guide us all in uncertain financial waters, A Man for All Markets is an instant classic - a book that challenges its readers to think logically about a seemingly irrational world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Edward O. Thorp (P)2017 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"An amazing book by a true icon...Edward O. 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 best-selling author of Bringing Down the House and The Accidental Billionaires)
"Whether you are an aspiring professional player, a casual gambler, or an occasional visitor to Las Vegas, you can feel the impact of Edward O. 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 layperson to beat the casinos at blackjack. Simply stated, it changed everything. 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, Alea Consulting Group)
"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 important, it's a fascinating insight into the thought processes of someone with little interest in fame, who has mostly stayed under the radar, yet 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)

More from the same

Author:

What listeners say about A Man for All Markets

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    119
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    92
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    96
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Most Important and Useful Book of My Life

I have read hundreds and perhaps thousands of books across a wide spectrum in my fortunate years.


None is more stimulating and educating than this one. I wish I had known all this twenty years ago instead of bits and pieces. The appendices (in the print version) and pdf (in the Audible version) are extremely useful companion pieces.


Do not be put off by the title. I almost was. It is not a self-aggrandizing "I did this" exposé or a polemic or diatribe. It is devoid of politics.


I give Dr. Thorp's work my strongest recommendation.


Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Essential reading.

The content in the book surprised me in a good way. I recommend anybody to read/ listen to the book to anchor your thoughts in reality. teaster: Are you a one or two marshmallow person?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a great read!

I ended up purchasing the physical book, because I believe the content is priceless! I highly reccomend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring

An inspiration to explore, read, fall in love with someone who matters to you, and to figure out a meaningful way of living- which includes earning and investing your money to pay for more time doing what matters to you. The first half of this book reads like an autobiography, and the second half reads like a textbook. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Learn nothing from the book

The author certainly is a very smart man. However I have learned nothing from the book. The whole book just talk about how smart he is, nothing more than that. Respect that he is a very smart man, but I wish they advertised this book as a biography. Then readers can choose whether it makes sense to buy this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

It's actually really boring

People keep saying how good the story is actually a joke he makes sure you know he's smart and really smart at the first half the book and there's no real value I didn't learn anything new.. Theres no insight.. The author thinks he's some kinda Intresting mob gangster or something giving his boring life story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Cal
  • 2021-01-23

Excellent

This book is 100% deserving of 5/5. Great story, tons of useful information, it's entertaining and insightful. Great perspective on the markets from many angles and everything is easy to digest. This is an easy read/listen with huge value.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • jd
  • 2020-12-26

awesome

great book and I have listened multiple times. well told and very interesting in all sorts of ways.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

I was upset when it’s ended. I was listening on my way to and from work and did not want to arrive at my destination. Very frank story that invokes thoughts about meaning of life and how you approach it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional biography with much practical wisdom!

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any one with interests in probability, risk, or trading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!