Summary: Publisher Summary 1 Advance praise for Derivatives: The Wild Beast of Finance "Dr Steinherr has written a most valuable and badly-needed book on an important subject. . this book is to date the most complete, comprehensive and searching description and analysis of derivatives and their markets. Indeed, I can think of no better manual as well as continuous reference work for anyone interested in the subject than this present work." Lord Roll of Ipsden, Senior Adviser SBC Warburg, former Chairman of S. G. Warburg and Co. Ltd "A lot of nonsense has been said about derivatives, none of which has found its way into Steinherr's careful, but lively and very readable analysis." Alexandre Lamfalussy, former President of the European Monetary Institute "With deep understanding of the historical, social and technical forces involved, Alfred Steinherr pertinently extracts for the professional and lay reader the crucial elements of the financial revolution . and alerts them to the further dramatic implications . as the activity moves into the cyberspace world of the next millennium." Jack Wigglesworth, Chairman of LIFFE "A book full of ideas and written in a style that is both serious and entertaining." Karl Otto P?hl, Sal. Oppenheim Jr. & Cie, former President of Deutsche Bundesbank "Alfred Steinherr provides a lively and informative canter through the world of derivatives, including their history, implications - not least for regulators - and their future developments. This is a most valuable book for practitioners, officials and students alike." Professor Charles A. E. Goodhart, Financial Markets Group, London School of Economics "Alfred Steinherr's book is a readable and entertaining introduction to the subject with much food for thought for the layman and insider alike." Andrew D. Crockett, General Manager, Bank of International Settlements "Alfred Steinherr has produced a lucid, authoritative tour through an arcane corner of modern finance that has emerged as a pillar of global capital markets. Senior executives in particular would be well advised to read this book if they want to know what their financial specialists are really up to." Professor Ingo Walter, Director of Salomon Center, New York University