The Physics of Wall Street - by James Owen Weatherall Paperback

About the Book

A young scholar tells the story of the physicists and mathematicians who created the models that have become the basis of modern finance and argues that these models are the solution to--not the source of--our current economic woes.

Book Synopsis

"Weatherall probes an epochal shift in financial strategizing with lucidity, explaining how it occurred and what it means for modern finance."--Peter Galison, author of Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps

After the economic meltdown of 2008, many pundits placed the blame on "complex financial instruments" and the physicists and mathematicians who dreamed them up. But how is it that physicists came to drive Wall Street? And were their ideas really the cause of the collapse?
In The Physics of Wall Street, the physicist James Weatherall answers both of these questions. He tells the story of how physicists first moved to finance, bringing science to bear on some of the thorniest problems in economics, from bubbles to options pricing. The problem isn't simply that economic models have limitations and can break down under certain conditions, but that at the time of the meltdown those models were in the hands of people who either didn't understand their purpose or didn't care. It was a catastrophic misuse of science. However, Weatherall argues that the solution is not to give up on the models but to make them better. Both persuasive and accessible, The Physics of Wall Street is riveting history that will change how we think about our economic future.

From the Back Cover

Weatherall probes an epochal shift in financial strategizing with lucidity, explaining how it occurred and what it means for modern finance. Peter Galison, author of Einstein s Clocks, Poincare s Maps
After the economic meltdown of 2008, many pundits placed the blame on complex financial instruments and the physicists and mathematicians who dreamed them up. But how is it that physicists came to drive Wall Street? And were their ideas really the cause of the collapse?
In The Physics of Wall Street, the physicist James Weatherall answers both of these questions. He tells the story of how physicists first moved to finance, bringing science to bear on some of the thorniest problems in economics, from bubbles to options pricing. The problem isn t simply that economic models have limitations and can break down under certain conditions, but that at the time of the meltdown those models were in the hands of people who either didn t understand their purpose or didn t care. It was a catastrophic misuse of science. However, Weatherall argues that the solution is not to give up on the models but to make them better. Both persuasive and accessible, The Physics of Wall Street is riveting history that will change how we think about our economic future.
An excellent new book. Financial Times
[AU PHOTO] JAMES OWEN WEATHERALL is a physicist, philosopher, and mathematician. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard, the Stevens Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Irvine, where he is presently an assistant professor of logic and philosophy of science. He has written for Slate and Scientific American. He lives in Irvine, California.
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Review Quotes

"Fascinating history...Happily, the author has a gift for making complex concepts clear to lay readers."
--Booklist "A lively account of physicists in finance...An enjoyable debut appropriate for both specialists and general readers."
--Kirkus "Anyone interested in how markets work will appreciate this serious hypothesis."
--Publishers Weekly "A compelling case for models in economics and an important book for anyone who embraces the scientific method for improving the lot of mankind."　
--Michael Brown, former CFO of Microsoft Corporation, past chairman of NASDAQ "Weatherall probes an epochal shift in financial strategizing with lucidity, explaining how it occurred and what it means for modern finance."
--Peter Galison, author of Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps "Weatherall's rollicking tale of science and profit has relevance to us all.　 He goes beyond the 'Frankenstein's monster' cliché to argue that mathematical models are an essential foundation of a saner future."
--William Poundstone, author of Fortune's Formula "This book will lead you to reexamine what you thought you knew about the financial markets, and why it is so important for the economists to actually listen to what the physicists have been trying to tell them."
--Bill Maurer, director of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion, University of California, Irvine "Weatherall has a rare talent for making the complex comprehensible, and he puts it to excellent use explaining the role of physics and mathematics in financial markets. This is a book anyone concerned with the unforeseen consequences of financial innovations will want to read."
--Lee Smolin, author of The Trouble with Physics "Beautifully written, with clarity, understanding, and a broad view that is rare in these domains.　 Even those of us who are unconvinced physics has played an important role in finance will be carried along and learn from this engaging book."
--Stephen M. Stigler, Ernest DeWitt Burton Distinguished Service Professor of Statistics, University of Chicago "James Weatherall channels the sheer intellectual excitement of unlocking the secrets of nature, whether they relate to fundamental particles or financial markets."
--Hans Halvorson, professor of philosophy, Princeton University "With The Physics of Wall Street, James Weatherall has announced his arrival as one of our leading young science writers. This smart, fast-paced history of ideas--which is packed with vivid portraits of brainiacs famous and obscure and offers a provocative analysis of our current economic woes--should appeal to a broad range of readers, from hard-core science junkies to business folks trying to make sense of modern finance."
--John Horgan, Director, Center for Science Writings, Stevens Institute of Technology

About the Author

JAMES OWEN WEATHERALL is a physicist, philosopher, and mathematician. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard, the Stevens Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Irvine, where he is presently an assistant professor of logic and the philosophy of science. He has written for Slate and Scientific American.