Insana presents all his tales with a storyteller's voice. Insana avoids jargon and offers detailed explanations. Both connoisseurs of financial figures and those who don't know a bear market from a butterfly spread can understand this book. Nevertheless, Insana's voice can't entertain without substance. Such lapses give the humor a chance to falter.
Redundancy also is rampant.
Examples are his explanation of options and his several mentions of the size of Fidelity's Magellan fund. The redundancy would be a bigger problem, but the book, because of its short chapters and independent stories, encourages periodic perusals more than a straight read. Traders' Tales is a coffee table book, and so the typical reader will overlook this editor's nightmare. Despite its vices, Traders' Tales is a funny book. Insana employs the storyteller's voice masterfully and captures readers while the punch lines make them laugh.