A curated starting point. These are the books, tools, and resources that have shaped how I think about markets. No fluff, no filler — only things I've actually used and found valuable.
Resources
Books
Volume Price Analysis — Anna Coulling
The book that changed how I read charts. If you only read one book on understanding what volume is telling you about price, make it this one.
Best Loser Wins — Tom Hougaard
The most honest book on trading psychology I've read. Hougaard doesn't sugarcoat what it takes to manage yourself in live markets.
The Tao of Trading — Simon Ree
A structured approach to trend trading with options. His Rainbow Logic concept for reading trend strength via moving averages is practical and immediately applicable.
Trading in the Zone — Mark Douglas
The classic on trading psychology. Dense but worth re-reading every year. The core insight — that you need to think in probabilities, not certainties — never gets old.
The Little Book of Market Wizards — Jack Schwager
Distilled wisdom from the best traders across decades. I listen to this on audiobook regularly. Every re-listen surfaces something new.
A Complete Guide to the Futures Market — Jack Schwager
The reference manual for futures. Comprehensive, technical, and thorough. Not a casual read — this is for when you're serious about understanding how futures actually work.
Supply and Demand Trading — Frank Miller
Clear, practical framework for identifying supply and demand zones. His ERC (Extended Range Candle) concept for zone identification is something I use regularly.
Tools I use daily
TradingView
— charting and analysis My primary charting platform. The multi-timeframe layouts, drawing tools, and screeners are best in class for the price.
tastytrade
— brokerage Where I execute. Clean interface, excellent options chain, and built for active traders. Their commission structure for options and futures is competitive.
Notion
— daily trading journal Where I capture daily logs, trade notes, and framework refinements. The flexibility to structure it however you need makes it ideal for building a personal trading system.
New to Verstrata? Start here.
Download the free Systematic Trading Plan Template — it's the same framework I use to prepare, execute, and review every trading day. Then join the free community for daily pre-market briefings and market discussion.
© 2026 Verstrata. All rights reserved.
Trading and investing involve substantial risk of loss. Nothing on this site constitutes financial advice.