The Message of the Markets: How Financial Markets Foretell the Future-And How You Can Profit from Their Guidance

Significant world events and financial markets' movements are closely aligned, says Insana, anchor of CNBC's Street Signs and frequent contributor to Imus in the Morning and The Today Show. Among his most notable examples are the precipitous drop in the stock market right after President Kennedy was shot, but before the news of the assassination attempt appeared on the wire services, and the odd spike in oil prices before Iraq began massing troops at the Kuwaiti border. Insana emphasizes the importance of reading market statistics, including index charts and records of stock market performances around the world over time. He wants investors to understand that, like successful stock pickers, they must learn to play detective and look for the reasons for economic up and down turns in order to make more intelligent investments. In the concluding chapter, Insana briefly mentions some of the signs that pointed to a market correction in 2000. By late last year, he notes, only a handful of stocks were going up while many other stocks and indices were declining. Insana's writing is lively, and the book offers insights into the complex machinations of the stock market and a thoughtful historical perspective, but he doesn't offer a prescriptive plan for investment mastery, and readers expecting a guaranteed method of predicting future stock market winners will be disappointed. Agent, Arthur Klebanoff. Author tour; 25-city national radio campaign; 15-city NPR radio campaign. (Oct.)