Reading with the mindset of trying to devour the entire book is not advisable. It makes it difficult to maintain a high level of interest and enthusiasm. Fragmented learning is a much more effective method. Yesterday, in my open class, I highlighted key chapters from *Volatility Trading* (by Sinclair) and *The Volatility Smile* (by Derman), condensing them to about one-fifth of the total. This should save everyone a significant amount of time. Options trading books often have recurring themes, so you can easily skip around and read from different angles.

Once you are very familiar with various combination strategies, Nantenberg's 500-page book becomes unnecessary, saving you 100 hours.