Book excerpt: Get the E*Trade experts' inside track on playing the markets For retail traders, knowing which possible strategies to employ when has always been a challenge. That is, until now. For the first time, popular E*Trade educators Rick Swope and Shawn Howell introduce their two-dimensional scoring system for determining how bullish/bearish a trade setup looks by reading charts. In Trading by Numbers, they present a scoring system that uses a trend score and a volatility score, removing the guesswork and giving you a solid guide to the markets. Based on the score, the authors provide a toolkit of option strategies that are best to execute in each specific situation. Using common indicators and patterns, the book provides analysis for choosing your right strategy while managing risk. Authors Swope and Howell are accomplished market educators and their partners are the leaders in trading and investing, including E*Trade, CBOE, OIC, NYSE, NASDAQ OMX, CME and ISE An easy-to-use guide that will help you make the best decisions in any situation, the book is essential for traders at all levels Trading by Numbers outlines a proprietary market scoring system that helps traders determine the best option strategies to execute in any market climate.