title: The Volatility Surface: A Practitioner's Guide
author:  Jim Gatheral 
description: I do recommend this book (<i>Zentralblatt MATH</i> , Vol. 1118 2007/20)
zlib_text: **Contents**
  
   _ **Preface**_
  
   _ **Acknowledgments**_
  
   _ **Chapter 1: The Plain-Old Normal**_
  
  > >  _ **Yes Sir, Sir John**_
  
  > >  _ **The Normal Normal**_
  
  > >  _ **The Jobless Recovery**_
  
  > >  _ **The Always Feared, Rarely Seen Double Dip**_
  
   _ **Chapter 2: Fooled by Averages**_
  
  > >  _ **Bull Markets Are Inherently Above Average**_
  
  > >  _ **Viva the V**_
  
  > >  _ **Normal Returns Are Extreme, Not Average**_
  
  > >  _ **The Pause That Refreshes (and Confuses)**_
  
  > >  _ **Getting Average Returns Is Hard—Really Hard**_
  
   _ **Chapter 3: Volatility Is Normal—and Volatile**_
  
  > >  _ **What the Heck Is Volatility?**_
  
  > >  _ **Volatility Is Volatile**_
  
  > >  _ **The Daily Grind**_
  
  > >  _ **Stocks Are Less Volatile Than Bonds?**_
  
  > >  _ **Economic Volatility—Also Normal**_
  
  > >  _ **Volatility Isn’t Inherently Bad**_
  
  > >  _ **Never a Dull Moment**_
  
   _ **Chapter 4: Secular Bear? (Secular) Bull!**_
  
  > >  _ **Seeing the World Through Bear-Colored Glasses**_
  
  > >  _ **Two Secular Bear Ma