<p>Dermod J Sweeney is a professional civil engineer and business manager. He has built successful businesses in Hong Kong, the USA and the UK involving the treatment and interpretation of sparse data and risk for the construction and oil and gas sectors. In the 1980s, he operated a fleet of survey ships operating in the Arctic Ocean and successfully managed the risks presented by this extreme environment. His work has taken him into the legal arena and he has managed litigations in the UK, Texas and California.</p><p>He began investing in 1987 mainly through funds but also in a small number of listed companies. Gains from successful investments led into investments in start-up companies through Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts for efficient management of capital gains tax.</p><p>During this long period of active and successful investment, he navigated the stock market crashes of 2001 and 2008 fairly successfully.</p><p>Dermod has used advisory stock brokers on three occasions and has been disappointed each time. It was these experiences that prompted him to undertake his own research into the detailed operation of stock markets – which has formed the basis of this book.</p><p></p>
