Catastrophe and the derivatives market are often associated with each other. Examples include Barings, Daiwa, Sumitomo and the National Westminster Bank. This is a book on the derivatives markets and its key players: the greed, the risk, the drama, madness, personalities, the "war stories", colossal bonuses, and the terrible losses. The book shows how the world is living on the edge of an apocalyse waiting to happen - through derivatives.