Trading Options For A Living is a clear, structured and practical guide for traders who want to understand options properly, not just memorise strategy names.
Written by professional trader Stephen Hoad, this book is built around one central idea: options trading only begins to make sense when it is treated as a decision process. Before choosing a call, put, spread, straddle, income trade, 0DTE setup or asymmetric "moonshot" idea, the trader must first understand the market view, the size of move required, the time needed, the volatility being bought or sold, and the cleanest defined-risk structure for the trade.
The book is split into two parts.
Part 1 builds the foundation. It explains why options exist, how calls and puts work, what premium, strike, expiry, intrinsic value, extrinsic value and break-even really mean, and how to use the Greeks as a practical risk dashboard rather than a collection of abstract definitions. It also introduces the 5 Decisions Framework, a practical method for thinking through every options trade before execution.
Part 2 moves from framework to application. It covers four practical strategy engines: day trading and 0DTE, weekly directional trades, income and premium structures, and asymmetric moonshot opportunities. It also examines expected move, straddles, no-trade decisions, Renko chart ideas, liquidity, spread quality, event filters, macro risks, brokers, permissions, position sizing, risk caps, journaling and the construction of a real options trading plan.
This is not a book about easy money, shortcuts or random strategy chasing. It is written for traders who want a more serious, disciplined and professional way to approach options. The aim is to help the reader move beyond noise and confusion, understand how options actually behave, and build a repeatable framework around price, probability, volatility, time, structure and risk.
Trading involves risk and this book is for educational purposes only. But for traders who want to approach options with clarity rather than chaos, this book provides a practical place to start.
