If you're looking for the nuts and bolts on how capital markets around the world work this book is hands down the best there is.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Quantitative-Professionals-M...

Equities, Futures, Rate Swaps, Options, Credit, Treasury, Corporate, Municipal, Mortgage and Agency Bonds. Then the technology that supports it all.

It is not only a fantastic high level view, but it get granular enough to explain things like how US Treasuries prices quoted in 32nds of a dollar or how fixed income securities are identified by something called a CUSIP or what a strike price is for an option. Granular enough to explain practical day to day concepts that would help you at your first job in a financial firm.

Thanks, great information. I'm a software developer, and I have worked for a long time in the telecom/mobile/VoIP sector. Half a year ago I switched to SW development in the financial world (not quant though). I am currently halfway through a really excellent book aimed at technical people moving into finance (quant or otherwise). It's called The Complete Guide to Capital Markets for Quantitative Professionals" [0] (yes, I know, no prize for imaginative title).

So far, it's been a fantastic read. Detailed, good information, and very well written. I saw the recommendation for the "Heard on the Street" book. I was wondering if people can recommend some other books for moving into finance?

[0] http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Quantitative-Professionals-Mc...

The Complete Guide to Capital Markets for Quantitative Professionals

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Quantitative-Professionals-Mc...

Great book. It's what I recommend to my new developers when we hire them without previous financial services experience.