Trades About to Happen: How David H. Weis Unlocks the Wyckoff Method for Today’s Traders

Introduction: What If You Could Read the Market Like a Book?

Imagine if you could spot a trade setup forming not after it explodes — but while it’s building steam. That’s what David H. Weis offers in his brilliant book Trades About to Happen. Based on the Wyckoff Method — a century-old approach that remains highly relevant in today’s algorithm-driven markets — this book strips away the noise and shows you how to read price action like a seasoned pro.

In this blog, we’ll dive deep into what makes Trades About to Happen so powerful, how it revives and modernizes Richard Wyckoff’s classic techniques, and why it belongs in the library of every serious trader.

👉 Grab your copy of Trades About to Happen here to follow along or revisit key lessons later.

Who Is David H. Weis — And Why Should You Listen to Him?

David H. Weis is no fly-by-night trading guru. He’s a market technician with decades of experience, particularly in commodities and futures trading. His mastery of price behavior is deeply rooted in the teachings of Richard D. Wyckoff, one of the true pioneers of technical analysis.

Weis has managed to decode Wyckoff’s somewhat complex system and present it through a modern lens — using bar charts, simplified volume analysis, and visual illustrations that make technical trading feel intuitive rather than intimidating.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by candlestick clutter or uncertain when to pull the trigger on a trade, this book is your antidote.

What is the Wyckoff Method and Why Is It Still Relevant?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of Weis’s approach, let’s talk briefly about Wyckoff.

The Wyckoff Method was developed in the early 1900s and focuses on the relationship between price, volume, and time. It’s all about identifying accumulation and distribution phases in the market. Essentially, Wyckoff was trying to uncover what the “smart money” was doing — and ride along with it.

The key principles include:

Law of Supply and Demand
Law of Cause and Effect
Law of Effort vs. Result

David H. Weis applies these principles to modern charts using a unique tool: the Weis Wave, a visual representation of price waves and volume flow that tells a richer story than candlesticks alone.

What Makes “Trades About to Happen” So Different?

This isn’t your typical trading book that throws random strategies at you. Instead, Weis teaches you how to:

✅ Read the market structure like a map
✅ Identify accumulation/distribution phases with confidence
✅ Spot trend reversals before they become obvious
✅ Use wave volume analysis to anticipate breakout moves
✅ Filter out fakeouts and market noise

And he does all this without overloading you with indicators or jargon.

Throughout the book, you’ll see real chart examples showing bar-by-bar analysis. Weis explains what he sees, what he anticipates, and how he interprets the shifting dynamics between buyers and sellers. It’s like sitting beside a veteran trader who’s narrating his every move.

🛒 Want to learn from a real pro? Click here to get your copy of Trades About to Happen on Amazon and transform your chart-reading skills today.

Key Concepts Covered in the Book

1. Effort vs. Result (EVR)

Weis constantly stresses this Wyckoff principle: If volume (effort) increases but price (result) stalls or reverses, it signals a change is coming. The imbalance between effort and result is often the first clue of smart money activity.

2. Spring and Upthrust Patterns

A “Spring” is a false breakdown below support that traps bears before the price rips higher. An “Upthrust” is the opposite — a fake breakout that slams back down. Weis helps you spot these traps early using volume and wave action.

3. The Weis Wave

One of the coolest tools in the book is the Weis Wave — a visual representation of volume segmented into directional price waves. It makes it easy to identify when buying pressure is drying up or when a trend is gaining strength.

If you’re a visual learner or struggle to interpret raw volume bars, this tool is a game-changer.

4. Absorption and Climaxes

Weis helps you identify when institutional players are quietly absorbing supply or dumping into rallies. These moments usually precede powerful price reversals and are goldmines for patient traders.

Who Should Read This Book?

📈 Swing Traders: Learn how to pinpoint high-probability reversal zones.
📊 Day Traders: Discover how to anticipate breakout traps and volume squeezes.
🧠 New Traders: Start with a solid, time-tested foundation.
🎓 Wyckoff Enthusiasts: This is one of the most accessible Wyckoff-based texts out there.

Whether you’re trading stocks, forex, or futures, the strategies in Trades About to Happen translate seamlessly across markets.

Notable Chapter Highlights

📘 Chapter 3: Trends, Tests, and Traps

Weis outlines how markets rarely move in clean lines. Instead, they test support/resistance repeatedly, often faking one direction before launching in the other. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

📘 Chapter 5: The Role of Volume and the Weis Wave

This is where the visual magic happens. You’ll learn how to dissect price action into volume-enhanced swings that offer deeper market context.

📘 Chapter 7: Reversal Setups in Real Time

Multiple chart examples show exactly how to apply Weis’s methodology to spot trades forming in the moment, not just after the fact.

Real World Applications: This Isn’t Just Theory

One of the best things about Trades About to Happen is its real-world usability. Weis includes multiple bar-by-bar analyses, showing you how a trade setup unfolds with his thought process along the way.

He walks you through:

✔️ Recognizing when support is about to give
✔️ Identifying absorption and hidden buying
✔️ Spotting failed rallies and weak pullbacks
✔️ Confirming entries with wave volume divergence

By the end, you’ll feel like you’re looking at charts through new eyes — seeing the invisible fingerprints of institutions at work.

💡 Pro Tip: Pair Weis’s teachings with your current trading style — whether you use moving averages, Fibonacci, or Bollinger Bands — to add context and conviction to your entries. Get your hands on the book here.

Criticisms and Limitations

No book is perfect, and Trades About to Happen does have a few caveats:

Steep learning curve if you’re totally new to price action.
Requires chart reading practice — this isn’t a plug-and-play system.
Weis’s style may seem textbook-like at times, but that’s the tradeoff for clarity.

Still, if you’re willing to study the charts and apply what you learn, the reward is substantial.

Final Verdict: Is “Trades About to Happen” Worth It?

✅ YES — 100%.
If you’re serious about trading and tired of noisy indicators, this book is your blueprint to clean, disciplined, smart-money trading.

David H. Weis bridges the gap between Wyckoff theory and modern execution better than almost anyone. You’ll finish this book with a stronger sense of market structure, cleaner chart setups, and most importantly — the confidence to take trades before the herd sees them.

📚 Bonus Resource: Where to Go Next

If Trades About to Happen sparks your interest in the Wyckoff Method, consider following up with:

And don’t forget to visit BookBriefsHub for more expert reviews and trader-focused book breakdowns.

🎯 Ready to spot your next winning trade before it happens? Get your copy of Trades About to Happen here and start reading the market like a seasoned pro.