Book Review: Liar's Poker

Liar's Poker is an account of the high pressure deals on Wall Street during the 1980s. The author, Michael Lewis, was a bright and very young recent college graduate who suddenly found himself making insane amounts of money trading bonds on the floor of Salomon Brothers.

Lewis recounts his adventures in learning to trade the market, the profane culture of the brokerage, and playing Machiavellian office politics. It's pretty dramatic, with lots of high stakes deals, backbiting and secret alliances, and the stench of greed. It's also how the financial world operates.

Read this book if you want to understand the mentality of trading, the culture of Wall Street, and learn about how money flows in the financial world.