Book Review – Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis

Last time when you decided to buy books online, did you contemplate buying a book on finance? After all finance has traditionally been considered a dry and boring subject and any literary work that remotely deals with the discipline is avoided by the bibliomaniacs. Well, Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis goes a long way in breaking the myth around financial literature just because it’s far from being one! And it is easily available at online book stores in India.

The glamorous life of an investment banker and the related works that come with such aspects of business has been very well recounted which makes one wonder how Mr. Michael Lewis can turn the mysterious and obscure world of bond-selling into something so funny and gripping. You can’t miss buying this book online.

The story is largely autobiographical and drawn from the actual life events of the author through his college education, employment with Salomon Brothers, his understanding of the Wall Street, his outrageous way of making money and lifting the status of the firm and ultimate petering out of such practices from the market. The author finally outgrew the urge to indulge himself, overcame his disillusionment with the job and quit the corporate lifestyle to write books and finally became a financial journalist. Goes without saying, he made a ‘write’ choice and the novel proved to be the first choice for those indulging in online book purchase.

In this narrative, the author has used funny anecdotes and a witty style to vividly paint the Wall Street picture. The Darwinism about the whole Investment Banking bit has been portrayed with all the glory and pride that it deserves. He has lifted the curtains off the decision-making, the thought process and the rationale behind the actions taken in huge firms that drive half the corporate money in all directions. For someone oblivious to this facet of the corporate world, the book will surprise through its shock value.

The name of the book is derived from a bar game of cards that combines statistical reasoning with bluffing, and is played with the eight-digit serial number on a dollar bill. When you decide to buy it from an online book store in India, go for the version which explains Poker! The author shows how the Salomon traders play this game in the money market. The account has all the formulae characterizing a typical nail-biting finish in a shrewdly architected thriller but unexpectedly it manages to miss the era where the firm bites the dust. The details of the crash are touched in a perfunctory manner even though readers can see through the end. The ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of the end are overlooked.

Overall a brilliant piece and a must-read. The race to the beginning of the end is sure to keep you hooked and interested. You might even get to educate yourself a bit for your own good!!! If you are the one to buy books, this one surely is a must have.