Liar's Poker (Norton Paperback)

Michael Lewis is my favorite writer. Probably the best writer who I have ever read. His writing is technical, clever, and very focused on humans and clear stories. He was more clear-headed prior to Trump. Post Trump he has become very left-wing and biased and today he loves to bring up feminism, progressive values, and anti-conservative talking points. It's fine if you like it, but it makes for boring books. But prior to that he was amazing and finally I read his claim to fame, Liar's Poker.

Liar's Poker is just another book in his Wall Street series. I have read the Big Short and the one about internet trading. This one is quite amazing too. It's a bit dated compared to his other books maybe, but this is basically still exactly what Wall Street is today. Only thing that has changed is that now the big companies are often progressive and left-wing so their culture is totally different. What he describes here is a man-focused culture which is pretty much dead and gone by now. In a podcast series on this book he goes into this a bit more where they even talk about how today it is getting harder for women in Wall Street as many men refuse to be in a room alone with a female coworker or even invite them on business dinners. Back then it was perfectly normal. It's fun to read about how it was culturally and the stock trades and scummy deals are the way it still works.

I like this book. It's clear writing and fun stories about men with small brains and giant egos battling it out. Big swinging dicks and gags everywhere. Right at the start he says that the way to success in Wall Street is being brave and brutal just trying to scam as fast as possible. So smart people get boring desk jobs. The guys making millions are the ones doing shady deals with crap stock and forcing their old clients to buy stock they know are horrible and overpriced.

High-voltage start to the session—hands still a bit shaky from coffee, screen lighting up in that late-evening glow. Checked https://1wins-gh.com between rounds, not expecting much, ended up staying longer than planned as the pace picked up. Tables spin quick, decisions even quicker; a couple of risky calls landed surprisingly well, one painful loss right after that still sitting in the back of my mind. Sound off in the room, only chair creaking, that weird focus where everything outside fades and only timing matters. There’s a weird rhythm to it, like you think you’ve got it figured out and then the next round flips everything. Might slow it down next time, treat it more like reading patterns than chasing momentum. Might revisit it later tonight, see how the timing feels when the room is quieter and decisions come without pressure again soon.