Eric J. Weiner

This is a great introduction and historical overview for anyone wanting to learn more about what drives Wall Street. It's told as an oral history, recounted by many of the players who participated in the events, which makes it particularly valuable. While it was published too soon to capture the most recent turmoil -- the real estate and credit bubbles, the demise of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, etc. -- any careful reader can follow the logic that emerges from the boom-and-bust cycles chronicled here. And Weiner did write this early enough to get some relatively honest input from some of Wall Street's 'greats' -- the kind of folk who probably will never again participate in a project of this kind in case their words are later used against them by members of a Congressional committee or regulators -- or even prosecutors. This solid overview also gives readers insight into issues like regulation and the importance of technology on Wall Street. Even though the events chronicled here stop roughly with the dot.com boom and its aftermath, that doesn't stop this book from being an important resource.… (mais)