tim_ohearn's reviews
382 reviews

An accessible book with a misleading title that provides a compelling account of the history and somewhat-current (2012) state of the stock market. My issues are that it reads more like an essay collection and doesn't get into enough technical detail (Algos, algos, algos ad infinitum). The author's attempt at piecing together a Lewis-esque narrative fell incredibly short, mostly in the way of character development. As was the case in The Quants, the book unravels in the last few chapters before an abrupt "huh?" ending. I think that Dark Pools is more valuable than Flash Boys in its educational value- I would go as far as pegging it a must-read. Granted, the people who I would recommend it to as a must-read to have probably already read it.

I wasn't familiar with the author and expected the book to be more climactic. I was initially disappointed, though ended up thoroughly enjoying the book. West is forthcoming about the relationships between various individuals and the Brookings Institute. It is an informative read that sidelines his personal views. Well researched and well written. Plenty of interesting citations that will keep me occupied for quite some time.

Thoroughly researched; thoroughly dry. The introductory chapter lead me to believe that the 'history' would extend to the present. On one hand, many of the significant events of the 21st century have occurred between 2009 and 2015, but, on the other hand, it's unfair to aggregate post-WWII to 2009 into one chapter.

Far into the book, the author's fix on homosexuality and ridiculous hazing stories presented as fact erode his legitimacy as a Greek historian and paint him more as a Greek opponent who you would find in the comments section of an anti-fraternity news article. General negativity is compounded in the latter portion of the book and I believe the author missed a major opportunity to analyze Greek life's rapidly-changing role in college life, as well as in society in general.

I knew about as much as I did about Football before reading this book as I did about Wall Street before reading Liar's Poker. Michael Lewis is always a pleasure to read.

A unique, timeless, and exciting story that loses steam toward the end. So many underlying symbols and themes that I'm sure I'll reread it at some point.

Without a doubt, the most painful leisure reading I have ever forced myself to endure. I underestimated the "long paragraphs" mentioned in the translator's foreword. Some chapters consisted of one single paragraph. The book is dry, dull, drab, and any other adjectives that could be counted as synonyms of those words. Fine, call it a classic, but nothing about the book is memorable. Not a single sentence is quotable, either.

An excerpt from a review printed on the back of the cover lists that this translation "reveals levels of comedy, energy, and visual power previously unknown to English-language readers". If this is so, I cannot imagine what torture it must have been for readers to have made it through previous translations. In fact, I commend them.

Our time on Earth is limited. You don't have to spend it reading overrated books hoping that you'll glean some level of sophistication.

It really didn't do anything for me. The majority of the traders gave very dry and mostly-uninteresting responses. Despite Schwager's desperate attempts to paint colorful bios and make the traders more memorable, you're essentially reading the same thing over and over again. It's so repetitive that I'd recommend flipping to the afterword and memorizing the points in summary. Then, look up each trader and pick the ones that most interest you.