Jobs are about money, right? You’re exhorted to “follow your dreams” or “do what you love,” but ultimately rent has to be paid and pizza eaten (and delivery persons paid), so … I do a thing for you, you give me money. It’s communication and interaction at its most base level, a pure financial transaction. Obviously, if you can find a way to tie meaningful employment with your inner peace and contentment, so much the better. And sure, once the cashflow establishes a certain level of stasis [eating Ramen because you want to, not because you have to], you can start to consider a lateral move for more fulfilling work, but there’a almost always a financial floor below which you dare not go.

So it’s as difficult as ever to read about Ivy League graduates griping about the torturous hours they endure in the introduction to their [self-selected] professions as bankers, money-changers and Masters of the Universe. We learn all about how they have to work a lot — on the weekends, late nights, early mornings, pretty much any time electricity is available on the island of Manhattan. They don’t like it! [ Duh. ] But they (for the most part) continue to do it! [ Also duh. ] That’s the incentive provided by a minimum $60K salary $20K bonus if they’re thought to be bad at their job.

For the full review, please click here. ( )

I enjoyed this book and would recommend that younger people particularly those in college, read this cautionary tale. Roose shadowed eight college students about to enter career life working in financial and investment companies. I have heard previous tales of how companies like Goldman Sachs would work their new interns and young employees to death ( literally.) The abuse that these young employees endured certainly was not worth the money and promised bonuses that they received. Some people thrive in this type of environment – – most don't.

Roose also described crashing a fraternity like event where various senior executives in financial services got together and mocked their wealth, bonuses and lifestyle. They reveled in the money they made given the opposition to their wealth and bonuses after the financial meltdown. When Roose was uncovered as a reporter, he was threatened as if he was an allied spy at a Nazi convention.

This is the type of book that makes many Americans suspicious and antagonistic towards the 1%.

Plenty of good stories – – some happy endings – – some lessons learned. ( )

An enjoyable read although it was not satisfying to my curiosity of the inner workings of Wall Street. It did speak to the changing ethos and the extremely capitalistic determination of who would and would not remain in wall street's labor force. ( )

Jobs are about money, right? You’re exhorted to “follow your dreams” or “do what you love,” but ultimately rent has to be paid and pizza eaten (and delivery persons paid), so … I do a thing for you, you give me money. It’s communication and interaction at its most base level, a pure financial transaction. Obviously, if you can find a way to tie meaningful employment with your inner peace and contentment, so much the better. And sure, once the cashflow establishes a certain level of stasis [eating Ramen because you want to, not because you have to], you can start to consider a lateral move for more fulfilling work, but there’a almost always a financial floor below which you dare not go.

So it’s as difficult as ever to read about Ivy League graduates griping about the torturous hours they endure in the introduction to their [self-selected] professions as bankers, money-changers and Masters of the Universe. We learn all about how they have to work a lot — on the weekends, late nights, early mornings, pretty much any time electricity is available on the island of Manhattan. They don’t like it! [ Duh. ] But they (for the most part) continue to do it! [ Also duh. ] That’s the incentive provided by a minimum $60K salary $20K bonus if they’re thought to be bad at their job.

For the full review, please click here. ( )

this is really jsut a collection of case study examples of college graduates starting careers in the banking and finance industry. Interesting enough and well written, but not really worth reading a whole book about. ( )