The Trading Game

A Confession

De: Gary Stevenson

Narrado por: Gary Stevenson

#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • “The Best Wall Street Book of 2024”—Bloomberg

A “vivid” (Financial Times) rags-to-riches memoir that takes listeners inside the high-stakes drama and hubris of the trading floor, a “darkly funny” (Guardian) tale of Citibank’s one-time most profitable trader, and why he gave it all up

“Darker than [Liar’s Poker], but if anything even more of a rollicking read . . . the clearest account I've ever read of how trading desks really work.”—Felix Salmon, Axios

In development as a limited series

• Longlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year

If you were gonna rob a bank and you saw the vault door there, left open, what would you do? Would you wait around?

Ever since he was a kid, kicking broken soccer balls on the run-down streets of East London, Gary Stevenson dreamed of something bigger. As luck would have it, he was good at numbers.

At the London School of Economics, wearing tracksuits and sneakers, Stevenson shocked his posh classmates by winning a competition called “The Trading Game.” The prize? A golden ticket to a new life, as the youngest trader at Citibank. A place where you could make more money than you’d ever imagined. Where your colleagues are dysfunctional geniuses and insecure bullies yet start to feel like family. Where against the odds you become the bank’s most profitable trader, closing deals worth nearly a trillion dollars. A day.

Soon you are dreaming of numbers in your sleep—and then you stop sleeping at all. But what happens when winning starts to feel like losing? You’re making a killing betting on millions of people becoming poorer—like the very people you grew up with. The economy is slipping off a precipice, and your own sanity starts slipping with it. You want to stop, but you can’t. Because nobody ever leaves.

Would you stick, or quit? Even if it meant risking everything?

The Trading Game is an outrageous, unvarnished, white-knuckle journey to the dark heart of an intoxicating world—the trading floor—from someone who survived the game and then blew it all wide open.

©2024 Gary Stevenson (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Hilarious, shocking and deeply sad—often in the same sentence.”—The Times

“A well written and often darkly funny book that makes a convincing case that high finance is as toxic, reckless and deeply cynical as ever.”—The Guardian

“Stevenson is a fine wordsmith. . . . His portrayal as an unlikely hero, brimming with wit and a low tolerance for nonsense, makes for an engaging read.”—Turney Duff, The Telegraph

Fantastic fast paced memoir set in the world of finance, London and Tokyo

Honest, unvarnished, blunt but, most of all, interesting. Plenty of colourful characters along the way.

One of the most impactful books I’ve read

This book puts into words things that had not previously been explained, but that we’ve all lived through, observed, and felt since the 2008 financial crisis. An economics lesson wrapped in an absolutely brilliant story. Gary is authentic, vulnerable, and brings us in to a world that few ever see the inner workings of.

The chilling truth of world.

An unfiltered look into why our world is turning into what it is. It makes you wonder if there really is any way to fix the world.

Raw, unfiltered, beautifully narrated

First off, the narration alone on this book was worth the listen. I wish there was an option to get Gary Stevenson's narration for every book. His cockney delivery is so different from the experience of the majority of audiobooks.

While his story arc itself is slightly underwhelming (I thought he would've spent more time on the floor and deliver more insights), his story is what it is (even despite criticism of exaggeration). What I appreciated about his story was how raw and unfiltered it was. This was pure, gritty. Nothing trite, no sugar coating, no platitudes.

One of the few books, where each time I put onto listen--no matter where I was--I became fully immersed in his story and his way of thinking.

Authentic and Transparent

Read by the author whose experience is laid bare with a dash of humor - fascinating!

More of an autobiography than anything else

Gary's book is a collection of somewhat random stories from the early part of his career. If you are looking for a book that gives you insight into trading then this is not the one. I did learn a thing or two about trading from the perspective of a market insider, but the majority of the book just goes through Gary's learning experiences as he developed his character rather than his trading skills. I would say that it is still worth reading or listening to, but don't think of this as a book about trading. The book is entertaining.

Great story telling

Appreciate the authentic voice of the author, his attention to detail and the creative tension.

Important, but entertaining, too

This book is great, just read it. I appreciate that Gary narrated it himself. It’s always better that way. Thanks for writing such a great book, Gary.

great job Gary

I loved it, beginning to end. thanks gary for your efforts for us all. cheers

Exposes the rotten core of our modern financial system

Gary’s life story is truly incredible. A gifted and talented young man works his way from poverty to achieve his dream of incredible wealth- only to realize the system of wealth is rotten to the core. He sees a system built on ravaging the poor and middle class to line the pockets of the wealthy elite. He uncovers an economic system headed for imminent collapse and the wealthy class of people who refuse to
care.

Gary’s story is compelling. His predictions are accurate. His warnings are dire. Will anyone in power listen?