General description
A book about the fate and internal order of the company Salomon Brothers, which in the 70s–80s was one of the leading on Wall Street and dictated its own rules of the game. It reads quite easily. It consists only of text information. There is an audio version. Translated into many languages.
Contents
- Chapter 1. Liar's Poker
- Chapter 2. Never Talk About Money
- Chapter 3. How to Fall in Love with Your Corporation's Culture
- Chapter 4. Adult Education
- Chapter 5. Brotherhood of Hooligans
- Chapter 6. Fat Men and Their Wonderful Money Machine (1981–1986)
- Chapter 7. Turmoil at Salomon (1986–1988)
- Chapter 8. From Geek to Man
- Chapter 9. Martial Art
- Chapter 10. How Else Can I Please You?
- Chapter 11. The Rich Also Cry
Opinion
When I first watched the film «The Wolf of Wall Street», I still thought that it was absolutely complete fiction and there was nothing true in it. However, after reading this book, this plot and what happens in the film no longer seem like something unreal. On the contrary, many elements shown in the film actually happened at Salomon Brothers. The incredible growth of the company, deceiving people, competition within the company, a complete lack of competence among employees, regular mockery and jokes at employees and colleagues — and this is far from a complete list of what happened in this company.
If you put aside all the oddities and strangeness that happened in the company and look at its reverse side, then three things immediately stand out: the first — is that a company can become successful including thanks to a confluence of circumstances and luck. I would even say that at least half of the success of all businesses — is not only competent management, but also luck, the right time, a favorable political, economic and social environment. The second thing I would note — rapid growth often generates chaos, when a company is not ready for it or when there are no suitable people in management. And finally, the third — is that no company, even the most successful today, is insured against collapse and failure in 5–10 years.
