Den of Thieves

Rating:
Summary: Reads well, but not very objective. Needs math lesson.
Review: First read this book in college. Reread it recently have having spent the last five years in the finance industry, several in high-yield investment banking. As a narrative, the book is a nice read, especially the first half. But to say that it's not an objective piece of work would be hyperbole. Stewart does well capturing the flavor and the sensationalism of the times but his assessment of Milken or Drexel or the high yield market, is not a sober or accuate one. And his numbers didn't always add up. (Take a calculator to those pages explaining bond commissions.) In the end, Stewart comes off as just another conspiracy theorist, before the conspiracy theories were in vogue. Still, kind of a fun read.

Rating:
Summary: Excelent reading for those interested in investment Banking
Review: This book was really well writen and covers the breadth of what goes on in the investment banking world. I like the introductions on how the major investment houses started, and the roles of the Investment bankers, traders, lawyers, arbitragers etc. The central figure is Michael milken, who the book suggests is greedy and foul. The book is obviously on the side of US law enforcement, who some argue were biased and sought to destroy Milken for other motives. On the whole, I think it is a great book and it really helps one understand the whole finance game, and what happens (or used to happen) in wall street. Being from an Engineering and computing background, but with interest in M&A myself, I feel this book was really cool. I however reserve my judgements on Michael Milken till I read another book that is pro Milken. Taking away the crime aspects, I think Michael Milken is a genius.

Rating:
Summary: Thorough, great read on the subject.
Review: If you can get through some of the technical stuff presented in this book about how certain processes take place, ones you know only if that is your job, this book is fascinating. It really goes into depth about how these deals would take place. How one person would work for another. The book is very thorough with events that is goes into such depth, sometimes too much depth. Very interesting especially to someone who is interested in this field, especially insider trading.

Rating:
Summary: No 1 book on Milken, insider trading and 80s Wall Street
Review: Great book. The first half is better because it goes over all the schemes and insider trading. The second half goes over the chase to arrest everybody. A must read. A great book for anyone interested in finding out what happened in the 80s and in understanding 'junk'

Rating:
Summary: Awful and biased
Review: "Den of Thieves" is an angry get-back at Michael Milken a man who redesigned business financing and got rid of a system on Wall Sreet that was ineffective and poorly thought out. We should never accept a book written by the lover of an anti-Milken Wall Street Journal reporter as objective--it can't be. This book is a disgrace.

Rating:
Summary: Great - I never read books like this and I loved it!
Review: I never have time to read novels for fun but I decided to give this one a try. I was very impressed and actually ordered 2 more books on similar topics. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in investment banking. It is not only informative but interesting. The only aspect of the book that I did not like was the conclusion. It was a little drawn out. I lost my enthusiasm towards the end but still enjoyed the book.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For MBAs
Review: As an MBA coming out of the 80's era of hype and junk bonds, this book has been by my bedside since December 1990. I'm still in awe how complete and masterly this book is with all the vivid character descriptions and associated schemes and plots! Think of it as a great reference for those who wish to conform to the straight & narrow. Excellent work & a must read!!

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For MBAs
Review: As an MBA coming out of the 80's era of hype and junk bonds, this book has been by my beside since December 1990. I'm still in awe how complete and masterly this book is with all the vivid character descriptions and associated schemes and plots! Think of it as a great reference for those who wish to conform to the straight & narrow. Excellent work & a must read!!

Rating:
Summary: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND YOUR POCKED CLOSED
Review: If you like mysteries, cover-ups, intricate plots, good and bad guys and soap opera, this book is for you. What makes it so frightening is that it is real. The question I kept asking myself is how do we know that this won't happen again, or isn't going on right now. And yet, we know that in the investment and banking worlds given the situations in Asia and Latin America, there are more shoes to drop. I believe that this industry has been infiltrated by more bad habits - power, greed and hunger - than most. The culture has encouraged it. A new book I read describes these problems well and then offers a way out. THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION talks about 'stalls' that keep us from changing. In investment banking, The Communications Stall means that some people get messages before others, creating an unfair advantage. The Disbelief Stall makes them think that they aren't doing anything wrong and won't get caught. The Tradition Stall says that business has always been done that way, so it's okay. The Bureaucratic Stall would make them think that if there is enough red tape, no one will figure out what is going on. The Misconception Stall says that they were operating under poor assumptions, because they did get caught. The Unattractiveness Stall means that if something looks unpleasant, just cover it up. What is needed is a new way to do business and a new system of checks and balances, a 2,000 percent solution.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: All I have to say is WOW! A great book. If you are intrigued by Wall Street or like investing, corporate finance, or investment banking, you will love this book. Buy it now. You won't regret it.