Rating: 
Summary: nice inside story, ok general read
Review: Not the most breathtaking read, but it suffices in telling a story. I never knew the details of the Goldman Sachs mystique and wanted to know what made their story different than the other ibanks. Now I have a good sense. Definitely recommended to those interested in this realm of business and those who want to get a good feel for the ideals of the company. Most definitely the second half of the book was a bore. And the cliffhanger at the end! I really don't like those unresolved endings...
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Summary: PEAK INTO A PRIVATE CULTURE BEFORE IT GOES PUBLIC
Review: Only a few months before Goldman Sachs goes public, it is interesting to review the history realizing what the firm was able to accomplish as a private "fraternity" and how much things are likely to change with investor scrutiny and large gaps in partner and employee wealth. The team spirit culture that came with tradition may be in jeopardy as the volatility of the world and less than stellar performance generating trading losses become more well known. Goldman Sachs does leave a real legacy as the firm that institutionalized using P/E ratios for stock valuation, developed commercial paper and risk arbitrage. Doing this required good measurement systems, not making more serious errors required constant measuring and improving. If you are interested in developing great practices and minimizing risks and losses, you should also read "THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION" by Mitchell, Coles and Metz that includes a process to develop the ideal, always-win, never-lose best practice for your critical activities. Although some sections are more interesting than others, "GOLDMAN SACHS" is a wonderful business saga.
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Summary: "THE CULTURE OF SUCCESS" IS AMERICAN CAPITALISM
Review: Stalin created capital for industrializing Russia through agricultural collectivizations and forced factory labor, ugly and painful ways to do it. In America backed by the U.S. Constitution, laws and traditions Wall Street bankers do it more humanely by creating, selling and trading little pieces of paper called securities. Anyone who wants to learn how one of the best in the business has done this should read this in-depth case study.
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Summary: Excellent Overview
Review: The author does a great job in making this inside-view of Goldman Sachs interesting. It's meticulously researched and peppered with fascinating stories. I don't know the first thing about business or investment banks, but I found this thoroughly readable and utterly enjoyable. I don't normally read business books, but this is one I am recommending to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but could be better
Review: The book was decent, although it could have provided more detail at times. I expected much more informatin on the early years.
Rating:
Summary: well researched, but very dry reading
Review: The facts and details are good, but it reads like high school history textbook. Overall, book is ok, but can wait for paperback edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Theme, Poor Content
Review: This book does a good job of telling the overall theme of GS, partnership and emphasis on long-term relationships are good things. The history of the firm is all laid out in front of you, recounting the significant changes in the firm over the years and how it has emerged as the preeminent investment bank. Ms. Jardine tells the story as it leads up to Goldman's IPO.However, I do believe that there are some significant things missing. While the grander history is present (GS is good), the details and annecdotes that would provide that backup are missing (I know it is good, explain to me why). Figures are often quoted without relative measures (revenue in certain areas was X in 1960, and then Y in 1994), which is somewhat worthless if they aren't compared as %'s of the Company's revenue, or some kind of relative measure. Otherwise, this is all apples to oranges, it doesn't make sense. Ms. Jardine doesn't hesitate to make very definitive statements, such as "Goldman only recruits the best." However, she rarely, if ever backs up such statements in any way shape or form. I don't doubt GS recruits the best, but back it up! While her book does cover a lot of ground, other authors have managed to cover greater periods of history and still maintain a hint of interesting story-telling, such as "The Great Game : The Emergence of Wall Street As a World Power, 1653-2000" by Gordon. All in all, I feel that the book is little more than glorified recruiting material. In a world full of solid financial writing, there are better books to spend your time reading.
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Summary: Another Great Book
Review: This is a great book too, just like the one on Sandy Weill's ascent. The book shows why Goldman is great... and bad. Sometimes it glorifies GS too much (yawn at the richest and most powerful people in America allusions) but is certainly an interesting read. I give it two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Book
Review: This is a great book too, just like the one on Sandy Weill's ascent. The book shows why Goldman is great... and bad. Sometimes it glorifies GS too much (yawn at the richest and most powerful people in America allusions) but is certainly an interesting read. I give it two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Well written by former Goldman Sachs currency trader.
Review: This was evidently the most popular summer book both at Goldman Sachs and at Morgan Stanley. I know I bought it the first day it was out at Borders, and I recommended it to colleagues immediately. Although this book does provide a glimpse into the secret world of one of the top investment banking limited partnerships, it is difficult to evaluate objectively since Ms. Endlich was a former foreign currency trader at Goldman. Nevertheless, the book is well written with what appears to be daylight clarity. The history of the development and evolution of Goldman Sachs is fascinating, and I was particularly interested in the story of how Goldman took over the commodity trading company J. Aron in 1981 and the subsequent inpact that had on Goldman's profitability. Ms. Endlich does have a clear advantage with her access to some of the principals who are still alive, and that may be her chief contribution. Ms. Endlich also deals with several of the near collapses of Goldman Sachs including the failure of Goldman Sachs Trading Corp. in 1929, which took several decades to recover from, and the Penn Central commercial paper scandal of 1969 & 70. There have been other rumored large losses from proprietary trading at Goldman Sachs over the years. Goldman Sachs like Morgan Stanley had a genteel client list and both became top investment banks. Ms. Endlich, however, portrays Goldman as the inventor of the raid-defense in a series of hostile takeovers. It is not clear just how accurate this favorable portrayal of Goldman in the M&A business is. Goldman recently went public with a well publicized IPO. The firm will now be subject to much more stringent public disclosure, and they have already indicated that they will curtail their aggressive proprietary trading. All in all, a well written informative book.
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