Jumia Books Liar's Poker

“Liar’s Poker” is a semi-autobiographical book by Michael Lewis, published in 1989, which recounts his experiences as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers, a Wall Street investment firm, during the late 1980s. The book is a narrative about the author’s four years at Salomon, from his initial hiring to his rise as a successful bond trader.

Key Points

• The book’s title, “Liar’s Poker,” refers to a popular game played by bond traders, where the objective is to reward trickery and deceit.
• Lewis describes the culture of Salomon Brothers as a " Animal House"-like environment, where employees were driven to succeed and often engaged in unethical behavior to achieve their goals.
• The book highlights the excesses and corruption of the 1980s Wall Street, including the use of customers as “patsies” to minimize losses and the sale of worthless investments.
• Lewis’s writing style is humorous and engaging, making the book an entertaining and insightful look at the world of high finance during that era.
• “Liar’s Poker” is considered one of the books that defined Wall Street during the 1980s, alongside “Barbarians at the Gate” by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” by Tom Wolfe.