The Big Short

Random Walk and Black Swan are two good reads. Even if you end up not agreeing with the two's takes, they'll make you sufficiently skeptical of how well a book claims to explain the industry, which is a good position to approach it from. My bias will show, but the industry routinely blows itself on sometimes small or sometimes very large scales, sometimes or often through devices of its own creation. It's important to know that the system is entirely capable of doing this to itself, and therefore the system, and those in it, may not be able to explain itself well. Edit: another thing worth reading is Too Big to Fail, The Big Short, and Greatest Trade Ever. All are engaging books, and really walk through how 2008 started and ended through different perspectives of the system. TBtF will cover the Fed and Tier 1. BS/GTE cover the sell side. And then when you pair GTE with what happened to it's focus, John Paulson, after 2008, in that he didn't really have a repeat 'win,' it's a good anecdote for what I said above.

The big short is a great book, but not sure it’s a good primer on how the financial system works for someone learning.

You can't go wrong with 'The Big Short'. I saw the film a few times before I ever bought the book, and it's still enlightening.

SURELY YOU'RE JOKING MR. FEYNMAN BY RICHARD FEYNMAN -I loved this book for its humor, everyday practicality, how relatable it felt even without having a background in physics or knowledge about the pranks and experiments he conducted. As well as the book being well-written in the sense that it reads as if you're sitting on the couch with him as he's telling you stories about his life, all with a child-like sense of wonder and enthusiasm about the world. THE $12 MILLION STUFFED SHARK BY DON THOMPSON -I'm interested in the high-finance and fine-art worlds and this book discussed how they both go together - money and art - in an informative, quick-paced way. THE BUY SIDE BY TURNEY DUFF -For its humor, honesty, and how well written it was in terms of it being a page turner while also providing you with an insightful account about the high-finance industry. MOLLY'S GAME BY MOLLY BLOOM -It was an entertaining, quick-paced read about the private, high-stakes poker industry with an assortment of participants. MONEYBALL, LIAR'S POKER & THE BIG SHORT BY MICHAEL LEWIS -I thought they were all entertaining reads, while also being insightful about their respective subjects.…

Man's Search for Meaning - ViktorFrankl Endgame (Biography of Bobby Fischer) - Frank Brady Walt Disney - Bob Thomas The Given Day - Dennis Lehane (Fiction) Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane (Way better than movie) Michael Lewis - The Big Short Churchill - Paul Johnson (faster read than the others)

I just got done reading "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis. Well written, does a good job explaining what bond traders were doing before 2008 and why this downturn started. Well worth the read, IMO (I was recommended the book by a hedge fund manager when I met him at my school).

Recent favorites of mine: Anathem - Neal Stephenson A People's Tragedy: Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 - Orlando Figes The Big Short - Michael Lewis