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This book was very interesting and kept my attention. It didn't delve too far into some of the darker parts of the Asian market traders, which might have been even more interesting.
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Ugly Americans: A True Story of High Stakes, Dirty Deals and One Man's $500 Million Gamble
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John Malcolm is barely 30, a high school football hero and Princeton graduate, he controls a hedge fund worth $50m. He made his millions back in the early '90's, a time when dozens of elite young American graduates made their fortunes in hedge funds in the Far East, beating the Japanese at their own game, riding the crashing waves of the Asian markets and winning. Failure meant not only bankruptcy and disgrace a la Nick Leeson, but potentially even death - at the hands of the Japanese Yakuza. "Ugly Americans" tells Malcolm's story, and that of others like him, in a cross between Mezrich's own best-selling "Bringing Down the House" and Michael Lewis' "Liar's Poker".
null pages, Paperback
First published January 30,2004
This edition
- Format
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null pages, Paperback
- Published
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January 1, 2005 by Arrow Books
- ISBN
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9780099455059
- ASIN
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0099455056
- Language
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English
About the author
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Ben Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.
Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.
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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
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100 reviews All reviews
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This book was very exciting. I read it on a plane ride to the east coast. It was a 5 hour flight and I didn't put the book down once - not even to grab a bag of peanuts. Now, I don't read all that much so, that says a lot.
It wasn't so much about the writing as the true story of these young, impressionable, filthy rich boys who were immersed into a culture they could hardly grasp.
If you have any interest in the stock exchange, I suggest this book.
It wasn't so much about the writing as the true story of these young, impressionable, filthy rich boys who were immersed into a culture they could hardly grasp.
If you have any interest in the stock exchange, I suggest this book.
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A whole new view of both American business and the seeded side of life in Japan.
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Eh. It was a slow read, until almost the end. I guess I was expecting more, since I enjoyed Bringing Down the House so much.
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It's billed as a 'True story....' but it's so fictionalised you'd have to wonder sometimes.
A better title could have been 'Ugly Humans' because apart from Malcolm's mother and his girlfriend Sayo, there wasn't a decent human being among them. Bill Sammons summed most of them up with "I'm just your run-of-the-mill evil capitalist pig"
Revolting greed, the root of their existence, I warmed to none of them, and may I never meet anyone remotely like them!
Could not understand why the main character was "hidden" with a fictional name, when most of the others weren't, surely easily identifiable eventually anyway.
Chapter 25 had the strangest extract relating to Malcolm having to unzip his pants to prove he wasn't a cop before he could enter the brothel. Didn't get this at all, unless I'm being naïve about NYC cops and their "unique" dicks.
If you don't understand anything about the world of trading on the stock markets then you will be none the wiser after your read, as it's assumed the reader is au fait with the "science" of it.
I read it as research and therefore stuck with it to the end, if for no other reason. It didn't answer my questions but that's not the fault of the book, just an error in my book choice.
A better title could have been 'Ugly Humans' because apart from Malcolm's mother and his girlfriend Sayo, there wasn't a decent human being among them. Bill Sammons summed most of them up with "I'm just your run-of-the-mill evil capitalist pig"
Revolting greed, the root of their existence, I warmed to none of them, and may I never meet anyone remotely like them!
Could not understand why the main character was "hidden" with a fictional name, when most of the others weren't, surely easily identifiable eventually anyway.
Chapter 25 had the strangest extract relating to Malcolm having to unzip his pants to prove he wasn't a cop before he could enter the brothel. Didn't get this at all, unless I'm being naïve about NYC cops and their "unique" dicks.
If you don't understand anything about the world of trading on the stock markets then you will be none the wiser after your read, as it's assumed the reader is au fait with the "science" of it.
I read it as research and therefore stuck with it to the end, if for no other reason. It didn't answer my questions but that's not the fault of the book, just an error in my book choice.
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The book was a temporary diversion from the more serious-topic books I normally read. The storyline was interesting, the structure of the story was loose and quick-paced, and short on dates for an allegedly true story. All the same, it was a fun ride.
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Mezrich has created his own genre of writing. It's the Look at How These Young People Made an Obscene Amount of Money in Semi-Legal and Immoral Ways genre. He isn't really the best writer, but his books are quick and certainly give you the instant gratification you're looking for when you pick them up.
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Enjoyed the book and having lived in Japan through that period I could recognise the archetypes, the foreigners in Tokyo in the late 90's really could be a bit OTT. The story moves along at a good pace and I really got involved in all the little side elements of the story and that (unfortunately) is what let me down in the end. Just as I feel the book is coming to a climax it ended, leaving me with a handful of unanswered questions. In all though, a good read, and would recommend it if you have a passing interest in trading or the expat experience.
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