No one denies Ben Mezrich's books are formulaic - Ivy League geniuses being bad boys and gaming the system to conquer the world - but this book lacks the pizazz of some of his other books, leaving behind a sad, tired story.

While this story may be based on real life events, it feels like a Gary Stu. Despite going to Princeton, the main character (who is so bland I can't even remember his name) shows no great ability to do anything, yet after meeting one guy in a bar is headhunted years later for the job of a lifetime. What, he's good because this guy who barely knows him says he's good? If he has some skill that made him stand out besides playing football, show it!

Mezrich's disdain for New Englanders is cute in one book, but he keeps slipping it in to all his books. Ben, if you don't like New Englanders, stop writing about them.

engaging

Book dives deep into the life of hedge fund investors in Japan, sort of a behind the scenes for traders working with the Nikkei 225.

Many movies make the claim "Based on a True Story". Supposedly this makes the movie more interesting.

While reading this book, I thought that in fact many novels could also make the claim that they are based on true stories. One thinks about these things while reading this book because while it claims to be non-fiction, it uses many literary devices from novels in order to grip the reader.

The characters, true to the title, are repulsive. Reading this book, one can see the greed and recklessness that is leading the world financial system to the brink of collapse (and possibly beyond the brink).

This content of this book would be more successful packaged as a novel. The veneer of non-fiction does not add anything here.

I typically do not like nonfiction books, but Ben Mezrich gave Malcolm's past new life in this memoir. I felt immersed in the story and interested in even mundane developments in the book, like hte standing of the Nikkei 225. I would highly recommend this book to peers, especially those interested in or working in finance.

Shoutout @chris Symnoski for requesting written reviews moving forward.

And whew, this one did not miss. 255 pages of nonstop action detailing American finance bros teaming up with the Yakuza in Tokyo to bend the rules, get engrained in Japanese culture, and make ungodly amounts of money. It’s not nearly as well known as his other books, 21, Dumb Money, the Social Network, or Breaking Twitter, but I think this is my favorite all time Mezrich novel

Accurate depiction of expat life.

I have my own story from that period but this one is much better

Thrilling read

This book is simply unputdownable!
Keeps you guessing with great twists and we all love a happy ending. Buy it

Having run out of books to read, I picked this up in a Positano pharmacy, on the strength of Mezrich's first effort about MIT blackjack card counters, Bringing Down the House.

The book is based on a true story, and is about an American kid--alias John Malcolm--who goes to Japan to work for a hedge fund. Malcolm ends up making millions while living the fast driving, high-flying moneyed, sexed-up lifestyle of rich ex-pats in Japan.

The story is compelling, but not particularly enriching. It's a solid second effort, but in addition to a great story, you at least learn something in Bringing Down the House.

This book was really well-written. I have read other books by this author, four total, and he does an excellent job of painting a picture of what is going on with the characters in question. Since these characters are actual people, it is nice to get into the lifestyles in which he depicts. Thought I am sure they are overly dramatized at times, it really does a service of telling the story. This story is no exception.

I did not really understand all of the technical lingo that went along with the trading, but it was really interesting to see Japan the way it is depicted in the book, the dark underbelly of the country. The Yakuza mentioned in the story was really intriguing as well.

I didn't feel the story was as interesting as his other books, but the writing was what carried this book. I cannot imagine this author writing anything I wouldn't find interesting.

Even though it was the first time I heard about John Malcolm, it was an interesting reading. I love these types of books, a biography written as a story and not as a dry biography. I'm sure this will make a great movie about men with power and money.