The Accidental Investment Banker: Inside the Decade That Transformed Wall Street | 
| Author: Jonathan A. Knee
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 40846
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 0812978048
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.660973
EAN: 9780812978049
ASIN: 0812978048
Publication Date: July 31, 2007
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Condition: Never Read, Fast Ship.
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Product Description
Investment bankers used to be known as respectful of their clients, loyal to their firms, and chary of the financial system that allowed them to prosper. What happened? From his prestigious Wall Street perches at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, Jonathan A. Knee witnessed firsthand the lavish deal-making of the freewheeling nineties, when bankers rode the wave of the Internet economy, often by devil-may-care means. By the turn of the twenty-first century, the bubble burst and the industry was in free fall. Told with biting humor and unflinching honesty, populated with power players, back-stabbers, and gazillionaires, The Accidental Investment Banker is Knee’s exhilarating insider’s account of this boom-and-bust anything-goes era, when fortunes were made and reputations were lost.
“A rare, ringside seat inside the madcap and often egomaniacal world of Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe . . . For would-be bankers, the book is an excellent primer on what it’s really like; for current bankers it will be a guilty pleasure.”
–The New York Times
“Finally we have someone willing to lift the curtain. . . . With refreshing candor and engaging prose, [this book] takes us inside the world of investment banking.”
–James B. Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and DisneyWar
“[Knee] captures the glories and agonies of his profession. General readers will marvel.”
–The Wall Street Journal
“Entertainingly indiscreet . . . Knee’s talent for wicked pen portraits is put to good use.”
–Financial Times
“For anyone who remembers the crazy boom times, and the even crazier bust, Jonathan A. Knee’s The Accidental Investment Banker is a must. This tell-all chronicles Knee’s time at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, revealing a world that rivals 24 in intrigue and drama.”
–Fortune
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| Customer Reviews: Read 34 more reviews...
A View of the Investment Banking World July 6, 2008
The writer did a very good job of explaining from his view what the world
of investment banking is like. He also gives a good perspective of the
changes that have occurred and what should be improved. I was looking for
a good commentary on investment banking including past events that have
occurred. I was very satisfied upon reading the book. The author also provides specific insight into events and culture of two specific investment houses which are fascinating in light of recent events. The
author includes names of real people which lends more credibility to the
book. For the serious student of the investment banking industry, this is
a book to read in addition to others. It does provide an insider's view.
Richard Macomber
Cape Coral, FL
 Good, not great June 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book isn't quite as good as its cover would suggest. You'd be better off getting a copy of Monkey Business, which is hysterical. My greatest frustration with this book is that it is so ridden with typographical errors (which any investment banker past or present will tell you is a HUGE no-no) that it was actually distracting.
I am friends with someone mentioned in Knee's book, and fortunately my friend got off unscathed in Knee's commentary. Unlike many!
 Informational, but a little dry March 28, 2008
I did enjoy this book, though perhaps I was expecting a little too much in the way of entertainment factor. There is a very extensive history of Goldman Sachs - to the point that it almost seems the book is focused more on the firm than on telling the story of the author.
The book does serve as a good primer for those that don't really know what investment banking is, and want to get a sense of what Wall Street is like. It does not however, quite live up to the quote on the cover - "a ringside seat to the madcap and often egomaniacal world of wall street's masters of the universe".
This is a good book, but you should also checkout "Monkey Business", "Bank", and "Liar's Poker" for a more light-hearted, but still informational look at investment banking.
Somewhat informative December 27, 2007
The book touches on the politics inside GS and gives you a better idea about how those that leave GS stay in touch. It helped a little with understanding certain people in my firm, and that's why it's somewhat informative about investment banking culture, but you read a couple of these books and realize that they're all the same - especially if you're already working in investments industry. I'd recommend more detailed books about Milken, those had a more lasting impression than this book, i.e. The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham, and Barbarians at the Gate. Those are still very relevant to today's developments.
The life of money December 20, 2007
The author takes up into the life of investment banking, the personalities and the moralities of those in this world. This is very similar to all of the other book of this ilk. Its good meat and potatoes when describing the players and processies of this world.
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