what book are you reading right now?

I wanted to get ideas regarding new reading material, since my mind is full of academic books and guides at the moment. I was thinking about No country for old men or something in that regard. Maybe something related to finance, (without it being "educational").

 
Funniest

Dante's Inferno - its powerful imagery and insights into the nine concentric circles of hell complement nicely into an excellent extended metaphor for what to expect as a first year investment banking analyst.

 

just like that unrelated movie, the book is pretty boring and not that engaging imo, I read half and then listened to a third or so on audiobook and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

It's definitely biased, like most books in that genre, but I enjoy it regardless. The style of writing is more newspaper than financial literature, so one can enjoy the book without understanding hedge fund jargon and lingo.

It's quite short though so you'll easily get through it over a weekend if you sit down with it.

I don't know... Yeah. Almost definitely yes.
 

The Bank That Lived a Little: Barclays in the Age of the Very Free Market - Very topical book right now given current events involving ex-Barclays execs

Red Notice - hugely entertaining and well written dive into post-communism Russia

"A guy gets on the MTA here in L.A. and dies. Think anybody'll notice?" - Vincent
 

Most of the comments here are pretty Wall Street/Finance heavy, so I'll add some more abstract options. Ever since reading Haruki Murakami's 1q84 a few years ago, I've been hooked on his writing. The English translations of his works, The Windup Bird Chronicle and Kafka by the Shore are truly works that you can lose yourself in for days at a time, precisely what I want out of a good novel.

 

I highly recommend Charlie Wilson's War. Basically to sum it up in a few sentences to make it short. It is how the U.S government funded the Taliban and gave them weapons because of the conflict of Russia.

Classic also: How to win friends and influence people. :)

"It's okay, I'll see you on the other side"
 

My Billion Dollar Education: Inside the Mind of a Rogue Trader - Autobiographic book by a bond trader. It outlines the faulty compliance and safety measures that were in place. It's a little heavy on the Japanese apologetic mentality, though.

The logic of failure - This book made me better understand what complex systems are and how unintended consequences develop. It's a light read relative to the subject.

Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear - This book puts some things into perspective and helps to develop a serene mindset. Here is my favourite quote from the book (yes, it took me 15 minutes to find): "We all spend our twenties and thirties trying so hard to be perfect, because we're so worried about what people will think of us. Then we get into our forties and fifties, and we finally start to be free, because we decide that we don't give a damn what anyone thinks of us. But you won't be completely free until you reach your sixties and seventies, when you finally realize this liberating truth - nobody was ever thinking about you, anyhow."

Array
 

The Last Tycoons - book on the formation and rise to fame of Lazard and their few "Great Men". Only a little past half way, but overall would recommend it for those interested in the drama behind the wild-west days of M&A in the '60s-'80s. Pretty informative of how things actually worked back in those days (and probably still do in some places) and cool stories about just how big of a swinging dck some of these dudes had.

 

"The Bet" about Julian Simon (economist) and Paul Erlich (biologist) and the bet they made about commodity prices. The book does a great job highlighting the completely different views of the world but is an easy read. Paul Erlich famously thought overpopulation was going to result in widespread famine, apocalyptic nightmare, etc. He had a lot of influence over narrative and political thought in the 70s/80s. Simon and others believed human ingenuity would enable agriculture and infrastructure to match, etc.

 

"I Can't Make This Up. Life Lessons." by Kevin Hart. Really good book and goes to show you how hard he had to hustle to make it. Definitely makes you think about taking risk like that. People underestimate the power of being young, broke, and nothing to lose. Now I have student loans to deal with which is binding in a lot of ways. I honestly can't imagine a better feeling than taking risk like that and succeeding on that level.

 

Interesting quick read, Start Up Nation, a Story of Israel's Economic Miracle. Goes into the different traits of Israeli culture that are almost specifically Israeli like "chutzpah" (brashness), continuous questioning, respect for, but not end-all be-all adherence to authority, and love/frequency of traveling. Book goes into the geography, history, military, and culture of Israeli and how they have cultivated these specific traits of Israelis. Also dives into how these widely possessed traits by most in the country have created the perfect cultural environment for entrepreneurship in Israel, giving examples on how the Israeli team basically saved Intel 20 years ago, have currently been a big player in PayPal, and touches on the other numerous successful tech companies that are headquartered or have big offices in Israel.

 

I'm currently reading The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard Feynman. While it's not finance related, Feynman was a really interesting guy (professor at Caltech, Nobel prize winner in physics, worked on the Manhattan Project, etc.). In addition to being one of the brightest minds of the last century, he was also a hilarious guy who could do something that most physicists can't: relate to ordinary people.

 

Right now I'm reading "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. He's my favourite author and this book is one of the greatest and most terrifying at the same time, I think. King is a true master of horrors, I got totally immersed in the whole prison atmosphere. Each story the main character (Paul Edgecomb) tells is chilling and so detailed that you feel like you've really been there. I suggest you check this one, especially if you love horrors.

https://www.onlineparaphrase.net/
 

Am currently reading "The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich" - all about the man that founded what eventually became Glencore. In terms of light financial literature, possibly a little too focused on the man himself (and his legal issues) than his business, but interesting nonetheless. Other than that, you've got the finance classic that is "Liar's Poker." If you haven't read this, I'd strongly recommend.

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde
 

On the Incarnation: Saint Athanasius

Sophronius of Jerusalem and Seventh-Century Heresy: The Synodical Letter and Other Documents (Oxford Early Christian Texts)

Ascetical Homilies of St Isaac the Syrian

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

>Does reading help as an IB analyst?

yeah, as an analyst it's a big advantage if you know how to read

Hello Wall Street, It’s Yours Truly. If you don’t see it here, I didn’t say it. Former Buffalo Bills Tailback / 1973 NFL MVP / 1968 Heisman Trophy Winner / 5x All Pro
 

Yea I can read documents and most things, but haven't really read any books

 

So far, excellent. Just reading it won't get you that far. I've found that thinking about what is said and applying it to the world around you is crucial to getting the most out of the book. Contains some golden nuggets of info.

 

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Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.

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