I came across Gary during my masters studies and found his podcast/YouTube so I had to read this. It was a great ress, educational and explained things in the way any normal person could understand. It made economics feel like it wasn't a hard grasp.

As someone with very little experience/ knowledge of economics and the financial sector, I found myself greatly enjoying this book! I found the book to be a very honest and raw retelling of Gary's journey through his education and career as well as an eye opening account of what it may mean to achieve 'success' in the field. 5/5.

This was interesting to begin with whilst he was at school and university.

Once he started work it became boring, with a repeat of how much bonus was made each year.

It ended a real struggle to finish and ended up jumping some pages.

This compelling book chronicles the extraordinary journey of Gary Stevenson, charting his meteoric rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most successful and youngest foreign traders in the city. Gary’s story is a testament to the power of determination and ambition, but it also delves into the substantial personal costs of such rapid success. This narrative is more than just a tale of financial triumph; it's a profound exploration of the sacrifices and challenges that accompany high achievement.

Gary’s remarkable true-life rags-to-riches story is recounted with a refreshing blend of candour, humour, insight, and self-awareness. The author does not shy away from the gritty realities and emotional tolls that come with the territory of high-stakes trading. Instead, he presents an honest and nuanced portrayal of his journey, making it not only an inspiring read but also a deeply human one.

One of the standout aspects of this book is how it demystifies the complex world of FX swap trading. As someone who was initially unfamiliar with this subject, I found Gary’s explanations particularly valuable. He breaks down the terminology and basic concepts with clarity and precision, making the intricate world of foreign exchange trading accessible to readers without a background in finance. Despite his efforts, I must admit that some of the more complex concepts still went over my head, but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment and understanding of his story.

As someone who works in finance, this book has shaken me! A brilliant, brilliant read!
He paints such a vivid picture and shares his experience in a manner that keeps you hooked. If there is one nonfiction book I would recommend, it would be this!

This book details the meteoric rise (and fall) of Gary Stevenson, who comes from nothing to become one of the most successful and youngest foreign traders in the city. But at what price does this accolade and success cost him? A phenomenal true-life rags to riches story told with candour, humour, insight and self-awareness. FX swap trading is a subject I knew nothing about, but Gary walks you through the terminology and demystifies the basics of it - some things did still go over my head though! The author's real life story is riveting and takes you on an emotional journey of class, wealth, greed and mental health peppered with an eclectic mix of characters like Chuck, The Slug, The Frog and The Icicle.

5.0 out of 5 stars
A White-Knuckled Ride Through the World of High Finance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2024

Gary Stevenson's memoir, "The Trading Game," is a wild rollercoaster of a read. It takes you from the gritty streets of East London to the opulent trading floors of Citibank, following Stevenson's journey from a number-crunching student to a million-dollar trader.

The book is brutally honest. Stevenson doesn't shy away from portraying the exhilarating highs and the soul-crushing lows of the financial world. You'll meet a cast of characters both brilliant and bizarre – the mathematical wizards, the over-privileged bullies, and the pressure cooker environment that pushes everyone to the brink.

Stevenson's rags-to-riches story is undeniably compelling. He excels at the trading game, making vast sums of money. But as he climbs the ladder, a dark side emerges. The relentless pursuit of wealth takes its toll, raising questions about the true cost of success.

"The Trading Game" is more than just a memoir; it's a cautionary tale. Stevenson eventually leaves his trading career behind, disillusioned by the culture and its impact. His story is a thought-provoking exploration of ambition, risk, and what it truly means to win.

Here's a quick breakdown of the book's pros and cons:
Pros:
• Gripping narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seat
• Unfiltered look at the high-pressure world of finance
• Raises important questions about success and morality
Cons:
• The fast-paced world of trading might be overwhelming for some readers
• Stevenson's personal journey takes centre stage, with less technical explanation of trading itself

Overall, "The Trading Game" is a well-written and thought-provoking book. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the world of finance or anyone who has ever questioned the meaning of success.

A very eye-opening and comprehensible look at the modern financial world, certainly alarming yet vitally important to talk about.

I like Gary Stevenson. Heard him interviewed a few times and he seems a good guy.
Quite the inspirational climb from Working Class London to the top of Canary Wharf. To still be in any way of good character after working in the toxic cesspit of Citibank trading is an achievement.
Thanks to Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review

I desperately wanted to love this book from Gary Stevenson, someone whose online work I've followed for a couple of years now for its insightful and informed perspective on wealth inequality following the financial crash. While it does initially read as a great page-turner, painting a vivid portrait of the high-pressure-high-reward life as a trader from an unpromising background and the highs and lows that come with it, it ultimately ended as a disappointment - both the way Stevenson's career came crashing down but also the way the book continued. Where it had previously been gritty and uncompromising, it started to feel overdone and the profanities will not go down well with a number of readers. I felt confused about Gary's ultimate didactic message - I perhaps naively thought that given his scathing attack on the way that the top 1% make huge profits on the lowest income families and individuals, that he would have stopped betting on inequality to increase his own personal wealth and instead support something resembling a more socialist wealth redistribution

I did attend (paid by myself for ticket + book) a book event at Chorleywood Book Shop where I hoped that my cynical conclusion could be redeemed, only to find Stevenson coming across as quite unlikable and lacking some self-awareness when interviewed, which I think is what I didn't get on with in the book. It did make sense that Stevenson spoke about not liking the subtitle of 'a confession' - which was initially my gripe as I thought the book lacked any sort of reflection as implied by this.

Ultimately, it was interesting to read about a world of which I have no experience, but the fact that the author spoke about how they still make (presumably, huge) profits by betting on inequality in their personal life, along with a general lack of reflection and pragmatic solutions beyond just 'taxation', ultimately left me feeling disappointed. A real shame, I wanted to like this so badly. I would advise readers interested in wealth inequality and its solutions to pick up a copy of Grace Blakely's 'Vulture Capitalism' instead.

I couldn’t personally get into this book. I found it quite hard to understand and found the writer quite unlikable. All me me me and I struggled with his moral dilemmas. Full disclosure I did not finish the book. However there was parts the book was okay but mostly I found myself bored and skimmed reading.. it was drawn out. Overall I wasn’t a fan but that’s not to say someone else especially those interested in this kind of thing would not like it.

The author writes incredibly well with a witty turn of phrase. I enjoyed learning about his journey from a working-class kid to a millionaire. He sets out enough colour of the financial services scene - frequently described by many as not much better than a glorified Ponzi scheme - that it draws you in without wanting to be a part of it. The only curious thing I noted was the author's dedication to the cold and hungry kids. I rather suspect such kids don't feel the author 'did it for himself and therefore did it for them'; I'm sure they'd rather become millionaires themselves!

oh wow, this was a book that I was not expecting to enjoy!

Gary wrote this wonderuflly and I highly recommend it to everyone

A creatively written, intense, and vivid exegesis on the financial services industry, The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson also acts as a superb primer for those keen to learn about foreign exchange trading and what happens behind the scenes in the investment banking sector. It's The Wolf of Wall Street, transposed to the City of London, with a sense of ethics thrown in, highlighting the decadence and excesses of the entitled classes in a milieu that appears to be almost baseless in terms of productivity. A great read.

This book was infuriating and yet I couldn’t put it down!

Looking into the world of trading through Gary’s eyes was nothing short of terrifying and yet not completely unsurprising.

I was left wondering of the type of person Gary was at times he seemed to be genuine and yet others I was questioning his moral compass. I’m still undecided on him. I’m not sure if this was intentional but I wished he provided more answers and clarity around his thoughts and actions.

Whilst I appreciate this was a memoir I lacked interest in his recount of his time in Tokyo whilst that was needed for the climax (although Gary you have seriously disappointed me at the crescendo… are you kidding me???) it was dragging and I struggled to retain some of my earlier enthusiasm for reading this book.

I've followed Gary's Economics' instagram page for some time, so I was thrilled to see he'd written a book detailing his time as Citibank's most profitable trader. From what I already knew about Gary's work, I was looking forward to learning more about why he dedicates his time to de-mystifying economics. I find it quite a difficult and inaccessible subject to grapple with, so I was also hoping for a few explainers. The book is subtitled "a confession'', which I think is perfect, as this isn't a straight-forward explainer of the economy and the secrets of the trading floor. Gary is honest about his motivations, successes, and mistakes. I found the insights interesting and the myth-busting of the trading process revealing, but I still felt this was a very reserved account. Gary's writing style isn't raw or emotive, it's very blunt and doesn't dwell too long on the detail. I felt there were things being held back, maybe for a second book? Overall, it's a good read and a fairly accessible way to get your head around what goes on in the City.

With thanks to Penguin Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Probably everybody should read this eye-opening book which has so much to say about the modern money-centred world. Given the subject, this had the potential to be dry, but the great writing skills of Gary Stevenson makes it anything but. In fact, it was only about three quarters of the way through I realised it wasn’t a novel - but that realisation just added to the power of this memoir.

Gary Stevenson is a working class guy with a skill in mathematics/arithmetic and a drive to find out about life and money. He works those into a place at LSE. While there he hears about a game that Citibank use to choose who to employ. He learns all he can about the game, as he’s determined to get the job which his background will probably exclude him from.

There are loads of positives in this book and it is well written - although if the swearing were removed the book would be a lot shorter. But they add to the ‘all lads having fun’ metier of the book. Reading the beginning reminded me of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, except this is more of a horror story. If this is what the whole capitalist society is based on, then it’s truly terrifying. The traders are juvenile, immature, overly competitive, overly sensitive to slights and criticism, and slightly pathetic. But because they make profits, they’re indulged.

Mr Stevenson has issues and struggles but I don’t really think the book has enough self awareness or reflection on why he struggled. It seems sometimes that he has a conscience but then he behaves as badly as the rest. I’d have liked to know how he changed, what attitudes he felt left him unprepared or not for what he found and why the sums of money discussed don’t cause him pause given where he came from.

The book is a fascinating look at the financial trading floor he worked at but I’ve no idea how universal it is, or how honest. Either way it should be read by politicians and policy makers and anyone who thinks inequality needs to be addressed.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

Quite an interesting memoir in many ways, from an ex-trader whom a lot of people must have seen as an unlikely candidate for such a job (or, at least, I bet a lot of people would expect traders to come from a more specific pool with families closely related to financial matters, for instance).

Gary Stevenson worked at Citi for a few years after university, and managed to find his place there… or did he? For not everything was so peachy, even though he made money and things looked, for all intents and purposes, as if they were going the right way… for him, not necessarily for the rest of the world caught in the 2008 crisis. And reading about that was definitely interesting, because it is no secret that as a lot of people suffered from that very crisis, there were also those who managed to get an upper hand, so to speak, and leave the table rather wealthier. Which is partly the moral dilemma that Gary went through here, finding it more and more difficult to reconcile his success with the realisation that the markets were going crazy, and soon going down in flames.

I had a bit of a harder time, though, with the portrayal of the trading world—entertaining in a way (everybody in there seemed to be a prick of some sort or other), but it’s the kind of portrayal that grows a little… stale after a while? Note: I have no idea how people behave on the trading floor, it may or it may not be that this environment is pretty toxic in general and in nature, and I wouldn’t be surprised if indeed it was. It just grew old after a while. Also I was somewhat annoyed at the last part of the book, because in the end it read more like constant anger cum trying to get as much money as possible from Citi before leaving, but without the deeper introspection I would’ve expected from this?

Conclusion: 3 stars, it is an interesting read, the author just doesn’t come off as very reliable or relatable. (Not sure if he was supposed to be, to be fair.)

A memoir of a former Citibank trader, Stevenson writes of his exploits in making his way from East London working class to becoming one of the bank's most profitable global markets traders at a time of financial turmoil between 2008-2012. A fantastic read