A very interesting read about a Trader who became a zero-to-hero. It was good to read it having no real interest/experience in the world of trading and reading Gary Stevenson's insight on this was very intriguing.

Would recommend this book to anyone as I feel it is very insightful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Gary Stevenson, remember the name of you are interested in the reduction of wealth inequality in the UK then you may already know who he is, it is probable he will become more and more well known as the years go by, his YouTube channel “Garyseconomics” grows followers by the day.

Stevenson, came from a poor working family background in East London and through sheer drive and blessed mathematical brilliance becomes a trader making a fortune out of the process. This is an expose of what happens behind the curtain of the world of trading (plenty of accessible examples of complex themes) and the obscene amounts of money sloshing around the global financial markets.

This is a book that conveys some very important messages (drive, determination, laser focus and a can do attitude) while openly acknowledging that we do not know everything all the time is like a breath of fresh air.

There is an authenticity here in the world of finance that has a ring of Michael Lewis, I am sure this will sell many, many copies and appear on “Book of the Year Lists” 2024.

The story is not of a millionaire looking down on everyone but an example that sometimes what you really want isn’t what you though it might be.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC 5/5.

As an insight into the world of trading this is a great read. It takes you along from the humble beginnings of Gary to his position as one of the top traders in the world for Citibank.
As a novel it could be a bit more polished perhaps, there was the hint of a crescendo ending but it kind of just came and went, which was a bit of a shame.
As a zero-to-hero trader it's an entertaining read seeing how he progresses from a junior office shoulder surfer to something of the real deal in the trading world. However, it's a self-confessed bit of luck on the whole as he repeatedly says that everyone in the trading game is making it up as they go along, which is obviously a bit of a worry with so much riding on what they are doing on the global financial scale. It's frequently said that no one can really be an expert or everyone would be making money - someone has got lo 'lose' what someone else can 'win'. But Gary gets to copy successful trader's strategies and rises in Citibank and then gets his own strategy going which sees him become a trading superstar.

The story is quite sad seeing how, essentially, he is quite lonely throughout with marginalised romantic interests and few real friends. Money can't buy happiness I guess and seeing how he unravels, or certainly becomes mentally disjointed, is really sad as you'd think, again, that serious money would get you serious help when you need it. I guess that's what happens regularly when you're playing a serious stakes poker game every day of your life for years. There's only so much you can take.

I wish Gary well with whatever he turns to next, wherever he ends up.

An amazing book to read. I knew nothing about this world of trading but was completely immersed in the journey. I found it fascinating and clearly written from a very personal experience.
What a lonely world Gary lived in. Moving from a very poor family and harsh life in London where he proved to be exceptionally clever mathematically drove him to do well. Joining Citibank at a young age was in itself challenging.
He neither fitted with his old life and people he knew. His one real friend fell into serious drug use and his work colleagues all climbing their own ladders. Each one had their own idiosyncrasies. Eventually the inevitable burnout came for Gary and with it serious mental health problems.
The story took you from London to Japan. It is both funny at times as well as tragic.
Despite finding it great to read I needed to concentrate hard on the explanations of trading and sometimes it was confusing

This narrative is captivating and deeply personal. I found myself thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. Stevenson's account of his time as a Citibank trader transcends mere financial gains; his introspection on its toll on mental health, relationships, and basic needs like sleep and hygiene is truly eye-opening. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book even more than expected—it held my attention completely.

A gripping autobiography that reads like a thriller. Gary is a working class boy and Maths whiz who wouldn’t normally fit the demographic for a city trader job. He secures an internship, however, by winning the Trading game set for undergraduates from select universities. This leads to a job at a city bank, at which he proves to be exceptionally good. The author conveys effectively the pace and intensity of his job and the inevitable burn-out when he fails to maintain his position ahead of the competition. The second half of the book, which focuses on the author’s burn-out is less gripping than the first, but it still engages the reader. A must-read for any graduate contemplating a trading job.

With thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

A young guy from the back street of London happens to be a maths whizz. The opportunity to play a “Trading Game” comes his way and he wins thus securing place at a large bank at Canary Wharf in London, where he learns about trading, and brokerage and all the intricacies of buying and selling money.

I would love to have the sort of brain that understands all this, but I don’t, and the complexities of the Game lost me at quite an early stage. The author talks about his early days on an internship where he was ignored by everyone, and then, when he was finally employed full time, we are treated to lengthy details about lunch in a Japanese restaurant , non of which was relevant. And this is why the book, which I so wanted to understand and enjoy, had my head spinning.

Gary seems like a really likeable, down to earth bloke, and I have watched a couple of his videos on the internet which I find easier to digest than his book. I think this will probably appeal to thise who work in this sector and actually understand what he’s saying. I may go back to this at a later date and see if it makes more sense.

This story is a gripping and personal read. I throughly enjoyed it throughout. Stevenson’s experience as a Citibank trader is more than just about making money, his reflections on how it affected his mental health, family, friends and basic needs (sleep, personal hygiene) really makes you realise what people will do to reach the next milestone.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, it really grabbed my attention.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Press for the eARC of this book.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I enjoyed it more than I thought I might intially.

It kept me gripped thoroughout

I was not too sure if I would complete reading this book but it just grabs you and before you know, it's finished. This is an amazing ,personal . funny and extraordinary story, a great read.
I highly recommend this book

Gary won a game of The Trading Game and was employed by a large city bank. He did really well and made lots of money for the bank and therefore for himself. But, that didn’t seem to make him happy yet he didn’t want to give it all up. I loved the story and was really engaged with the characters, despite not all of them being very likeable.
I would have liked to give this book four stars but there was so much swearing it became quite irritating

A fascinating memoir with thriller vibes that provides a great insight into the work of investment banking and currency trading. Stevenson's honesty in documenting his own failings and his colourful descriptions of his colleagues make for a book which is both moving and funny. What really makes it so gripping though is his development from eager teenager wanting to make his first million, to passionate campaigner for wealth equality. Highly recommended.

I thank the publisher and NetGalleyUK for an advance review copy of this book in return for a fair review.
If you have never worked close to a dealing floor of a major financial institution you may find this book a bit far-fetched. I was lucky enough to be exposed to one at one point in my career [but not to the extent of actually working in it] and understood how the author's career could have developed. I found some of the technical details a bit hard to understand but that did not interfere with my enjoyment of the storyline. The frightening things are that he found making literally millions so easy and that so much money could be siphoned out of the world banking system, no only directly through the trades but also by financing the excesses of the operators in terms of both salaries and expenses. The author, amazingly, made me feel sorry for him by the end. This book is surpringly well written and carries the reader down the slippery slope with the author

A subject I know very little about so this book was most enlightening. A mad and pressured job that those who are successful reap high rewards. As a lover of excel spreadsheets that took my interest but overall I thought the book was a little drawn out and could have done with a heavy edit to make it more concise.

A fascinating true story
This book is the autobiography of Gary Stephenson and is the story of a boy from humb!e beginnings who became the the leading trader on the international currency exchanges. A skilled mathematician he managed to get into The London School of Economics where he didn't really fit in at all. Whilst there be entered a competition to get a trial internship at CitiBank. He say able to fly through the early rounds and won the prize.
He quickly progressed in at CitiBank where he developed a novel insight into the factors underlying and influencing currency exchange markets.big though he continued to not really fit in.
I found this a gripping tale of poor boy makes it big. It is well written and for me the grammatical errors are clearly due to his background and ring true and so don't detract from the story.
It's well worth a read.

This just didn't do it for me. I found myself bored at 30%, so I skipped to 50% and then 65% and then 75% and it was the same kind of thing.

For people really interested in trading, it'd probably be great fun, but for someone just a bit curious, I don't think it's worth reading.

I also agree with other reviewers that the writing is somewhat robotic - I didn't feel anything whatsoever listening to Gary's story. For me, I have to feel something when listening to an audiobook, and sadly, this didn't deliver.

That said, the "rags to riches" was somewhat compelling, but the swearing, thoughtlessness, and selfishness of the trading world grew tiresome after some time. The audiobook is over 12 hours, and even sped up is over 6 hours, so I can't bring myself to listen further.

Overall, I'd rate this 2.5 stars because I do think I'm not the target audience, but the story felt quite drawn out nonetheless. Thanks to Libro Fm for the ALC and to Netgalley for the ARC.

The Trading Game is an insightful peep into the work and characters that people the desks of Investment banks. I found it fascinating. It explained so much and in such a simple easily understood way. For the first time I understood what a modern day trading floor looked like. At times it felt like a piece of fiction as the writing was so fluid and the characters so well described I loved it and shall buy it for others

I do not, as a rule, feel the need to use expletives but I am tempted to force myself to do so when describing this book. However, I have to choose another way to review it or my review will be "pulled". Personally, call me old fashioned, I can find absolutely no justification for the use of 500++ expletives in a book, even one as dysfunctional as this one.

Whilst I can well believe that the bare bones of this book are true, I find the whole writing style completely unnecessary. In fact I am loath to call it style because stylish it is not.

I did actually read the whole book and then had to have a really good wash!!

I shall be looking out for Gary Stevenson - so that I can avoid him. I just hope this is his first and last attempt at becoming an author. Would have rated the book 1 star but there was one bon-mot in there that gave it its 2nd star and I quote it; with expletives removed...

‘OK, go on then. I’ll tell you. It’s inequality. That’s the only thing that matters. Trade on that you’ll be a millionaire.’

Arthur guffawed for one final time, before quickly realizing I was serious. ‘Inequality!?’

‘Yes Arthur, yes, inequality . The rich get the assets, the poor get the debt, and then the poor have to pay their whole salary to the rich every year just to live in a house. The rich use that money to buy the rest of the assets from the middle class and then the problem gets worse every year. The middle class disappears, spending power disappears permanently from the economy, the rich becoming much richer and the poor, well, I guess they just die.’

I’m familiar with Gary Stevenson for his campaigning on inequality so I knew about his backstory as a financial trader, and how he got his start by winning a card game. It’s a great anecdote, but I wondered if there was enough there to fill a book. Well, there definitely is. Even if you don’t share his politics, The Trading Game is a thrillingly entertaining read.

It has the arc of a rock biography – the poor kid who wants to make it, the struggle for success, then disillusionment, just as he’s achieved it.

Stevenson grew up in a working-class family in East London, in the shadow of the towers of Canary Wharf. The financial district is in touching distance but a world away.

His talent for Maths wins him a place at the London School of Economics and he is determined to work hard to make the most of his ability. However, he describes his gradual realisation that gaining entry to a career in investment banking has little to do with academic success and is much more about having the right contacts and CV.

Then someone tells him that Citibank recruits one person each year based on a card game. The game requires both mathematical skill and trading nous. Stevenson puts all his energy into preparing for the game. At the end, he wins the opportunity to intern at Citibank and try to make his mark.

He goes from intern to the bank’s most profitable trader. He does this by betting that economic policies after the 2008 crash would escalate inequality and make most people poorer. The consensus among economists and policy makers was that as central banks pumped more money into the economy there would be a swift recovery. Stevenson saw that the money was benefiting large companies and wealthy individuals by inflating the price of assets at a time when wages were falling. They could use those assets to generate income and buy more assets, increasing the gulf still further.

Stevenson’s success makes him uncomfortable. He sees the injustice of the system which has enabled that success. His sudden wealth contrasts grotesquely with the lives of the people he has grown up with. He is also working incredibly long hours and is exhausted. He tries to leave, but Citibank don’t want to let him go, and they are holding onto his bonuses. Stevenson is determined to leave and take the money, so a war of attrition ensues.

Stevenson’s voice comes through vividly in The Trading Game. He sounds exactly like he speaks. (If you’re the sort of person who takes to Goodreads to lament the use of “curse words” you might want to sit this one out.)

He is brilliant at explaining economic and financial concepts in a user-friendly way. He has a very dry sense of humour which comes through especially in his descriptions of his fellow traders. His fish-out-of-water perspective skewers the absurdity of the world he finds himself in, but he also shows humanity in seeing their struggles and flaws.

He says little about his private life, perhaps to protect those close to him, but there are some beautifully understated moments, particularly about one relationship.

The Trading Game is a great page-turner which also has a lot to say about inequality, both as a policy issue and at the personal level: the way it is corrosive to society and to our closest relationships.
*
I received a copy of The Trading Game from the publisher via NetGalley.

So firstly took me a while to get into, bit it soon developed and what a wild journey. I feel Gary talks like he writes making him more connected when reading. Yeh so I'd so don't work in the big money industry, it will drain your soul.