Octopus

The definition of modern schadenfreud is reading about how a hedge fund manager's life goes down the toilet, and the dirtier and more foul the toilet, the better. Octopus promises such a tale but it becomes, almost literally, a tale told by an idiot. As the main protagonist in the book develops from being an apprentice Master of the Universe on Wall Street to inhabiting a different Universe altogether, I began to feel I could be told a similar story from a number of patients on a mental ward who think they're either Nelson Mandela or Napoleon. As you read of how this hedge fund trader became duped by a series of con-men trying to rob him of his millions, you actually begin to feel sorry for him. He's clearly mentally ill but the author resists making this diagnosis, instead trying to con us, the reader, into thinking that there may well be a "shadow market" in the world, run by the rich and powerful for the rich and powerful. Baloney. Wall Street isn't much more than a casino that outlandishly rewards dumb luck and privilege. Books like this try to lend it an aura that it doesn't deserve.To be fair, the book was well written and the plot keeps moving, but I found it difficult to believe in the main characters as they became increasingly unlikeable and disconnected from reality. As ever, one guy with the ability to stand back and ponder the old adage that if something looks too good to be true then it probably is, begins to unravel the whole scheme. It seems, however, that there's no fool like rich fools and that while in the world of finance, greed might not be good, it is almost endemic. I finished the book thinking that there was a deeper and better story to be told from this tale, one that looks at just what is wrong with the systems and psychologies that allow the worst excesses of capitalism to happen. When we begin to understand that then we might start to make the world a better and fairer place.

This book certainly endorses the theory that fact can indeed be stranger than fiction.It tells the life story of San Israel, who came from a wealthy background and follows his progress as he begins to plough his own furrow in the world of Wall Street,with considerable success initially. However, it all begins to unfold and he ultimately falls from grace in spectacular and incredulous style. Along the way the journey takes some remarkable twists worthy of an espionage thriller, which if they are based upon fact almost defy belief as to the gullibility of people looking to make easy money, and also the shady goings on in the world of high finance.A good and thought provoking read a little light on more specific detail in some parts,but nonetheless one that i would recommend to those who have an interest in the mechanics of the world of high finance and in particular the many con men who frequent it.

This is a completely fascinating story. The rise and fall of a highly talented and gifted man born into a world of money and high level social connection in one of the most important financial powerhouses of the world, New York City. He was a player in the most serious game of all, the game of money. There are few people who have much respect for the Bankers and Wall Street 'masters of the universe' since the events of the past years took place and the disasters those had caused for the lives of millions of ordinary people, after reading this perfectly crafted and meticulously researched book, that number will be reduced by one. This is a story of how money makes men mad and how they make a world of madness seem sane to the uniformed and the uneducated in its ways. Highly recommended.

This is a great book. It's a little sad though. It starts off as a typical explanation of a hedge fund fraud but then takes a fantastic detour into prime bank fraud and several long cons. I haven't put it down, except to sleep last night!

One of the best crime books I’ve read. in a long tiime Really enjoyable – it made me glad that I haven’t got a pension yet .” Graham Johnson – author of The Devil: Britain’s Most Feared Underworld Taxman and other true crime bestsellers

very good on this item thanku...will buy again from u.......xxx

What is most bizarre is the amount of money which millionaires throw at this 'Secret Market'. An enjoyable read if a little repetitive at times. Overall I strongly recommend for anybody halfway interested in finance and/or a good true story.

If this was a film people would leave the cinema saying how it was too far fetched. Unbelievable account of how a con turns into a mega con and the hunter becomes the hunted.