The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson

This is a fascinating story about a trader at Citibank who came from poor background made money from knowing more about the main street economics than his peers. Sadly he lost interest in trading, got sick of the work culture, and fought with management to leave with his deferred stock.

From this book, I can relate to the busy trading floor scene like in HBO Industry. Interesting jargons like “yard” and “green eurodollar” sound refreshing. And his depiction of Ilford, Canary Wharf, and Tokyo is vivid. I’d love to try his Tokyo food recommendations.

After all, the author is tad naive in his dealing with bank management. Having seen his boss “retired” at age 29 and coming back a few years later made him believe it can be replicated with ease, without digging into the intricacies of the deal. That could be the start of his trouble. His intention to quit was unplanned, and a bit rushed, and could be easier with over-communication with management. In the end, after much tribulation, he did it (maybe writing emails to C-suite execs helped).