Gary Stevenson's "The Trading Game: A Confession"

Gary Stevenson's "The Trading Game: A Confession" recounts his improbable journey from being expelled from high school for selling cannabis to becoming a highly successful, multi-millionaire trader at Citibank in London. The memoir vividly depicts the intense and often ethically ambiguous world of high finance, populated by eccentric and driven personalities. Stevenson details his initial naivety and outsider status at the London School of Economics, his rapid learning and success in trading, and the surreal and often reckless culture of the trading floor during the 2008 financial crisis. He shares anecdotes of excessive behavior, risky trades, and the immense wealth generated, alongside his growing disillusionment with the financial system and its contribution to inequality. Ultimately, the book chronicles Stevenson's decision to leave his lucrative career behind to pursue a path focused on addressing economic inequality.