Review: An engaging, informative look at Wall Street.. plus a remarkable story of redemption...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2012
An engaging, informative look at Wall Street and the fortunes made and lost there. I must admit that I only had a vague idea about how the housing market took a plunge, and walked away from The Rare Event with a much greater knowledge of financial matters.Others may not agree with me, but I saw roving Ricky as a very sympathetic character, with his outward swagger but inward self doubts and helplessness when it came to his horrifying boss. He doesn't mean to hurt anyone, and in the end, it's he himself that he hurts most. Deep inside his life-of-the-party persona in a good man who just needs a little help getting out. He doesn't know Jon loves him, and deep down, I don't think he found himself worthy of the hereditarily weathly fellow trader.I felt for Jon, who wanted more than Ricky could give, and the lengths he went to to keep the man out of trouble. In the end, he opened his hand and let Ricky go, though he still kept a watchful eye from a distance.This book has it all, a well-researched, well-thought out plot, an entire cast of interesting characters and, at it's center, a good old fashioned boy-loses-boy, boy-struggles-desperately-to-get-boy-back love story. And I am sucker for tales of redemption.Ricky needed to grow up, Jon gave him space to let him, and in the end, Ricky did the right thing.I seem to recall a recent headline story about a similar organization facing several sexual harassment suits, so the subplot in the book is very timely and relevant. Very highly recommended.