politalX Politics Store - Ugly Americans
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List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £6.99
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Arrow Books Ltd
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 364
EAN: 9780099455059
ISBN: 0099455056
Label: Arrow Books Ltd
Manufacturer: Arrow Books Ltd
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: 2005-07-07
Publisher: Arrow Books Ltd
Studio: Arrow Books Ltd
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Editorial Reviews:
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Ugly Americans documents the "Wild East" of the mid-1990s, where young, brilliant and hypercompetitive traders became "hedge fund cowboys", manipulating loopholes in an outdated and inefficient Asian financial system to rake in millions. Using a concept called arbitrage, they made their fortunes mainly on minute shifts in stocks being sold on the Nikkei, the Japanese stock market, collapsing banks and nearly bankrupting the Japanese economy in the process. Other schemes were also concocted, most of which were technically legal, though certainly unethical. This true story revolves around "John Malcolm", who, in exchange for anonymity, agreed to give Ben Mezrich all the access and information he needed to write this book. As a recent Princeton graduate in the mid-1990s, Malcolm accepted an undefined job offer from an American expatriate in Japan to work in the investments field. Though he had no prior experience, he facilitated 25 million dollars worth of trades on his first day on the job, and it just got more exciting from there. He soon joined a small group of expatriates, all in their 20s and mostly Ivy League graduates, who lived like rock stars, thriving on the stress and excitement of their jobs to create their own steroid versions of the American Dream half a world away. Mezrich tells this riveting story well, incorporating elements of the culture into his narrative, including the infamous and pervasive Japanese "Water Trade", or sex business, romantic intrigue and even run-ins with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Though there is little real analysis of their financial dealings and how they ultimately changed the rules of finance in Asia, this entertaining page turner does offer a glimpse into a world little explored in print until now. --Shawn Carkonen, Amazon.com
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Ferrari in Bermuda?
Comment: This 'true' story fell down immediately for me when he describes the hedge fund trader based in Bermuda who has a ferrari.
Bermuda, an Island with a speed limit of 25mph, and restrictions on engine size as well as overall car size resulting in the fact there are no Ferraris in Bermuda.
Why make this up?
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you liked the real-life Rogue Trader story, this'll interest you
Comment: Some have likened this book to Mezrich's two books about gambling in Vegas and you can see why, although stocks and shares traders are rarely brought to life in the same way as American card sharks.
If you were captivated by the story of Nick Leeson which gets a sideways mention alongside everything else that's happening in this tale of 1990s Japanese stock trading, then buy it - but be warned it's as fast a read as the Vegas tales by the same author.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good read based on a real life derivatives gambler
Comment: Based in a world where people make vast fortunes from trading derivatives.
Generally a good read with a reasonable pace, it does however jump around a little which can be confusing.
A good holiday book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Book, same story
Comment: Having read "Bringing Down the House" I was quite excited to read "Ugly Americans" and I was a bit disappointed mainly because it is pretty much the same format. Ok, it's a different topic, but deep inside it has the same story. And I have to say it is not as fast paced as I thought. However, it gave me a good insight into the financial business, its life style and Japanese culture. The thing I like from Mezrich's books is that you end up thinking that the stories really happened (which although the author says it's a true story I certainly doubt that it happened). All in all and ok book, that will entertain you and won't take you too long to finish it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great read!!!
Comment: I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Stock Market boom of the 80's. Fans of Oliver Stones Wallstreet will love this book. Ben has a great style of writing in which he can make the most difficult subjects such as Arbitration and Futures contracts seem accesible to everyone even those with no prior knowledge or business backgound. Although this is a great book I personally perfer his earlier book Bring down the house.
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