Rating
The Pequod Review:
Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker (1989) may be more famous among the general public, but for a generation of aspiring investment bankers, Monkey Business (2000) is a more realistic and up-to-date description of the investment banking experience. The authors John Rolfe and Peter Troob capture so well the allure and excitement of the college recruiting process:
They took me to a strip bar and we spent tons of dough, and then we went to a steak place, ate great steaks and drank expensive bottles of wine. We finished the evening off with glasses of port, cheesecake, cigars and a discussion. They really poured it on and I was loose as a goose and eating it all up. This was what I had imagined banking was all about.
Followed by the soul-crushing disappointment of the job itself:
We traveled the country by private jet, stayed in the best hotels, and ate in the best restaurants. Eventually, though, we realized that the compensation levels and the perks weren't in place because being an associate in investment banking was a great job. They were in place because the job sucked.
Recommended.