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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Laugh out loud, May 4, 2007
This review is from: Bank: A Novel (Paperback)
I have realized lately that life is not as full of 'laugh out loud' moments as it should be. Reading BANK is an exception. I laughed out loud numerous times. BANK is witty, funny and insightful. I have never worked in a bank and I sure wouldn't want to now. In addition to many laughs BANK also made me think about what I do for a career and why it is important to me. Any book that makes me laugh and think deserves full five stars. I'll be buying this book as a gift for many people I know and I encourage everyone to do the same (after reading it themselves of course)! I also think this would be a great book for a reading club and will recommend it to the group I participate in.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
truth or fiction?, May 15, 2007
This review is from: Bank: A Novel (Paperback)
Anyone who works for an investment bank has heard the analyst horror stories. Why anyone would sacrifice the majority of their prime years to go work "white-collar slavery" hours, is beyond the ability of most people to rationalize. "Bank" gives you a bit more perspective into what is going through the minds of these 20-somethings as they work relentless 110+ hour weeks, sacrifice every relationship, and absorb ridiculous amounts of abuse from their superiors. Oh -- and then there's the money. The money is good, but its interesting to note how the characters in Bank aren't as preoccupied with money as they are with simply getting through the week alive.
Bank has a cast of characters whose traits are obviously exaggerated, but to a very amusing effect. We have Postal Boy, Clyde, The Defeated One and Mumbles (the narrator). Postal Boy is expected to explode and "go postal" at any moment. He has a facial twitch which he claims is caused by working at the bank. The Defeated One is defeated in spirit, yet most of the plotting pranks and planning revenge on coworkers seems to originate from him. He also has a trophy girlfriend who drains his bank account, and a coke habit. Mumbles, the narrator, deals with the day-to-day stresses by focusing on the finish-line: 2 years. He just wants to make it 2-years as an investment banking analyst. After his stint is over, he pictures himself doing almost anything but what he's doing now.
Admidst the jokes and hilarious narrative, the author drives home his educated view that the investment banking trade is a largely vapid existence, devoid of fairness, intellectual stimulation (he's basically a spreadsheet jockey) or any semblence of a balanced lifestyle. While many might agree, there are still droves of freshly minted MBA's applying for bulge-bracket firms Analyst/Associate programs every year, so nothing is going to change anytime soon.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fairly accurate, unfortunately., March 23, 2008
This review is from: Bank: A Novel (Paperback)
This was a fast read that gives a pretty realisitc look at what it was like being an M&A investment banking analyst. The awful hours, alternating late nights between, say, the complex financial modeling that could determine whether or not two companies with thousands of employees merge or not (and have layoffs or not), based on the vast experience of a 22 year old college econ major who prays to god that someone will and will not look over his work for different reasons, and the next night, bribing the guy in the copy room with a free pizza to get your pitch books to the front of the line since you need 15 copies by morning, and you just had to re-do the original since the margin crept up on the footnote no one will read in the 4th page of Appendix C. I think the author is at his best though, when he captures fairly well the 'how did I get here; why was I on this bandwagon' sentiment that creeps in about 1 year in, just when you're starting to get good at what you're doing, but also counting down to the end of the 2nd year when you're done. And yes, everyone wanted to get a gig in private equity. And yes, personal life suffers immensely, which kind of sucks since you're living in Manhattan in the prime of your life making mad money, but having little outlet to enjoy it. All in all, and I certainly could go on, its the most accurate read I've read yet of the IBK experience. Of course, i-bankers love to read about themselves, and they'll love the book. Whether or not anyone else would or should care, is hard to say. But its a fast read, so have at it. I have to go get a drink as I've now dredged up too many memories of this job I thankfully moved on from.
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