Customer Reviews

Money Makers: Inside the New World of Finance and Business

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book. David Snider and Chris Howard have written a tremendous business primer for undergraduates, MBA students, or anyone else hoping to learn more about modern business. The book strips away jargon to explain the workings of the modern economy in clear, readable terms. The interviews interspersed throughout were my favorite component. Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan, David Rubenstein of Carlyle Group and others provide insider perspectives into high finance. Anyone interested in learning more about modern business--or how to be a part of it--should pick up this book.

As a current business school student, I found Money Makers to be a valuable resource for deepening my understanding of today's evolving landscape of finance and business. The book is well-written, succinct, insightful, and, above all, the access to some of the `captains of industry' in finance is remarkable! Overall, it is a terrific read. I highly recommend it, especially for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding into the esoteric world of alternative asset management.

I have worked for both private equity and hedge funds, and I have been consistently amazed both by the lack of information available and the extent of public misconceptions of how these industries work. Money Makers provides a clear, direct, and spot on portrait of how these secretive investment firms work and operate. Chris Howard and David Snider have done a fantastic job of pulling back the curtain and providing all of the essential details - from the lifestyles of employees to the strategies pursued to the histories of each individual industry. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, management consulting, investment banking, and Fortune 500 companies - which, given their big roles in the financial crisis should be nearly everybody.

What truly makes the book special is the extent of Snider and Howard's research: their interview list reads like a who's who of Wall Street. Combined with Snider and Howard's clear and direct presentation how each industry works, these interviews allow the reader to understand both what it takes to succeed and how the people at the top view what's going on.

Deeply researched, clearly written, and insightful, Money Makers is one of the best books I have read on the financial industry.

One of the best business books I've read: Money Makers was informative, concise, and entertaining.

I've recommended this book numerous times to people who are either a) considering a financial career, b) striving to place financial news in a more nuanced context, or c) curious about the hands pulling the strings in our financial markets.

Why it's unique: the book integrates candid interviews with luminaries from financial titans Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital, Greylock Partners, and McKinsey, as well as leaders at corporate behemoths Google, Motorola, General Electric, and Boston Scientific (among others). David Snider's and Dr. Chris Howard's thorough background research puts each industry into sharp focus. Refreshingly, the technical explanations throughout the book clarify such frequently confused topics as debt instruments, subprime mortgages, and investment with nearly unparalleled clarity.

Favorite parts: the unflinching assessments of the life of investment bankers, private equity managers, hedge fund managers, management consultants, and venture capitalists are especially memorable. These richly painted portrayals simultaneously educated and engaged me by including the detailed pros and cons of the five industries' work-life balance, compensation considerations, and required characteristics for success.

My only gripe: the entrepreneurship section got relatively short-shrift amidst the book's other financial profiles. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are frequently media darlings already. Money Makers' true edge is in carefully illuminating the less well documented actors of the business world--actors that have played significant roles in the recent financial disasters.

Overall, I'd give Money Makers an enthusiastic "A+".

This books is an excellent summary of some of the most important business and finance topics that I had always wanted to learn about but had been too intimidated to try. As a second year law student, I was glad to finally have exposure to information that many of us outside of the business/finance world absolutely need to understand to be effective in our fields. I gleaned more about the ins-and-outs of corporate decision-making and market activity than I have from a semester of lectures in my Corporations class.

There is something in this book for everyone. For the business/finance novice (like me), there are descriptions and background on the history and development of key industries like private equity, venture capital, investment banking, and consulting. For the more business-savvy individuals, there are analyses of how these institutions have been affected by the global recession, as well as interviews with key industry leaders, who provide insights into the future of our key economic institutions.

If you've ever wondered why hedge fund managers earn such huge salaries, what role investment banks played in the financial crisis, what, exactly, a "corporate consultant" does, or how venture capitalists help get new companies off the ground, this book is for you. "Money Makers" is a clear, to-the-point summary of the things you really need to know about the world of business and finance.

If you've ever wondered what drives major segments of the financial industry - investment banking, venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, management consulting and corporate management - David Snider and Chris Howard provide some solid answers in this introductory overview of these sectors. Their survey includes interviews with industry leaders and a summary of the traits employees need to succeed in these fields. getAbstract finds this jargon-free, informative book useful for business students and others interested in finding careers in this challenging industry.

I'm torn between saying this book was "just OK" and "I liked it." I didn't particularly like the title or the book's organization. And it was kind of short to be called a book, too. But I liked some of the content. And I thought it was well written considering the poor organizaton. So I'll throw it a bone and award it 4 stars. Oh well.

When I pulled this tome from the bookstore shelf I expected to read a book about the shisters who make money with other people's money by extracting big transaction fees. You know stockbrokers and traders, investment bankers, venture capitalists, hedge fund managers, and the like. This book certainly covered such folk who contribute little to the good of the order but live high on the hog. I just finished reading Panic: The Betrayal of Capitalism by Wall Street and Washington, and the authors there call these people the Wall Street men, conjurers, "the bureaucratic creative," and the "people who crave the cover of rules and systems." These guys believe in efficient financial markets - not free financial markets.

If you want to learn a little about (1) investment banking firms, (2) venture capital firms, (3) private equity firms, and (4) hedge funds; then this book is for you. It gives a short cursory glance at these companies that do little and charge unconscionable fees for what they do. Kind of the way lawyers used to do with estate administration when they took a flat percentage fee of an estate regardless of how large or small it was and regardless of how much work was required. Maybe enough people will read this book and go to their Congressmen to seek laws to curb the practices these firms follow? Probably not. The coverage of these firms is too cursory. The book is only 206 pages long.

The authors throw in chapters on CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and the large management-consulting firms that cater to these CEOs. For the life of me I cannot figure out why these two chapters were included in the book. Neither chapter covers "Money Makers." CEOs and consultants are just typical working stiffs. Sure, they might get a little more salary per year than most, but they hardly qualify as money makers. Maybe the chapters were included to get the page count up to something close to what could be called a book?

All in all, this was not a bad book. But it wasn't really anything special either. I think the book would have been better titled "Transaction Specialists Who Charge Big Fees." And it certainly would have been better if it had spent more time on the four types of firms I mention above and left out the coverage of CEOs and consultants. Need I mention the conclusion to the book is only 2.5 pages long? 4 stars!