The 1980s was the most outrageous and turbulent era in the financial marketplace since the crash of ’29, not merely on Wall Street but around the world. Michael Lewis, like a trainee at Salomon Brothers in NY so that as an expenditure banker and later economic journalist, was distinctively situated to chronicle the ambition and folly that fueled the 10 years. In these trenchant, frequently hilarious true tales we meet the vibrant movers and shakers (or do they call themselves Big Swinging Dicks?) who commanded the headlines and rewrote the guidelines. Whether he is analyzing the unsavory details of the RJR Nabisco takeover or flaying American Express, Michael Lewis brings to job a wicked pen and a triumphant sense of humor. “One of our most amusing writers . . THE AMOUNT OF MONEY Culture competitors Liar’s Poker in giggle-inspiring quality.” -BusinessWeek “One of those rare functions that encapsulate and define an era.” -Fortune