Black Edge

Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street

By: Sheelah Kolhatkar

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A riveting, true-life legal thriller about the government’s pursuit of billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen and his employees at SAC Capital—a revelatory look at the power and wealth of Wall Street

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The New York Times and The Economist • “An essential exposé of our times—a work that reveals the deep rot in our financial system . . . Everyone should read this book.”—David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon

Steven A. Cohen changed Wall Street. He and his fellow pioneers of the hedge fund industry didn’t lay railroads, build factories, or invent new technologies. Rather, they made their billions through financial speculation, by placing bets in the market that turned out to be right more often than not.

Cohen was revered as one of the greatest traders who ever lived. But that image was shattered when his fund, SAC Capital, became the target of a seven-year government investigation. Prosecutors labeled SAC a “magnet for market cheaters” whose culture encouraged the relentless pursuit of “edge”—and even “black edge,” which is inside information—and the firm was ultimately indicted and pleaded guilty to charges related to a vast insider trading scheme. Cohen, himself, however, was never charged.

Black Edge raises urgent and troubling questions about those who sit at the pinnacle of high finance and how they have reshaped the economy.

Finalist for the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism • Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

©2017 Sheelah Kolhatkar (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A modern version of Moby-Dick, with wiretaps rather than harpoons.”—Jennifer Senior, The New York Times

“Excellent.”—The Economist

“If you liked James B. Stewart’s Den of Thieves, Sheelah Kolhatkar’s thrilling Black Edge should be next on your reading list.”—The Wall Street Journal

Interesting and detailed!

If you Follow non fiction financial crimes, this book will be a great edition to your collection. I'm always fascinated by these Wall Street types. Not that I admire them, but the back story of their lives that drives them to greed and cunning.

Great book

Narrator is good. Story is excellent.

Super interesting story. Hits my top genres of finance, true crime, and law. Very well done. Have listened to it about five times.

Loved it

What did you love best about Black Edge?

This was Billions in real life. It was stranger than fiction. I couldn't stop listening. So many crazy characters.

Interesting, depressing, and raises questions

A depressing book on what a giant flaming asshole Stevie Cohen is, and what a cesspool his eponymous firm was. Also depressing in that Stevie skated on all the charges, while at least some of his minions were given serious time (Cohen did not even have to go through the indignity of a trial). This is pretty much par for the course, and echoes in some ways "the Spider Network" (a better book) - comparing the two books shows that while the US system is screwed up, it is a model of efficiency and good sense compared to the cluster **** that is the UK political and legal "system".

On the other hand, one might ask: are insider trading laws really a good idea? Many people believe they are not - all they do is muck around with the free propagation of information (which is very difficult - really impossible, since for a company like Google, literally hundreds of people know the numbers before they are out, and you can't really blame them for trying to make a buck). This does not exonerate the lawbreakers, and yet...

Absolutely outstanding

This is an absolutely outstanding piece of journalism focusing on a crucially important aspect of financial markets' trading, and today's financial information ecosystem and architecture. It is written and presented extremely well. It keeps the reader/listener continuously engaged and enthralled. It is very difficult to put the book down or stop listening at any time.

Best book in months

If you could sum up Black Edge in three words, what would they be?

This is the best book I have listened to in months. Well written, great 'story,' great performance.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Interesting, and depressing, expo on the state of Wall Street (speaking as a conservative).

Gripping!

I'm a big fan of non-fiction financial crimes books, but this one has definitely stood out. I'm not sure if it's the way the author writes her story or the narrator or both, but it is a fantastic (still not quite finished) read! I've been burning through this one and so disappointed I can't find anything else she's written. Highly recommend.

Fantastic!

This book was so fantastic, ‏the story was fascinating and suspenseful and it was laid out beautifully

Masterful work

Thoroughly researched work which takes the complex, opaque world of insider trading and explains it in a straightforward, understandable manner. I was particularly impressed the author did not offer opinions on areas outside the scope and generally applied an unbiased analysis of each of the participants. Amazing piece of journalism. Definitely recommend.

One of the best books I’ve listened to in a while

One of the best books I’ve listened to in a while. So well written and so much research done here.