The Zeroes

My Misadventures in the Decade Wall Street Went Insane

By: Randall Lane

Narrated by: Randall Lane

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Magazine entrepreneur Randall Lane had a prime seat at Wall Street's biggest greed fest. The Zeroes is a memoir about the excesses and bad behavior of an outsider who got pulled into a crazy, self-contained world. Among Randall's eye-popping true stories:

• How fortunes were made, from the million-dollar score made in the 30-minute gap between the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11, to the man who personally made $4 billion from the 2008 housing meltdown
• How fortunes were spent, from Lane's $1,000-per-seat trader-versus-trader boxing matches to $60-million bidding wars for Gulfstream jets
• How Lane crossed paths with dozens of famous people who tried to cash in on the feeding frenzy or found themselves in the middle of it, including Diana Ross, Alex Rodriguez, Al Gore, John Travolta, half the 1986 Mets, and virtually every major player involved in the economic collapse

When the crash hit, Lane's company and personal portfolio were destroyed, along with the high-flying traders his magazines celebrated. The Wall Street Journal called his magazines' demise "one of those moments when a chance arrow of history scores a perfect bull's-eye on a deserving target". Even Lane has to agree. In the tradition of Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker, this memoir will serve as a timeless reference when people in the future ask, "What were the Zeroes really like?"

©2010 Randall Lane (P)2010 Tantor

A very entertaining tale

What made the experience of listening to The Zeroes the most enjoyable?

I have read and listened to many different books about Wall St. and the economic collapse. This book offered an insight from a different point of view than a reader is normally offered

What did you like best about this story?

The detail in which everything was described. Not only the successes but also the failures.
As an entrepreneur, I can relate to a lot of the struggles that Randall encountered.

Which character – as performed by Randall Lane – was your favorite?

This was probably a tie between Randall himself and Lenny "Nails" Dykstra.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh and many different segments, especially the ones about "Nails"

Crazzzzzzy

Just shows the ridiculous amounts of money these guys on wall street were making. Also gives get detail about running a magazine. Excellent!!!

Randall Lane is an excellent storyteller.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it's very interesting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Zeroes?

Randall makes you feel like you are there with him through the highs and the lows of building a media business. I don't want to say what the memorable moments are because I don't want to give anything away, but there are several great moments I'll never forget.

Have you listened to any of Randall Lane’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I almost cried in the end - when he makes an acknowledgement to his daughters.

Great Story and Learning Experience

Where does The Zeroes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the best.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Zeroes?

Randall meeting famous people at The Four Seasons.

Any additional comments?

As an added bonus to an entertaining story about interesting and famous people living in interesting times, the book offers another way of understanding the financial crisis. While leverage may have started with credit derivatives; it's the actions, prudence, and integrity (or lack thereof) of people that brings disasters.