Street Freak

Money and Madness at Lehman Brothers

By: Jared Dillian

Narrated by: LJ Ganser

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

When Jared Dillian joined Lehman Brothers in 2001, he fulfilled a life-long dream to make it on Wall Street - but he had no idea how close to the edge the job would take him. Like Michael Lewis' classic Liar's Poker, Jared Dillian's Street Freak takes listeners behind the scenes of the legendary Lehman Brothers, exposing its outrageous and often hilarious corporate culture. In this ultracompetitive Ivy League world where men would flip over each other’s ties to check out the labels, Dillian was an outsider as an ex-military, working-class guy in a Men's Wearhouse suit. But he was scrappy and determined; in interviews he told potential managers that, "Nobody can work harder than me. Nobody is willing to put in the hours I will put in. I am insane." As it turned out, on Wall Street insanity is not an undesirable quality. Dillian rose from green associate, checking IDs at the entrance to the trading floor in the paranoid days following 9/11, to become an integral part of Lehman's culture in its final years as the firm's head Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) trader. More than $1 trillion in wealth passed through his hands, but at the cost of an untold number of smashed telephones and tape dispensers. Over time, the exhilarating and explosively stressful job took its toll on him. The extreme highs and lows of the trading floor masked and exacerbated the symptoms of Dillian's undiagnosed bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorders, leading to a downward spiral that eventually landed him in a psychiatric ward. Dillian put his life back together, returning to work healthier than ever before, but Lehman itself had seemingly gone mad, having made outrageous bets on commercial real estate, and was quickly headed for self-destruction. A raucous account of the final years of Lehman Brothers, from 9/11 at its World Financial Center offices through the firm's bankruptcy, including vivid portraits of trading-floor culture, the financial meltdown, and the company's ultimate collapse.

©2011 Jared Dillian (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Riveting narrative and performance

I don't usually write reviews, but this might be my favorite Wall Street book ever (and I've read many). It's also one of the best audiobook performances I've ever heard. The combination of Dillian's unflinching account of his Wall Street escapades and the reader's expressive and energetic performance made this an audiobook I'll likely replay a time or two.

Loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed Street Freak. Great story, well written, informative and entertaining. Dillian does a great job bringing you into his world as he advances his trading career at Lehman. Excellent narration, especially the trading sequences.

Great listen

I love thr narrator and have several of his books. His tone and ability to bring to life whit and irony is great. With the right storyline it makes for a title I will listen to several times over

fast and furious

One of the best audible books I've ever listened to. Gasner brings Dillian to life and puts you on the trading floor. A great story of triumph over adversity. Personal, professional trails overcome by not giving up, being lucky and working hard. a motivational story.

Deeper/Personal Insights to Wall St. Life

I enjoyed this story. shows the negative aspects of his life and how people within wall st. firms behaved. very insightful for someone who wants to hear more about wall st life. The real deal. No glamorous new/media stories.

Great book

I love Wall Street books and this one didn’t disappoint. Is great gonna check out authors other one

Awesome.... worthy of every minute

Fantastic Ride. Excellent Narration. Very Happy that Mr Dillian survived his journey to tell the story.

Loved it!

Such a well told story from an interesting perspective. Great explanation of possibly complex topics as well.

You won’t want it to end

What a brilliant book. The author clearly was always meant to write, even though he was an awesome trader too. I can’t write this review without a special mention of the narrator, who couldn’t have been a better fit. His impersonations of characters in the book were absolutely hysterical.

The only disappointment I had with this book is that it ended. Must read.

Great story told by a great story.

I have read many great books about Wall Street. Street Freak stands out for just how real the author is and how well he relates his experiences. I did not want to stop listening.