The Asylum

The Renegades Who Hijacked the World's Oil Market

By: Leah McGrath Goodman

Narrated by: Robert Fass

The Asylum is a stunning exposé by a seasoned Wall Street journalist that once and for all reveals the truth behind America’s oil addiction in all its unscripted and dysfunctional glory.

In the tradition of Too Big to Fail and Liar’s Poker, author Leah McGrath Goodman tells the amazing-but-true story of a band of struggling, hardscrabble traders who, after enduring decades of scorn from New York’s stuffy financial establishment, overcame more than a century of failure, infighting, and brinksmanship to build the world’s reigning oil empire—entirely by accident.

Shockingly Entertaining!

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

I dont think I can possibly come across an audiobook this entertaining. Although the book itself is more of the history and the background of NYMEX and its people (which is shocking in itself).

This book is a MUST LISTEN! Excellent job by Robert Fass!

What does Robert Fass bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Those different accents. Robert really brings this amazing book to life!

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

"We have met the enemy and he is us"

Great - Well Written, Narrated Really Well

Great - Well Written, Narrated Really Well.

If you looking for a good listen and are interested in the topic this is a good one. Really entertaining.

Narration really brings it to life.

Entertaining Nonfiction, Great Narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of The Asylum to be better than the print version?

I don't know as I only have the audio.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gutman. He had a focus and a moral code. He was persecuted solely because of his role as chairman.

Which character – as performed by Robert Fass – was your favorite?

Probably Gutman.

If you could give The Asylum a new subtitle, what would it be?

Mooks Against the World.

Any additional comments?

The remarkable thing about this book is that the author seamlessly transitions between subjects, while the narrator does the same with the characters. This sets it apart from similar books like Boomerang, The Big Short, Too Big to Fail. And the characters are much more interesting.

A far better book than its come-on implies

Reading the promo for this book, I dreaded another self-indulgent frat-boy waste of time like "Wolf of Wall Street" (the worst business title I have ever read). I put off purchasing it, but finally previewed the book itself on amazon, and discovered a much more weighty and meaningful work. This is an epic multi-generational narrative of the evolution of these markets and exchanges, and their key personalities, with enough personal bio color (and enough on the legal environment and other technical aspects) to keep me interested. If not absolute top-rank, it is very well worth my time and money. If the topic (as opposed to some shallow depiction of trading as a bunch of cut-ups and their lurid weekend stunts) interests you, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Well-written and quite funny

I really enjoyed "The Asylum" by Leah McGrath Goodman, and I highly recommend it. Robert Fass does a fantastic job of delivering the hilarious antics of the NYMEX traders, all of whom had a palpable disdain for rules and law- and enough money to flout both. It's a colorful read, and while you won't walk away understanding the ins and outs of why oil fluctuates so wildly, you will be entertained by the frat-boy antics of the traders, while gaining quite a bit of insight into the energy sector and their supposed regulators.