From the Publisher
"Playing high-level poker, trading options, marketing bonds, and being a professor of finance-Aaron Brown has done them all. He shares with us the insights each of these has given him about the others and the lessons he's learned about life. From John Law to Fischer Black, I enjoyed the characters and the anecdotes." —Edward O. Thorp, author of Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One and Beat the Market: A Scientific Stock Market System
"How to be a poker pro and much more . . . a delightful journey through risk concepts with a Wall Street derivatives trader. Brown uses poker concepts as a wonderful metaphor for investment and living life. His enthusiasm for grasping the brass ring of adventure while explaining the role of 'incalculable risk' draws one into the experience of the book. A great read and a good manual for understanding risk." —Dr. William T. Ziemba, Alumni Professor of Financial Modeling and Stochastic Optimization Emeritus), Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
"Make no mistake, this is a book about economic development as much as poker, and it tells how to win at both gambling games. Experienced poker players and economists will both look at the world with new eyes after hearing what Aaron Brown has to say." —Perry Mehrling, Professor of Economics at Barnard College of Columbia University author of Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance
"The Poker Face of Wall Street is packed with useful information about gambling, the life on Wall Street, poker culture, and some of the most interesting people involved in gambling. The book is a great mix of entertaining and nontraditional thinking." —Espen Gaarder Haug, Trader, JPMorgan author of The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas
"The writer's experience and knowledge of the worlds of poker and finance come together in this intriguing and readable book.” —Philip Augar, author of The Greed Merchants: How the Investment Banks Played the Free Market Game
“Aaron Brown brings together more colorful threads than a Persian carpet, more dimensions than an episode of Stargate and more interesting characters than Damon Runyan. Aaron Brown is the Damon Runyon for a technological age in which you need psychology, game theory and mathematics in place of the suit, the spats and the diamond stick pin.” —Paul Wilmott, author and mathematician
"Overall, this book makes for excellent reading, and I would recommend it to anybody with an interest in the worlds of finance, poker or both. The author has an excellent style, and with chapter headings as diverse as 'The stormy, husky, brawling laughter of youth,' 'Frank’s grandma' and 'God gave you guts: don’t let him down,' you can feel the character and wit of the author jumping out onto the page. ... I recommend buying your copy now, and if you should happen across a small-stakes poker game on holiday, a few of the thoughts within the book should at least help you understand why you lost after the event!"— Richard Norgate (Financial Engineering News, July/August 2006)
