Liar’s Poker

Fresh from Princeton, where he studied art history, and the London School of Economics, Michael Lewis joined Salomon Brothers in 1984 and rose from trainee to bond salesman in its London office. The narrative follows two threads. One is his own account of the training program, the trading floor and the culture of bond traders, with figures such as John Gutfreund, Lewis Ranieri and John Meriwether. The other traces Wall Street history and how Salomon built a market for mortgage bonds, drawing on interviews. The title comes from a gambling game popular with the traders. First published in 1989, it is regarded as one of the books that defined the Wall Street of the 1980s.

Chamath Palihapitiya named it in a 2015 reply on X listing three books. It also appears in a reading-list interview with Pittsburgh Technology Council chief Audrey Russo.