Ryan DeJonghe - The Avid Reader

“DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HATE: sex, alcohol, happy hour, models, ecstasy, cocaine, pornography, mature hookers, wall street mafia, drug addicts, alcoholics, NYC nightlife, insider trading, hazing, seven figure bonus checks, fake muggings, $25k birthday parties, one night stands, ABC Carpet, secret Wall Street crack houses and excess.” Yep. That’s what hooked into reading THE BUY SIDE by Turney Duff.

This book is an insane page-turner. All that stuff above is there, but I was also interested in the beginning and end: where Duff came from and how he landed. It was fascinating to see how a plain kid from Maine, going to a small college in Ohio, ended up swimming with a bunch of drug-fueled, excess-driven sharks. In other words, it could have happened to any of us. Wave the Benjamin Franklin carrot in front of us, and we may come biting.

Also fascinating is Duff’s realizations that Wall Street success is more than Ivy League education and all-hours number punching. A lot of what made Duff shine is also reflected in this book: his personality. That, and a bit of luck. For instance, what would have happened if Duff wasn’t such a fan of Melrose Place? (You gotta read the book to find out what I mean; it’s worth it.)

This book has an authentic credibility to it that instantly connects. Allow me a few quotes from my fellow reviewers. David Bahsen on Amazon says he reads all these types of Wall Street books and says, “Duff gives readers a far more sensible and credible explanation of what he did for a living than many attempts at describing the business do.” Joe Peta on Goodreads has written his own book about this time period on Wall Street, saying he often shared some of the same experiences at the same locals as Duff. Joe says, “that familiarity creates a very high "rings true" bar for me as a reader.”

In comparing THE BUY SIDE with another book with a pack-hunting animal in its title, I would say this book is more relatable with a more settling conclusion. In the end, we all must focus on the vital importances of life. I especially love this quote from the book, “Real success on Wall Street is measured not in bonus or salary but in photographs on desks of children wearing soccer uniforms and caps and gowns. Success on Wall Street is measured the same way it’s measured by a factory worker, a math teacher, or an engineer with four children in Maine.” (Duff also directly addresses the book-turned-movie title on his blog: http://turneyduff.com/2014/01/14/the-wolf-of-wall-street-irony/)

I want to thank Crown Publishing for reaching out to me and sending over a copy of this book. I went in expecting excess, but walked away with life lessons. Excellent.