Flash Boys

Title: Flash Boys

Author: Michael Lewis

Pages: 10 discs

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The book opens with a very interesting description of a new fiber optic line to be installed between Chicago and New York.  It will take the straightest path possible at any cost.  The builders and investors of this line are banking on the potential profits that will come by trimming a few milliseconds off of the market trades between New York and Chicago.  For years the market had essentially been rigged by the big Wall Street banks, but in a way that had not been noticed before.  A new high-frequency trading exchange is setup in the attempt to eliminate these benefits for the big traders and banks.

My Review: I realize that my synopsis above is likely confusing and certainly not book-jacket material, but I found this book to be very interesting.  Lewis is an expert at taking a subject that you know nothing about and making it digestible and interesting.  This one is no exception.