Why Aren't They Shouting? by Kevin Rodgers

Why Aren't They Shouting?

by Kevin Rodgers

‘Eloquent, entertaining and accessible.’ FT Adviser

When Kevin Rodgers embarked on his career in finance, dealing rooms were filled with clamouring traders and gesticulating salesmen. Nearly three decades later, the bustle has gone and the loudest noise you’re likely to hear is the gentle tapping of keyboards.

Why Aren’t They Shouting? is one banker’s chronicle of this silent revolution, taking us from an age of shouted phone calls and alpha males right up to today’s world of computer geeks and complex derivatives. Along the way, Rodgers offers a masterclass in how modern banking actually works, exploring the seismic changes to the global financial industry over the last thirty years. Above all, his story raises a deeply troubling question: could it be that the technology that has transformed banking – and that continues to do so – is actually making it ever more unstable?



‘A welcome addition to the panoply of must-read titles about banking before, during and after the crisis … by someone who was actually at the centre of the industry at the time.’ Euromoney

‘An animated first-person narrative about the reality of banking … lively and engaging.’ LSE Review of Books

Reviewed by remo on

5 of 5 stars

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Fantástico libro. Una historia personal acerca de cómo la tecnología ha influido en el negocio bancario, contada por un tipo que al retirarse era jefe global de divisas (FX) de Deutsche Bank. El autor da detalles sobre las crisis de Asia en el 97, la de Rusia y LTCM en el 98, pasa algo de puntillas sobre la burbuja de las puntocom del 2000 porque no era su negociado y se recrea en la generación y derrumbe de la crisis de 2008. Contado por él, todo era inevitable y va enganchando naturalmente: los ordenadores perimten una gestión más eficiente del riesgo, por lo que se toman más riesgos, riesgos que se van haciendo más complejos porque los clientes demandan mayor yield y los ordenadores permiten de nuevo crear productos más raros, en un ciclo alimentado por demanda y competencia.
El autor también da mucha información sobre el día a día y las pequeñeces del trabajo de trader. Una lectura muy entretenida e instructiva.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 March, 2017: Finished reading
  • 13 March, 2017: Reviewed