Book · 1989
Liar's Poker
by Michael Lewis
A bond salesman survives Salomon Brothers' 1980s trading floor by learning to bluff louder than everyone else in the room.
What does Reddit think of Liar's Poker?
Seven mentions, seven distinct account identifiers: nobody here is repeating themselves, which for a finance-book long-tail title is basically the whole story. r/Bogleheads supplies the best line: someone compares the real Salomon Brothers trading floor unfavorably to how ridiculous it already sounded in Futurama's version of Wall Street, 'minus the boneitis.' r/investing pairs it with The Big Short as the two Michael Lewis books worth your time, then tells you to skip Flash Boys outright, a specific verdict rather than blanket author loyalty. r/financialindependence cites it, correctly, as the source for Lewis having worked Salomon's London bond desk before he started writing. Small sample, consistent verdict: read this one, maybe skip the sequel about high-frequency trading.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · 1980s Wall Street trading-floor culture as absurdist comedy
- · Michael Lewis's insider-turned-writer origin story
- · Salomon Brothers as the original swaggering bond-desk workplace
- · Ranking Lewis's own bibliography against itself
Common praise
- + r/Bogleheads compares its trading-floor culture to Futurama's 80s-Wall-Street parody and says the real thing is 'ridiculous how close' the joke actually lands.
- + r/investing pairs it with The Big Short as the two Lewis books actually worth reading, a specific two-book endorsement rather than blanket praise for the author.
- + r/financialindependence treats it as a reliable biographical source, citing it directly for where Lewis worked before he became a writer.
Common criticism
- − The same r/investing comment that praises it also tells readers to 'skip Flash Boys,' meaning even Lewis fans in this sample don't defend his whole catalogue.
- − Seven mentions across seven years, one per distinct account identifier, is too thin a sample to call this a Reddit favorite rather than a book that occasionally comes up.
- − Nobody in this sample argues with the book's substance directly; the praise here is comparative, better than Flash Boys, as funny as Futurama, rather than specific to what's inside it.
Who it's for
Curious what Wall Street actually looked like before spreadsheets ran everything? r/Bogleheads' framing puts you closer to a workplace comedy than a finance textbook, sheep and sharks and all. Only after Lewis's more recent, more polished work? r/investing draws its own line at Flash Boys and tells people to skip that one instead. Financial-history readers who want Lewis's own origin story, not just his subjects, get more out of this than the mechanics of any specific trade. It's a short list of people vouching for it here, but nobody hedges.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Liar's Poker?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Former municipal bond investment banking analyst (underwriter) here. Really excited I have something to contribute here as munis are rarely in the spotlight. Some other comments have noted NJ’s credit profile as a reason not to buy their munis as the state could possibly declare bankruptcy/insolven…
“I just listened to Michael Lewis's audiobook for Liar's Poker and it's ridiculous how close the real thing is to Futurama's 80's guy. Minus the boneitis, of course. "There are two kinds of people: sheep and sharks. Anyone who's a sheep is fired... I'm proud to be the shepherd of this herd of sharks…
“Big Short and Liars Poker are excellent reads. Skip Flash Boys though.
“So, most political economists will tell you it's the shift off of the Gold Standard but will warn you off of phrases like "good" or "bad" because those are normative descriptions. Yes, the US was on the Gold Standard prior to 1971 but, perhaps more critically, the move off of the Gold Standard prec…
“When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management Liar's Poker
“Lewis worked in Solomon London office in the corporate bond division. He started writing after leaving. Source: Liars Poker.
“I haven't read it myself, but I wonder what your criticism of it would be, because I tend to enjoy Lewis' writing. *Liar's Poker* and *Big Short* were both really good, in my opinion.
Convinced? Pick up Liar's Poker
What else does r/investing read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Liar's Poker — frequently asked
Is Liar's Poker as funny as people say?+
The one displayed comparison is a strong yes: an r/Bogleheads commenter (↑48) says listening to the audiobook made them realize how close the real Salomon Brothers trading floor was to Futurama's 80s-Wall-Street parody, right down to the 'sheep and sharks' speech, just 'minus the boneitis.'
Should you read Liar's Poker or Flash Boys first?+
Read Liar's Poker; skip Flash Boys, at least per one r/investing comment (↑26): 'Big Short and Liars Poker are excellent reads. Skip Flash Boys though.' That's a specific verdict on Lewis's catalogue, not a blanket recommendation for everything he's written.
Is Liar's Poker historically accurate about 1980s Wall Street?+
This sample doesn't have a direct fact-check, but r/financialindependence cites it as a reliable source for Michael Lewis's own biography, specifically that he worked Salomon Brothers' London bond desk before writing the book. That's a factual citation, not just a review.
How does Reddit rank Liar's Poker against The Big Short?+
Together, not against each other. The one displayed r/investing comment that ranks Lewis's books groups Liar's Poker and The Big Short as the two worth reading, while singling out Flash Boys as the one to skip.