Todd A. Harrison - The Other Side of Wall Street: In Business It Pays to Be an Animal, In Life It Pays to Be Yourself

In Business It Pays to Be an Animal, In Life It Pays to Be Yourself

Todd A. Harrison

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2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Publishing as FT Press
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

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Printed in the United States of America

First Printing June 2011

ISBN-10: 0-13-248966-X

ISBN-13: 978-0-13-248966-9

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Harrison, Todd A.
The other side of Wall Street : in business it pays to be an animal, in life it pays to be yourself/Todd A. Harrison.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-13-248966-9 (hbk. : alk. paper)
1. Harrison, Todd A. 2. StockbrokersUnited StatesBiography. 3. Investment advisorsUnited StatesBiography. I. Title.
HG4928.5.H37A3 2011
332.6092dc22
[B] 2011003038

For Ruby, Jamie, Gavin, Morganand Ruby

Todd blows up the typical Wall Street stereotype and proves without a shadow of a doubt that nice guys can finish first. This book captures the essence of what it means to not only be a good trader, but to be a better person. If you read one book about Wall Street this year, this should be it.

Guy Adami , CNBCs Fast Money

Todd courageously reminds us that success in life isnt about what happened yesterday, or what may have occurred todayboth good and badbut what we are doing to make tomorrow better, despite it all. His journey is humbling and inspirational.

Peter Atwater , President, Financial Insyghts LLC and former Treasurer, Bank ONE

Todds unique combination of trader bravado and reflective sentimentality makes The Other Side of Wall Street a must-read for anybody who wants to go beyond the headlines to see how the financial world really works.

David Callaway , Editor-in-Chief, MarketWatch

Todd Harrison takes you on a high-speed train ride across a landscape inhabited by the financial wizards of our time. And he does it with his eyes wide open to the excesses and utility from an insiders point of view. This is real life played out to the hilt! Enjoy the ride.

Bill Cella , former CEO, Magna Global

Fasten your seat belt as Todd Harrison takes you on a fast-paced and wild ride through the vicissitudes of his dramatic life. Harrisons gift for storytelling is on every page, and in the end, will bring a smile to your face.

William Cohan , author of Money and Power

Todd Harrison puts readers in the front row for a very personal story about his search for the true meaning of wealth. It moves beyond Wall Street headlines and sound bites, and provides an eye-opening account that covers one of historys most interesting market periods.

Michael J. Curcio , President, E*TRADE Securities LLC

A personal history which parallels Americas journey, from a country of real people and things to an empire of monetary illusions and back again.

Satyajit Das , author of Traders, Guns & Money

Todd Harrison pulls back the curtain on Wall Street. Brutally honest and revealing about his life, this book gives us a fascinating and compelling insight into the pressures and politics of the worlds financial capital and how one man tried to balance success and self-worth.

Martin Dunn , former Editor-in-Chief, New York Daily News

I found myself captivated and read the book in one night. Anyone with a dream should read this book as its a true story of perseverance, determination, and dedication to doing what one loves.

Stephen Ehrlich , Chief Executive Officer, Lightspeed Financial, Inc.

A fascinating, entertaining, and honest account of a Wall Street insider who found his happiness as an author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist; its a book every aspiring trader should read.

Marc Faber , Editor, Gloom Boom & Doom Report

A fascinating story. A behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of life through the eyes of a successful hedge fund trader and writer, as he learns about what really matters.

Bill Fleckenstein , President, Fleckenstein Capital and author of Greenspans Bubbles

Todd Harrison has written a courageously thrilling account of his life on and off Wall Street. The book bristles with integrity, honesty, and personal confession; while being steeped in multimillion dollar spending on Long Island summer parties, Ferrari and Porsche boy toys, and a splash of expensive Bordeaux. A story of trading room power and busboy determination: It reveals what is behind the public facade of Wall Street.

Pimm Fox , financial journalist and host of Taking Stock on Bloomberg TV and radio

This isnt a book for trading tipsbut an account of someone who figured out who he wanted to be in the world.

David Gaffen , author of Never Buy Another Stock Again

The Other Side of Wall Street provides an immensely personal, insiders view of the turbulent past decade on Wall Street. Todd Harrison chronicles his escape from the treadmill of hedge fund Hades to the wonderful world of Minyanville.

Steve Galbraith , Partner, Maverick Capital

In this moving memoir, Todd Harrison captures what it means to come of age on Wall Street. Meet the heroic and flawed characters who shape him along the way, from his grandfather and father to his former partner, Jim Cramer. Harrison is a brilliant trader with a poets heart. He conveys the triumphant and tragic consequences of having an overwhelming desire to win and offers a nuanced tale of redemption and discovery.

Diane Galligan , Managing Editor, Yahoo! Finance

To read this book is to become emotionally involved in the journey of an incredibly talented, increasingly introspective, and articulate writer; but on a larger scale, it is about the journey we all share. As I read this book, I felt that Todd and I were sharing some possible answers to the question we all have: What is a good life? There are lessons here for all of us.

Roger Goldman , Chairman, Lighthouse International; General Partner, Berkshire Opportunity Fund; and ex-commercial banker