Flash Boys
Score Modern
What it's about
After the financial crisis, a small group of Wall Street outsiders discovered that high-frequency traders were using speed, measured in millionths of a second, to profit at ordinary investors' expense. Michael Lewis tells how they uncovered how the stock market had been rigged, and how they set out to build a fairer exchange.
Why it's worth reading
It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Lewis makes a technical story gripping and clear, and it changed how many people see the stock market.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Moneyball or Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
Good to know
You don't need to understand finance going in. Some of its claims were disputed by the industry.
Quick answers
Is Flash Boys worth reading?
Yes. It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #641 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Flash Boys about?
After the financial crisis, a small group of Wall Street outsiders discovered that high-frequency traders were using speed, measured in millionths of a second, to profit at ordinary investors' expense. Michael Lewis tells how they uncovered how the stock market had been rigged, and how they set out to build a fairer exchange.
How long does it take to read Flash Boys?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Flash Boys?
If you liked it, try The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, Moneyball by Michael Lewis or Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1).
Where it ranks
- #16 of the 44 politics books we rank
- #103 of the 198 history books we rank
- #320 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #641 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)
- 27 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2014
Reads as
True story
More by Michael Lewis
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Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
How to Be an Antiracist