I spent some time this past weekend reading a book by Timothy Sykes, a young hedge fund manager and entrepreneur. If you aren’t familiar with him, Tim made a name for himself by turning a small stash of Bar Mitzvah funds into a small fortune during his freshman year of college. He spent the following several years beefing up his reputation, registering as a hedge fund, and grappling with “growing up,” all at the same time. I found the story to be quite intriguing, as I’m sure you will as well.
The book is chronological in nature, beginning with his early fascination with the markets and concluding with stories of new-found entrepreneurialism. The book could be viewed in a variety of ways: as a trading memoir, an inspirational guide for doing what you love, or a fun story about a young guy whose life is very possibly crazier than yours.
I’ll point out some of my favorite elements of the book–as I like to do with most reviews. The trading stories were complete in detail, including ticker symbols. This gives readers a true understanding of the risks undertaken by the author. Memoirs of famous financial professionals are often criticized for not including enough meaty detail about career ups and downs. Tim doesn’t make this mistake. He gives all the information you could possibly want to digest.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is the honest voice which narrates throughout. The reader can’t miss the fact that Tim is young and excited about his every move. It makes the reader root him on and read faster as opposed to some books where you only obligingly turn the pages. Tim even goes so far with his honesty as to expose how certain tragic events (which he did feel badly about) turned themselves into short-term trading opportunities. We also learn that drinking and partying with the ladies is anything but foreign to the author. I think this honest voice lends itself to the book’s credibility and give a more well-rounded perspective to the reader.
You will have to wait until October 1st, the tentative release date, for a copy of the book. If you’re curious enough, perhaps you should e-mail Tim and pick his brain.
Russell Bailyn
Wealth Manager
Premier Financial Advisors, Inc
14 E. 60th Street, #402
New York, NY 10022
P: 212-752-4343 *31
F: 212-752-7673
rbailyn@premieradvisors.net