The Quants: Scott Patterson - 2010

In Scott Patterson’s The Quants, it is evident that mathematics and science can out rule chance. Patterson relives the moment when a group of four men took on a challenge and conquered Wall Street with mathematical formulas. However, among their celebration of success, the success didn’t last long.

Patterson spins the tale of these men watching their millions turn to dust right before their eyes. Patterson uses his talented narration to aid us in understanding the fall and what created one of the biggest disasters in wall street's history.

“It wasn’t the trio of cut-glass chandeliers hung from a gilt-laden ceiling that caught his attention, nor the pair of antique floor-to-ceiling mirrors to his left, nor the guests’ svelte Armani suits and gem studded dresses. Something else in the air made him smile: the smell of money. And the sweet perfume of something he loved even more: pure, unbridled testosterone-fueled competition. It was intoxicating, and it was all around him, from the rich fizz of a fresh bottle of champagne popping open to the knowing nods and winks of his friends as he moved into a room that was a virtual murderer’s row of top flight bankers and hedge fund managers, the richest in the world. His people.”

Patterson takes us on a journey into the minds of four brilliant men who took on Wall Street and won. However, it also delves further into an epidemic that has ruined many lives on Wall Street. The Quants was written for anyone who wants to understand some of the causes of the financial crisis in 2008.