Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt

Published on April 1, 2014, the book Flash Boys caused a sensation in America’s financial world. In its first week, 130,000 copies were sold, and the FBI announced the start of an investigation into high-frequency trading (HFT). This only confirms that the book’s author, American writer and financial journalist Michael Lewis, hit the most painful spot of the modern stock market—one that is considered an icon of global capitalism, yet in reality represents a scheme cooked up by stock exchanges, large banks, and high-frequency traders. The exposure of this scam came from a small group of “Wall Street guys.” Working for different companies, they turned down well-paid positions, found allies in one another, and, banding together, set out on a war path against the financial power brokers. The culmination of their struggle was the creation of an independent exchange, set up fairly for all market participants. The book will be of interest to everyone connected to exchange trading and those curious about its secret mechanisms.