Good article on floor specialist: http://www.derivativesstrategy.com/magazine/archive/2000/0700fea1.asp This is a good article too (not "a day in the life of" though): http://www.derivativesstrategy.com/magazine/archive/1999/0999qa.asp
Funny. AMEX being "picked off". Right. A leaked SEC report on the internet details massive SEC violations in the AMEX options markets. And the report says the AMEX deliberately falsified reports to the SEC to cover up the violations. I don't think "crook" is too strong a word in those circumstances.
I was on the AMEX when they took him off in a stretcher. Pretty freaking scary if you ask me. But you had a couple of firms bidding for his post the next day. Business is business.
I think this is a good article too. Interview with Andrew Lo (MIT). Has some good bits on volatility, DE Shaw, and TA. http://www.derivativesstrategy.com/magazine/archive/1999/0399qa.asp