Oh boy, the FTX-- effective altruism bit didn't age well. I'll be honest, the first time I heard of effective altruism in Wall Street, I knew it was bogus. Just like ESG.
I picked up another library book tonight. For some reason, I didn't even notice the author's name on the cover. But after reading the prologue I already figured it was Gary Stevenson from dialogue: "You know, he was a really good trader, this guy. Made a lot of money. Made a lot of money for himself, made a lot of money for Deutsche Bank. He had a good career ahead of him." ... "But you know, this guy, this young trader. Even though he was a good trader, he had one really serious problem. One fatal flaw, you could say...You see, this guy, he thought he could walk away. He thought he could leave. Do you know what I mean?" Caleb was a big guy. I've probably made that clear by now, but it wasn't just his face and his fingers that were big--
Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk by Billy Walters is an autobiography chronicling the life and career of one of the most successful sports gamblers in history. The book details Walters’ journey from a difficult childhood in rural Kentucky to becoming a legendary figure in Las Vegas, where he amassed fortunes through strategic sports betting. Walters shares the principles behind his success, emphasizing meticulous research, data analysis, and risk management. He discusses his use of statistical models, innovation with technology, and the importance of emotional control and long-term thinking in gambling. The book also explores his legal troubles, including his conviction for insider trading, offering insight into the risks and ethical dilemmas of his high-stakes lifestyle. At its core, Gambler is a story of resilience, strategy, and the pursuit of success in a world driven by risk, while highlighting the thin line between skill and luck in gambling and life.
Around page 80 now on Crypto Confidential. I originally thought it would be another shit-woke book regarding crypto. But I am actually liking this one so far. Maybe not as much as Schwager's Going Infinite though. --- Mark Cuban had been interviewed about crypto, and he had apparently put money into Iron. He was talking about what a cool project it was and how excited he was about the potential for DeFi to change the banking system. "That's gotta be our sign to get out, right?" I messaged the group. Crypto Twitter was already blowing up with people excited about Iron, but if celebrity billionaire Mark Cuban was talking about it, that was going to bring in a ton of additional excitement and unsophisticated investors and might be the sign the early whales needed to exit their position. All the new capital following Cuban in would be the exit liquidity for people like us who were early.
Karen Armstrong The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts No theologian, apart from Paul, has been more influential in the Western world than Augustine. Even though he focused on the literal and historical sense of scripture, Augustine was no diehard literalist: his "principle of accommodation" would dominate biblical interpretation in the West well into the early modern period. He explained that God had adapted his revelation to the cultural norms of the people who first received it. One of the psalms, for example, reflects the ancient view, long outmoded by Augustine’s time, that there was a body of water above the earth that caused rainfall. It would, Augustine insisted, be ridiculous to interpret this verse literally. God had simply accommodated his revelation to the science of the day so that the people of Israel could understand it. If the literal meaning of scripture clashed with reliable scientific information, Augustine ruled, the interpreter must respect the integrity of science or he would bring scripture into disrepute. A great deal of trouble could have been avoided if later Christians had taken this advice seriously. [Emphasis supplied] (p. 247) I think this is a bit of an understatement LMAO Augustine of Hippo died in 430 A.D. and we are still arguing about this
Finally finished the crypto book today. I am glad I found it now. Found it very enjoyable, which is rare considering most crypto books I've read are utter shit. Aside from a couple jems... The Bitcoin Standard and Going Infinite. And now... I started something that is less easy on the eyes...
Reading a chemistry book on how to make a 3 letter hallucinogenic. If you here about a house blowing up, it's just me. Really annoying how complicated it is and some of the ingredients are a pain in the arse to get your hands on.
I forgot who mentioned this title a few years ago, but finally tonight I got around to completing one of my first ever penny-stock books that I can recall.