Fixers Hardcover – January 4, 2016

Michael Thomas has written THE "Roman a Clef" of the twenty first century. It is not too obscure -- think seasons and winters for the self confessed economic genius of the world. He has written many fine books, characterized by erudition and artistic sensitivity. So, at his relatively young age, it is a wonder that Michael has created a suspenseful but highly credible tale of the corruption of Barak Obama in his dealing with Wall Street. Corruption above is used in an active mode, the President - in the book and in my experience - was utterly ignorant of the whole operation. The book uncannily identifies just those developments in the 2008 disgraces about which almost every sentient human has questions - how could it be? This book provides credible and suspenseful answers. If there is anyone in your acquaintance who would appreciate a really fine read, please send them Fixers as fast as your fingers can move on the computer.

This reimagined version of the 2008 presidential election and subsequent Obama administration is, in many ways, compelling. It becomes less so after a hundred pages of being hit over the head with the same theme: the pursuit of money has corrupted us politically and personally. OK, we get it. So after a while this comes off as a repetitive rant, kind of tedious, and made annoying by too many typos and editing errors. On the plus side, the author's erudite writing style combined with many literary and historical references make this book a cut above the usual political diatribe.

Sure, it goes on too long in certain areas and details... and sure, it changes 10% of the names of people involved to cutesy anonymous pseudonyms, (for no apparent consistent logical reasons) and sure, it stretches what happened a little bit, here and there... but, at the end, when you put it down, you will find yourself shaking your head and saying "That COULD have happened, and MAYBE it did"! And when you start to map this "diary" against reality, you get more and more alarmed, amazed, and maybe depressed. This should be required reading for all first year MBA candidates focused on working in the financial services sector.

The plot: Wall Street funded and elected Obama (without his knowledge of course) but now the 'progressive' left wing crowd is disappointed with him apparently because he didn't immediately nationalize Wall Street and industry and put them in charge. Noble University professors, journalists, entertainment industry 'talent' workers, the museum/art crowd are the good guys; and perfectly qualified to tell the rest of us ignorant slobs how to live. Businessmen, Wall Street (of course), corporations = evil. If you went to Yale, are a member of Skull and Bones, and your great, great grandfather earned the fortune that enabled your dominant minority privileged life-style, you will love this book. Even Chauncey, the museum fund raiser narrator who takes Wall Street money and does its bidding while condemning the industry as the source of all evil, acknowledges his hypocrisy but plows right ahead. It's all right though, he feels bad about it. No, I don't work on Wall Street. Next I'll tell you how I really feel.

This is a semi-fictionalized story of imaginary political intrigue behind the Crash of 2008. It was not really to my taste as there are some well written books that are serious reporting for those interested in the true story and much better financial fiction if that is your interest.

The book was like a long story, not very interesting in the telling, but with a good end. The ebook is chock full of typographical errors, and mistakes of similar ilk--almost as if there was no editor, or they read it with their eyes closed--that bad.

Strange book. Unclear why some of the names were current well known people, and other names were obvious substitutes, such a Dreck brothers for the "obviously evil" Koch brothers. It was a moderately entertaining book, based on a strange premise.

It's probably a good book for someone that is not very familiar with the 2008 financial crisis or finance in general. I was genuinely disappointed in the number of spelling mistakes and typos throughout the book, especially given the price I had to pay.