Flash BoysFlash Boys
Score Modern
What it's about
After the financial crisis, a small group of Wall Street outsiders discovered that high-frequency traders were using speed, measured in millionths of a second, to profit at ordinary investors' expense. Michael Lewis tells how they uncovered how the stock market had been rigged, and how they set out to build a fairer exchange.
Why it's worth reading
It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Lewis makes a technical story gripping and clear, and it changed how many people see the stock market.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Moneyball
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley StartupGood to know
You don't need to understand finance going in. Some of its claims were disputed by the industry.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #16 of the 44 politics books we rank
- #103 of the 198 history books we rank
- #319 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #639 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Michael Lewis
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday MachineMoneyball
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall StreetIf you like this, read next
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century
A Promised Land
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham LincolnExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Flash Boys worth reading?
Yes. It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #639 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Flash Boys about?
After the financial crisis, a small group of Wall Street outsiders discovered that high-frequency traders were using speed, measured in millionths of a second, to profit at ordinary investors' expense. Michael Lewis tells how they uncovered how the stock market had been rigged, and how they set out to build a fairer exchange.
How long does it take to read Flash Boys?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Flash Boys?
If you liked it, try The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, Moneyball by Michael Lewis or Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou.