Private Equity: 'A vivid account of a world of excess, power, admiration and status'

Originally, I purchased this memoir as it hits close to home, as I have worked in this industry too and wanted to read her take, as she is obviously super educated, experienced and hard working. What struck me is how these hedge funds must be interchangeable, with super demanding, intolerable bosses, who seem to want to be treated like royalty. Their is a strange, unspoken hierarchy even amongst assistants, who work around the clock, as if they will get a piece of the big pie. But that system is rigged. I enjoyed how Sun really explains what happens in a hedge fund in the big picture to the also important tiny picture for example, one time she forgot to remind her boss of a breakfast meeting, and he was late. Carrie kept blaming herself, and you just want to ask, "isn't he an adult who can also read his calendar". The read is excellent, reading about her childhood in Michigan, as a student, her career path, romance path was compelling. I felt I got to meet a brave person who is brave to chose their happiness over the material, superficial path. Really looking forward to see what she writes next and how her journey goes.

330 pagina's geschreven door een zwaar gefrustreerd iemand.

The book vividly exposes the weaknesses and false ideals that many people follow today in the belief that objects will bring lasting happiness in life. Self-awareness protects against this belief and its advocates, who usually resort to manipulation and inhuman behavior. Exciting to read and recommended.

Really well written and a captivating insight into her exclusive world of highs, lows and eventual burn out.

I bought this book for two very different reasons. One was to get an idea of what it's really like to work day-to-day for an extraordinarily profitable hedge fund in NYC. Of course, I knew the jobs are high-paying and the people in charge, whip-smart. But I wanted an insider's view on the quotidian experience. Are the routine demands really that brutal and the colleagues that cut-throat and greedy? And secondly, why on earthy are global private equity firms now gobbling up veterinary practices like strays to kibble? Plumbing contractors, too. What the heck is private equity about these days? I really hadn't a clue.Private Equity, the memoir, makes no mention of the current financial appetite for canine care and clogged toilets because, as I learned, hedge funds play a more complex and high-stakes game than that of standard private equity firms. And while the book does briefly explain hedging and leveraging, it's neither the work's strong suit nor its focus. What this book does well is shine a clear bright light on the daily grind -- the look and feel and wear and tear -- of an elite hedge fund on the its firm's assistants. If you're looking for an over-the-top Hollywood-style depiction of the excesses of Wall Street, you won't find it in Carrie Sun's memoir. What you will find, however, is something more informative, balanced, and real. That's the beauty of Sun's literary debut. She tells it like she experienced it, without satire or even a chip on her shoulder. And the story she tells is as cautionary as it is illuminating and perceptive.When Sun received an offer to work as the assistant to a billionaire hedge fund founder, she accepted the position with confidence. As an MIT alumna who had graduated in a jaw-dropping three years with dual degrees in math and finance, she was no stranger to steep learning curves. Her intent and the fervent desire of her boss was to put in at least five years. But the realities of her position soon set in and, with them, sobering truths. They don't pay you the big bucks just because you graduated from elite universities with the appropriate degrees. The salaries, bonuses, and steady supply of big-ticket perks exist to compensate for insidious job tolls. And to make it incredibly difficult to walk away from them once you realize their effects on your physical and mental health.Private Equity offers readers the clear-eyed, honest narrative of one super-bright and ambitious young professional diving into the great American rat race. Sun's story could easily apply to any highly competent person starting out in any exceedingly lucrative and competitive field today in which high stress and long hours are not only condoned but also glorified. Anyone who works or has worked in investment banking, consulting and Big Law, for example, is likely to be able to relate on some level. Anyone acting as the go-to assistant for powerful or high-profile people in almost any field will catch the similarities, too. And those considering these kinds of career paths should want to read this book before they take the leap, if they're as smart as their diplomas and resumes imply.Private Equity marks an impressive literary debut by a millennial writer with deep insight and real potential. Read it and see how you respond to it. The story may strike a nerve and, like Sun, move you to try to change a thing or two about your own work-life balance or the job inequities you and your co-workers have experienced of late. Or it may inspire you to stop blindly chasing the tokens of status you thought would make you happy and, with eyes wide open, start following your heart. Either way, this read is sure to be good for you. I highly recommend it.