Books with author Michael Leach

The #1 New York Times bestseller: "It is the work of our greatest financial journalist, at the top of his game. And it's essential reading."―Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn't shine and the SEC doesn't dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can't pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren't talking. Michael Lewis creates a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor, a fitting sequel to his #1 bestseller Liar's Poker. Out of a handful of unlikely-really unlikely-heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the finest and funniest chronicler of our time.

"This delightfully written, lesson-laden book deserves a place of its own in the Baseball Hall of Fame." ―ForbesMoneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge―insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.

#1 New York Times Bestseller ― With a new Afterword"Guaranteed to make blood boil." ―Janet Maslin, New York TimesIn Michael Lewis's game-changing bestseller, a small group of Wall Street iconoclasts realize that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders. They band together―some of them walking away from seven-figure salaries―to investigate, expose, and reform the insidious new ways that Wall Street generates profits. If you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you.

The #1 New York Times bestseller: "It is the work of our greatest financial journalist, at the top of his game. And it's essential reading."—Graydon Carter, Vanity FairThe real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn't shine and the SEC doesn't dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can't pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren't talking.Michael Lewis creates a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor, a fitting sequel to his #1 bestseller Liar's Poker. Out of a handful of unlikely-really unlikely-heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the finest and funniest chronicler of our time.

#1 New York Times Bestseller — With a new Afterword"Guaranteed to make blood boil." —Janet Maslin, New York TimesIn Michael Lewis's game-changing bestseller, a small group of Wall Street iconoclasts realize that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders. They band together—some of them walking away from seven-figure salaries—to investigate, expose, and reform the insidious new ways that Wall Street generates profits. If you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you.

"This delightfully written, lesson-laden book deserves a place of its own in the Baseball Hall of Fame." —ForbesMoneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge—insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes and David Baldacci’s Amos Decker will love Jonathan Roper. Sir James Taylor is a billionaire and philanthropist. He’s also a man with dark secrets. He’s vanished after stepping out of his Rolls Royce in the heart of London and Scotland Yard is in trouble. There are no traces. No witnesses. No ransom. Nothing. With pressure from all sides the Met must send for Jonathan Roper and Brian Hooley. What they uncover is going to make a lot of important people very unhappy.For all his skills, Roper struggles with the regular world because his autism makes him appear arrogant. It doesn’t help that he has an unfortunate compulsion to point out people’s mistakes. He genuinely believes he’s helping. They’re sure he’s not.As the investigation take a series of dramatic turns, Roper and Hooley form a remarkable relationship. But it will only work so long as Hooley can withstand a daily barrage of painfully direct personal remarks. This is the backdrop for some laugh out loud moments which break the tension generated by this unputdownable crime thriller.Going Underground is the first novel in the Jonathan Roper Investigates series. Each book can be read as a standalone story.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GOING UNDERGROUND"Engaging and suspenseful. I loved the characters, especially the autistic Jonathan Roper and the way his character was developed. I felt involved and as if I were in the middle of the investigation myself. I couldn't wait to buy the second book in this series and hope there will be more" nansaidh"From Chief Inspector Hooley to Jonathan, the characters in this book are totally real and completely believable. The bad guys, the science, the special forces chaps, and everyone involved could be in your city. Great story with twists and dips completely unexpected." starjumper"I seldom write a book review but this story was so well written and the characters so well developed that I wanted to support the author. I will be purchasing the second book in this series and look forward to more adventures with these two detectives." patcats"JUST WOW. I'm always on the lookout for a new author who writes "old school" crime thrillers.... you know the kind I mean - great characters, well researched, good plot and a twist to keep you hooked. This author ticks ALL the boxes. Jonathan Roper is a great character, very believable to anyone who knows anyone on the autism spectrum but he's not overplayed. Loved book 1, just bought book 2." Pat"A fast paced story, likeable characters, great plot twists and turns. Really enjoyed the addition of Jonathon Roper to the cast. Loved trying to follow his reasoning. A real page turner. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did." Verified Amazon customer."Excellent book. The portrayal of the autistic main character was quite good. Being autistic I thoroughly enjoyed reading a realistic expression of how we react to the world. The story was also very good and it kept your attention. Hope to read many more stories about this character." Susie"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story line was very good, but what really kept me engaged was the quirky, but relatable, character Jonathan Roper. Lots of humorous interactions between him and his boss. After the first few pages, I couldn't put it down. Getting ready to read the next book in the series now. Keep them coming. I love this guy." BG Lewis"This is spectacularly good. The autistic detective is a wonderful character and the writing is very well crafted. I hope to see more of these. Great work, Michael Leese!" John

The #1 New York Times bestseller: a brilliant account―character-rich and darkly humorous―of how the U.S. economy was driven over the cliff. When the crash of the U. S. stock market became public knowledge in the fall of 2008, it was already old news. The real crash, the silent crash, had taken place over the previous year, in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine, and the SEC doesn’t dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can’t pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren’t talking. The crucial question is this: Who understood the risk inherent in the assumption of ever-rising real estate prices, a risk compounded daily by the creation of those arcane, artificial securities loosely based on piles of doubtful mortgages? Michael Lewis turns the inquiry on its head to create a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor, a fitting sequel to his #1 best-selling Liar’s Poker. Who got it right? he asks. Who saw the real estate market for the black hole it would become, and eventually made billions of dollars from that perception? And what qualities of character made those few persist when their peers and colleagues dismissed them as Chicken Littles? Out of this handful of unlikely―really unlikely―heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the finest and funniest chronicler of our times.

Four years after his #1 bestseller The Big Short, Michael Lewis returns to Wall Street to report on a high-tech predator stalking the equity markets.Flash Boys is about a small group of Wall Street guys who figure out that the U.S. stock market has been rigged for the benefit of insiders and that, post–financial crisis, the markets have become not more free but less, and more controlled by the big Wall Street banks. Working at different firms, they come to this realization separately; but after they discover one another, the flash boys band together and set out to reform the financial markets. This they do by creating an exchange in which high-frequency trading―source of the most intractable problems―will have no advantage whatsoever.The characters in Flash Boys are fabulous, each completely different from what you think of when you think “Wall Street guy.” Several have walked away from jobs in the financial sector that paid them millions of dollars a year. From their new vantage point they investigate the big banks, the world’s stock exchanges, and high-frequency trading firms as they have never been investigated, and expose the many strange new ways that Wall Street generates profits.The light that Lewis shines into the darkest corners of the financial world may not be good for your blood pressure, because if you have any contact with the market, even a retirement account, this story is happening to you. But in the end, Flash Boys is an uplifting read. Here are people who have somehow preserved a moral sense in an environment where you don’t get paid for that; they have perceived an institutionalized injustice and are willing to go to war to fix it.

The New York Times bestseller: “Hilarious. No mushy tribute to the joys of fatherhood, Lewis’ book addresses the good, the bad, and the merely baffling about having kids.”―Boston Globe When Michael Lewis became a father, he decided to keep a written record of what actually happened immediately after the birth of each of his three children. This book is that record. But it is also something else: maybe the funniest, most unsparing account of ordinary daily household life ever recorded, from the point of view of the man inside. The remarkable thing about this story isn’t that Lewis is so unusual. It’s that he is so typical. The only wonder is that his wife has allowed him to publish it.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes and David Baldacci’s Amos Decker will love Jonathan Roper. The assault came without warning. Three terror attacks that sent shock waves through London, triggering plans to evacuate the Royal Family. Police, politicians and the security services are left scrabbling for answers. When a previously unknown group claims responsibility the mystery deepens. This is the dramatic back drop to the most challenging investigation yet undertaken by autistic crime solver, Jonathan Roper, and his mentor and friend, Chief Inspector Brian Hooley. The pair are the detectives Scotland Yard turns to when all else fails. Before long they are sucked into the case and are about to discover they will face challenges that will test them to the limit. To have any chance of success they are going to need every ounce of Hooley’s policing know-how… but above all they will need Roper at his brilliant best. His autism has given him savant like qualities that enable him to spot things others miss and make intuitive leaps before anyone else realises there are connections. These qualities make him a superb investigator, but he lacks social skills and can be a complex man to deal with. He’s already been on the brink of being thrown out of Scotland Yard because he has managed to put so many back’s up. Hooley can see past the problems to the special detective underneath but, as his father always told him, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” The veteran DCI has to ride some intense personal observations as he helps the younger man stay on track. It is this “special relationship” that makes the Roper series stand out. It provides unexpected warmth and genuine humour at even the darkest moments. But this time it emerges that fate has a few nasty surprises in store for Brian Hooley. Not only does he need to support Roper, his own health will become an issue that sets the clock ticking. The investigation also sees Hooley and Roper running a new team, unofficially dubbed the “Odd Bods” and introduces two new investigators that Roper is championing. Just Kill Them is a dark, page turning thriller that grabs you by the throat from the beginning... don’t be surprised to find yourself laughing out loud.

The New York Times bestseller: A masterful account of today’s money culture, showing how the underpricing of risk leads to catastrophe. When it comes to markets, the first deadly sin is greed. In this New York Times bestseller, Michael Lewis is our jungle guide through five of the most violent and costly upheavals in recent financial history. With his trademark humor and brilliant anecdotes, Lewis paints the mood and market factors leading up to each event, weaves contemporary accounts to show what people thought was happening at the time, and, with the luxury of hindsight, analyzes what actually happened and what we should have learned from experience.