Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs
- Downloads：4361
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-15 06:52:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jamie Fiore Higgins
- ISBN：1668001020
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
A rare， riveting insider’s account on Wall Street—an updated Liar’s Poker—where greed coupled with misogyny and discrimination enforces a culture of exclusion in the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs
Jamie Fiore Higgins became one of the few women at the highest ranks of Goldman Sachs。 Spurred on by the obligation she felt to her working-class immigrant family， she rose through the ranks and saw it all: out-of-control， lavish parties flowing with never-ending drinks; affairs flaunted in the office; rampant drug use; and most pervasively， a discriminatory culture that seemed designed to hold back the few women and people of color employed at the company。
Goldman Sachs had the right talking points and statistics， but Fiore Higgins soon realized that these provided a veneer to cover up what she found to be an abusive culture。 Her account is one filled with shocking stories of harassment and jaw-dropping tales of exclusionary behavior: when she was told she only got promoted because she is a woman; when her coworkers mooed at her after she pumped for her fourth child， defying the superior who had advised her not to breastfeed; or when a male boss used a racial epithet in front of her， other colleagues， and clients without any repercussions。
Bully Market sounds the alarm on the culture of finance and corporate America， while offering clear， actionable ideas for creating a fairer workplace。 Both a revealing， extraordinary look at the industry and a top Wall Streeter’s explosive personal story， Bully Market is an essential account of one woman’s experience in a flawed system that speaks to the challenge and urgency for change。
Jamie Fiore Higgins became one of the few women at the highest ranks of Goldman Sachs。 Spurred on by the obligation she felt to her working-class immigrant family， she rose through the ranks and saw it all: out-of-control， lavish parties flowing with never-ending drinks; affairs flaunted in the office; rampant drug use; and most pervasively， a discriminatory culture that seemed designed to hold back the few women and people of color employed at the company。
Goldman Sachs had the right talking points and statistics， but Fiore Higgins soon realized that these provided a veneer to cover up what she found to be an abusive culture。 Her account is one filled with shocking stories of harassment and jaw-dropping tales of exclusionary behavior: when she was told she only got promoted because she is a woman; when her coworkers mooed at her after she pumped for her fourth child， defying the superior who had advised her not to breastfeed; or when a male boss used a racial epithet in front of her， other colleagues， and clients without any repercussions。
Bully Market sounds the alarm on the culture of finance and corporate America， while offering clear， actionable ideas for creating a fairer workplace。 Both a revealing， extraordinary look at the industry and a top Wall Streeter’s explosive personal story， Bully Market is an essential account of one woman’s experience in a flawed system that speaks to the challenge and urgency for change。
Reviews
Aubrey
，
This memoir is shocking due to the details of the sexism she faced in her industry yet also not surprising because， unfortunately， this is the world we live in。 Thankful she is one of few who have spoken up despite the many cis white men out there that I am sure would like her to stay quiet。
James Agger
，
Great insight into GS company culture Had some unbelievable stories that have to be read to believe。 Some cringey details about author’s personal life。 Highly recommended！
Wendy P
，
If you’ve ever worked in a male dominated industry or company - you will relate to so much of what the author describes。 It’s sickening how much crap any non cis gendered white male takes in these workplaces。
Maria Scarborough
，
This book was captivating。 At times I had to remind myself this was someone’s real lived experience。 They stories are completely unbelievable and also not- in the worst， most misogynistic， frat boy way 。 I work in a similar， male dominated， “boys club” world， and the things she experienced and felt about trying to fit in and survive （while also hating herself） are so relatable。 It’s so hard to stick up for yourself or others like you when any “mistake” or complaint you make just reinforces the s This book was captivating。 At times I had to remind myself this was someone’s real lived experience。 They stories are completely unbelievable and also not- in the worst， most misogynistic， frat boy way 。 I work in a similar， male dominated， “boys club” world， and the things she experienced and felt about trying to fit in and survive （while also hating herself） are so relatable。 It’s so hard to stick up for yourself or others like you when any “mistake” or complaint you make just reinforces the stereotypes that cis white men have about you。 After reading this I am enamored at her self-awareness and strength。 Getting caught up in the world you are in can make you do things you don’t realize are wrong until something snaps you back to reality。 She clearly lived her life as close to her values as she could while also protecting her job and family。 To deal with the things she dealt with for so many years。。 to pave the way for other women， BIPOC， and LGBTQ people is extremely exhausting and difficult but also necessary work。 The suffering she endured and the opening of a conversation for where to go from here is admirable。 Someone has to trailblaze and I am happy to know women like Jamie are out there doing it。Please read this book！ Not only is it an empowering read， it is funny， emotional， exhausting， infuriating， and sexy。 Jamie is a talented author and a brave leader。 I am so glad I found this book。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
，
Unlike most of her peers at Goldman Sachs’s Global Training Program， Jamie Fiore Higgins did not spend her whole college career scheming how to get an elusive job at the world-famous investment bank and financial services company。As recently as her junior year at Bryn Mawr， Jamie considered following the advice given by a career aptitude test and pursue a career in social work。 But the shocked reaction of her parents led Jamie to make different choices。 Her parents， the children of immigrants， h Unlike most of her peers at Goldman Sachs’s Global Training Program， Jamie Fiore Higgins did not spend her whole college career scheming how to get an elusive job at the world-famous investment bank and financial services company。As recently as her junior year at Bryn Mawr， Jamie considered following the advice given by a career aptitude test and pursue a career in social work。 But the shocked reaction of her parents led Jamie to make different choices。 Her parents， the children of immigrants， had worked their whole lives to save enough money to send her to the best schools。 They had put themselves at considerable financial risk to pay for life-saving surgery for Jamie， who had severe scoliosis as a child。Settling for a career in social work was not the best way to reward those years of sacrifice。 So instead， Jamie aimed high， applying for a position at Goldman Sachs and undergoing the many rounds of interviews that made Goldman， according to her coworkers， harder to get into than Harvard。 From day one， she feels out of her element at Goldman; she doesn’t have the “right” clothes or shoes， and she barely understands the financial terms that she’s soon to get grilled on。But Jamie is a fast learner， and her math degree from Bryn Mawr means that she’s well-equipped to become a high-performing analyst in her department， plugging away at small accounts that might go unnoticed by her peers but have a big impact in the aggregate。 And when Jamie brings home her first year-end bonus （spoiler alert: it’s far more than what the average American earns in a year）， the look on her parents’ faces （and the comfortable amount in her savings account） is worth all of the hassles and discomfort she feels on the job。Jamie sticks it out at Goldman for more than 15 years， eventually one of only a handful of women to be named managing director。 But， as she spells out in this gripping memoir， that title --- and the salary and bonuses that accompany it --- came at a significant cost。 Jamie underwent countless instances of bullying by others in her department who viewed her as a threat and sought to undermine her success。 She was sexually assaulted on the job and ruthlessly mocked when， for example， she decided to take advantage of Goldman’s pumping facilities for working moms。 She also experienced the daily heartbreak of barely getting to see her three young children， and the stress of trying to keep her marriage together under immense professional pressure。But perhaps the most challenging parts of Higgins’ story to read are those in which she admits to her own failures to try to make Goldman a more supportive and inclusive environment for others。 Throughout her career， Jamie was consistently and repeatedly let down by the very people --- human resources professionals， lawyers， even her closest work friends --- she thought she could trust， and she feels most like a failure when she finds herself unable to effectively mentor or serve as a role model for others。It might be easy to dismiss BULLY MARKET as an account of one woman’s harrowing experience at a very particular kind of workplace at a very particular time。 However， as Jamie expresses more clearly near the end of her memoir， and especially in the afterword， many of the factors that contributed to her awful experience are present in all kinds of industries， not just in the financial sector or in large firms。 She points out places in which employers often have vast distance between the kinds of values they publicly hold and how they treat their employees in private。 She calls out companies for paying lip service to things like diversity in hiring but then utterly fail to support employees from marginalized groups once they actually get their feet in the door。One hopes that readers not only will be stunned and saddened by Jamie Fiore Higgins’ individual experience， but will be spurred to action， to examine their own professional situations with clear eyes and a commitment to improve practices in their own industries。Reviewed by Norah Piehl 。。。more
Tina
，
This is such an interesting， well written memoir。 I have no interest or real knowledge of the world of finance， but found Higgins' memoir hard to put down。 I whole heartedly believe every single thing she experienced at Goldman Sachs happened and feel like unfortunately this is par for the course in a lot of businesses and industries。 Higgins is someone who eventually had enough financial security to open up about it publicly。 Most people don't have that。 I have told several friends about this b This is such an interesting， well written memoir。 I have no interest or real knowledge of the world of finance， but found Higgins' memoir hard to put down。 I whole heartedly believe every single thing she experienced at Goldman Sachs happened and feel like unfortunately this is par for the course in a lot of businesses and industries。 Higgins is someone who eventually had enough financial security to open up about it publicly。 Most people don't have that。 I have told several friends about this book already and will continue to recommend it。 。。。more
Tiffany
，
Always suspected GS was evil but this confirms it！
Vader
，
3。55 star - Perfect4 star - i would recommend3 star - good2 star - struggled to complete1 star - could not finish
Matthew Fischer
，
One of the best memoirs I have ever read！This is an incredibly powerful and moving account of the toxic culture that can persist in the corporate world （and Wall Street in particular）。 The author is gut-wrenchingly open and honest， readily admitting her faults and mistakes。 The sanctimonious overtones that have ruined so many memoirs for me is nowhere to be seen here。 Instead， you have here a vividly credible story of a young woman struggling to succeed in a virulent environment and is forced to One of the best memoirs I have ever read！This is an incredibly powerful and moving account of the toxic culture that can persist in the corporate world （and Wall Street in particular）。 The author is gut-wrenchingly open and honest， readily admitting her faults and mistakes。 The sanctimonious overtones that have ruined so many memoirs for me is nowhere to be seen here。 Instead， you have here a vividly credible story of a young woman struggling to succeed in a virulent environment and is forced to sacrifice her personal values in order to survive。 Thankfully， she does not succumb to the "vampire squid" and instead finds the strength and courage to leave the firm and go public with her story。 True bravery on so many levels。While， as a white man， I have not faced the misogynistic harassment that the author did， I too was caught in the trap of sacrificing personal values and health to fit into an avaricious culture。 The danger is all too real。 。。。more
Julie Hudson
，
There's an element of how much sympathy can you really have for someone who's raking in $1m+ a year but it is very honest and revealing of life as a female top executive in the mysogynistic world of high finance。 It's more of an autobiography about her whole life during her time working at Goldman Sachs， not just within the working environment， and the descriptions of her having a miscarriage on the way home from work are not for the faint hearted。I appreciate that she grappled with her own valu There's an element of how much sympathy can you really have for someone who's raking in $1m+ a year but it is very honest and revealing of life as a female top executive in the mysogynistic world of high finance。 It's more of an autobiography about her whole life during her time working at Goldman Sachs， not just within the working environment， and the descriptions of her having a miscarriage on the way home from work are not for the faint hearted。I appreciate that she grappled with her own values and I could relate to that internal dilemma: I worked in the profit focussed， male dominated world of advertising sales environment where most deals were done on the golf course and money was thrown around （this was the 1990s） for far too long until finally seeing the light and leaving to become a bookseller。 Selling books is a much more wholesome business than selling advertising space。 。。。more
Amy
，
WOW WOW WOW！！！！！ I don’t even know where to begin with this book。 Praise that it was written？ Disappointment that it took so long to have this book written？ Or shamefully happy to know that I’m no alone？ Jamie Fiore Higgins has this incredible ability to make you feel her pain， her triumphs， her sufferings， her setbacks， and then the ecstatic feel of crossing that finish line and doing it on HER own terms。 Jamie compromised her morals， her family， and even her health in a culture dominated by me WOW WOW WOW！！！！！ I don’t even know where to begin with this book。 Praise that it was written？ Disappointment that it took so long to have this book written？ Or shamefully happy to know that I’m no alone？ Jamie Fiore Higgins has this incredible ability to make you feel her pain， her triumphs， her sufferings， her setbacks， and then the ecstatic feel of crossing that finish line and doing it on HER own terms。 Jamie compromised her morals， her family， and even her health in a culture dominated by men。 We’re told by our mothers， feminists， and fellow sisters in arms， that we can break the glass ceiling， but is that attainable and at what cost？ I hope， truly hope， that every manager regardless of what industry or level you’re at， will read this book。 I implore so many companies to put this book on their required reading list for managers。 Human capital is the world’s most valuable asset and to just discard it like a tissue you’ve blown your nose in， is a slap in the face to so many who work and make this country how great it is。 I am 47 years old and at some point in my career I have experienced this level of misogyny and misconduct and what makes it even more painful is when it’s done by women to other women。 Read this book and take stock of your life。 。。。more
Marisa Woodrum
，
Very well done and unfortunately accurate。 Would recommend to both those who have been through this and those who are just interested。 It’s an easy read！
J。B。 Hollows
，
Every man should read this book。 Every woman should read this book。 Every major corporate should read this book。 Yes it is a riveting story。 A tell all。 No holds barred。 But it’s way way more than that。 This is not about power play where women turn the tables。 This book is about the privileged underbelly of people who should know better and a culture of discrimination that we still live in。 But it also offers solutions to the problem。 I love her vulnerability。 Honesty and straight forward storyt Every man should read this book。 Every woman should read this book。 Every major corporate should read this book。 Yes it is a riveting story。 A tell all。 No holds barred。 But it’s way way more than that。 This is not about power play where women turn the tables。 This book is about the privileged underbelly of people who should know better and a culture of discrimination that we still live in。 But it also offers solutions to the problem。 I love her vulnerability。 Honesty and straight forward storytelling。 The writing is superb。 The images compelling and the trauma sickening。 A great book from beginning to end。 Bravo Jamie ♥️ 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
As seen in the New Yorker: https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 As seen in the New Yorker: https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
I appreciate the insight， but I had a very hard time listening to stories about how $1，000，000/yr just doesn't pay all the bills。 I appreciate the insight， but I had a very hard time listening to stories about how $1，000，000/yr just doesn't pay all the bills。 。。。more
Natalie K
，
I was really eager to read this， both because I work in finance （not at Goldman Sachs， thank goodness！） and because I love the novel The Escape Room， which is about investment bankers at a fictional firm that is obviously based on Goldman Sachs）。 Don't get me wrong， I did like this book。 I can't imagine working at Goldman—what a nightmare！ Add in to those long working hours a four hour commute （that's two hours each way） and that sounds like a nightmare to me， regardless of salary！ For close to I was really eager to read this， both because I work in finance （not at Goldman Sachs， thank goodness！） and because I love the novel The Escape Room， which is about investment bankers at a fictional firm that is obviously based on Goldman Sachs）。 Don't get me wrong， I did like this book。 I can't imagine working at Goldman—what a nightmare！ Add in to those long working hours a four hour commute （that's two hours each way） and that sounds like a nightmare to me， regardless of salary！ For close to twenty years， Jamie saw her work colleagues more than her family or friends。 It's one thing to do that for a couple of years to make a ton of money—but nineteen years （that's the amount of time she says she worked for Goldman） is a really long time to miss out on。Of course， she waited until the end to throw in some random support for black lives matter。 Really？ That's not going to make the culture at Goldman， or any company better。 Black lives matter isn't going to make anything better。 Just saying。 If she'd put that in the introduction instead of the epilogue， I probably wouldn't have read the book。 。。。more
Melissa
，
This novel is an honest and brave account of one woman's experience in the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs。 I couldn't put it down。 It's well-written， engaging， and serves up a wild ride of a story。 Highly recommend！ This novel is an honest and brave account of one woman's experience in the upper echelons of Goldman Sachs。 I couldn't put it down。 It's well-written， engaging， and serves up a wild ride of a story。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Ashley
，
Thank you Simon and Schuster and Jamie Fiore Higgins for giving me a copy of the book at ALA Annual this year！I hate giving ratings to people’s personal accounts， but this is a great， palatable， non-fiction read！If you are a woman， have a sister， a mom or a daughter （you get my point） you should read this just to get a small glimpse into what it is like to be a working mom and really just a working woman。 This exposé on Goldman Sachs is really an exposé on how almost all businesses big and small Thank you Simon and Schuster and Jamie Fiore Higgins for giving me a copy of the book at ALA Annual this year！I hate giving ratings to people’s personal accounts， but this is a great， palatable， non-fiction read！If you are a woman， have a sister， a mom or a daughter （you get my point） you should read this just to get a small glimpse into what it is like to be a working mom and really just a working woman。 This exposé on Goldman Sachs is really an exposé on how almost all businesses big and small treat their employees。 In their eyes the workforce is expendable especially women and even more so POC。 A few things that really resonated with me:- familial pressure is a huge problem （stop laying the burden of doing better than you did at the feet of your children）- women tearing other women down is as bad as men’s misogyny （just stop！）- Dunkin Donut math （Jamie busted out a DD metaphor to explain math and I am here for it！）- Shared trauma of 9/11 （a whole generation still suffers from PTSD， but that’s all I’ll say on it）- A few more: impostor syndrome is no joke！ Wage disparity！ Ugh！ Working full time and breastfeeding is damn near impossible！ - I have so many more thoughts and could talk forever about this book especially pregnancy and pregnancy loss （I am 1 in 4）， but there’s a character limit！ 。。。more
Wendy G
，
https://wendyreadit。wordpress。com/202。。。This memoir is so honest and raw， I had a tough time putting it down。 I found myself in awe of Jamie's strength and courage as she reveals the good， the bad， and the ugly events in her life。 I think about her husband， Dan， and her family， who will now know that complete strangers will know intimate details about their marriage。 Jamie really puts herself out there， and you can feel her desperation， her sadness， her hopelessness。 Jamie shows how beaten down https://wendyreadit。wordpress。com/202。。。This memoir is so honest and raw， I had a tough time putting it down。 I found myself in awe of Jamie's strength and courage as she reveals the good， the bad， and the ugly events in her life。 I think about her husband， Dan， and her family， who will now know that complete strangers will know intimate details about their marriage。 Jamie really puts herself out there， and you can feel her desperation， her sadness， her hopelessness。 Jamie shows how beaten down she was by the culture at Goldman Sachs and how she felt she had to fight her moral compass to survive in this culture。 As Jamie's career accerated， her family and her values suffered， which definitely precipitated her downward spiral。 Only when Jamie was able to forgive herself with the loving support of Dan， was she able to make a plan， prioritize what really mattered to her， and give up the prestige of being a Goldman Sachs managing director and the hefty salary that came with it。。 I'm just in awe of Jamie and， when I meet her （not if）， I'm just going to want to hug her tight！ Go Jamie！！！！ Aug 2022 pub date #netgalley 。。。more
Rachel
，
I have long thought the world of finance is the most misogynistic setting for a professional woman。 We often hear about misogyny in Hollywood and other industries and it's about time the toxic culture in the finance industry is brought to light。I started by career in finance about the same time as author Jamie Fiore Higgins。 But my career started with Merrill Lynch - at that time both Merrill and Goldman were names that， if you had them on your resume， would get you noticed。 Men cheating the sys I have long thought the world of finance is the most misogynistic setting for a professional woman。 We often hear about misogyny in Hollywood and other industries and it's about time the toxic culture in the finance industry is brought to light。I started by career in finance about the same time as author Jamie Fiore Higgins。 But my career started with Merrill Lynch - at that time both Merrill and Goldman were names that， if you had them on your resume， would get you noticed。 Men cheating the system， taking credit for women's work， partying with clients at strip clubs or on the golf course excluding women was just a typical day。I hope Jamie's story starts a long conversation about the culture not only at Godman Sachs but in the finance industry as a whole， a conversation that holds people accountable and facilitates change。I received an ARC from Goodreads and read this book in one weekend。 I couldn't put it down， it was like a walk down memory lane for me。 。。。more
Joyce Hamel
，
Bully For JamieNotwithstanding this Goldman Sachs expose of sorts， Jamie Higgins uncovers the inner workings of the largest financial firm with emphasis on misogyny and racial discrimination。I could not stop reading this book。 I was glued to every page; I understand trading tactics， hedge funds and the systemic competition at Goldman Sachs。 Notwithstanding my own career in visible corporate positions as a woman， I understood the depth of trauma “climbing the corporate ladder。” This author presen Bully For JamieNotwithstanding this Goldman Sachs expose of sorts， Jamie Higgins uncovers the inner workings of the largest financial firm with emphasis on misogyny and racial discrimination。I could not stop reading this book。 I was glued to every page; I understand trading tactics， hedge funds and the systemic competition at Goldman Sachs。 Notwithstanding my own career in visible corporate positions as a woman， I understood the depth of trauma “climbing the corporate ladder。” This author presents her grueling twenty years at Goldman， not as a rich young woman with connections。 She attained her position because of perseverance， intellect， and math。She did not come from a wealthy family that was connected。 No one offered her a place at Goldman because she knew the right people。 Her family convinced her to apply for a job that would pay her lots of money。 They had monetarily sacrificed their lives for her health and education and believed she needed to attain monetary goals。 And so， she did， with a fervor。 She was clever and if you read her responses to her bosses’ complaints， she was surprisingly subservient and always looking to the future。Seduced by the naked need to get a bigger bonus and excel at every aspect of any job bestowed upon her， “Jamie from Goldman” learned how to play the toxic game。 She amassed clients who increased the companies’ coffers。 It was all at a price， she worked unspeakably long hours， and remained one of very few women who attained Managing Director。 Jamie was married with children， and it was no surprise that her occupation negatively impacted her marriage， and she was often an absentee mother。 You cannot do it all when you are a woman。The author did not show Goldman Sachs in a good light。 Yes， they hired the best， brightest and the connected。 Their reputation with women employees was abominable。 It was almost impossible to compete with the white and wealthy males。 However， Jamie succeeded until she had to make life choices。I highly recommend this book。 The author is forthright， and her depiction of Goldman convinces the reader that is not an equitable workplace， but the salary and bonuses are seductive and life-changing。My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this pre-published book。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Nancy
，
Phew。。。what a compelling memoir。 Bully Market is a riveting， and often disturbing， behind the scenes account of life as an investment banker at one of the world's most prestigious organizations。 It also explores the evolution of a young woman from a working class family in NJ and who then goes from a math major at Bryn Mawr to a high level position at Goldman Sachs。Ms。 Higgins openly writes about the good， bad and ugly of Goldman Sachs， and the world of hedge fund trading （and her descriptions w Phew。。。what a compelling memoir。 Bully Market is a riveting， and often disturbing， behind the scenes account of life as an investment banker at one of the world's most prestigious organizations。 It also explores the evolution of a young woman from a working class family in NJ and who then goes from a math major at Bryn Mawr to a high level position at Goldman Sachs。Ms。 Higgins openly writes about the good， bad and ugly of Goldman Sachs， and the world of hedge fund trading （and her descriptions were very understandable and interesting）。 Importantly， she was also very open about her behavior and at times， complicity。 There were a couple gaps in time （especially in her early times/marriage） that might have been interesting to include。As an HR person， I broke out into a cold sweat multiple times while reading Ms。 Higgins' descriptions of things employees and managers said and did （and didn't do）， management practices， etc。Bully Market is a quick read and well worth exploring。 Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read Bully Market in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nicole
，
I read this book in one sitting。 Jamie proved her worth and earned her promotions with her wit and hard work despite the efforts of the blue blood bullies to bring her down。 I enjoyed the glimpse behind the Goldman gates of the day to day dealings in the high stakes world of hedge fund trading。 Jamie proved that staying true to yourself and taking the time to develop authentic relationships will sustain you through the tough times。 Jamie shared the stress of trying to manage work， marriage， and I read this book in one sitting。 Jamie proved her worth and earned her promotions with her wit and hard work despite the efforts of the blue blood bullies to bring her down。 I enjoyed the glimpse behind the Goldman gates of the day to day dealings in the high stakes world of hedge fund trading。 Jamie proved that staying true to yourself and taking the time to develop authentic relationships will sustain you through the tough times。 Jamie shared the stress of trying to manage work， marriage， and family in pursuit of money。 I enjoyed the gender role reversal perspective in this situation。 The grass is always greener。 Ultimately I like how Jamie left on her own terms， in her own time， and is moving forward in a new direction。 Bravo！ 。。。more
M
，
In the last year and a half， my own interest in the stock market has risen， likely because I have reached that certain age where I am teetering between the fierce saving for my children's college 529 plans and our own retirement。 I've often cursed that my own passions didn't line up with a career that lined up with the compensation it deserves， but I cannot help but love what I love。 Higgins didn't choose that path， which is perhaps why I wanted to read the book--I wanted to see what it would be In the last year and a half， my own interest in the stock market has risen， likely because I have reached that certain age where I am teetering between the fierce saving for my children's college 529 plans and our own retirement。 I've often cursed that my own passions didn't line up with a career that lined up with the compensation it deserves， but I cannot help but love what I love。 Higgins didn't choose that path， which is perhaps why I wanted to read the book--I wanted to see what it would be like to set aside a social service profession's path for something that would make money not a concern。 Higgins， when Higgins was Fiore， wanted to be a social worker， but her family influenced her to pick a path that earned real money， and earn it she did。 Her hours left little room for anything else， though she did manage to get married and have four children， a feat I cannot understand until I realize she sacrificed time for those things--she saw her kids on the weekends， even though they slept in the same house， and she almost lost her marriage as they drifted apart。 There is a portion where that marriage begins to fall apart， but the passages feel as if a lot is left out， which is fine--it is not my business to know the sordid details--but the thing is， Higgins presents it as if she's given us all the information。 We get two scenes in which she seems to be telling all， but also， she is able to excuse away so much。 I feel that these moments could have been handled differently; she could have said， there were moments when I was unfaithful， and my husband knew， and given us some paragraphs， but to feel as if we were let behind the curtain when I'm sure there was more felt strange。It felt that much of the book， Higgins was painting herself as a "this is not me" and "these are not my morals" kind of person， but she stayed in an abusive environment for nearly two decades。 Yes， there is so much that shows how hard it is to leave an abusive relationship-like situation: she is assaulted and yet she stays， she is demeaned and yet she stays， she has to make an exit plan and yet she stays right up until that day。 Instead of suing， she stays。 Instead of reporting most of the incidents， she keeps quit so she can stay。 She writes about how she wants to be a role model for women rising in the company， but she keeps quiet when one of them takes actual action。 She doesn't sue because she claims she wants to keep her reputation intact but then she writes a tell-all memoir， and perhaps that is what could do more harm to Goldman Sachs than suing， but to me， I've always been told to report those things and make those changes。 For me， reading this book， I couldn't understand how she didn't report things within those first months， but I would not have lasted for nearly two decades and never would have made the bonuses she had。 That's what makes reading this memoir so difficult。I don't want to imply that I haven't been in similar toxic situations; I have。 I've just left because I knew I couldn't influence the change that needed to happen。 This could be why and how I can't understand all the things I wrote above。 I was also raised differently--my parents told me I have to feel good and passionate about what I do。 For a bit， I felt envy that her bonuses were more than I could make in a decade and a half。 I do wonder if Higgins will end up in social work。 At the end of the book， she's a stay at home mom， and more power to her--I was one too for a few years。 It was its own kind of wonderful and hard。The writing itself is fine。 It is no literary memoir， so I am not sure what kind of shelf life it will have， but it's competent and truly interesting to see things from a world I will never live in。 I'm glad Higgins wrote this book because I think women need to tell their stories。 I have criticized her above for not speaking out before， but she's doing it now， and that takes a hell of a lot of courage。 She does it in a way that reads in a smooth narrative and I found myself looking forward to returning to the pages。 This would be a good read for anyone who is interested in the real stories of women in powerful positions （who are made to feel powerless） and wants to read a true story of those things。 Honestly， I hope this book ends up making the change it should make， and I hope women in power find more ways to break away from that feeling of powerlessness to get what they truly deserve， which is so much more than what Higgins got。I read this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lisa Karbiner
，
Riveting first hand account into the elusive insider world of finance。 The writing style is fast-paced and makes the reader crave more with each page。 There were many plot twists and turns with a surprising ending。 I felt connected to the author’s internal conflicts and emotional stakes throughout the book。 This is a must-read for any woman navigating the corporate world。
Barbara Geary
，
A must-read。。。this book takes you thru all the emotions。 The life of female fighting for a seat at the table in the Wall Street male-dominated world。。。when smarts and hard work still aren't enough。 #metoo A must-read。。。this book takes you thru all the emotions。 The life of female fighting for a seat at the table in the Wall Street male-dominated world。。。when smarts and hard work still aren't enough。 #metoo 。。。more
Natalie
，
Empowering。 Captivating。 Inspirational。
Etta
，
I loved this book。 It provided a much-needed perspective in the world of finance， and it was so refreshing to hear this story told by a woman I could completely relate to。 The writing was excellent， and I found myself rooting for the author as the story unfolded。 Higgins exposed true， raw， and even conflicted feelings， and I cried more than once while reading this memoir。 A page-turner for sure。
Casey
，
Absolutely captivating。 This was one of my fastest reads in a while。 Normally you don’t think an average biography will be all too intriguing， but I literally couldn’t put the book down。 It was fascinating to find out what the next thing going on in Jamie’s life was。 This was her real story and I just am in awe of her brutal honesty and vulnerability。 She truly grips you with her story， and provides moments so relatable they can rip your heart out and then mend it all over again。 I couldn’t say Absolutely captivating。 This was one of my fastest reads in a while。 Normally you don’t think an average biography will be all too intriguing， but I literally couldn’t put the book down。 It was fascinating to find out what the next thing going on in Jamie’s life was。 This was her real story and I just am in awe of her brutal honesty and vulnerability。 She truly grips you with her story， and provides moments so relatable they can rip your heart out and then mend it all over again。 I couldn’t say enough amazing things about this book。 I have already told all of my friends to pre-order。 。。。more
Wendy Behary
，