The Wolf of Wall Street

Jordan Belfort

Most of the really good things in my life have come to me thanks to the good deeds or help I have received from family and friends. A couple of weeks ago I received a hard-cover book drop shipped to me from our bookstore. I opened the box and took out The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort. I vaguely remembered discussing this book with a friend and I thought I had ordered it. After I was about two-thirds of the way through it I mentioned it to a friend and he said he wondered if I had received it, as he had ordered it from Tony and had it shipped to me. I thanked him and told him how much I was enjoying it.

"Upstairs, we walked down a long hallway, at the end of which was a prodigious set of double doors. On either side of the doors was a uniformed police officer, standing watch. They opened the door and there was the bachelor party. Elliot and I walked into the room and froze: It was the reincarnation of Sodom and Gomorrah."…

The paragraph above is Jordan’s description of his entrance into the room hosting his own bachelor party. I would say that calling it Sodom and Gomorrah was a strong use of understatement. This book is about excess! Jordan Belfort was excessive in his creation of wealth, his addictions to sex, drugs, and power and everything else. This book is full of very crass descriptions of very crass people involved in unspeakable debauchery, or as Jordan kept describing it, "the lifestyle of the rich and dysfunctional".

Jordan Belfort tells an amazing tale of the Wall Street boiler room operation he started and ran called Stratton-Oakmont. I find it hard to believe everything he says, and I would guess some of the stories are exaggerated, but for the most part this tale has the feel of truth to it.

I found the story fascinating, and the writing was exceptional. The descriptions of the characters and scenes were exquisitely done, and I found myself laughing out loud over and over again. Belfort (or his editors or both) is a very talented writer.

I found myself really engrossed with the story and very interested in the main characters, who are multi-dimensional. It is a great story and very entertaining--for those of you who are not offended by ultra X-rated and very descriptive materials I highly recommend this book. The wealth and debauchery and stories are outlandish but seemingly real.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that the author is a real charmer and a fascinating study in human nature. There is some real depth to this book and it transcends the tale of excess and debauchery. In fact when I finished the book, my gut reaction was, I want to know more—I hope he writes a sequel!

Thanks to my friend Charlie who sent it to me.

Review by Len Oppenheim

20% off hardcover price