The Putnam Bookshelf

Bill Browder's gripping memoir traces his journey as an investor in Russia and his fight against government corruption after the murder of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky.

"What starts as a fascinating account of investing in post-Soviet Russia becomes a remarkable story of corruption, courage, and the pursuit of justice. A reminder that some battles matter far more than financial returns."

— Vivek Gandhi, Portfolio Manager

The collapse of Caesars Entertainment was one of the largest and most contentious bankruptcies in American history. Max Frumes and Sujeet Indap capture the brutal clash between Wall Street's most aggressive hedge funds and private equity titans, Apollo and TPG.

Hedge fund manager David Einhorn’s firsthand account of his years-long battle against Allied Capital exposes the failures of regulators, auditors, and Wall Street to hold the well-connected firm accountable.

Christopher Leonard explores the Federal Reserve intervention that reshaped the U.S. economy.

"What stuck with me most about Lords of Easy Money was the behind-the-scenes look at the Fed: how dissenters were marginalized, consensus was engineered, and even skeptics like Powell came around."

— Anthony Daigle, Portfolio Manager

James B. Stewart recounts the 1980s Wall Street insider trading scandal, tracing how stock speculator Ivan Boesky, junk-bond king Michael Milken, and their network exploited inside information. Prosecutors ultimately exposed the scheme, unraveling one of the era's biggest financial crimes.

Michael Lewis’s iconic account of the investors who recognized the instability in the housing market prior to the 2008 financial crisis. 

“I loved this book! It’s an important reminder of how complexity often hides irresponsibility and how institutions can ignore evidence when profits are at stake. It’s a clarion call that independent thinking and a healthy degree of skepticism can be a powerful recipe for alpha generation.”

— Jackie Cavanaugh, Portfolio Manager

Told through a series of interviews, Keith Gessen's book offers an unfiltered, insider's view of the panic, confusion, and dark humor that gripped Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis.

Connie Bruck’s account of the leveraged buyout boom of the 1980s and controversial junk-bond pioneer Michael Milken.

"This was one of the best books I've read on the foundations of the junk bond market, LBOs, and the early days of today's kingpins in the private asset space."

— Peter Monson, Analyst

Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind's dramatic account of the rise and fall of Enron details the risky financial maneuvers and deceptive accounting practices behind one of the most notorious corporate scandals in history. 

Roger Lowenstein’s chronicle of the 1998 near-collapse of Long-Term Capital Management.

“A fascinating account of how exceptional minds built an investment triumph—then nearly brought down the financial system.  A timeless lesson on the importance of humility and the limits of leverage.”

— Bobby Gray, Portfolio Manager, Analyst

Nathan Vardi traces the rivalry between two Silicon Valley biotech startups racing to develop breakthrough blood-cancer drugs. It's a high-stakes clash of science and profit, where researchers, investors, and CEOs navigate funding battles and corporate intrigue to deliver lifesaving therapies worth billions.

Andrew Ross Sorkin's in-depth history of the events leading up to and following the 2008 financial crash.

“The most important lesson in Sorkin's recounting of the 2008 crisis is the value of a fortress balance sheet. When credit froze, banks pairing high leverage with wholesale funding sank like skyscrapers on quicksand.”

— Spencer Morgan, Portfolio Manager

Tom Wright and Bradley Hope track the astonishing rise and fall of Jho Low, a Malaysian financier who allegedly orchestrated the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund. 

John Carreyrou's captivating account of Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, exposes the fraud, culture of secrecy, and corporate deception that endangered patients and misled investors.

Michael Lewis's vivid portrait of Jim Clark, Silicon Valley visionary and founder of Silicon Graphics, Netscape, and Healtheon. Clark's relentless pursuit of "the new new thing"and his knack for turning bold ideas into staggering wealth reshaped the tech landscape.

The 1988 leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco came to symbolize 1980s Wall Street excess. Through unflinching detail, Bryan Burrough and John Helyar recount the hubris, greed, and ego-driven bidding war that enriched bankers while leaving observers stunned at the spectacle.

A remarkable portrait of ambition, greed, and justice colliding at the highest levels of finance, Sheelah Kolhatkar details  how insider trading, the so-called "black edge," fueled the rise and fall of hedge-fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen and SAC Capital.