The book discusses in great detail the Reichmann family's role both in Jewish culture over the last couple hundred years and in the real estate developement business over the last 40 or so years.

The part I liked the best was the descriptions of 18th and 19th century Jewish life in the "oberland"(sp?) of Hungary. A lost culture, thanks not only to the Nazis but also to Jewish Emancipation.

In a way, it is inspirational, as it shows how one family managed to integrate a healthy, traditional religious expression with philanthropy and business acumen. It also shows that you cannot understand what makes that family "tick" without understanding the rich culture and religion of orthodox jewishness.

The greatest strength of this book, in my opinion, is that it is a _history_ of the family and its business, religious, philanthropic, and cultural dealings. It isnt the hagiography that so many business biographies in the popular press tend to be.

As the Reichmanns anticipate another rush to the top of the heap we shall watch with amazed eyes as this family woos our imagination, yet again! As renowned as the Reichmanns have been there are still followers of scrappy success stories that do not know much about what this family, with brother and son Paul at the helm, contributed to New York City's skyline. The World Financial Center was a creation of their delicately named Olympia & York. Read this from beginning to end so that you can grasp the rise and fall and now, again, rise of this amazing family. As is usually indicative of most business minds through time, the children are not as capable as the original "originators" themselves.

For those interested in real estate development, I recommend skipping through the first half of the book and starting at page 256. From there on it is fascinating reading on the possibilities of development for those with seemingly infinite capital on hand. Paul Reichmann's passion, drive and high tolerance for risk makes for better reading than most novels.

If you are at all aware of any of the major financial transactions that occured throught the 'crazy money' days of the eighties, you will spend a lot of the time reading the book saying to yourself 'So Jeff Beck was involved in that too!' A good mix between the cut throat world of stocks 'n shares, and one man's personal dreams and fears Definitely worth reading. If anyone wants a copy I may part with mine, but it took me a very long time to find it, so only worthwhile offers please

What happens when someone with the ego the size of New York gets a book contract? Read this book and find out. This guy is amassing, the book details out his make and break it life in Wall Street and is more of an additional way for him to continue pumping up his ego. There are promises of his wheeling and dealing details and how he was one of the majors in the Junk Bond and M & A scene of he 80's, but once you read the book it seams more like he was always looking in the window at the real players. Overall the book does not really give you much new info, it really is just a description of this arrogant fat at that wanted the world to treat him like a king. I would suggest you not be an enabler to his egomania and move past this book. If you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you also read "Den of Thieves" and "Predator's Ball", both of which cover the 80's M&A and Junk Bond world. To get a better understanding of KKR, I would suggest "Masters of Debit". They are much better books then this one.