Streetwise

Getting to and Through Goldman Sachs

By: Lloyd Blankfein

Narrated by: Lloyd Blankfein

The New York Times bestseller

From the long-tenured head of Goldman Sachs, an institution legendary for its culture of success, comes a candid memoir of global leadership in an age of extreme turbulence.

"Funny, mainly blunt, unexpectedly vulnerable and rarely apologetic.” —Bloomberg

“No one has gotten inside the secret walls of Goldman Sachs and told the story of everything about it, warts and all. Now the man who ran it tells all—and it’s incredible.” —Jim Cramer

"Lively and insightful." —The Wall Street Journal

When Lloyd Blankfein was attacked as a Wall Street fat cat, he had to smile, thinking of his precarious childhood in the notorious public housing projects of East New York, Brooklyn, and attending a high school so chaotic he didn’t feel safe leaving class to go to the bathroom in his time there. Harvard University was a total moonshot, and his outsider status never wore off, there or at Harvard Law. When he struck people as street-y, it wasn’t Wall Street they were thinking of. But if the chip never quite left Blankfein's shoulder, neither did a wry, resilient spirit and a lucid, democratic intelligence that saw through airs and found talent and ideas in unlikely places.

Streetwise is a delightfully honest, sharp and often very funny reckoning with the author’s education—in finance, human nature, and the workings of the world. It abounds with lessons about leading teams of brilliant, aggressive, competitive people and harmonizing them around shared goals; changing when times are hard and when they’re good; managing risk; and knowing a crisis is at hand before it swamps you so you can guide your team to the further shore. Blankfein is famed for his calm hand on Goldman Sachs’s tiller during the global financial crisis, and that story is told in full here, among many other decisive episodes.

Suffusing Streetwise is the author’s deep and abiding respect for the partnership culture of Goldman Sachs. We follow the never-ending work to protect and preserve that culture through all sorts of tumult—the challenge behind every other challenge. He is open about when he and the firm got it wrong, which was often enough, but the creative, risk-taking spirit was never snuffed—even as the fail-safes put in place to protect the firm and its clients held when they were needed the most. A powerful blueprint for the wise stewardship of a cause that is larger than yourself, Streetwise will inspire and inform readers throughout the global business community and beyond.

Honesty

I love the idea that he did not sugar coat anything that he had to go through.., very human mind! wish he was my neighbor and friend

Lloyd is my best friend from Brooklyn that got away and stayed true to the neighborhood

Adjacent to the financial industry as a graphic designer — I understand the trappings, challenges, conflicts, and light at the end of a tunnel type calamity of choice.

a compelling rags to smarts and success story

Great origin story from a gifted storyteller. Lessons learned from the 2008 financial debacle from the inside was another highlight. There are Lessons in here for all of us.

The author’s account of the Global Financial Crisis.

I enjoyed the author’s take on developing a career in a financial services firm and the insight into Goldman Sachs. Although the author is not a polished narrator, I enjoyed the insight he shared on his highs and lows and the book kept me engaged. I will enjoy comparing notes with friends who also read it.

Got to know Lloyd

As a long time GS shareholder, following Warren Buffet into some shares during the financial crisis, it was so interesting to hear the inside story behind the headlines I've followed for so many years.
It is an incredible life story !
Lloyd gives and great performance and it really makes you feel like you got to know Lloyd.