Ok, so this is kind of a mixed review, because the book (I haven't seen the movie either) wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was thinking that it was going to be more like a story along the lines of the movie "Wall Street" - you know, behind the scenes corruption and chaos of stock trading and wall street. But really, the book is more "Scarface" than it is "Wall Street" - just instead of making a killing with guns and drugs in Miami, he's making a killing with stocks and drugs on Wall Street.

The book reads well, its fast moving, and pretty funny in some places. The sheer outlandishness and audacity of Belfort - this is supposed to be an autobiography - is pretty amazing. And here's my first problem - its almost...too amazing, too clever. My point is is that this guy is taking drugs like he's drinking water, yet he's writing a biography about conversations he had 25 years earlier when he was higher than the moon, and yet we're supposed to believe that that's exactly how it happened? Hmmm...

My other problem with the book, is that - just like Scarface - there is no redemption in it. Belfort does not see the light, does not mend his ways, does not turn over a new leaf. He just gets worse and worse. And along the way he talks about how smart he is, how funny, how good looking, how powerful he is, how many women he slept with, how much money he made, how many things he's owned, how many people he's gotten one over...and more and more and more. Its literally just one long giant ego stroke.

So, if you're going to read the book, just prepared that its very slim on details about Wall Street itself, and is more of a cross between Scarface, and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, by Tucker Max. If you're in the mood for that, its a wild ride. If you're not, then try something else.

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