Rating: 
Summary: Hillarious!!!
Review: A fun look into the world of investment banking. It won't make a great impact on your life but is definitely worth checking out from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Funny!
Review: A lot of people compare this book to Liar's Poker, and with good reason. Both tell the tales of young MBAs and their experiences at invesment banks. The big difference here, is that this book answers the question of what it's like to be a junior investment banker in your first year. Liar's Poker is more of a book about the climate on Wall Street in the Reagan years, spliced with personal stories. Monkey Business is ALL personal stories, most of them quite funny, about what you can expect if you're considering being a junior investment banker at a bulge-bracket firm.
Of all the Wall Street books I've read (I've read several) this one offers the least insight into the financial climate of the times, what kind of business was being done, etc. It's basically a diary of two guys, one who worked on Wall Street and should have known better, and one rookie to the world of I-banking, from enrolling in top-tier MBA programs to their last frustrating days as co-workers at DLJ. Because of this, it's a quick read and highly relatable.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read for new MBA's
Review: As a MBA student at a top B-School, the lure of the investment banking siren rings loud every day. I hear how much my friends are getting offered in banking and think, "What can be so bad?" Thanks to this book, I now realize why the big bucks are there! If you are considering going into banking, this book is an absolute "must read". The book is entertaining, easy to read, yet full of content. You feel like you are sitting at the desks with them, getting screamed at. I found myself actually feeling stressed over the routine I saw these guys doing. This book is great for anyone in B-school, banking, or business in general. However, if you are not a capitalist, you should probably save your money. The language is fairly rough, but I felt it was important because it gave you a good feel for the atmosphere. The limited audience appeal dropped the overall rating a little, so I gave the book 4 stars. If you are interested in this subject, it is a full 5. I must admit, the money sounds great, and I may in fact fall in the snare, but I go in with my eyes wide open! Thanks guys! john.grounds@sirjohnathon.com
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Insight.
Review: As a student whose major was finance,I do wanna work in I-banking industry.But honestly speaking,you can't learn much about what real work is in classes.Another good way to understand and be familiar with is by reading related books.Monkey Business is undoubtedly an excellent book among such books.It describes the process of preparing ,interviewing,summer-internship,working,and the like.Although you won't truly realize it unless you indeed do that work,at least the book gives you an initial and round overview.In my opinion,it worths reading the book if you're interested in I-banking.I just felt it even inspired me more to forward toward I-banking.
Rating:
Summary: so that's what those bankers have been up to
Review: being a 20-something in nyc, you're just surrounded by friends in banking, complete with cufflinks, corporate cars, and $1250+ monthly rent. sometimes, though, it's really hard to understand why anything (even in the name of saving someone's life) would make someone stay at work overnight, fly all over the place, ruin their physique w/beer and bad food, whine loads, and party until 3 in the morning. the money definitely flowed freer back in the day, when the book was written, but the work concept hasn't. you might still be miffed when your banker friends (or your overworked son/daughter) call to cancel on dinner, but at least you'll have have an idea of what on earth's keeping them after reading this absolute riot of a book. (and warning to the conservative: bankers are only marginally more civilized than traders, so don't expect purist language or stories.)
Rating:
Summary: slam dunk
Review: Having worked in that socially Darwinist and cutthroat institution we call Wall Street, I can attest that this book has it right. Besides being accurate and hilarious, the book is replete with investment banking lingo--hell, there's even a chapter dedicated to valuation!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and witty
Review: It's not often that a book can make me laugh outloud but this one did just that on multiple occasions. The authors' descriptions of their lives as associates gives a different perspective on what's viewed by most outsiders as a glamorous job. The book is engaging throughout and is a quick read. I highly reccomend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the inner workings of the I-banking world.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Monkey Business is great! The book is well written and extremely entertaining. The story is lively and the overall cadence of the book makes it easy and fast to read. Rolfe and Troob have a nice style of writing and are two authors that the reader really likes. They seem like good guys. What I really like about the book is that it is not about deals. I was worried that when I picked it up to read that it would be about boring deals. It is just the opposite. It is a joy to read and I think I learned something in the process. I have lots of friends who are bankers and I never understood why they never seemed happy. They made lots of money, but always seemed nervous and jumpy. This book allows the reader to "jump on board" and experience what junior investment bankers do. The stories are great and the characters are unforgettable. This book is not just for men. Monkey Business is a great read for anyone who wants to understand banking and laugh while reading and learning. It is perfect for a plane trip or while on vacation. It is lots of fun.
Rating:
Summary: Monkey Business is a first-class act!
Review: Monkey Business is the first good book on investment banking to hit the shelves since Michael Lewis' Liar's Poker. As a friend of a friend of the authors I was able to get my hands on one of the first copies printed, and I shall be eternally grateful for this fact. Before reading the book I was contemplating between going into investment banking or becoming a veterinarian, and the book left no doubts in my mind: I prefer to treat animals than to be treated like one, which is apparently the norm in the investment banking industry. Not only did this book chart my furture, it gave me a bundle of laughs along the way. We're talking humor at its best, the kind of humor that has you laughing aloud even in public places. The book raises the definition of entertainment to new levels. It is delightfully descriptive and informative, and the authors' frequent, unsanitized allusions, similes, and metaphors are so clever and honest that they become charming and sweet . Rolfe and Troob managed to give me that fly-on-the-wall feeling, bringing me inside the actual rooms of the investment banking firms. Monkey Business is a must read for every business school student and a highly recommended read for anyone who can read and is looking to be informed and entertained.
Rating:
Summary: Controversial? I'd say so.
Review: The reviews for Monkey Business are almost as interesting as the book itself (almost, but not quite!). The most interesting thing about the reviews is that the vast majority of the people panning the book are either bankers themselves or other "insiders", the exact group that Monkey Business puts in a headlock. Since they can't attack the book's veracity they make due by attacking the authors. I find it amusing that some reviewers complain of the author's intolerance and/or elitism. These people miss the authors' point -- that Wall Street banks are elitist institutions filled with a bunch of white wealthy wanna-bes who consider themselves holier than thou. Rolfe and Troob weave this fact into their narrative in an incredibly humorous fashion. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people just don't get it and think that the authors are the cause of the problem, not simply commentators. Monkey Business was optional reading for my B-school survey class on investment banking. It was a real eye opener and the best book on the list. I loved the book, and think that anybody who can get over their own arrogance should read it and take its lessons to heart. And, oh yeah, by the way the uptight bankers out there should probably steer clear. You're not going to like the reflection that you see reflected in the mirror.
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