Sometimes, you need to step outside your usual reading genre to broaden your horizons and maybe discover something you didn’t expect to either love or hate. With that mindset, I dove into this book, despite not being particularly interested in stocks or poker. I was hoping to gain some fresh insights—perhaps even uncover something relatable or useful.

Unfortunately, the author’s approach doesn’t quite hit the mark for a wider audience. This book often feels more like a lecture on how brilliant the author thinks he is, disguised as a deep dive into risk-taking theory and poker analogies. 

While the book tries to offer profound insights into decision-making, it often comes off as a self-indulgent monologue, where the author seems more interested in impressing readers with his intellect than actually delivering practical or engaging ideas.

That said, there are a couple of moments where the author makes a worthwhile point. He does touch on the gender disparity in poker, acknowledging that women are significantly underrepresented, which is a rare and much-needed discussion in this space. Additionally, he lists several characteristics of successful risk-takers, offering advice that could apply to anyone—regardless of whether you’re interested in poker, stocks, or just navigating life’s uncertainties.

But other than that? I was skimming through a lot of mansplaining in the form of endless poker analogies and overly technical jargon and an uncomfortable amount of name-dropping. Elon Musk, for example, makes frequent appearances, and the author’s apparent admiration for Musk’s brand of reckless, high-stakes risk-taking feels both excessive and eye-roll-inducing. The book also comes across as a thinly-veiled attempt to justify the author’s worldview, with only a few half-baked insights that could’ve easily fit into an article rather than a full-length book.

I will give the author the credit for making an effort to make the book accessible. He includes a 24-page glossary and 40 pages of notes to explain the terminology, which might be helpful for those unfamiliar with poker or billionaire lingo. But in the end, it feels like this book is really aimed at a specific niche. Maybe that’s because it was—if you’re not already steeped in the world of high-stakes risk and investment jargon, you might feel like you're getting lectured by someone who thinks you should already know everything about billionaires and their favorite card games.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not, unless you're into reading about how the author’s opinions on risk-taking are somehow groundbreaking or if you want a book to use as a doorstop. I can't imagine a more fitting role for this green, attention-grabbing tome. It’s a male-centric, ego-boosting read that’s sure to appeal to a very specific audience, but unless you're keen on roasting its pretentious tone or having something to mock with friends, I’d skip it. If you’re looking for something with substance or actual practical advice, there are far better options out there.

Thank you Times Reads for the review copy.