Capital Instincts

Amid the expanding shelves of business biographies and dot com tell-alls, this portrait of Silicon Valley investment banker Thomas Weisel stands almost mythically taller than the others. It's not just that Weisel survived and thrived despite first the disastrous sale of his company to NationsBank and then the tech downturn. Nor is it just that Weisel is a bold and canny business thinker and a charismatic leader who inspires loyalty and near-reverence among employees and clients alike. More than anything, what fascinates is the feedback loop between Weisel's workaholic style and his consuming passion for skiing and cycling--a passion that led him first to successfully reconfigure the U.S. Olympic ski team organization, and then to put together the winning U.S. Postal Service cycling team led by Lance Armstrong. One only wonders how such an obviously brilliant man could have such simpleminded and even incoherent libertarian politics. Author Richard Brandt, a veteran technology journalist from Business Week and the now-defunct Upside Magazine, makes use of his long intimacy with the tech sector business world to situate Weisel's career within the historical context of Silicon Valley's rise, hysterical boom and return to reality.

I loved "Capitol Instincts" and you will, too. It is a quick, enjoyable and often very funny read. For those of us who know far too little about the world of investment banking (and for that matter, art investing and high level sports) it is an easy way to gain insight and important knowledge. I enjoyed the way Brandt took you from the history up to hot off the press issues changing the face of banking today, as well as very intriguing backroom dealmaking. He reveals a master dealmaker at work. Weisel's sections keep the info coming, with his pointed valuable advice to entrepreneurs and investors. The sections on sports and art were fascinating. Again, Brandt delivers depth with fascinating details and insight on his subjects. And it is fast and fun all the way. Buy it, read it, send copies to all your friends. This book is hot, fast, easy and fun to read! I can't wait to see what this hot author will tackle next!

Authorized biographies are usually lovefests. This wasn't. It was honest, revealing and unsentimental. More a memoir than a biography,I found this a surprisingly excellent look inside the mind and life of someone I do not greatly admire into a business I do not greatly admire. I wish it had dealt more with the ethical issues that have gone awry in the investment banking community, but I got a clear picture of who Thom Wiesel is and found it a really interesting link between what compels athletes and investment bankers. I got to understand how it works and the vital role they play in the basic system of taking companies public. It is a well-written, fast-paced book.I never lost interest.

This is a well-written, informative book, surprisingly so considering it's an authorized biography of an investment banker. Wiesel is a legend, and this book let's me see what makes him tick, revealing a bitmore I think than he might actualy want us to see. I found it fascinating to see the link between investment bankers and atheletes until I realized both are among the most competitive activities in our society. I was astounded at what this hard-boiled wheeler and dealer did for Lance Armstrong when no one else would go near him. Maybe he has a heart of gold, or may he just saw a good investment where others didn't. It's well written and never lags. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the insider of investment banking, from an unsentimental and informative perspective.