CHARLES R. GEISST is the author of fourteen books, including Wheels of Fortune: The History of Speculation from Scandal to Respectability, and the bestsellers Wall Street: A History and 100 Years of Wall Street. Previously, he worked as a capital markets analyst and investment banker at several investment banks in London and also has taught both political science and finance. He has contributed to many journals and newspapers, including the International Herald Tribune, Neue Zurcher Zeitung, and The Wall Street Journal, and has been a guest on many radio and television financial programs.