Summary

In Chapter 2, the reader meets Brad Katsuyama, an employee of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Brad is described as analytically gifted, conscientious, and team-orientated. As a young man, he chose to follow his girlfriend and friends to a lesser-known Canadian college rather than accept admission into a world-class university. He hated to be singled out for his gifts and perceived inadequacies. He preferred the energetic and bustling environment of trading stock on Wall Street. Brad was also a model employee. He fit into the culture of so-called “RBC nice,” where employees demonstrated fairness and respect in stark contrast to Wall Street's environment. The employees of RBC and Brad were selfless and determined to uplift the group as a whole. Lewis notes that, “Brad Katsuyama had trusted the system; and the system, in return, trusted Brad Katsuyama” (Page 27).

After being transferred to New York...