Solly (Solomon Brothers brokerage firm) in 1986 was a hot-bed of
action for young, rich brokers. If you're looking at the industry
you should know its past (which, interestingly, is also some firm's
present) management culture. And if you're thinking of hiring a
broker you should know what happens on the inside.
Since the 1987 Correction (or Crash, depending on if you were
invested or not at that time) and the rise of discount and
e-brokers these days of the full-service stockbroker seem to be
numbered (as they become more like bankers) but it is incredibly
interesting to see how business was done when the blush was still
on the rose. You don't need to be a market-maven to know what they
are talking about all of the time, but it helps. This is to broker
novels what Wall Street with Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas is
to broker movies.