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Chicago Pits
Chris Parker has heard tales of vast fortunes being made in the Chicago commodities business. The near seven-foot-tall Alabaman has a freakish ability to make fast numerical calculations, helping him get promoted to floor broker at the Chicago Commodities Exchange (CCE).
A Wild West atmosphere reigns on the CCE trading floor; rail-thin Chris gets bludgeoned. He complicates things by becoming enthralled with a tiny female trader. He begins trading with her over the heads of hundreds of traders across the gigantic U.S. Treasury-Index Pit, leading his Pit neighbors to become violent over all the juice getting away.
Chris unexpectedly learns of a ghastly plot by the CCE to give a large bribe to a powerful U.S. Congressman. Then he finds out why and it all makes sense. When Chris takes action, he begins to fear elements of the old Chicago are readying to doom him.
A Wild West atmosphere reigns on the CCE trading floor; rail-thin Chris gets bludgeoned. He complicates things by becoming enthralled with a tiny female trader. He begins trading with her over the heads of hundreds of traders across the gigantic U.S. Treasury-Index Pit, leading his Pit neighbors to become violent over all the juice getting away.
Chris unexpectedly learns of a ghastly plot by the CCE to give a large bribe to a powerful U.S. Congressman. Then he finds out why and it all makes sense. When Chris takes action, he begins to fear elements of the old Chicago are readying to doom him.
492 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2018
2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Bill Walker
28 books17 followersBill Walker was raised in Macon, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting. He traded U.S. Treasury Bonds at the Chicago Board of Trade for 10 years. He then moved to London where he traded German Bonds for Nomura International at the London International Futures Exchange for four years.
Upon leaving the trading business, Bill took a radical turn. He served for a year as a volunteer in a welfare reform program in South Texas. He then taught English as a second language in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.
He came to hiking late in life, but has tried to make up for it. In 2005 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. In 2006, he hiked the Long Trail. In 2009, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2010, he hiked the spiritual pilgrimage (European Divorcee Trail!), El Camino de Santiago, which crosses the northern arc of Spain.
He has written the outdoor narratives, Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Bill is currently working on two books–one about height (he is 6’11”) and the other about his pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
Upon leaving the trading business, Bill took a radical turn. He served for a year as a volunteer in a welfare reform program in South Texas. He then taught English as a second language in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.
He came to hiking late in life, but has tried to make up for it. In 2005 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. In 2006, he hiked the Long Trail. In 2009, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2010, he hiked the spiritual pilgrimage (European Divorcee Trail!), El Camino de Santiago, which crosses the northern arc of Spain.
He has written the outdoor narratives, Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), and Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010). Bill is currently working on two books–one about height (he is 6’11”) and the other about his pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
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February 5, 2018
Chicago Pits is a compelling new novel about how a decent young man learns to survive in a frantic setting of greed and corruption. If you've ever had a job that made you grow up fast and see the world with entirely new eyes, you will relate to Chris Parker, who stumbles into a situation far over his head by accident, and then has to decide what he will do with the information, which is essentially deciding what kind of man he wants to be. This is a unique look from a former insider at what it's like for those in the trenches at the Chicago Commodities Exchange, and how lives are impacted every time the boys upstairs have an itch or make a call. Very well done.
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