A well written book. Interesting topic and character development.. Technical is the backbone of this story so may not be for everyone.

This was a good book, though at times I found it dragged a bit. At the start of this book we find out that Greg is on his way to Vegas to try to win a large amount of money to save his bank, one that he caused by the ponzi scheme he was running. We then go back in time, to when Greg is in school and he defends a classmate from a beating by a bunch of jock types. Greg and Joey become fast friends because of this. Joey is shy and reserved, Greg is a bit more outgoing so they are unusual friends. Fast forward and both are attending MIT and have created a workspace at their apartment where they experiment with computers, which are in their infancy. Mostly they create video games and later an open source operating system. The video games provide them with funds to expand their group and causes an issue between Joe and Greg, Joe wants to provide the software they create for free, while Greg wants to make money from it. Over the course of the story they get involved in various money making schemes, not entirely for their own gain, they provide a statistical prediction on what baseball games would be best to bet on to win, the stakes get higher with each scheme they get involved in. Eventually getting to the ponzi scheme from the beginning of the book. I would recommend, especially if you enjoy stories with a technical slant. Thank you to #Netgalley and #Black Rose Writing for the ARC.

This is pretty good for a first effort. I liked the MC, the tech, and the plot. Although this doesn't have polish of a more experienced writer, the author shows promise, and I hope he keep writing.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!

I received a free advanced reader copy of “ God’s Ponzi” through a Net Galley giveaway. Thank you for the book.

When I signed on to win a free copy of this book, I did so because I was intrigued by the premise: a bunch of computer geeks join together to get revenge on some Wall Street lawyers and bankers who screwed them over. That is an invitation to dive into one of the most intriguing and entertaining books I have read in a long time I really liked “ God’s Ponzi” I am definitely not a computer nerd. I use an iPad ; never had a expensive gaming rig. This book has the background of technology, but it is the characters in the book and their relationships with one another, their deep and abiding friendship, that makes “ God’s Ponzi “ worth reading.
Greg Portnoy is a friend , the only friend to Joey Legee from their grade school days through MIT. Greg protects Joey from abuse by those who make fun of the “ weird geek” who “, spazzes out “ when confronted and just rolls into a ball physically and mentally withdrawing from the world. Greg, also a mathematical genius, but in different way, and uses his brain to out -think and outwit his tormentors.
When the young men go off to MIT, Greg and Joey are comfortable among peers. At the beginning of the internet and the personal computer a group similar computer nerds find themselves getting deeper into gaming and theory, then into using their own networks to gamble ( not with their money of course) invest and manipulate money ( ditto) and markets. But Greg and Joseph ( not Joey anymore) have a significantly different goal. Joseph wants to develop software that will help everyone live better ; so does Greg. But Joseph thinks software should be free for use, while Greg wants to develop,package, sell and control the product for profit. Even so their friendship remains strong.
Greg is the prime character in the book. Everything is seen and experienced through his eyes. The author , Robert Buschel,
gives the reader a deep and deeply moving character to tell his story. It is a story of a working class kid who has felt the scorn of the privileged classes. Greg saw his father played for a sucker by a friend who ran a Ponzi scam and wants to strike back.
Greg gets his revenge by organizing a grand Ponzi scheme of his own, using the skills of all his old college nerd group. It will involve hundreds of million of dollars and will be aimed at the Wall Street lawyers and bankers who profit and never lose. True , the story is sometimes complex, but the reader’s attention is rewarded with tension , danger, and emotional upheaval due to loss of love and friendship- not money. Money is the tool, the cubes on the board. The real prize is a revenge out of the close emotional ties that grew among a group of college kids who,love to write code.
Note: The title is not sacrilegious - it is a play on character’s initials. Also, the appeal,is not to the prurient— little sexually offensive here. There is some “ off the screen”violence, as required by the plot.
Recommdation: Read it.