Financial Deregulation: Augar discusses the impact of financial deregulation on the industry, highlighting how it led to increased risk-taking and contributed to the culture of greed and excess.

Rise of Investment Banking: The book explores the rise of investment banking and the shift in focus from traditional banking services to more lucrative activities like trading, mergers, and acquisitions.

Market Speculation: Augar examines the prevalence of market speculation and the role of financial institutions in speculative activities that sometimes resulted in market volatility and instability.

Incentives and Compensation: The book delves into how compensation structures, particularly bonus systems, incentivized risky behavior among financial professionals, encouraging short-term gains over long-term stability.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Augar discusses the boom in mergers and acquisitions during the period covered, highlighting the motivations behind these deals and their impact on the financial industry.

Corporate Governance: The book addresses issues related to corporate governance, including the roles and responsibilities of boards, executive accountability, and transparency in decision-making.

Ethics and Accountability: Augar explores ethical considerations within the financial sector, questioning the ethical standards of financial institutions and their responsibility to society.

Regulatory Oversight: The book discusses the effectiveness of regulatory oversight and whether it was adequate in preventing excessive risk-taking and market manipulations.

Lessons from Financial Crises: Augar draws lessons from financial crises and market downturns, examining their causes and the subsequent regulatory and industry responses.

Reforms and Future Outlook: Finally, the book touches on the need for reforms within the financial industry and offers insights into the future direction of finance, emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes.