Derman's tale recounts his adventures with quants, traders and other high fliers on Wall Street as he became the best-known quant in the business. He describes the struggles of research and his interactions with an assorted cast of famous scientists. He relates his impressions of some of the most creative minds on Wall Street, including Fischer Black, with whom he collaborated on the widely used Black-Derman-Toy model of interest rates. Throughout his story he reflects on the appropriate way to apply the refined methods of physics to the hurly-burly world of markets and the people that inhabit them. 

德尔曼的故事讲述了他在华尔街与数量股、交易员和其他高人的冒险经历，因为他成为了业界最知名的定量股。他描述了研究的斗争以及他与各种各样的著名科学家的互动。他讲述了他对华尔街一些最具创造力的人的印象，包括菲舍尔·布莱克，他与费舍尔·布莱克合作开发了广泛使用的“黑皮肤”利率玩具模型。在他的整个故事中，他思考了如何恰当地将精细的物理方法应用到喧嚣的市场世界和居住在那里的人们。