The Trick takes all of Leith’s writing habits – his mazy streams of consciousness (few writers are quite so enamoured of, or good at, watching themselves think) and his love of axiom – and, if anything, ups the ante… Hugely enjoyable

Part Hunter S. Thompson, part Montaigne: a blend of gonzo journalism and rambling reflection interspersed with learned references

Chummy, funny and genuinely interesting, The Trick has to be one of the best books about money around

Spectacular … The Trick takes us on a fevered thrill ride through the heads of the richest people in the world, plus some of the most accomplished risk-takers, to answer the eternal question, why does money stick to thee, and not to me?

Most books about the uber-wealthy portray them either as superheroes to be unquestioningly admired or as obsessive psychopathic idiots. The joy of this book is how beautifully it walks the narrow line between the two

A superb book … Leith has always been one of our best non-fiction writers and this is his crowning achievement

As a memoir and as comedy, it succeeds beautifully … As a confessional, it is pretty much a masterclass – frank, tough-minded, funny, generous

Resembles an expertly-paced stand-up routine … Positively Izzard-esque

Leith offers a tour of his own frantic inner world, reflecting on a dizzying array of subjects … These range from cowboys and gangsters to the feeding habits of chimpanzees. His metastasising anecdotes and revelations are deeply personal, often wilfully tangential and always thought-provoking

[Leith’s] passages about his multiple overlapping neuroses are touched by comic genius … Leith offers sharply comical observations about both the lure and absurdity of great wealth