"A natural born risk-taker, Charlie D approached trading as the ultimate sport. His daily trading positions were often larger than those of the banks and corporations which traded against him. His flare for life dazzled those around him, whether battling volatile market swings in the bond pit, tossing the dice at the craps table in Las Vegas, relentlessly pursuing the perfect golf swing, or playing one of his notorious practical jokes.". "Beneath the flamboyance, however, there was a quieter, less assuming side to Charlie D, a salt-of-the-earth midwesterner in striking contrast to the popular media image of greedy market inhabitants. Charlie D was a world-class philanthropist. From cab drivers to valet attendants, from washed-out traders to close friends and family, from former high school football coaches to leading medical researchers, he gave and gave and gave.". "Perhaps the ultimate legacy of Charlie D will be his ferocious tenacity in the face of personal tragedy. When an aggressive lymphoma attacked his system - and his brother and mother were also diagnosed with cancer - Charlie D grew more determined than ever to live life to the fullest. His outlook never changed. Returning to the CBOT's bond pit between chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he donned a protective vest beneath his jacket and resumed his position on the top step, where he remained until two weeks before his death on May 23, 1991."--BOOK JACKET.