| Subcategories |
 |
Business Life |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Den of Thieves
written by James B. Stewart
Studio : Touchstone Books
by Touchstone Books
Publisher : Touchstone Books
Released : 1992-09-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780671792275
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 84 reviews)
List Price : $17.00
Our Price : $3.59
|
|
| |
|
Product Description |
|
A number-one bestseller from coast to coast, Den of Thieves tells, in masterfully reported detail, the full story of the insider-trading scandal that nearly destroyed Wall Street, the men who pulled it off, and the chase that finally brought them to justice. Pulitzer Prize winner James B. Stewart shows for the first time how four of the biggest names on Wall Street -- Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and Dennis Levine -- created the greatest insider-trading ring in financial history and almost walked away with billions, until a team of downtrodden detectives triumphed over some of America's most expensive lawyers to bring this powerful quartet to justice. Based on secret grand jury transcripts, interviews, and actual trading records, and containing explosive new revelations about Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky written especially for this paperback edition, Den of Thieves weaves all the facts into an unforgettable narrative -- a portrait of human nature, big business, and crime of unparalleled proportions. |
| |
|
| |
|
Easy Money |
|
I read this after enjoying Stewart's later book, Disney War. This one was more thrilling as it involved real crime but still written very well as if the author was in the room. The characters include bad guys, good guys that gave in to the dark side and a few good guys that felt strong about following the law. It was the beginning of dishing out real punishment for white collar crime although one can argue they were let off easy compared to today's convictions. |
| |
|
lots of facts, little story |
|
James Stewart has done an excellent job of gathering information about the insider-trading scandal of the 1980s, so if you're looking for all the details of these events, you'll find them in this book, which is clearly-written and well-organized. What you won't find, though, is great storytelling. Stewart is content to recount one fact after another, rarely putting them in context or using them to build narrative suspense or to reveal character. As a result--and despite the inherent drama of the events it lists--the book is a rather dull read, especially for readers who have no familiarity with the world of high finance. If you want to read a masterpiece of writing about business, try David Halberstam's "The Reckoning." |
| |
|
Good read |
'Den of Thieves' was sewn together by James Stewart from numerous Wall Street Journal articles he wrote on the M&A scandals during he 80s -- and it shows. The story is very difficult to follow, not only because the fraud was so complex, but also there were numerous players; Stewart doesn't do himself any favors by jumping around a lot. Still, it was very interesting and the second half of the book, marked by Boesky's surrender to federal agents in September 1986, is nothing short of riveting! If you enjoy Kurt Eichenwald ('Conspiracy of Fools') or Bethany McLean ('Smartest Guys in the Room') you will like 'Den of Thieves' -- although probably not as much.
Next release I suggest Stewart lay out all the Drexel, Peabody, and Boesky deals in chronological order at the beginning. The cast of players at the front was helpful, but not enough for me to keep up with some of it. Enjoy!
|
| |
|
Will History Repeat Itself? |
This is my favorite book of all time. It shows how highly intelligent, creative and hard working people can lose their ethical way. This was one of the first books that I read when I got out of college and I was absolutely riveted. The idea of the millions of dollars that many of these people made made me think of how I could get my hands on such wealth. It also taught me that there's no amount of money in the world that's worth damaging my reputation as a trust-worthy, ethical individual. This should be a must read for all kids out of college along with "The Smartest Guys in the Room."
My title for this review "Will History Repeat Itself?" is a simple reminder that while the junk bond scandals and S&L scandals are over, new corporate scandals occurred with Enron and now with the sub-prime melt-down, we are sure to unveil another corporate scandal. Will history repeat itself? Of course it will. |
| |
|
Good overview of Wall Street and the big scandals |
|
Good overview of Wall Street and the big scandals. Gives you an understanding of why they did the things they did |
| |
|
|
|
