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Title: Den of Thieves
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Manufacturer: Touchstone Books
List Price: $17.00
Our Price: $3.75
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| Customer Reviews: |
| Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books 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!
| | Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books 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. | | Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books 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 | | Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books "Truth is stranger than fiction" | Mark Twain's saying "truth is stranger than fiction" is absolutely true of this well researched account of the scandals in the 80's. Stewart takes us through some of the most famous people involved in white collar crime at that time. The story gets the most into the lives of Boesky, Milken, Siegal, Levine, Wilkis, and Mulhuren. Stewart gives us also a little background on these individuals such as their up bringing and education. I wish there was more background, but the paucity does not take anything away from the story and our understanding of these people. Book is marketed like a trashy bestseller fiction, but it is far from that. Don't judge it by its cover.
At times it can get a bit confusing following all the characters. Stewart had to include all the individuals since they were all inter-connected. In the beginning of the book there is a list of major characters and their jobs. I wish there was a short paragraph on each of them also. One could always find earlier references to the individuals by looking in the complete index.
If you are interested in human nature, greed, history of financial markets or the 80's stock market boom, I highly recommend this book. Well researched and written! | | Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books Den of Thieves | | This book was very insightful about the misgivings of some powerful financial magnates. However, the writing is poor and the author rushes through parts of the story that leaves the reader with more questions than answers. It is written by a professional journalist and not a novelist, so it reads like a newspaper article, which can be highly condensed for space. I would recommend the predator's ball. It is a much better account. And if you are interested in what Micheal Milken is up to these days check out The Milken Institute. The guy is still a billionaire. | | Den of Thieves by Touchstone Books 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. |
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