Amazon.com
John Perkins started and stopped writing Confessions of an Economic Hit Man four times over 20 years. He says he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill the project, but after 9/11 he finally decided to go through with this expose of his former professional life. Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations. Think John Le Carré, except it's a true story.
Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
The runaway bestseller that has generated a major movie deal—and an international dialogue—with over 170,000 copies sold in hardcover and seven weeks on the New York Times list
“Economic hit men,” John Perkins writes,” are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.”
John Perkins should know—he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S.corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their “pound of flesh” in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of one man's experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world.
“[A] gripping tell-all book.”—The Rocky Mountain News
“Astonishing.”—Boston Herald
“This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel . . . Highly recommended.”— Library Journal
“Here are the real-life details—nasty, manipulative, plain evil—of international corporate skullduggery spun into a tale rivaling the darkest espionage thriller.”—Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Customer Reviews:
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man .......2007-10-23
This book will leave your hair standing on end. A riveting piece of work; must read material for anyone trying to understand what is happening to America.
Fact or fiction? Not sure... but.......2007-10-23
The narrative is fast paced and readable. However, in the end one is left wondering about the "facts" and what it means to us.
The book is about the author's account of his involvement in creating "large deals" and later his disillusionment with the idea of being an "Economic Hit Man."
In a sense, I think many consultants too have some self doubt about the "overall value" they help create or how their ideas actually lead towards larger goals. A few end up writing memoirs and books (like this one).
A decent read if you have some time to kill. Nothing more, nothing less.
Not Substantive.......2007-10-21
John Perkins wrote a book that contains no real insight. Most of the information in the book is available through other sources. There was also no satisfaction of him taking us from the start of a project to the end. He speaks vaguely of his various projects, never confiding in us about any details. However, he took ample time to talk about his feelings of guilt and second-guessing. For someone who second-guessed himself as much as he claimed to have, he seemed to make it through a good 20+ years of this work. Without the details, the stories do not have the ring of truth. And, the imposition of his self-doubt and guilt on virtually every page, just leaves the whole story flat and unmoving. And the biggest question is, if he really was a member of such a ruthless and powerful organization, how can it be that he is still alive after writing this book?
Love or Hate it..........2007-10-17
It seems that this book is either a love or hate it affair. I think that the book was a useful look into the ethics of American business and foreign politics, but I also think the book is a little sensational. I must however question the motives of all of those who rated the book, it looks like conservatives rated the book very low, while lefties, tended to go the other way. Like I said I think that the book was an interesting look into foreign affairs, I would read this book again.
READ IT.......2007-10-15
This book, regardless of it's validity, is an interesting read. There are plenty of summaries, I will spare you that, what makes this book interesting isn't in the book, but the questions it raises. What in this book is true? How much impact does the American consumer have on the world? etc... to bigger questions: What impact does anyone (wo)man have on the world? What relations should corporations and governments have? What is Power? and how is it derived? etc...
My advice to everyone I know is: read this book, with an open mind and a large grain of salt.
P.S. Two things, there are parts of this book that are unreadable (e.g. the dream about Jesus) and this book is not for academics, it is, at points, a memoir and for a large portion of the book is a chronicling of world events.
Book Description
John Perkins's sensational New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (more than 300,000 sold) revealed just the tip of the iceberg of the secret world of economic hit men and the web of global corruption. Now more economic hit men and investigators tell the whole shocking story.
Customer Reviews:
Good reference book for "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man".......2007-10-08
This book completely documents how large multinational corporations together with the IMF, The World Bank, and the various "free trade" organizations, as well rule the world and effectively rob from the poor and middle class and increase the wealth of the already wealthy.
It dramatically underscores the fact that if we don't act, and act now, we will be facing a world of new "serfdom", if the world isn't destroyed altogether by the greed and connivery of the world's rich.
This book is a good read, but tends to be a bit dry for the average person. One would be better off tackling books such as John Perkins "Confessions of an Enonomic Hit Man" and "The Secret History of the American Empire" as well as John Howard Kunzler's "The Long Energency" before tackling this book.
A Context the Opposite of What We're Told .......2007-08-17
As an ex-international banker who quit banking for the same reasons John Perkins quit being an Economic Hit Man, I can vouch for the truth of every essay in this fine book. The underlying truth is: the world is increasingly run by the corporatocracy, and it has negligible concern for either the poor countries it purports to help nor the environment in which it functions. The truth is the opposite of what we would like and pretend to be true. And the corporatocracy doesn't just behave as it does in foreign, underdeveloped countries, it behaves the exact same way here at home. The mortgage scandle is the same kind of hustle - selling bad debt to unsophisticated borrowers and investors. The only difference is that the poor people who default on their mortgages don't have natural resources the lenders can now take. Fascism redux.
This is a brilliant book. One can already see how the corporatocracy is ignoring it. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
The Dark Underbelly of International Economics.......2007-06-27
In CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, John Perkins outlined his 20-year career as agent of the government and multinational corporations as they attempted to (and succeeded in) exploiting lesser-developed countries. That book, published by Berrett-Koehler in 2004, painted a rather gloomy picture of the dark side of globalization - in theory, a worthy endeavor.
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE, edited by Steven Hiatt with an introduction by Mr. Perkins, continues the story of this exploitation, abuse, and waste in the name of "globalization." Let me say - as an aside - that I remain a proponent of globalization within the context of responsible stewardship. Removing barriers to trade, offering educational, vocational, and economic opportunities to men and women of all nations, is a good thing. Done properly, economic development and stewardship offers the possibility of true societal progress, ennobling humanity, enriching lives, nurturing the environment and increasing business activity and profits.
Unfortunately, the reality is far different from the ideal. The shortsightedness and greed of political and leaders - focused only on personal enrichment or the next quarter's operating results - leads to a culture of global exploitation. The pattern is familiar: special interests descend like locusts, consume everything in their path, and then move on, leaving a wake of destruction, degradation, and despair.
The book presents a compelling exploration of these economic and human abuses through other voices, most of those voices from men and women that participated for a time in the dance of exploitation for their temporal masters. The individual essays focus on a number of issues ranging from the stranglehold of foreign debt, the culture of ineptitude and corruption in many aspects of international banking, and the unconscionable extraction of natural resources (as in the Congo) at the high cost of human life and economic prosperity.
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE is expectedly one-sided in that it shows only the abuse and corruption of international economics. There are many businesses that operate with high-principles and integrity (while maintaining high earnings for both its management as well as other constituents). However, the book serves an important purpose in that it shows that all is not sunshine and roses in the global economy. There is corruption, waste, incompetence, and short-sightedness that is unacceptable from not only a human standpoint, but from a business valuation perspective as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who seeks to undertake an intelligent study of the state of international economics in the real world.
A revealing survey.......2007-05-10
A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE: THE SECRET WORLD OF ECONOMIC HIT MEN AND THE WEB OF GLOBAL CORRUPTION comes from the author of the best-selling CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN and expands upon the prior book's theme. Where CONFESSIONS was fueled by the author's revelations of economic secrets, A GAME AS OLD AS EMPIRE is joined by other journalists and investigators who tell their own stories of a world-wide web of deliberate corruption, even narrowing topics down to specific countries and how they've been subverted. The result is a revealing survey which expands well upon the popular theme of CONFESSIONS and which deserves a spot in any academic or community library's business, economics, or social issues collection.
A Story that Deserves to be Told.......2007-05-08
This book should be mandatory reading for college students. Through the various essays--written by real people involved in the various aspects of modern empire--the reader gains an understanding of the real work (and damage) done by multilateral development agencies,offshore banks, and global trade organizations. If we want to build a better world and a better future for our children, it is critical we all understand how these various institutions of the global elite affect the global poor.
Book Description
Updated and enhanced, FRAUD EXAMINATION will help you learn to identify, detect, investigate, and prevent financial fraud. Studying is made easy with expanded end-of-chapter materials and updated appendices. Learn about different types of fraud, including tax fraud, e-business fraud, and consumer fraud. Finally, coverage of fraud detection, investigating theft and concealment, and fraudulent tax reporting activities provide unique insight into fraud in the modern world.
Customer Reviews:
Student friendly and well-written.......2007-05-11
This book is a very thorough and well-written introduction to the field of fraud examination. Authors' lucid and easy-to-read style with plenty of fraud story examples is helpful to digest complex concepts such as financial statement frauds and e-commerce frauds. Chapter sizes are carefully kept small. Quizzes and case studies are also well-thought out.
Some reviews on Amazon don't do this book a justice. Overall a comprehensive text book in the area of Fraud examination. For curious and interested in this field, I also recommend Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports, Second Edition.
Great book for students in accounting........2007-02-19
As soon as I started reading this book, I had no problems keeping up with the assigned readings in my class. The examples of what people will do to decieve others and themselves are gut wrenching, but give a true picture of what people do. This book has made me consider specializing in fraud.
Disapproval.......2007-01-04
I found this to be one of the most poorly written texts I've ever read. It is very redundant and full of grammatical errors. It's as if two or three authors wrote the same material in their own respective words and bound it together to form one book. This same amount of material could have been covered in a comprehensive essay as opposed to a poorly written 18 chapter text book.
Not Conan.......2004-06-24
W. Steve Albrecht is the author of the book.
Chad O. Albrecht is the contributing editor.
Contrary to Amazon's listing, Conan Albrecht is not listed in the book as an author or editor.
Book Description
Techniques to uncover and avoid accounting frauds and scams Inflated profits . . . Suspicious write-offs . . . Shifted expenses . . . These and other dubious financial maneuvers have taken on a contemporary twist as companies pull out the stops in seeking to satisfy Wall Street. Financial Shenanigans pulls back the curtain on the current climate of accounting fraud. It presents tools that anyone who is potentially affected by misleading business valuationsfrom investors and lenders to managers and auditorscan use to research and read financial reports, and to identify early warning signs of a company's problems. A bestseller in its first edition, Financial Shenanigans has been thoroughly updated for today's marketplace. New chapters, data, and research reveal contemporary "shenanigans" that have been known to fool even veteran researchers.
Customer Reviews:
Learn about accounting legerdemain .......2007-04-04
The great thing about this book: not only will you learn about accounting prestidigitation from the world's expert in this subject (Schilit's forensic accounting firm, the CFRA, is used by hedge funds worldwide to find problem companies), you can actually learn pretty much all there is to know about corporate accounting and financial statements. I found his explanations tremendously lucid; easily understood by an intelligent person who can add, subtract, multiply and divide. What is more; he made accounting not only accessible, but also somewhat exciting; not an adjective that generally describes accounting. He makes finding the cheating companies a jolly detective game of "spot the weasel!"
Who should read this? If you are a serious investor; someone who treats investments like something other than gambling, this is an absolute must. I'm not talking about speculators; you can speculate well without this stuff (though you can speculate better with it), but for investors you can't afford to be without it. This will teach you how to read a company statement, and a 10-k. Even those who have a more casual interest in investing or business will likely find this an amusing and rewarding read.
Please Release A Third Edition!!!.......2007-03-29
This book is such an excellent review of accounting practices. It is like reviewing everything that was important from two semesters of intermediate accounting in an easy-to-read 264 pages. And the style of the book delivers something that there wasn't enough of in school - application. Real-life stories of companies who use or have used questionable practices and how it has effected their business. The only weakness in this book is that it is now too old. It has a summary of Enron (Schilit must have understood what happened there before Ken Lay even did), but it still lists Arthur Andersen as one of the big five firms. No mention of Tyco's [...] or Sarbanes-Oxley. Please, Please, Please Revise This Book! It is great!
Bible of Accounting BS.......2007-02-07
Wether you are an investor hoping to not be deceived or a CFO hoping to BS yourself up a bonus this is the book to read. Great examples to reinforce a simple concept. That its easy to make profit go up or down by simply moving income and expenses around.
My only gripe is I would like to have access to the service the author works for but it doesn't seem to cater to retail investors. Too bad.
Fraud detection.......2007-01-24
I loved this book and found it difficult to put down. I purchased it for a class I'm taking but I've already read it cover to cover before the first class.
Very Good - Highly Recomended.......2006-10-18
Buy this book and read it. I was looking for a professional, yet easy to read book and this is it. This book will improve your self confidence in approaching financial reports and understanding the numbers.
Book Description
Today's demanding marketplace expects auditors to take responsibility for fraud detection, and this expectation is buoyed by such legislation as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Auditing Standard (SAS99), which requires increased performance on the part of the auditor to find material financial statement fraud.
Written by three of the best forensic accountants and auditors, Thomas W. Golden, Steven L. Skalak, and Mona M. Clayton, The Auditor's Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation explores exactly what assurances auditors should provide and suggests alternatives to giving the capital markets more of what they are requiring-greater assurances that the financial statements they rely upon for investment decisions are free of material error, including fraud. It reveals the surprising complexity of fraud deterrence, detection, and investigation, and offers a step-by-step approach to understanding that complexity.
From basic techniques to intricate tests and technologies, The Auditor's Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation is a rich, multifaceted, and fascinating answer to the need for wiser, savvier, better-trained financial statement and internal auditors who are thoroughly familiar with fraud detection techniques and the intricate, demanding work of forensic accounting specialists.
Book Description
The Final Chapter in the FBI's Greatest Mafia Sting—with Shocking Declassified Details from the Donnie Brasco Operation and a Timeline of the Fall of the Mafia. When FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone began what was supposed to be a six-month operation infiltrating New York's Bonanno crime family in 1975, he had no idea what was about to happen. Posing as jewel thief "Donnie Brasco," Pistone would spend the next six years undercover in the Family, witnessing—and sometimes participating in—the Mafia's gruesome activities while gathering enough evidence to send over 200 gangsters to jail. Pistone told his story in the 1988 book Donnie Brasco—a New York Times bestseller and later a feature film starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. But because of pending trials at the time of publication, many details of the alleged crimes were omitted. Now, in Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business, Pistone for the first time reveals with great detail the horrific deeds of wiseguys Tony Mirra, Lefty Ruggiero, Sonny Black, and the rest of the cold-blooded Bonanno crew. He puts the operation into historical perspective, detailing the timeline of Mafia trials from 1981 through 2005 that crippled the New York City crime family. He also recounts his experiences after the operation, his time on the Hollywood set with Pacino and Depp, and other undercover operations through present day.
A tense, thrilling account of the greatest infiltration ever by a federal agent into the most brutal gang of killers in the world, Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business is the final chapter in the story of a real American hero.
Customer Reviews:
Fuggedaboutit!.......2007-09-06
I missed the first book, so this is tying up ends I didn't know were still loose. Even if you didn't read the author's original book, this sequel is still full of enough fun Mafia tales to keep you entertained. I saw the movie so long ago, I can't recall it now. But this made me want to take a second look. If you like true crime and La Cosa Nostra inside looks, then this is for you.
A well-delivered conclusion to the Donnie Brasco operation.......2007-07-24
Pistone delivers a strong follow-up to his original book on the Donnie Brasco operation. Of course, there is a good deal of overlap from the original book, but with the conclusion of the mafia cases stemming from the operation, Pistone has been freed to deliver new information on his deep undercover operation as Donnie Brasco. Pistone also covers his life after the FBI, including the time he worked for a supervisor at the Bureau who almost jeopardized the prosecution of the Donnie Brasco defendants.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about organized crime, the FBI and/or Donnie Brasco. This is not a comprehensive examination of the mafia, and as Pistone says there are many things he cannot and will not disclose regarding his days as Donnie Brasco. Nevertheless, this book serves as an excellent account of the Brasco operation and the takedown of the mafia as it existed prior to the 1990s.
A Clash of Two Enforcement Cultures.......2007-07-18
An easy introduction by Charles Brandt, who wrote "I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES", wets the taste for Pistone's eye-opening chronicle of his risky undercover assignment. Fascinating descriptions (and photos) of key mobsters and related events during six years of deep undercover work are as colorful as some of its startling aftermath.
Pistone's candid account of working relationships with key mob figures and ordinary street thugs is very engaging. It extends beyond dangerous criminals to his encounters with respectable luminaries. Among such figures are well-heeled lawyers, Hollywood actors and former Governor Cuomo. The reader also learns enough about an "enemy" within the F.B.I. to resent the unidentified bureaucrat.
Readers will absorb knowledge of the crucial R.I.C.O. law gradually. For some of the key criminals, the very threat of this law resulted in their premature obituary or hundred-year prison sentence. For others, it facilitated witness relocation.
Those interested in Mafia culture and its underlying authority to enforce rules and mores in quasi-governmental fashion should be immensely delightened by DONNIE BRASCO: UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Eye Opening.......2007-07-08
This book includes a lot of interesting details that could not be included with the first Donnie Brasco book. The author had several close calls and only his quick wit and ability to stay cool under fire kept in alive with mobsters who kill simply on the account of the wrong body language.
The reader will have a better understanding of how the mafia operated under a centralized hierarchy called The Commission. It was the Commission, comprised of the leaders of the five major mafia families, that sanctioned violence and imposed a rigid discipline to prevent any young upstarts from trying to unseat older, established leaders. Bucking this Commission could get one "whacked". Numerous mob wars and civil wars within families broke out after all of the Commission members were convicted under RICO.
Although the Sicilian Mafia is a shell of its former self, the Donnie Brasco operation forced the mob to change its rules to better weed out informers and undercover agents.
I finished the book wondering if this operation really accomplished anything. It didn't eradicate organized crime by other ethnic groups. The power vacuum is being filled by even more ruthless organized crime gangs like the Jamaicans, Colombians, Asians and Jews from Russia and the Ukraine.
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "IF YOU LOVED DONNIE BRASCO THE MOVIE, THEN YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!" "FUHGETABOUTIT!".......2007-06-14
Before, I share my review with you; I want to make sure that all of you who watched, and loved the movie, "Donnie Brasco", realize it was a true story! The author of this book, Joe Pistone, is/was Donnie Brasco. To keep from confusing some of the readers, who have trouble juggling two balls simultaneously, I will refer to Joe as Donnie, and Donnie as Donnie, in this review. HOO! HA! If you movie lovers (Who knew Donnie was real.) wondered what ever happened to good old Donnie? This book is your answer in spades! As a student of criminal psychology/serial killers/Mafia, subject reader; Donnie's latest book, illuminates his activities before, during, and after, the famous movie. Since, I have read so many non-fiction books, of this genre, (See previous and future Shaq reviews!) I know that, what he details on these pages, is true and accurate, no matter how unbelievable. If you really get in to his character, as you read this book, it is more inspiring, than any movie could possibly be. This man is a hero. Not only is he a hero, but he is a very unique creation. Let me give you an example. You're growing up and a friend of yours, becomes a heart surgeon. Personally, you can't see how your friend doesn't feint, when he cuts a person open, and holds a patient's life in his hands. And your friend the Doctor, is standing there, holding a living, pulsing, heart, in his hands, like it's an everyday occurrence. Well, now think of Donnie in a similar light. He went undercover within the Mafia, where every single "minute"! Every single "minute!" Not just everyday! Where one, miniscule, slip up, meant his life. This isn't like watching a TV movie. There is documented evidence, that just "disrespecting" a "made" man, got you two bullets behind the ear. Not maybe! Not later! But "BOOM"! Right now! Donnie had to go to many meetings, with "made" men, where he had to accept the fact, that he might very well, be on the way to his death, with no questions asked! And with that knowledge, he still had to attend that meeting, and act normal. I couldn't even keep my composure, waiting for my Dad to come home from work, when I had a bad report card. I might have been anticipating being punished, but I knew I wasn't getting two behind the ear! There are tons of facts here, about Donnie's work (I almost said adventures.) that have never been made public till now. That's because of all the open criminal cases, that Donnie was the linchpin in. The massive, disabling, of the Mafia machine, in its heyday, could not have been done without Donnie. Also instrumental in the legal victories, was none-other, than Prosecutor Rudy Giuliani. A lot of people don't realize, that Donnie was undercover, for SIX YEARS! SIX FREAKING YEARS! (The longest undercover stint in FBI history!) Can you imagine, that 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for six years, one mistake by Donnie, and he would have been dead. And I guarantee you, it would not have been a pleasant death! The pictures included in this book of Mafia chieftains, and murdered "made" men, add to the power of this book. I found myself going back and forth, from what I was reading, to the pictures, as certain characters, came in and out of the story. The only small negative in the book, was the constant description, of the criminal ranks, and family affiliations, of all the players. Boss's, capo's, lieutenant's, "made" men, soldiers, friends, etc. It was more complex, after a awhile, than the organizational chart, and reporting lines, of General Motors. If you're into true crime and criminal psychology, then your studies, and library, cannot be complete, without this book. And last, but not least: "Remember, you're not watching a Soprano's episode, this was real life, and I don't know how Donnie made it!" Joe Pistone, you're a hero, I tip my hat to you! "L'Chaim!"
Book Description
In the three years following the September 11th attacks, 150,000 people applied to be Special Agents in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Only 2,200 got the job. The FBI Career Guide reveals strategies that radically increase the odds of getting hired, and that will prepare agents for a challenging, rewarding career at the Bureau. There may be no one in the world more qualified to help aspiring agents begin and excel at an FBI career than Joe Koletar, a 25-year Bureau veteran whose executive credentials are second to none. This ultimate insider's guide looks at:
* the application process * New Agents Training * field office and foreign assignments * pay, benefits, and career opportunities * educational and career decisions that improve the odds of being hired * how investigations, undercover and SWAT team operations, and specialty assignments work * and much more.
Readers will also learn how the job might affect them and their families, how to plan their career and climb the ladder, and even prepare for life after the Bureau. Above all, they'll find out what it takes to succeed-and how to show they've got it.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Overview for FBI Special Agent Applicants.......2007-01-02
I've read several books on the FBI Special Agent career path, and this book is the most informative overall collection of data available. This is the only book I've read that details the specifics of an agent's career path and what to expect during various levels of an agent's career. It also provides excellent preparation for the two Phases of the agent application process, and I highly recommend this book to any person who is about to embark on the lengthy Special Agent application process.
It's a 'must' guide to the complex world of the FBI career........2006-11-07
If you're looking to develop an FBI career, first consult The FBI Career Guide: Inside Information on Getting Chosen for and Succeeding in One of the Toughest, Most Prestigious Jobs in the World. It spells out exactly what the Bureau looks for in candidates, covering how to meet and network with agents, how different FBI forces work, and how to avoid the many common mistakes applicants make. It's a 'must' guide to the complex world of the FBI career.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Complete Informative Guide.......2006-11-06
This book was awesome! It was extremely informative and answered all of my questions. It was a bit of a techincal read but it contains everything from a to z about the fbi.
Educational reading.......2006-10-25
I am a retired FBI Special Agent and find this book very enlightning and also entertaining. It reminds me of my FBI experiences, from Training School through my work in the different Field Offices. If I were a young person interested in Law Enforcement as a career, I would most certainly find this book as a "must" read.
Perfect guide for anyone interested in the FBI.......2006-09-16
I was interested in being a special agent with the FBI before reading this book and after reading it I am even more interested. This book was very good at explaining the application process for the FBI. Also gave info on a wide range of topics from the history of the FBI, to what an agent does. Anyone interested in a career as a special agent should read this for guidance and valuable insight on this career. It was very helpful to me and can help you out as well.
Amazon.com
"The FBI was ready to take down America's most politically powerful corporation. But there was one thing they didn't count on."
So reads the cover of this high-powered true crime story, an accurate teaser to a bizarre financial scandal with more plot twists than a John Grisham novel. In 1992 the FBI stumbled upon Mark Whitacre, a top executive at the Archer Daniels Midland corporation who was willing to act as a government witness to a vast international price-fixing conspiracy. ADM, which advertises itself as "The Supermarket to the World," processes grains and other farm staples into oils, flours, and fibers for products that fill America's shelves, from Jell-O pudding to StarKist tuna. The company's chairman and chief executive, Dwayne Andreas, was so influential that he introduced Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev, and it was his maneuvering that ensured that high fructose corn syrup would replace sugar in most foods (ever wondered why Coke and Pepsi don't taste quite like they used to?). There were two mottoes at ADM: "The competitors are our friends, and the customers are our enemies" and "We know when we're lying." And lie they did. With the help of Whitacre, the FBI made hundreds of tapes and videos of ADM executives making price-fixing deals with their corrivals from Japan, Korea, and Canada, all while drinking coffee and laughing about their crimes. The tapes should have cinched the case, but there was one problem: Their star witness was manipulative, deceitful, and unstable. Nothing was as it seemed, and the investigation into one of the most astounding white-collar crime cases in history had only just begun.
Kurt Eichenwald, an investigative reporter, covered the story for The New York Times and interviewed more than 100 participants in the case. He methodically records the six-year investigation, leaving no plot twist or tape transcript unexplored. While his primary focus is on deconstructing the disturbed Whitacre and revealing the malleability of truth, the portrait of ADM (and even the Justice Department) is damning enough to make anyone a cynic. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
From an award-winning New York Times investigative reporter comes an outrageous story of greed, corruption, and conspiracy—which left the FBI and Justice Department counting on the cooperation of one man . . .
It was one of the FBI's biggest secrets: a senior executive with America's most politically powerful corporation, Archer Daniels Midland, had become a confidential government witness, secretly recording a vast criminal conspiracy spanning five continents. Mark Whitacre, the promising golden boy of ADM, had put his career and family at risk to wear a wire and deceive his friends and colleagues. Using Whitacre and a small team of agents to tap into the secrets at ADM, the FBI discovered the company's scheme to steal millions of dollars from its own customers.
But as the FBI and federal prosecutors closed in on ADM, using stakeouts, wiretaps, and secret recordings of illegal meetings around the world, they suddenly found that everything was not all that it appeared. At the same time Whitacre was cooperating with the Feds while playing the role of loyal company man, he had his own
agenda he kept hidden from everyone around him—his wife, his lawyer, even the FBI agents who had come to trust him with the case they had put their careers on the line for. Whitacre became sucked into his own world of James Bond antics, imperiling the criminal case and creating a web of deceit that left the FBI and prosecutors uncertain where the lies stopped and the truth began.
In this gripping account unfolds one of the most captivating and bizarre tales in the history of the FBI and corporate America. Meticulously researched and richly told by New York Times senior writer Kurt Eichenwald,
The Informant re-creates the drama of the story, beginning with the secret recordings, stakeouts, and interviews with suspects and witnesses to the power struggles within ADM and its board—including the high-profile chairman Dwayne Andreas, F. Ross Johnson, and Brian Mulroney—to the big-gun Washington lawyers hired by ADM and on up through the ranks of the Justice Department to FBI Director Louis Freeh and Attorney General Janet Reno.
A page-turning real-life thriller that features deadpan FBI agents, crooked executives, idealistic lawyers, and shady witnesses with an addiction to intrigue,
The Informant tells an important and compelling story of power and betrayal in America
Customer Reviews:
Gripping narrative of FBI investigation.......2007-08-30
After reading the first few chapters of "The Informant" by Kurt Eichenwald, I could not put this book down. Eichenwald should be commended for maintaining a thrilling narrative that offers incredible insights into corporate crime, the workings of the U.S. judicial system, and the psychology of a disturbed individual.
That person, Mark Whitacre, a former Archer-Daniels-Midland executive, was by all prior accounts a talented rising star at ADM, the politically powerful Fortune 500 food processing company bearing the slogan "Supermarket to the world."
Whitacre was in charge of a billion-dollar business at the company, but decided to become an FBI informant who secretly recorded meetings among ADM and its competitors in which they plotted a multibillion-dollar price-fixing scheme that ensnared several multinational companies.
The FBI at first considered Whitacre a star cooperating witness, but gradually began to worry that its investigation would fall apart as Whitacre began to demonstrate all kinds of erratic behavior (I don't want to give away too much of the story--Eichenwald does a great job of adding new details and twists that are very compelling).
Eichenwald also details all the turf battles and power plays among the FBI, U.S. Attorney's office, and the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust and antifraud divisions.
I only wish there could have been more details about the behind-the-scenes efforts by ADM's lawyers to derail the case, but I'm sure those accounts will never become public. I was also curious about the reaction among ADM's customers, who were getting totally exploited by the company and its "competitors." Great book, overall.
Better than Fiction.......2007-08-07
My review may not be needed - since the "Informant" has already received many positive reviews. However, I do need to echo that the truth is often stranger than ficiton.
The story of "The Informant" could not have been invented through imagination... the author would have believed that the plot was too much of a stretch from reality and would have been unbelievable. Kurt Eichenwald has weaved together a very intelligent and informative read on the dangers of slippery slopes of lying and disception.
Back to the book- I highly recommend "The Informant" to lovers of non-ficition and those who enjoy John Grisham style novels (although Eichenwald style is superiot to Grisham's). You have crime, disception, cheating, and all of the other elements of a great crime novel....just remember that this one actually happened! Clearly a 5 star read.
Eichenwald is great.......2007-02-18
This is the second book I've read by Eichenwald (Conspiracy of Fools being the other) and I thought they were each fantastic.
Could not put it down!! ADDICTIVE!!.......2007-02-07
Well-written. I'm not a business major nor a businessman, but this was an easy read for me. I really loved reading this book. Of particular interest is a scene when FBI agent Hoyt talks to his hard-working, average Joe brother-in-law. In this scene, you will realize how this white collar crime affects the average person, like you and me. His research was incredibly thorough. I can't say enough about this book. It's well-written, thorough, and it's all true. Truth is stranger than fiction.
Like a Grisholm novel...but true.......2007-01-12
I dreaded reading this because it's long and the type is small. However, once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The story is astounding, made more so because it's true. It reads like a Grisholm novel. I remember the story when it happened, and learning the details made it even more fascinating.
Average customer rating:
- Great intro for non-accounting professionals
- Great for non-accounting professional!
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Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts
Howard Silverstone , and
Michael Sheetz
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ASIN: 0471784877 |
Book Description
A must-have reference for every business professional, Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts, Second Edition is a necessary tool for those interested in understanding how financial fraud occurs and what to do when you find or suspect it within your organization. With comprehensive coverage, it provides insightful advice on where an organization is most susceptible to fraud.
Customer Reviews:
Great intro for non-accounting professionals.......2007-10-01
No company can thrive without trusted employees, but some die because they trusted employees too much, allowing them to use their positions for illicit gain. The lesson: Trust but verify via accounting controls. Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts offers an effective primer on how financial fraud occurs, demonstrating the critical need for accounting controls. More important, the book lays out the fundamentals of forensic accounting and the fraud investigation process.
The book is an easy read, organized into two sections. Part 1 provides an overview of forensic accounting, illustrating the prevalence of accounting fraud across sectors, and in companies of all sizes. The authors offer real-world examples of trusted employees who betrayed that trust. In many cases, their employers never recovered from the fraud these bad actors perpetrated. This section may leave the reader suspicious of everyone in his or her company's accounting department, which might not be a bad thing, at least initially.
Part 2 constitutes the bulk of the book, which details how to investigate accounting improprieties. All of the required steps are detailed, from the investigative process and interviewing of witnesses to documentation, analysis tools, and more.
Whether you are a senior executive, a middle manager, an investigator, or a small business owner, Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts provides what you need to know to ensure that your organization is not brought to its knees by a criminal in the accounting department.
Great for non-accounting professional!.......2006-10-30
Howard Silverstone has performed well in describing clearly the major accounting cycles and the control points that need to be focused to reduce the possibility of fraud.
Interesting statistics on the characteristics of fraudsters are provided and methodologies used by forensic accountant and lawyers to build their case.
This book is great for non accounting professionals to have an insight on accounting environments but this book does not provide much value for experienced accounting professionals except if they were interested in how their counterpart in forensic accounting perform.
Average customer rating:
- Words Can't Describe
- All I can say is WOW. I had no idea fresh meat was so filthy.
- Great info in meat (if you eat it), disease, and the pain of the process.
- Unbelievable
- A must read for vegans/vegetarians
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Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry
Gail A. Eisnitz
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
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ASIN: 1573921661 |
Book Description
With a New Afterword by the Author
Slaughterhouse is the first book of its kind to explore the impact that unprecedented changes in the meatpacking industry over the last twenty-five years—particularly industry consolidation, increased line speeds, and deregulation—have had on workers, animals, and consumers. It is also the first time ever that workers have spoken publicly about what's really taking place behind the closed doors of America's slaughterhouses.
In this new paperback edition, author Gail A. Eisnitz brings the story up to date since the book's original publication. She describes the ongoing efforts by the Humane Farming Association to improve conditions in the meatpacking industry, media exposés that have prompted reforms resulting in multimillion dollar appropriations by Congress to try to enforce federal inspection laws, and a favorable decision by the Supreme Court to block construction of what was slated to be one of the largest hog factory farms in the country. Nonetheless, Eisnitz makes it clear that abuses continue and much work still needs to be done.
Customer Reviews:
Words Can't Describe.......2007-10-19
I am a Federal Inspector and was saddened and angered after reading Ms. Eisnitz's Book. I was touched after reading the material and felt compelled to order multiple copies to give to my co-workers and others for enlightenment. Words can't really describe the emotions felt while reading this. For the sake of the children, its time for a change! This Material is more than Highly Recommended, it is a must!
All I can say is WOW. I had no idea fresh meat was so filthy........2007-09-29
As others have already stated....I stopped eating meat completely after reading this book. The inhumane treatment of the animals was bad enough. To discover that rotten meat was ground up with fresh meat for baby food was just too much. The unsanitary conditions in these factories is shocking. It makes me wonder when the last time any of the equipment was even hosed off...much less throughly cleaned. Probably never since that would cause the line to stop and they might lose a buck in profit. I first read a book called "Skinny Bitch" and the writer's of that book recommended "Slaughterhouse". I had already toyed with the idea of cutting meat out of my diet. The information in this Slaughterhouse book just confirmed that it was a sound decision. This book shows that the USDA stamp means nothing. I now don't trust anything stamped USDA inspected. It seems that every slaughterhouse has had their own stamp made and has the capacity to stamp thier own meat and the USDA looks the other way. That is truely disturbing. Yep...I'm a non meat eater now. Organic foods are my friends.
Great info in meat (if you eat it), disease, and the pain of the process........2007-06-13
This book is pretty informative. The writer risked her life by exposing daily occurences in slaughterhouses across the country. If you're unaware of how huge the meat and dairy industry is, you will surely become informed after reading this book. It's a very important book to read if you still eat meat and feed it to your children, as e. coli and it's affects on people are described also. Very informative. Some of the book is repetitive, but so are the painful processes in a slaughterhouse as TIME really IS money and "humanity" is a word you check at the door if your working there.
Unbelievable.......2007-05-25
A truely great book everyone must read. Whether your a vegetarian, vegan, or meat eater. This book is very well written. It changed my life, thank you Gail for letting us the public know about what is really going on in our slaughterhouses.
A must read for vegans/vegetarians.......2007-04-28
In my mind, much better (and much more shocking) than Fast Food Nation. This book is a must read, and belongs in every animal lover's library.
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