Lessons from the Legends of Wall Street : How Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Phil Fisher, T. Rowe Price, and John Templeton Can Help You Grow Rich

Book Description

Written for both the novice and experienced investor, this fascinating blend of biography and keen investment analysis has garnered acclaim in the world of high finance.

Nikki Ross has struck the mother lode about how to invest wisely in an increasingly uncertain world. The easy to follow investment insights she's gathered impart the various strategies of these ""superinvestors"" and explain how to integrate and implement them in today's markets. Five lifetimes of legendary Wall Street wisdom are distilled into three brilliantly simple steps. Readers will learn how best to gather the information and find investment leads; evaluate the data; and when to buy, hold and sell.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read for Investors.......2004-05-14

This book has a refreshingly commonsense approach to investing. It contains a great deal of worthwhile advice and wisdom from some of the world's best investors. I am not an experienced investor, however I found it to be understandable and learned useful information from it. I would highly recommend it.

A Classic "Must Read" Investment Book.......2004-04-15

Nikki Ross has documented principal strategies and investing advice from the great Wall Street legends of our time. I have found the underlying principals of Buffet and his mentors as well as Price and Templeton to be very helpful. It is an easy to read enjoyable book. It may not be for day traders in general, but they could benefit from the list of questions asked by the masters before investing. I believe that had many investors read and applied this book prior to and during the recent crash, they might have saved a lot of money.

Blake Conant

Just read the "Evaluation" part.......2004-03-07

This book discusses on the techniques Warren Buffet (value/growth), Benjamin Graham (value), Phil Fisher (growth), T. Rowe Price (growth), and John Templeton (growth use or have used to make their fortunes.

The book is divided into 6 parts on one each of these legends and another on how to combine the knowledge of these experts. The sections are organized in an interesting way first off you learn what some of the stocks the well known investor has bought and why they met their purchasing criteria. There is also a nice 3 steps to how you can use their methods in your investments, this in turn is organized by:

1. Gathering information (this part it almost worthless in my opinion since it is very similar for each of the investors)

2. Evaluate (this is the best part of each of the areas in the book, you learn the questions these masters would ask a company and themselves. It's very good.)

3. Making decisions discusses how the masters decide when to buy and sell the stock.

This book and "The Money Masters" by John Train are interesting reads if you enjoy learning about the careers and wisdom these masters are willing to share.

I believe this book wouldn't be very useful for strict CAN SLIM investors or day traders but good for the buy and hold or long term growth and value investors it definitely shows you some of the possibilities.

Reed Floren

Worthless.......2004-02-26

This book is worthless. The true 'lessons' make up only a few pages of the book and these lessons are not detailed enough to make financially sound decisions. For example, a lesson such as "What is the PE Ratio?" is similar to what you would find in the book. OK, the PE ratio is 3. Is that good? Is that bad? How about 40? What is high? What is low? Do current interest rates effect PE ratio levels? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a growth stock? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a cyclical stock? You'll get no answers from this book.

The best "lessons" section (though still unacceptable) came from John Templeton. But these were a direct quote from an interview Templeton gave the Christian Science Monitor. The author must have spent a few weeks writing this book.

Most of the book is babble, reproduction of articles/reports, duplication of previous sections, and educational definitions for the newbie.

My lesson to you is to take the money you were going spend on this book and go buy a U.S. Savings bond. You will be richer and wiser in the end.

Not all its cracked up to be..........2004-02-23

...- I bought the book BUT Nikki Ross gives a basic three-step approach to investing, that is repeated throughout the book. 1. Collect info, 2. Analyse info, 3. Make a decision. And that's about as complex as the book gets.

Don't waste your money, unless you're after a very simplistic overview of investing. ALL OF THE FIVE STAR REVIEWS OVERRATE THIS BOOK - 1 Star (at best).

...

If you're after real value on practical management implementation tools that link strategy & financial numbers then YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN "Performance Measurement & Control Systems for Implementing Strategy" by Robert Simons.

Customer Reviews:

Great discription and rare pictures inside........2007-07-10

This is a great book if you want to know more about Jackie. It has rare pictures inside of Jackie posing with fans. I originally bought this book for my Sports History class.

Book Description

The bestselling Route 66: The Mother Road sparked an unprecendented revival of the forgotten towns, diners, and motels along Route 66, transforming the road from a distant memory into a vibrant, internationally recognized destination in its own right. In this 75th anniversary edition, filled with colour and b/w photos, Wallis revisits the people and places that make Route 66 what it is.

Customer Reviews:

Take the trip!.......2007-09-22

Everything you would like to know about Route 66. This book and it's author served as the main source of infromation & inspiration for the Disney/Pixar classic animated movie "Cars". A must have for the motoring history buff.

Route 66.......2007-08-09

As we get older we appreciate memories from our youth more and more. I can remember riding in my parents car on trips along Route 66. This book is full of memories and interesting information about this historic road. We plan to take the Lincoln Highway from California to New York and come home on Route 66. We bought this book as our travel guide home and plan to visit many of the places listed in its pages. We also bought The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast for our guide book east. Both books are a must for the adventure we are planning; a cross country trip in our 1941 Oldsmobile street rod.

A Class Act!.......2007-07-19

My Ex & I traveled on 66 in the mid to late 80's. Met a lot of the Roadies, took a ton of 66 Pix(mostly ruins at the time). Went
"from Chicago to L.A." 2 full times & actually MET Michael & Suz when we were in OK. In fact, we are on page 41 of the Original book! We began a trend as, when we stopped at a 66 biz, we had the owners autograph the book! We LOVE Ramona/Angel/Bob Waldmire & are sad at the loss of Jerry Richard, Juan D. Bobby T. & other lost legends. It was a fun time in my life & I have many great memories & Road Stories.

Tulsa Author Does Good!!.......2007-05-17

Michael Wallis is an excellent writer, one to be emulated by any aspiring writer.

Excellent front to back historical coverage of Rt. 66........2007-03-12

This is a great book for just kicking back and taking a virtual ride on Rt. 66. I, myself, have never been down the road as I am an East Coaster and never yet made the western trek to California. However, I always dreamed of doing such in a RV and now I know for sure what road to take.

While I have heard of Rt. 66 before, I (never prior to reading this book) knew much about the road. What got me started on Rt. 66. was the fairly recent Disney movie "Cars" (of which I highly recommend seeing). The movie touched upon what Rt. 66 means to America and it's past and also the effects of the Interstate system and I-40 on Rt. 66.

The author of the book, Michael Wallis, has a cameo in "Cars" as the voice of the police car. So it was quite obvious to me that if Mr. Wallis' knowledge is good enough for Disney...Well, this made my decision very clear on what Rt. 66 book to purchase.

Wallis's knowledge of the road is fantastic and expansive. He takes you from the road's beginnings both literally and historically. You go through each state and further to each town along the route, explaining in detail how the roads beginnings were to how they are today. After reaching California, Wallis then has a dedicated chapter on how a recent movement is presently undergoing to restore Rt. 66. highlighting those business's that remain and new and old attractions to visit.

As other reviews pointed out, this book does create a very vivid image in one's mind that does allow you to virtually go down Rt. 66. It is a great 'primer' for those who want to brush up on thier Rt.66 history and also gives you a good idea of places to visit once you plan a trip on the historic road.

Created in sections by state, you can either choose to go through the book front to back as I have or choose to reach each state in more detail. Everything is here.

The only gripe I would have with the book is that while it is an excellent historical document on Rt. 66, I was hoping that key places would be easier to find and laid out more like a reference book. This way I could easily look up attractions in each state and see how they were and how they are now. I am assuming I would get this wish by buying Russ Olsen's "Route 66: Then and Now" book.

As for traveling, I know I would want a quick reference. If you are traveling Route 66, using this book as a reference will have you fumbling through pages. So this book is best read BEFORE one takes on the trip. For the road trip itself I was recommended "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" by Drew Knowles and also the "EZ66 guide for travlers" by Jerry McClanahan. (I have still yet to read these). From what I gathered by other reviewers these two books supplemented with Wallis's book would give anyone everything they would need to know about Rt. 66.

So bottom line, for overall history and just about everything you need to know about Rt 66. while taking a virtual tour of the road, well, this is it. This is where this book shines. A fantastic book best read from cover to cover.

However for a quick reference to take on an actual Rt. 66 road trip, that is where this book falls short. There are probably better sources for that task.

Overall a great buy for the price and it would make a great addition to anyone's American history library and it would also make a great coffee table book (especially if they made a hardcover edition).

The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

Real road food, tasty, cookable; sometimes even nutritious
The Route 66 Cookbook
A great trip down memory lane with all the trimmings
The Route 66 Cookbook, Anniversary Edition
To me, a disappointment.

The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition
Marian Clark
Manufacturer: Council Oak Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1571780955

Book Description

Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of America's most legendary highway, Route 66. This 2,400-mile stretch of interstate runs across eight states and straight through the American psyche. John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie, and carloads of nuclear families from the 1920s to the 1960s threaded their way through the heartland, and the unique restaurants that blossomed along Route 66 are justly celebrated. There are other successful road guides, but Marian Clark's The Route 66 Cookbook is the only culinary guide to what Steinbeck dubbed "The Mother Road." It includes over 250 delicious, time-tested recipes from places like the U Drop Inn, the Covered Wagon Trading Post, the Pig Hip, and the Bungalow Inn. It is also a nostalgic recreation of the Route 66 of the past, with stories from the waitresses and cooks who poured the coffee and baked the pie. With 105 b&w illustrations--as well as a new 16-page color section--this is a gem of Americana, and a treasury of comforting dishes from a time when the flavors along the road changed as dramatically as the landscape and accents as you sped across the heartland.

Customer Reviews:

Real road food, tasty, cookable; sometimes even nutritious.......2003-09-15

Where else can you learn how they made those cinnamon rolls, chicken-fried steak, greasy hamburgers, chili and chocolate pie? This book is history! And there real jewels, too -- roast duck, chicken and shrimp curry -- that are delicious and easy. This is a useful, real cookbook full of wonderful road stories. A wonderful book!

The Route 66 Cookbook.......2001-12-08

The book has a great new introduction with additional stories and recipes. Makes for memorable reading about cafes, diners and other eateries that were once on the road and others that are on 66 today. Recipes work!

A great trip down memory lane with all the trimmings.......2001-11-27

I originally bought the first edition of this fantastic book and had to buy the deluxe update as well. This book is truly fantastic. I spent a good part of last summer driving from Los Angeles to Missouri on old route 66 and this book was a welcome friend along the way (how many people plan trips with cookbooks in hand, I have no idea).

From the standpoint of the trip it was great to be able to find some of the same restaurants that my parents ate at 30+ years ago. The book is also full of menus, pictures and stories - and it's the stories that set the book apart. The stories about the restaurants and people along the way made the entire trip seem like visiting old friends.

The recipes are also second to none. I've tried over two dozen of the recipes and none have disapointed me so far. All of them are simple, tasty and relatively simple to make. You can't go wrong by using these recipes.

Finally, I love the changes from Chicago to Los Angeles in terms of the regional recipes offered. I've long been a fan of American regional cooking and this book, while not a "regional cookbook", shows a flair for the subtle changes in restaurant fare as you travel the mother road.

The Route 66 Cookbook, Anniversary Edition.......2001-03-13

Every Route 66 traveler has memories - this book delighted me with stories of places I have stopped, dishes from the 50s, and great memories from waitresses, owners, customers, and home-town folks who talked about Route 66 eateries that are gone as well as food stops still open today. The recipes are reminiscent of the 50s although some come from the whole 66 era. Every time I drive the road there are changes. The author points this out and some of the people she interviewed are now deceased - but I'm glad their memories were saved - bet they were glad to reminisce. I found the book a delight! Glad Clark is a fellow Oklahoman.

To me, a disappointment........2001-01-03

I began this book reading it as though it were a novel--devouring every word. I have driven Route 66 some, have several books about it, and enjoy the lore and history. And I love reading about food of all kinds, as well as cooking. Marian Clark has certainly done a lot of research and included many interesting anecdotes, but I sometimes had the impression that some could have been fleshed out a little more, to advantage. A number of interesting-sounding people and places got only a sentence or two. By the half-way mark in the book, I was convinced that travelers had better be prepared to subsist on chili, pie, salad dressings, and barbecue sauces, if this is a representative cross section of what's available along the Mother Road. Recipes for these seem to make up close to half of the offerings. And by then I was merely scanning the pages.

Michael Wallis's introduction is touching and lyrically written, and a sheer pleasure to read. I'd like to have seen recipes for more of the gustatory delights that he recalls so vividly, but alas, nary an omelette, nor a single biscuit and gravy. 'WAY more than enough gooey desserts for the overweight, glucose-intolerant traveler, though.

The color photos that fill sixteen pages of this Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition seem to be only of snapshot quality, pretty amateurish, and in my opinion the book deserves better. Some are obviously reproductions of old photos, and can't be helped. The others, though...

So, am I sorry I bought this book? Am I glad to have it in my library? No, and yes. But I'm still disappointed. There are better books on Route 66 out there, and better books on comfort food, though perhaps none that present the two together as this one does. But I have a feeling I'll be referring to those other works more often in the future than I do this one.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2005-03-18

great book for making necromancers in a D&D 3rd addition world. Mostly for NPC's or dark campaigns. Explains everything and more of what you could want and know about necromancers in a RPG world.

Book Description

The revision of this outstanding text retains its skillful blend of theory and practice in a well-organized, readable format. The fourth edition includes increased coverage of emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, resisting influence, group decision making, global leadership, and ethics. Two valuable new features give students additional perspectives on leadership: "Cultural Connections" illustrates the impact of global diversity on concepts covered in the chapter, and "Leadership on the Big Screen" describes a movie or documentary that illuminates chapter themes. The authors weave the latest scholarship and research with earlier findings in the evolution of leadership studies. The multiple examples of leadership, abundant exercises, self-assessments, and interesting case studies provide ample opportunity for class discussion-and provide students with invaluable information about how to become effective leaders. This thought-provoking text discusses the skills necessary for competent leadership, the ethical questions leaders face, the roles of diversity and gender in leading and following, and the role of leadership in multiple contexts.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best!.......2006-03-19

Current, cogent, informative, and relevant,are just a few adjectives to describe this wonderful book. The analyses of the different theories and models of leadership show the authors deep awareness of the subject. I find this volume to be enriching in so many ways. Whether you are in politics, sports, education, or religion, this book will greatly assist your leadership development.

Customer Reviews:

An Important Addition.......2007-05-10

I regard this book as an important addition to my collection of books written by and about Anne Frank. It is for study, rather than for casual reading. The front section of the book contains lots of information about the diary and how it was determined to be authentic. The back section compares three different versions/translations of the diary, page by page. The book contains all of the writings of Anne Frank in one volume.

Book lover but hard to follow.......2007-03-11

I loved the original Anne Frank I read well in High School. I thought this one would be really good now that I'm older. It was extremely hard to follow so I have had to put it down. I will try again later. It does have some very good parts in it and some pictures you haven't seen.

The Real Story.......2007-02-23

After reading many versions of the Diary of Anne Frank, it was great to finally see the original version Anne herself wrote, with no edits. The first part of this book details the verification process when the authenticity of Anne's diary was challenged. The second part takes Anne's original diary, her own edited version that she began just before discovery, and the published version that Otto edited and compares them in small sections together. Its very well documented and if this is an area of interest to you, I highly recommend it.

Let me restate..........2005-07-10

Forgery allegations made against Anne Frank's diary are thoroughly demolished in the Revised Critical Edition. Certain people either haven't read this book or are (more likely) knowingly spreading debunked allegations to further their political agendas.

Regarding Anne Frank herself, she is an excellent writer and all the idolatry that surrounds her today can often make us forget that. This book is pretty much the definitive presentation of her writings, including not only her diary, but her short stories as well. This is the one to get.

A quick note regarding allegations of forgery.......2005-07-10

(...)

Anne Frank is an excellent writer and all the idolatry that surrounds her today can often make us forget that. This book is pretty much the definitive presentation of her writings, including not only her diary, but her short stories as well. This is the one to get.

Amazon.com

"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of The Communist Manifesto, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, includes an introduction by renowned historian Eric Hobsbawm which reminds us of the document's continued relevance. Marx and Engels's critique of capitalism and its deleterious effect on all aspects of life, from the increasing rift between the classes to the destruction of the nuclear family, has proven remarkably prescient. Their spectre, manifested in the Manifesto's vivid prose, continues to haunt the capitalist world, lingering as a ghostly apparition even after the collapse of those governments which claimed to be enacting its principles.

Book Description

A modern edition on the 150th anniversary of the Manifesto. The Communist Manifesto, drafted on the eve of the 1848 revolutions, is the most brilliant and incisive political text ever written; a work of great literary power as well as historical insight. Eric Hobsbawm, whose writing has brilliantly described the century and a half of history that has been both shaped and illuminated by the Manifesto, presents it here. As the "age of extremes" draws to an end and capitalism seems everywhere to be triumphant, as it did one hundred and fifty years ago, Eric Hobsbawm critically appraises a work which, he argues, is now more timely than ever. Hobsbawm notes the curious fact that the Manifesto remained a subterranean text for many decades and did not circulate on a mass scale, or achieve a canonical status, until comparatively recently. He argues that only the complete unfolding of capitalism on a global scale in recent times allows us to take the full measure of Marx and Engels's truly astounding mixture of passion, science and poetry.

Download Description

Still relevant today both as a historical document and as a stirring call for social democracy, this New Albion edition includes Engel's extensive footnotes from the various editions, plus the changing Prefaces written first by Marx and Engels, and later by Engels alone, plus notes on the Manifesto and the various translations of it.

Customer Reviews:

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-14

Well, if you are a student of Philosophy or economics you must make this a part of your reading whether you want to or not. It is not long. It is not difficult. It is quite explicit. And after you read it you should have a better understanding of where you personally stand politically. I am not going to comment on what it says or advocates. Read it and find out for yourself. You won't need an interpreter.

Must have for any wannabe idealist.......2007-09-10

Well, obviously I havent read this fascinating piece of litrerature, but thats because a read book just looks so scruffy on my beautiful capitalist shelves.
This book makes me look a lot more sympathetic to all those wannabe commies, so why not dish out on a copy too?
Nah just joking, just read it and decide for yourself.

Political Classic...read for historical insight.......2007-06-27

My son required a copy of "The Communist Manifesto" for a philosophy class. After he was done with it, I decided to read it since this was one of the founding documents for Communism.

I found it difficult to decide how to rate this book. The presentation of Manifesto by Penguin in this book is excellent. The central ideas of the Manifesto itself are disturbing.

Should you read the Communist Manifesto? Yes. Is this a good presentation? Yes. Was Communism envisioned by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels a good idea? No. So I have compromised between the excellent presentation and the ideas espoused by the Manifesto in selecting an average rating.

Some reviewers feel that the Manifesto's critique of capitalism is right on; I have grave doubts. Marx and Engels were critiquing capitalism from an ivory tower. Their remedies for capitalism show that they had no real experience or contact with the workers in the trenches.

Some reviewers have mentioned the changing of labor laws due to the Manifesto, such as child labor laws (a generally agreed good thing). I believe those laws would have changed if the Manifesto had never been written. I believe those reviewers are seeing cause and effect relationships where there is none. I believe labor leaders in non-Communist states, pushing for change in labor laws, did not need belief in Communism behind them to push for change. Even without Communism, they would have done what they did anyways because the labor leaders came up from the laboring trenches. They knew first hand the abuses going on. The writers of the Manifesto did not; their ideas were theoretical. I know my ideas, in this area, are conjectures of what would have happened without the Manifesto, without Communism; there is no way they can be proven, history cannot be rewritten.

The remedy proposed by Marx and Engels is frightening. It foreshadows exactly how Communism gave birth to totalitarian states, to Communist dictatorships. Their remedy for capitalism requires a select group of leaders (Communist elitists) to force Communism onto the populace for the good of the people. We should all be suspicious of anyone who professes an idea that is for the good of the people because it invariably is not good for the people. To paraphase Lord Acton, "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely," and the states envisioned by the writers of the Manifesto set up perfect conditions of absolute power (for the good of the people) which in practice led to absolutely corrupt power. History has shown there has been extreme abuse by Communist leaders, who became power meglomanics, of the masses of workers in their states.

Indeed, history has repeatedly shown that the concentration of power in the hands of a select few led to abuse of power. The smaller the select, the greater the abuse. This has been true regardless of the political theories espoused by the leaders. Let this be a cautionary tale to all of us.

A Must Read.......2007-06-23

It amazes me that the effects of cold war propaganda drivel still permeates the minds of most Americans. This is easily one of the most influential works since it's publication in the 19th century. To say something along the lines that the pages should be torn out and used as paper airplanes is like saying the literary masterpieces Dickens should be used as toilet paper. Disagree with it all you want but at least acknowledge it's influence and respect it, as several reviewers have. Don't simply pigeonhole a great work due to the ignorance or American cold war dogma. If you are going to rant about this work at least get your facts straight. Hitler is not a communist..never was. As a matter of fact he hated communism just as much as most Americans do. Second, recognize communism is an ideal, just a capitalism is may I add, and there never has been a purely communistic state. If you are going to give this work a bad rating at least pretend you have read it. Most of the bad reviews are complete drivel and it is obvious the work has not been read. Give a reason why you do not like the book. Simply saying it sucks is not very insightful. Finally, do not give this a bad review simply because you cannot understand what is being said. If the merit of literary works were based upon how something is being said rather than what is being said Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Milton would not be considered literary geniuses.

A Misleading Edition.......2007-06-14

The following is the composure of the book:
pg. 1-170 Introduction by Translator
pg. 170-240 Various Prefaces of Other Editions by the Authors
pg. 240-280 The Manifesto

For those not familiar with Marx, who want to read the introduction and gain new insights--this is a brilliant setup.

For those who would rather just pay $2 for the Manifesto itself--this is disappointing.

Recommended for the student of philosophy, not the professor.

Average customer rating:

Read it and learn

Good read

Good Classical Journalism

How Investigative Journalism helps bring the downfall of Enron

On and On and On . . .

24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America
Rebecca Smith , and John R. Emshwiller
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Oil & Energy | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

Anatomy of Greed: The Unshredded Truth from an Enron Insider

Power Failure: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron

What Went Wrong at Enron: Everyone's Guide to the Largest Bankruptcy in U.S. History

Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story

ASIN: 0060520744
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

This is the story of Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller, the two reporters who led the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Enron and uncovered the unorthodox partnerships at the heart of the scandal through skill, luck, and relentless determination.

It all started in August 2001when Emshwiller was assigned to write a supposedly simple article on the unexpected resignation of Enron CEO Jeff Skilling. During his research, Emshwiller uncovered a buried reference to an off–balance–sheet partnership called LJM. Little did he know, this was the start of a fast and furious ride through the remarkable downfall of a once highly–prized company.

Written in an intense, fast paced narrative style, 24 Days tells the gripping story of the colossal collapse of what would become the world's most notorious corporation. The reader follows along as Smith and Emshwiller continue to uncover new partnerships and self–dealing among the highest levels of Enron's management. As they publish articles detailing their findings in the Journal, Wall Street and individual investors have a crisis of confidence and start selling Enron stock at unprecedented levels of volume. In the end – 24 short days later – Enron had completely collapsed, erasing 16 years of growth and losing $19 billion in market value while watching the stock drop from $33.84 to $8.41. Not only was the company destroyed, but investors and retired employees were completely wiped out–all the while Enron executives were collecting millions of dollars.

Climaxing with this 24–day period, this book shows the reporterᲜ'97eye view of a David–and–Goliath battle between journalists and a giant corporation. Each day a new story uncovered another fact; each day the company issued denials. And when the investigative stories reached critical mass and momentum, the stock market cast its final vote of no confidence. In the tradition of Indecent Exposure and Barbarians at the Gate, two other gripping narratives that began as a series of Wall Street Journal stories and ended up as books that defined an era, 24 Days brings the importance of great investigative journalism to life.

Customer Reviews:

Read it and learn .......2007-04-20

In this fascinating study of white collar crime, reporters Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller describe in detail how they helped make the criminal excesses of the top executives at Enron the kind of front page news that brought the company crashing down. This is a story of how good journalism works, whether you like it or not --- and clearly a number of Enron executives, employees and stockholders would like to blame the media for what happened to them. Jeff Skilling, the ex-Enron CEO who is now serving time, tried that "run on the bank" defense when he testified before Congress. But Enron was a house of cards that was built to crash. For a time, before it was exposed, the energy company seemed to be a monster that was capable of bankrupting the state of California. Smith and Emshwiller didn't actually break the story on their own. But they had been working on it for months so that they were able to provide critical background details when the company came out with its duplicitous and disastrous third-quarter earnings report on Oct. 16, 2001. The average reader won't understand all of the details of the Enron scams. Neither did the reporters. But anyone who works through this book will come away with a sense of how modern accounting can hide a massive ponzi scheme. Read it and learn.

Good read.......2007-01-15

Before reading this book, I knew very little about Enron and it's downfall, having only vaguely followed the story in the media when the scandal broke.

The book seems to be well researched, with Smith and Emshwiller doing a good job explaining what happened and how. Although it gets a little confusing at times, this is probably due to the complexity of the off-balance-sheet partnerships. However, as another commenter said, this book appears to focus more on the how and when, than rather than who and why, with little focus on Andrew Fastow, who was at the heart of these partnerships.

For that reason, I'll also be reading 'Enron: the smartest guys in the room' which appears to focus more on the executives, though would still recommend reading this book. It's well written and is a gripping read. I couldn't put it down!

Good Classical Journalism.......2007-01-04

The book gives a good idea of what happened in Enron. It is based on thorough research and the story is developing in an exciting way.

Would be good to get a part II with reports of the court cases and maybe interviews with the key players - at least of those who are still alive.

How Investigative Journalism helps bring the downfall of Enron.......2006-05-20

21 Apr 06

I was thinking that this is the best Enron book to read - totally from the outside and based, I feel, on facts, until I read "Smartest Guys in the Room". Still, it is a very entertaining book because it brings the excitement of how the reporters uncover the hidden nuggets of information that Enron reports but tries to obscure from the public.

According to this book, Cliff Baxter appears to be the integrity guy who couldn't lived with the guilt. He apparently paid a team $1 million out of guilt. All in all, given that he decided to pay with his life, I feel the authors are quite remorse about how they have tried to dig information out of him and may have clouded their description of the person. Still, compared to Japan, where people who bring shame / problems to so many other people has only one honorable way out, this act is quite redeeming in some sense.

And, if it is true that he is the integrity guy, then it is sad that the only guy who felt guilty enough about this whole thing and took matters into his own hands in a very destructive way is the "integrity guy".

On and On and On . . ........2005-12-29

"24 Days" is both a story about what went on at Enron and how the Wall Street Journal reporters followed and wrote the story. The book is interesting at first, but after awhile the detail becomes overwhelming and pointless.

In addition, the book did not provide a clear understanding about CFO Fastow's side deals. To be fair, however, the deals were so complex that even with printed documentation in hand it was not possible to decipher what was going on, and other books on the topic have not clarified the matter either. What is clear, however, is that the side deals were kept under the radar as much as possible, and even deliberately hidden in some instances.

Another clear conclusion is that neither CEO Lay, former CEO Skilling, Enron's Board, nor numerous highly-paid stock analysts knew the full details or even tried. No evidence of their interest in any details was revealed. Incredible incompetence - at best

24 DAYS HOW TWO WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTERS UNCOVERED THE LIES THAT DESTROYED FAITH IN CORPORATE AMERICA

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24 DAYS HOW TWO WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTERS UNCOVERED THE LIES THAT DESTROYED FAITH IN CORPORATE AMERICA
REBECCA - JOHN R. EMSHWILLER SMITH
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEKCFA

Book Description

The 15 original essays written by leading scientists, policy analysts, public lands managers, and advocates addresses four related issues regarding the future of our nation's forests: ideas and practices of sustainable forestry; science and policymaking; threatened and endangered species protection on forested lands; and the future of public forest lands management in the Pacific Northwest. Though the focus of the essays is regional, the co-editors' introduction and conclusion will make connections between the Northwest forests as a case study and scientific and policy dilemmas generally.

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