Vesco: From Wall Street to Castro's Cuba, the Rise, Fall, and Exile of the King of White Collar Crime

Book Description

Today's high-flying, high-rolling conglomarateurs and corporate raiders are a tame lot compared to their immediate predecessors. The most notorious of these is Robert Vesco, the Kingfish himself, who in 1973 fled the United States accused of looting $250 million from Investors Overseas Services. Now, in this riveting account, noted author Arthur Herzog tells the astounding story of this high school dropout from Detroit, who parlayed cunning, ambition, a brilliant mind, and above all, other people's gullibility and money into a vast financial empire.

Vesco's was a different kind of white collar crime. Indeed, there are many today who think he is not a criminal at all—just a victim of the SEC ("See Everything Crooked"). Working narrowly within the system, Vesco joined together smaller companies to form ever larger ones; then, driving up the price of stocks, he attracted investors by the thousands worldwide. When, at last, the dream fell apart, he got out before being thrown in jail. What followed was a desperate escape—and an equally desperate chase by the FBI, CIA, and SEC—to the Bahamas, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and finally Havana, Cuba, where Vesco now lives under the protection of Fidel Castro.

Customer Reviews:

The only game in town.......2004-09-17

The book is about as good as any book could be, given the secrecy in which its main subject operated. It never gives the reader any clarity about why Vesco committed the crimes that made him famous (he could have made just about as much money legally, and would not have ended up in jail in Cuba as a result.) But in a case where little is known about what precisely happened, it is unfair to expect Herzog to explain why it happened. Anyway, this is the only book on Mr. Vesco that discusses his later career, and it sorely deserves an update. Required reading for any scholars of 1970s finance or Wall Street scandals.

VESCO book is Real-Life Suspense Thriller .......2004-08-30

VESCO:FROM WALL STREET TO CASTRO'S CUBA by Arthur Herzog is a riveting study of while-collar criminal, Robert Vesco, accused by the Securities Exchange Commission of looting Bernard Cornfeld's Investor's Overseas Service (IOS) of 425 million in 1986. Vesco fled the USA before he was brought to trial, presumably, taking the money with him. The ingredients of "game playing", secretiveness, manipulation, bravado, and a "slippery streak" mixed with a more than usual dose of greed and chutzpah is the foundation of the Vesco legend.
Herzog looks at his ambitious childhood in Detroit, his early marriage at seventeen, and his knack of losing jobs. After awhile Vesco decides to start his own businesses, ultimately creating wealthy conglomerates. But Vesco did not work alone; he sought out and persuaded powerful, wealthy men to join him in his various get-rich schemes. After he left the country, he still had a line to the best attorneys to represent him and to powerful politicians to protect him, as he hop-scotched around the Caribbean--Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, Antigua, and eventually Castro's Cuba. It is here that Herzog catches up with the fugitive financier and gets the first interview ever with him. Ironically, Herzog's last question, "Bob, was it all worth it?" is left unanswered as Vesco scurries away.
* * *

Mr. Herzog has done a superb job on the facts........1999-09-01

I would love to meet and greet the person the book is about. It is as if he has left no stone unturned. Mr. Vesco if you can read this please call me @ 1-313-577-6951. Thanks Carole McCormick.

Vesco From Wall Street to Castro's Cuba The Rise, Fall, and Exile of the King of White Collar Crime

Average customer rating:

Vesco From Wall Street to Castro's Cuba The Rise, Fall, and Exile of the King of White Collar Crime
Arthur Herzog
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0SE4K

Amazon.com

3ds max 4 Ground Rules is not, despite its name and the picture of a green-lawned golf course on the cover, about creating terrain and landscapes with 3ds max 4, Discreet's 3-D CG animation package. It's a new series from Autodesk Press, and its charter is to lay the groundwork for new users so they can build their own projects.

Michael Todd Peterson is an experienced writer and 3ds max user, and the breadth and depth of his experience shows in this book. More than 600 pages and 17 chapters cover everything from the absolute basics to advanced and complex features. Sections cover installing and navigating the interface of 3ds max 4, and there is a bird's-eye view of the workflow in a Max project--using basic shapes to build a model; using models to build a scene; adding detail with textures, lights, and particles; adding and animating a camera; and rendering the finished animation to a movie.

Later parts of the book are about modeling. Techniques are discussed for surface modeling, patch modeling, using splines and compound objects, creating editable meshes, and using modifiers and how they work with the stack paradigm. The last third of the book is all about animation: an introduction to animation, using Track View, character animation, and special-effects animation using particles, space warps, and more.

For anyone climbing 3ds max 4's learning curve, this is probably one of the better books available. The author's easy style, the use of screenshots, and the rich material on the CD make this book a valuable asset to any Max user. --Mike Caputo

Book Description

The first in our new Ground Rules series, this book paves the way to mastery of 3ds max Release 4 basics - that is, the "ground rules" - by inviting readers to work through thoughtfully crafted examples, exercises, and tutorials for this powerful design and animation tool. A refreshing alternative to command-driven books, 3ds max 4 Ground Rules puts novices on the fast-track to new skills as it guides them to an understanding of the fundamental principles underlying 3ds max Release 4 use. Fast-paced coverage spans the entire spectrum, from exploration of the user interface through Character Animation and Special FX. In addition, unique features, such as AVI files and full-color inserts, result in an extraordinarily interactive experience that goes beyond that offered by other introductory books.

Customer Reviews:

Great for absolute beginners.......2004-05-04

3D , unlike 2D 'photo' applications, reqire that you know a fair deal about the nature of the 3D world and the multitude of features and modeling techniques before you can do anything!
If like me, you don't know your arc from your omni then this book will get you up and running.
Written in a simple language, you'll find that pidgen descriptions eg. 'a row of buttons will appear under the title box. Click the third button from the left, adjust the value to -20.5, then click on the check box to apply this value' - are a godsend when you're sat in front of your monitor and you don't really know what you're doing yet; things are happening onscreen and you feel that you're making progress. Guiding you through the motions helps give you a feel for the program and you can move into the following chapters with a bit more understanding.
Following the tutorials to build and modify a robot forms the main teaching element (as you only really learn by doing). But I would have liked to see more stand-alone examples of the seperate modeling methods, as you can only read so much about splines, sub-objects or modifiers before it all starts to blur.
Overall though, this book seems as good as any for a complete beginner. Though it's value as a reference book once you've worked through it (due to the absence of stand-alone tutorials) could be limited.
If you want to learn 3D but don't know where to start, try here.

Nice and Easy - Still reading.......2001-12-23

One aspect of the book is that it is easy to read. Samples, examples explanations. Definately worth reading.

Excellent for beginners.......2001-12-17

I have read many a 3DS MAX book. -- Well I have tried to read many that is. -- Believe me I have tried off and on for a year or so now. --- This book *truly* is a beginners book that will start you off on the ground level and have you doing things very quickly that are fun. -- I learned more with 3 hours and this book in front of MAX than I had in 3 weeks prior just because this book has a good focus.

Everyone gives everything 5 stars... and I try not to... but then again... I usually only feel inclined to rate things I trully feel derserve high praise. -- This is one of those things.

Good book, but not a lot detail.......2001-08-07

If you are a newbie to 3ds max then this would be a good book for you. I am on chapter 7 of this book and am finding a small fraction of difficulty. This book doesn't get into as much detail as I would have preferred it to. One thing I didn't like was making this robot model. All it really is, is spheres and cylinders. But I guess it's just a newbie book. So let me just say that its not the best book in the world for max 4. Seriously my friends, if you want to start 3ds max 4, there are better books out there than this one. Overall, this book is an alright book to get a novice modeler up and going.

Easy to read, easy to learn.......2001-06-17

This book makes it so easy to learn 3ds max! The writing style is so easy to read and follow. You can learn quickly and painlessly just by doing the examples. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn 3ds max 4.

Customer Reviews:

The spectacular New Madrid Earthquake.......2000-10-27

This book was very informative about the New Madrid Earthquake. It had great detail about the earthquake and is a great resource for term papers. I would highly recommend this book to students who are doing papers for Earthscience courses with there main interest of the New Madrid Earthquake.

Average customer rating:

Entertaining, knowlegeable reading.

On Shaky Ground
John J. Nance
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Seismology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0688066488

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, knowlegeable reading........1999-01-24

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot in the process. Read at the right time in a person's life, it could cause them to become a geologist/volcanologist, etc.

Average customer rating:

Shaky Ground
Alice Echols
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0231106718

Book Description

Alice Echols has never shied away from controversy. Long before it was fashionable, she wrote searing critiques of antiporn feminism. Her subsequent books about the 1960s are trenchant and provocative, and written with unflinching honesty. Now she maps an alternative history of contemporary American culture, taking on such subjects as hippies, gay/lesbian and women's liberation, disco and the racial politics of music, and artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell and Lenny Kravitz. Echols upends many of our bedrock assumptions about American culture since the 1950s, challenging in particular the notions that the '60s represented a total rupture with the past and that the '70s marked the end of meaningful change.

Shaky Ground: Earthquakes (Turbulent Planet)

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Shaky Ground: Earthquakes (Turbulent Planet)
Mary Colson , and Anita Ganeri
Manufacturer: Raintree
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Earthquakes & Volcanoes | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science & Technology | Teens | Subjects | Books

Earth Science | Science & Technology | Teens | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1410905896

Earthquake! on Shaky Ground: On Shaky Ground (Cover-to-Cover Informational Books: Disasters)

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Earthquake! on Shaky Ground: On Shaky Ground (Cover-to-Cover Informational Books: Disasters)
Jane Duden
Manufacturer: Perfection Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Earthquakes & Volcanoes | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 078076109X

The innocent investor and the shaky ground floor

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The innocent investor and the shaky ground floor
Sidney Margolius
Manufacturer: Trident Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0671270753

Living and Lasting on Shaky Ground: Earthquake Preparedness for People With Disabilities

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Living and Lasting on Shaky Ground: Earthquake Preparedness for People With Disabilities

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 078817391X

On Shaky Ground (April 1995) San Francisco Bay Area

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On Shaky Ground (April 1995) San Francisco Bay Area
Jeanne B. Perkins , and John Boatwright
Manufacturer: Assoc. of Bay Area Governments
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KA9AWO

Product Description

A research report prepared under ABAG's direction with grant support from the USGS and NSF showing earthquake hazard maps and potential damage and loss zones for the 9 San Francisco Bay Area counties from the major faults that are located within them, illustrated in color with charts and maps, 56 pages including appendices.

On Shaky Ground: America's Earthquake Alert

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On Shaky Ground: America's Earthquake Alert
John J. Nance
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books
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Scorpion Strike

ASIN: 0380707438

On shaky ground: The San Francisco Bay area

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On shaky ground: The San Francisco Bay area
Jeanne B Perkins
Manufacturer: Association of Bay Area Governments
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Earthquakes & Volcanoes | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00072F8X0

Customer Reviews:

solid intro to roleplaying.......2002-04-11

I got this book around 1985, 12years old at the time, I had all the 1st edition AD&D hardbacks, plus the basic sets, and I didn't have a clue how to use most of it! This book, among the easiest to read guides to role-playing ever written, simplified a lot of the concepts and mechanical aspects of the game - among it's innovations was the idea of allowing demi-humans to adopt character classes in Basic D&D - ie. you could have an Elven Thief if you wanted to. The example dungeon setting meticulously described the Shrine of Kollchap, and stands alone as a dungeon that actually makes sense - not another random collection of monsters waiting in 10'x10' rooms for the marauding adventurers. Also, being published outside TSR, this book was able to provide an objective guide of the pros and cons of Basic vs. AD&D, and the significant investment the latter represented. A fine book for any novice role-player, and a great stroll down memory lane for the dinosaurs like me still out there!

What Lurks Beyond: A Fantasy-Horror Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Books)

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What Lurks Beyond: A Fantasy-Horror Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Books)
Mike Whitehead
Manufacturer: Cutter's Guild Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

What Lurks Beyond will draw Players into a realm of dark secrets and sinister plots. They will explore crumbling towers, subterranean lairs, ancient ruins and places best left forgotten. They will have to solve riddles and dodge deadly traps. They will ha

Dungeons and Dragons Marvel Super Heroes Standard Module-Mh9 Gates of What If?

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Dungeons and Dragons Marvel Super Heroes Standard Module-Mh9 Gates of What If?
Roger Moore
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0880382287

Average customer rating:

What is Dungeons & Dragons?
John; Parker, Philip; Honigmann, David Butterfield
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ0I7M

Book Description

Troubleshoot, tune, and optimize your Oracle database efficiently and successfully every time. This book explains how to take full advantage of the revolutionary Oracle Wait Interface to quickly pinpoint--and solve--core problems and bottlenecks, and increase productivity exponentially.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent examples - easy to understand and use.......2007-03-08

I read the book and was immediately able to get to the root causes of a slow running Oracle database. Very well organized.

Skillful Oracle book!.......2007-01-03

The way in which the concepts are explained by the authors is Skillful.
Tired of reading obscure explanations about latches?
If so, read this book to learn it.
The authors were able to explain what Oracle latches are and how they work.
It's the only one book you need to understand how Oracle wait events should be used as a tuning tool.
It's a "definitive guide!"

Kirtikumar Deshpande, K. Gopalakrishnan are the Best Authors !.......2006-11-10

I loved this book and it has helped me many many times to reduce the contention in database , thus by improving the performance by 100% to 150%...

With this book, I was actually able to implement the concepts, whereas other books I read , were more derived from oracle manuals.

Thanks to Kirtikumar Deshpande, K. Gopalakrishnan for this book,

If you need to tune the database, this is the book for you.

Bye Bye Cache Hit Ratio .......2006-07-29

This is one of my favorite books. It gives easy to understand descriptions and examples. It is a must have for tuning. It is nicely organized and highly useful in a "crisis" situation.

Hats off to Kirti & Richmond and to the editors I don't have to remember everything 'cept where I put this book.

OWI Gold Mine !!.......2006-06-06

An excellent read, I have to say that it exceeds my expectations. For those who are just getting exposed to the myths of OWI, a must read from cover to cover.
Having worked in Performance Tuning for the last few years I never come across a book which is complete in itself and needs no additional reference to other books or documents.

The authors of this book have done an excellent job in exposing invaluable information on Oracle wait Interface. Particularly, they targeted the most important waits that one must pay attention to while dealing with Oracle performance issues. On the contrary to misconceptions floating around usage of x$ which was thought to hamper performance the author clearly demonstrates its use throughout the book.

This is one of a kind book available. A book like this should be part of all serious DBAs reference collection. More importantly one of the very very few books that helps not only identifying the problem but actually offers a solution for the same....provides a cause for the event and ways to alleviate it.

Kudos to the authors for writing such a wonderful book and would highly recommend it for anybody wanting to plunge into the OWI gold mine.

Fantastic work
From,
Vinod Haval

Oracle Wait Interface: a Practical Guide To Performance Diagnostics & Tuning (Oracle Press)

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Oracle Wait Interface: a Practical Guide To Performance Diagnostics & Tuning (Oracle Press)
Richmond Shee
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N631R0

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