Enron: A Professional's Guide to the Events, Ethical Issues, and Proposed Reforms

Book Description

The scandals involving Enron and other high-profile companies reflect deep-rooted problems in individual ethics and conflicts of interest embedded in our financial and business systems. The fallout from these scandals will profoundly change the accounting, corporate finance, and investment fields. Proposed reforms may help to avert future scandals, but they will have a limited impact if they are not accompanied by a renewed sense of ethics among accountants, attorneys, corporate executives, investment bankers, and security analysts.

Written by Art Berkowitz, an accountant and educator who has taught on ethics for many years, ENRON provides a perspective on the scandal that is missing in day-to-day news accounts. It explains the collision of forces that led to the debacle; it illuminates the deeper issues underlying the scandal; and it analyzes the regulatory reforms that have been proposed.

At the hear of the scandal are conflicts or interest and ethical ambiguities that are pervasive in the auditing, corporate governance, financial reporting, and investment analysis fields. While the structural weaknesses can be addressed through regulatory and legal reform, the deeper issue of individual ethical behavior needs to be addressed at entirely different levels -- by industry associations, firms and companies, and ultimately, by individuals themselves. ENRON illuminates these issues in way that will enable professionals to look a themselves and their own firms to determine what changes they need to make to maintain their individual and firm-wide integrity.

Topics include:

-- The Scandal: How It Happened
-- Key Players
-- The Action
-- Accounting Reforms
-- Corporate Governance, Legal, Security Reforms
-- Social and Political Issues
-- Lessons To Be Learned
-- Does It Pay To Be Ethical?
-- Ethics, Rules, and True Integrity.

Included in the book are source materials including key memos and internal documents related to the scandal and ensuring investigations.

ENRON comes complete with study questions and answers, and a quizzer, designed for professionals to earn Continuing Professional Education credits. (Grading and administration fee additional)

Customer Reviews:

Must read for corporate types.......2004-02-24

As a senior financial officer for several multi-million dollar corporations, I recommend this book to anyone who needs to function in the Sarbanes-Oxley era. It is one large case study of a corporate fiasco which could happen at many companies without proper governance or oversight. Mr. Berkowitz gets to his points succinctly and imbues the reader with an understanding that this is not only about ethics, but rather corporate survival in the mid-to-long term. The documents in the appendix are excellent and support the case quite well.

Not Just for the Professional!.......2003-01-20

As a layperson, I found this book to be engaging and extremely informative. Arthur Berkowitz captures the essence of the "Players" as the scandal unfolds. At the beginning of the book, the author lists the numerous characters along with the position(s) they held. This was a useful "tool," helping the reader keep the characters straight. I also appreciated having the "memos" readily available to read in the back of the book.

Reality for a Non-Accountant.......2003-01-18

The story of Enron was presented in a very understandable and interesting manner, and left me with a very good grasp of the whole sordid situation. However, as I am not an accountant, I really couldn't relate to all the specific financial procedures or details in the appendices. Most significantly, the book emphasized the field of ethics--for an accountant, for a corporate person, for a regular citizen. This was the most thought-provoking aspect of the book. Various scenarios and issues were presented--fairly, with differing sides, potential reforms and alternatives, and impacts explored--leaving the reader to form his own opinion on how we can all learn from the Enron debacle and help effect positive change. The case studies were realistic and the discussions very revealing--a book well worth reading!

Big Disappointment.......2002-11-14

I found this book to be a big disappointment; it is definitely not worth the price. Almost half of it consists of the appendix, with the full texts of the Powers Report, Enron's 2000 Annual Report, and the Watkins memo. While these are useful, they can be found in other places. The rest of the book is surprisingly "thin" and superficial. I was sucked in by the "professional's guide" description and my foolish assumption that there would be content here justifying the hefty price. Multiple choice questions are included - I suspect this was an attempt to gouge college students.

Covering all the bases.......2002-09-20

Art Berkowitz covers all the bases in this insightful and quick read book. If you are looking for a solid understanding of what took place at Enron and would also like access to some of the high profile documents that were mentioned in the press, this is your book.

Book Description

I Hear What You Say, But What Are You Telling Me? is a fascinating, original, and invaluable tool kit filled with practical information and techniques for mediators who want to use nonverbal communication to their strategic advantage. Employing a proven process, Barbara Madonik--communication expert, mediator, and international consultant--reveals what it takes to understand, analyze, and utilize nonverbal communication to greatly enhance the mediation process.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Valuable Resource.......2006-09-13

This is definitely one of the best books on NLP that I have read, and I've read over 150 such books.

Why do I rate it so highly?

1. Because the author has picked a very specific application - mediation - and the particular NLP tools she sees as being relevant to that process, and then she stays focused right through the book without wandering off into other areas that that may or may not be related.

2. Because the author makes no attempt to fudge issues or sell NLP as just a set of simple techniques which anyone can apply and perform guaranteed miracles every time.
What the author DOES show us is that the processes she is describing require skill and expertise. The skill to know WHAT techniques to use in a particular situation, AND HOW to use them.

It reminded me of the story about the engineering specialist who was called in to deal with a mystery fault in the engine of a large, ocean-going passenger ship.
He spent about 5 minutes tapping various parts of the engine with a small hammer, made a few adjustments, and was back on deck less than 10 minutes after he came on board. A few days later the ships's owners received an invoice for $999.
"This is outrageous," protested the general manager when he phoned up the engineer. "The Captain tells me you were on board for less than ten minutes in all. How can you possibly justify charging us $999 for the tiny amount that you did to the engine?"
"Oh, I only charged you $99 for what I DID," the engineer explained. "The other $900 was for KNOWING WHAT TO DO."

3. Which leads directly to my third reason for liking the book - it doesn't stop at telling the reader WHAT to do (a very common flaw in books of this kind), it also presents the reader with a wealth of information on HOW to do it - based on the author's obviously very extensive experience in the field.

One further point that needs to be made relates to the application featured in the book.
That is to say, although the book is about acting as a mediator, many of the topics relevant to handling the mediation process are also found in running negotiations, business meetings, etc., and I would suggest that people who deal with such activities will also find a great deal of useful material in this book.
Very highly recommended.

I hear what you say, but what are you telling me?.......2002-03-07

This book has something for everyone. The step by step analysis of the mediation process is very helpful. The author takes each step of the mediation process and carefully explains how to be a more effective mediator. Each chapter is packed with details of how to become a more effective communicator, while improving the mediation process. Even the most experienced mediators can benefit from the wide range of new ideas that Ms. Madonik brings to the mediation process. I have favorite sections that include how to ask more productive questions and building instant rapport. This is a must for every mediator's personal library--sure to become a classic!
(Dana Tait, attorney-mediator, private practice,
Malibu,California).

A NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION BIBLE.......2001-11-05

This is, beyond doubt, the most practical, well-written book on nonverbal communication in print today. It not only provides a primer on noverbal communication in general, but delivers plenty of real world nut-and-bolts strategies designed to sharpen the reader's communication and negotiation skills. It demonstrates how to notice and appropriately respond to the nonverbal communication cues provided by the person you are dealing with, to the benefit of both parties. You could attend a dozen seminars on the subject and never get the breadth and depth of the information provided. The arena in which the author applies her considerable skills is mediation. But don't let that deter you if you not in the legal field. The book is a gem. Read it, enjoy it, and profit by it soon.

Customer Reviews:

Something isn't right............2003-12-06

This book was written to get his side of the story. The U.S Gov't would like to portray him as a cold heartless Indian who deserves to be in jail. If 1000s of people worldwide , which include leaders of countries and celebrities.
If you thought all the "bad stuff" the government did to American Indians the last 300 years was over......read this.

Political prisoners in the US??!!.......2003-04-30

Reading this book inspired me to somehow get involved in the movement for Leonard Peltier. This man was convicted of a crime there was no proof he committed and the situation has gone largely ignored by our government for 20 years!!! Read this book, learn the facts, and then get involved. Whether it be by talking about Leonard Peltier to other people and informing them, or by writing letters to your elected officials, DO SOMETHING! A fellow American has been unjustly imprisoned and it's our duty to help him.

Where's the Justice?.......1997-04-05

Imagine for a moment. A political prisoner has been languishing in prison closing in on 20 years. Evidence has pointed to his innocence. His extradition from another country was based on false testimony. Even the agency that arrested him admitted to the strong possibility of his innocence. Where am I? Nazi Germany? Communist China? Russian Gulag? NOPE!! I'm right here in the GOOD OL' U.S.A.!! For close to 20 years Leonard Peltier has sat in Leavenworth. His charges of killing a federal agent has been proven false. Appeal after appeal has gone against him. So why is this injustice allowed to continue? BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT!!! If this book doesn't get you motivated to do something about this, then you are part of the problem, not the solution

Average customer rating:

The Trial of Leonard Peltier -
Jim Messerschmidt -
Manufacturer: South End Press -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P34TFE

Average customer rating:

The case of Leonard Peltier
Arthur J Miller
Manufacturer: GDC-IWW-Tacoma :
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Simple chemistry governs a host of the exotic objects that populate our cosmos. For example, molecules in the early Universe acted as natural temperature regulators, keeping the primordial gas cool and, in turn, allowing galaxies and stars to form. What are the tools of the trade for the cosmic chemist and what can they teach us about the Universe we live in? These are the questions answered in this engaging and informative guide--the first book for nonspecialists on molecular astrophysics. In clear, nontechnical terms, and without formal mathematics, Hartquist and Williams show how to study and understand the behavior of molecules in a host of astronomical situations. Readers will learn about the secretive formation of stars deep within interstellar clouds; the origin of our own solar system; the cataclysmic deaths of many massive stars that explode as supernovae; and the hearts of active galactic nuclei, the most powerful objects in the universe. This book provides an accessible introduction to a wealth of astrophysics, and an understanding of how cosmic chemistry allows the investigation of many of the most exciting questions concerning astronomy today.

Average customer rating:

Awesome!

Groundbreaking

the most quotable book ever

Better than the movie

Quick Read.

Fight Club: A Novel
Chuck Palahniuk
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0393327345

Amazon.com

The only person who gets called Ballardesque more often than Chuck Palahniuk is, well... J.G. Ballard. So, does Portland, Oregon's "torchbearer for the nihilistic generation" deserve that kind of treatment? Yes and no. There is a resemblance between Fight Club and works such as Crash and Cocaine Nights in that both see the innocuous mundanities of everyday life as nothing more than the severely loosened cap on a seething underworld cauldron of unchecked impulse and social atrocity. Welcome to the present-day U.S. of A. As Ballard's characters get their jollies from staging automobile accidents, Palahniuk's yuppies unwind from a day at the office by organizing bloodsport rings and selling soap to fund anarchist overthrows. Let's just say that neither of these guys are going to be called in to do a Full House script rewrite any time soon.

But while the ingredients are the same, Ballard and Palahniuk bake at completely different temperatures. Unlike his British counterpart, who tends to cast his American protagonists in a chilly light, holding them close enough to dissect but far enough away to eliminate any possibility of kinship, Palahniuk isn't happy unless he's first-person front and center, completely entangled in the whole sordid mess. An intensely psychological novel that never runs the risk of becoming clinical, Fight Club is about both the dangers of loyalty and the dreaded weight of leadership, the desire to band together and the compulsion to head for the hills. In short, it's about the pride and horror of being an American, rendered in lethally swift prose. Fight Club's protagonist might occasionally become foggy about who he truly is (you'll see what I mean), but one thing is for certain: you're not likely to forget the book's author. Never mind Ballardesque. Palahniukian here we come! --Bob Michaels

Book Description

The first rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club.

Chuck Palahniuk's outrageous and startling debut novel that exploded American literature and spawned a movement. Every weekend, in the basements and parking lots of bars across the country, young men with white-collar jobs and failed lives take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other barehanded just as long as they have to. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter, and dark, anarchic genius, and it's only the beginning of his plans for violent revenge on an empty consumer-culture world.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-09-06

The movie, amazing;
the book, a masterpiece;
after reading the book, you see what the movie was trying to do,
granted i think the movie did a good job, but the book was amazing, there's so much more detail, it has more of the love story element that the movie left out, it's has so much more of a grunge feel and it really makes you think;
it ends differently than the movie, and i'm not sure which ending i like better, but i love them both.

if you're a Chuck fan or a Fight Club fan, get this book.
s'all i have to say

Groundbreaking.......2007-08-16

Fight Club is an amazing book. It's very short and easy to read-- actually, I don't think you "read" Fight Club. I think you.. inhale it. If that makes any sense. Combine Nietzsche with designer drugs (a lot of designer drugs), and you have Fight Club. Reading it is an incredible experience; you feel as if you're part of something bigger than yourself, something revolutionary. After reading it, you just might feel the urge to go out and buy yourself all of the required items, and then try to locate the house on Paper Street so you can join Tyler's army.

Go. Read it, and you too can be a part of the Revolution.

the most quotable book ever.......2007-07-17

there are those who have read it and there are those who aren't worth talking to.

Better than the movie.......2007-06-27

Let me start by saying that Fight Club is one of my favorite movies, but I had never read the book. Chuck Palahniuk is an amazing writer- especially considering that this is his first novel. While it is very similar to the movie, I still found it very enjoyable despite the fact that obviously you know what is going to happen. I loved this book and just went and bought two more by Palahniuk.

Quick Read........2007-06-26

You just can not put this book down. It's amazing. The movie spoiled it for me a bit but not that much. The only dilemma was in knowing the movie's ending. If you watch that ending and read this one's then you'll be a bit disappointed. Chuck himself even claimed the movie's ending was better.

I love this book though. It's great.

cover / culture club.(Showtime): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press

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cover / culture club.(Showtime): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000R9SYP2
Release Date: 2007-05-24

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on May 24, 2007. The length of the article is 1165 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: cover / culture club.(Showtime)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 24, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: 4

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Faludi, Fight Club, and phallic masculinity: exploring the emasculating economics of patriarchy.: An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies

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Faludi, Fight Club, and phallic masculinity: exploring the emasculating economics of patriarchy.: An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies
J. Michael Clark
Manufacturer: Men's Studies Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Similar Items:

Men and nostalgia for violence: culture and culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies

ASIN: B0008FOSOQ
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of Men's Studies, published by Men's Studies Press on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 5673 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Faludi, Fight Club, and phallic masculinity: exploring the emasculating economics of patriarchy.
Author: J. Michael Clark
Publication: The Journal of Men's Studies (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Men's Studies Press
Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Page: 65(12)

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Fight Club.(Review): An article from: Arena Magazine

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Fight Club.(Review): An article from: Arena Magazine
Matthew Ryan
Manufacturer: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arena Magazine, published by Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. on February 1, 2000. The length of the article is 2261 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fight Club.(Review)
Author: Matthew Ryan
Publication: Arena Magazine (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2000
Publisher: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
Page: 53

Article Type: Movie Review

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Getting Exercised Over Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: Cineaste

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Getting Exercised Over Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: Cineaste
Gary Crowdus
Manufacturer: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008J435G
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cineaste, published by Cineaste Publishers, Inc. on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 2650 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Getting Exercised Over Fight Club.(Critical Essay)
Author: Gary Crowdus
Publication: Cineaste (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: Cineaste Publishers, Inc.
Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Page: 46

Article Type: Critical Essay

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Masculine identity and success: a critical analysis of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies

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Masculine identity and success: a critical analysis of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies
Alex Tuss
Manufacturer: Men's Studies Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Men and nostalgia for violence: culture and culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies

ASIN: B0008250YQ
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of Men's Studies, published by Men's Studies Press on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 5208 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Masculine identity and success: a critical analysis of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay)
Author: Alex Tuss
Publication: The Journal of Men's Studies (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Men's Studies Press
Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Page: 93(10)

Article Type: Critical Essay

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Men and nostalgia for violence: culture and culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies

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Men and nostalgia for violence: culture and culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay): An article from: The Journal of Men's Studies
Kevin Alexander Boon
Manufacturer: Men's Studies Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

ASIN: B0008DS30S
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of Men's Studies, published by Men's Studies Press on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 5249 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Men and nostalgia for violence: culture and culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.(Critical Essay)
Author: Kevin Alexander Boon
Publication: The Journal of Men's Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: Men's Studies Press
Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Page: 267(10)

Article Type: Critical Essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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FIGHT CLUB, A NOVEL.
Chuck. Palahniuk
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7GBKI

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