Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story

Abridged
Author: Kurt Eichenwald
Narrator: Stephen Lang
Genres: True-Crime
Publisher: Random House (Audio)
Date: March 2005
Length: 10 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 3/5
Formats:
  • CD

Overview

In 2000, when "The Informant" was published, few would've imagined that a story about price fixing at Archer Daniels Midland could be as un-put-downable as the best crime fiction. Yet critics--and consumers--agreed: "The New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald had taken the stuff of dry business reporting and turned it into an unparalleled page-turner. With "Conspiracy of Fools, Eichenwald has done it again.
Say the name "Enron" and most people believe they've heard all about the story that imperiled a presidency, destroyed a marketplace, and changed Washington and Wall Street forever. But in the hands of Kurt Eichenwald, the players we think we know and the business practices we think have been exposed are transformed into entirely new--and entirely gripping--material. The cast includes but is not limited to George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul O'Neill, Harvey Pitt, Colin Powell, Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Greenspan, Ken Lay, Andy Fastow, Jeff Skilling, Bill Clinton, Rupert Murdoch, and Michael Eisner. Providing a you-are-there glimpse behind closed doors in the executive suites of the Enron Corporation, the Texas governor's mansion, the Justice Department, and even the Oval Office, "Conspiracy of Fools" is an all-true financial and political thriller of cinematic proportions.

Reviews (6)

A business book that reads like a novel

Written by Dan Watts from Etobicoke, ON on October 10th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This is probably the best written business book I have ever read. It is definitely the most interesting. The author's style of speculative narrative reads like a novel: full dialogs between participants in the scandal are quoted, complete with descriptions of the setting and even the character's mannerisms. In an interview at the end of the abridged version, the author describes the painstaking research he used to reconstruct these events. It wouldn't be fair to say that the accuracy of the author's depiction suffered, but a little poetic license was unavoidably used in places. In all, I would recommend this book for someone who doesn't like businees books or has never tried one. If you don't find this one accessible and enjoyable, then you're probably best to avoid the genre.

Don't miss this one

Written by Tom from Lafayette on August 22nd, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

A true story that reads like a novel. One of the best pieces of documented journalism you will ever listen to. The author does not really judge any of the principals, but obviously there were some gigantic egos who were propelled by a complete lack of economic sense or scruples. The narrator is one of the best..............

conspiracy of fools

Written by Anonymous on April 7th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

A fantastic book. It reads like a novel which keeps your interest. There are many important lessons to be learned from the mistakes made by the people in this story.

Conspiracy of Fools

Written by Eric Boyce on February 19th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

a very good listen...in depth, and very probative discussion of a serious financial issue of our time.

conspiracy of Fools: A True Story

Written by Anonymous on April 27th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Very interesting and exiciting read. I felt like I was actually there watching Enron implode. Especially recommended for accountants and lawyers.

Conspiracy of Fools

Written by D Wolfe on February 18th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Reads more like a hard-boiled novel than business nonfiction, which makes me wonder exactly how accurate it is. It helps if you're an accountant (which I am) to understand the intricacies of the schemes used by Enron - the descriptions of the deals and the accounting for them are fairly deailed. I found the book to be compelling and surprisingly fast-paced, especially in the abridged version.