The Wizard of Lies

2011-04-26
Business & Economics

Author: Diana B. Henriques

Publisher: Macmillan

ISBN: 9781429973717

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 448

View: 7773


The inside story of Bernie Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme, with surprising and shocking new details from Madoff himself. Who is Bernie Madoff, and how did he pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history? These questions have fascinated people ever since the news broke about the respected New York financier who swindled his friends, relatives, and other investors out of $65 billion through a fraud that lasted for decades. Many have speculated about what might have happened or what must have happened, but no reporter has been able to get the full story -- until now. In The Wizard of Lies, Diana B. Henriques of The New York Times -- who has led the paper's coverage of the Madoff scandal since the day the story broke -- has written the definitive book on the man and his scheme, drawing on unprecedented access and more than one hundred interviews with people at all levels and on all sides of the crime, including Madoff's first interviews for publication since his arrest. Henriques also provides vivid details from the various lawsuits, government investigations, and court filings that will explode the myths that have come to surround the story. A true-life financial thriller, The Wizard of Lies contrasts Madoff's remarkable rise on Wall Street, where he became one of the country's most trusted and respected traders, with dramatic scenes from his accelerating slide toward self-destruction. It is also the most complete account of the heartbreaking personal disasters and landmark legal battles triggered by Madoff's downfall -- the suicides, business failures, fractured families, shuttered charities -- and the clear lessons this timeless scandal offers to Washington, Wall Street, and Main Street.

The Wizard of Oz as American Myth

2012-03-13
Literary Criticism

Author: Alissa Burger

Publisher: McFarland

ISBN: 078646643X

Category: Literary Criticism

Page: 241

View: 2009


Since the publication of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, authors, filmmakers, and theatrical producers have been retelling and reinventing this uniquely American fairy tale. This volume examines six especially significant incarnations of the story: Baum's original novel, the MGM classic The Wizard of Oz (1939), Sidney Lumet's African American film musical The Wiz (1978), Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's Broadway hit Wicked: A New Musical (2003), and the SyFy Channel miniseries Tin Man (2007). A close consideration of these works demonstrates how versions of Baum's tale are influenced by and help shape notions of American myth, including issues of gender, race, home, and magic, and makes clear that the Wizard of Oz narrative remains compelling and relevant today.

The Wizard of Oz

2019-07-25
Art

Author: Salman Rushdie

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

ISBN: 1839020806

Category: Art

Page: 80

View: 1920


The Wizard of Oz 'was my very first literary influence,' writes Salman Rushdie in his account of the great MGM children's classic. At the age of ten he had written a story, 'Over the Rainbow', about a colourful fantasy world. But for Rushdie The Wizard of Oz is more than a children's film, and more than a fantasy. It's a story whose driving force is the inadequacy of adults, in which 'the weakness of grown-ups forces children to take control of their own destinies'. And Rushdie rejects the conventional view that its fantasy of escape from reality ends with a comforting return to home, sweet home. On the contrary, it is a film that speaks to the exile. The Wizard of Oz shows that imagination can become reality, that there is no such place like home, or rather that the only home is the one we make for ourselves. Rushdie's brilliant insights into a film more often seen than written about are rounded off with his typically scintillating short story, 'At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers,' about the day when Dorothy's red shoes are knocked down to $15,000 at a sale of MGM props. In his foreword to this special edition, published to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the BFI Film Classics series, Rushdie looks back to the circumstances in which he wrote the book, when, in the wake of the controversy surrounding The Satanic Verses and the issue of a fatwa against him, the idea of home and exile held a particular resonance.

Eloquence of Effort

2017-09-27
Science

Author: Indar Maharaj

Publisher: Indar Maharaj

ISBN: 0995344019

Category: Science

Page: 614

View: 3905


The Eloquence of Effort echoes the merits of conscientious toil. It provides an insightful look into the benefits of sustained socio-economic effort. To convincingly argue that dreams are only achievable through mind-numbing toil, the writer draws heavily from biographical, philosophical, economic, religious, historical and scientific data. Work is the mission; the multiple rewards are the byproducts, he argues. Moreover, the pleasure resides in the effort, not the results. Against the dark backdrop of malignancies inflicted on society by unrepentant leeches, the benefit of conscientious work is sharply focused. The reader is imperceptibly nudged into a higher plane of reality: namely, purposeful effort, regardless of its nature, is supremely rewarding. The writer forces the realization that regardless of the outcome, effort is never wasted. Conversely, indolence is the bane of progress and the root cause of economic crimes. Indeed, corruption in all its diabolical forms is nothing but laziness masquerading as diligence and embraced by vacuous minds craving the most for the least. Analysis of biographical data sustains the thesis that industry prolongs life; inaction truncates it – a finding supported by the second Law of Thermodynamics. The persuasiveness of the arguments is supported by a wealth of references. Together they form the final authority; they have given resonance to the arguments contained herein.

The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain

2011-11-01
Children's stories

Author: Oldman Brook

Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

ISBN: 1848767617

Category: Children's stories

Page: 441

View: 2267


Finn and Beezle are enlisted to join Greybeard and his friends on a quest to save the world of Everlast from the very same otherworldly warrior. Seeing that Beezle has a talent for magic after an incident with his magical bear-headed staff, Greybeard begins to teach the little elf a few tricks. But a problem arises when Finn comes into possession of a magical weapon capable of defeating the warrior. Little does anyone know the weapon has a mind of its own and wants Beezle as its master...The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain follows traditional fantasy literature themes and characters and borrows some elements from similar works, including Harry Potter, The Northern Lights and Princess Mononoke. Light and dark fantasy crosses over into sci-fi, horror and action; add to that a wide scope of influences and the creation of a new and vivid world in Everlast, and The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain makes for a truly original story that will captivate children aged ten years and older. Oldman is inspired by a number of authors including J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling and Philip Pullman.

The Wizard Of Prali

2011-09-26
Fiction

Author: Davidson L. Haworth

Publisher: iUniverse

ISBN: 1462055370

Category: Fiction

Page: 164

View: 5326


Across from the dragon’s remains on the other side of the church behind the altar, the ice encasing of the wizard begins to crack. The lava melting the tomb of the last known wizard, the dragon remains giving way to a new era in evil, the wizard’s prison melts. Suddenly the rumbling ceases, the lava loses its firm control over the damaged church. Slowly the lava seeps back to its origins. The church remains silent and still, the ground damaged, the golden walls cracked, the bones of the dragon incinerated. The encased wizard still imprisoned by the ice, cracks in the ice allowing warm air to enter the casing. The wizard’s mouth moves slightly, his mind returning to conscience thought. Mumbling of words escape his cracked elderly lips. "Oh mighty Lord Satan, god of this world, god of my flesh, god of my mind, god of my inner most will. Every part of this world is within your power. You are within every part of this world. Every part of me is within your power. You are within every part of me. I am yours, whether I serve you willingly or not, for I am myself, whether I am true to myself or not. Of my own free will, I now acknowledge your abundant power of my own free will, I now present myself to You, in your service" The wizard speaking the words, the words to his master. The enemy of the world free to wreak havoc among God's people, Satan's wizard returns once more. The ice cracking, crashing to the ground, blocks of ice sliding down the church altar steps, slowly melting away into the dark cracks and crevices. The wizard stretching out his hand, a devilish smile comes to his face. "I AM FREE!!!!!" His eyes red, filled with revenge and hate. The wizards delight becomes infectious with madness. His laughs fill the cavernous church. "The apostles thought they could stop me. Pope Clement of Rome thought he could stop me. That ridiculous priest Bernard thought he could stop me. NOTHING CAN STOP SIMON MAGNUS!!!!!"

The Wizard of Oz and Who He Was

2012-01-01
Literary Criticism

Author: Martin Gardner,Russel B. Nye

Publisher: MSU Press

ISBN: 0870139177

Category: Literary Criticism

Page: 208

View: 3605


When Russel B. Nye and Martin Gardner teamed up to bring out a new edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, theirs was the first critical analysis of L. Frank Baum American classic. The book opens with an essay by Nye, entitled "An Appreciation," which is an overview of Baum's creative and imaginative genius. Nye explores the reasons why earlier critics virtually ignored the Oz stories. Gardner, in his essay, "The Royal Historian of Oz," presents a brief biographical sketch, revealing little-known facts about this prolific writer. The volume also contains the complete, original text of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, along with many original illustrations by artist W. W. Denslow.

Separating Fools from Their Money

2017-09-29
Business & Economics

Author: Scott B. MacDonald

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 1351306782

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 276

View: 7441


What do Michael Milken and Martha Stewart have in common? What was the most outrageous party thrown by a financial baron of the twentieth century? Which US war hero president became party to, and victim of, an unabashed con man known as the Napoleon of Wall Street? These questions and more are discussed in Separating Fools from Their Money. The authors trace the history of financial scandals beginning with young republic days through the Enron/WorldCom debacle of modern times. Informative and entertaining, this book reveals human nature in all of its dubious shades of grey. It also exposes themes common to all financial scandals, which remain astonishingly unchanged over time?greed, hubris, media connections, self-interested politicians, and booms-gone-bust, to name a few. This second edition features a new preface and introduction, plus three new chapters, which address the financial panic of 2008, post-panic scandals, and the "princes of Ponzi." This book's accessible writing will interest the casual business reader as well as the seasoned investor.

The Trouble with Trauma

2022-03-08
Psychology

Author: Michael Scheeringa

Publisher: Central Recovery Press

ISBN: 1949481573

Category: Psychology

Page: 173

View: 7103


The Trouble with Trauma is the story of how the idea of psychological trauma appeals to the human mind. Trauma impacts many people psychologically, but the evidence on the long-term physical effect is incomplete. Theories that psychological trauma can permanently damage your brain, cause physical disease, and change your essential character have become staples of human thought worldwide. Dr. Scheeringa explains how those theories are widely believed whilst not being true, and at the heart of the story is an explanation of how humans choose to ignore scientific evidence and practice self-deception based on heuristics for survival. Heuristics is a rapid and efficient method to make judgments about threatening situations, which may be especially relevant during an epidemic and the spread of misinformation. But The Trouble with Trauma is more than a critique of social policy. This is a book for anyone who wants a better understanding on how groupthink and herd mentality works and improves our ability to understand scientific fact. Dr. Scheeringa sheds light on why we choose to ignore scientific evidence while engaging the reader in a lively conversation on how we come to believe.
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