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The Wizard of Lies

Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust

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The Wizard of Lies

Written by: Diana B. Henriques
Narrated by: Pam Ward
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About this listen

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 100 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.

©2011 Diana B. Henriques (P)2011 Tantor
Business & Careers Investing & Trading Professionals & Academics True Crime Business Wall Street Magic Users Wizardry
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What the critics say

"Henriques offers an impressive, meticulously reported postmortem not only of the Ponzi scheme but also of Madoff's entire career.... The Wizard of Lies is the definitive book on what Madoff did and how he did it." ( Bloomberg Businessweek)
"In The Wizard of Lies, Diana Henriques, who covered the Madoff scandal for the New York Times, offers a riveting history of Mr Madoff’s shady dealings and the shattering consequences of his theft.... She offers a raw and surprisingly moving portrait about the toll that Mr Madoff’s deceit took on his family." ( The Economist)
"Entertaining.... Cogent and well researched, The Wizard of Lies is an engaging narrative…. [The book] reveals many moments where Madoff might have been stopped. But his investors were too trusting or too greedy to ask the right questions, and US regulators were too cowed and too disorganised." ( Financial Times)

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Well written

This is one more view on all things Madoff. It’s the third book on the Madoff fraud I’ve read or listened to and it is the most comprehensive of the three.

It’s a good read.

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Taut and Well Written

I know nothing about finance but this book was accessible and so well written that I listened to the very end. Highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful