Fraud An American History from Barnum to Madoff (Audible Audio Edition) Edward J Balleisen Tom Perkins a Division of Recorded Books HighBridge Books
Download As PDF : Fraud An American History from Barnum to Madoff (Audible Audio Edition) Edward J Balleisen Tom Perkins a Division of Recorded Books HighBridge Books
The United States has always proved an inviting home for boosters, sharp dealers, and outright swindlers. Worship of entrepreneurial freedom has complicated the task of distinguishing aggressive salesmanship from unacceptable deceit, especially on the frontiers of innovation. At the same time, competitive pressures have often nudged respectable firms to embrace deception. As a result, fraud has been a key feature of American business since its beginnings.
In this sweeping narrative, Edward Balleisen traces the history of fraud in America - and the evolving efforts to combat it - from the age of PT Barnum through the eras of Charles Ponzi and Bernie Madoff. Starting with an early 19th-century American legal world of "buyer beware", this unprecedented account describes the slow, piecemeal construction of modern regulatory institutions to protect consumers and investors, from the Gilded Age through the New Deal and the Great Society. It concludes with the more recent era of deregulation, which has brought with it a spate of costly frauds. By tracing how Americans have struggled to foster a vibrant economy without enabling a corrosive level of fraud, this book reminds us that American capitalism rests on an uneasy foundation of social trust.
Fraud An American History from Barnum to Madoff (Audible Audio Edition) Edward J Balleisen Tom Perkins a Division of Recorded Books HighBridge Books
This is a good book — but not quite what I was expecting. The title (and cover) suggests a focus on fraud, but the balance is more on the development of laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud. A better summary of the book is this from the dust wrapper:“Starting with an early nineteenth-century American legal world of ‘buyer beware,’ this unprecedented account describes the slow, piecemeal construction of modern regulatory institutions to protect consumers and investors, from the Guilded Age through the New Deal and the Great Society.”
As such, the book is of greater interest to legal scholars than it is to those looking for a lively history of American fraud.
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Fraud An American History from Barnum to Madoff (Audible Audio Edition) Edward J Balleisen Tom Perkins a Division of Recorded Books HighBridge Books Reviews
Can't wait to read this book
I never really thought about fraud-it just seems like one of those things that “you know it when you see it”. But Edward Balleisen takes a more analytical look at it, and some of his insights were fascinating.
=== The Good Stuff ===
* While a solid academic, Balleisen writes in a reasonably easy-to-read style. For the most part, he avoids the 12 letter words and 500 word paragraphs that are typical of more academic works. It is certainly not written in the style of popular fiction, but rather serious non-fiction-on the level of undergraduate college or advanced high-school.
* I am certainly not an expert on the subject, but Balleisen seems to know what he is talking about. He is a Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke University, and his forte comes across in the book. The text is an insightful look at how fraud has been defined and regulated in the US, and combines elements of history, law, politics, business-and probably psychology and human morals. The discussion is tied to real examples, but can be a bit theoretical.
* The author makes some surprising points. For example, while the definition of fraud would seem obvious-namely the attempt to cheat someone out of something through deception, its legal history is somewhat more clouded. At various times in history, fraud was treated as “boys-will-be-boys”, or even sort of blaming the victim for allowing themselves to be conned. It was only in the latter part of the 20th century that it has acquired it current status as something to be pursued and eradicated.
* As you would expect, the book is thoroughly footnoted with solid references. The author does express some of his own opinions, but they are solidly referenced and logically drawn from the facts available.
=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===
* Be aware of the nature of the book. It is a serious analysis of the complex interactions between business, law, ethics, law-enforcement, politics and history. All of these can be pretty dry subjects on their own, and the mix is a veritable drought in the Sahara. It is not quite a law book, but don’t expect David Halberstam.
* The book is mostly a recitation of facts, although integrated from a variety of sources and viewpoints. Balleisen includes some of his own opinions and thoughts, but stops short of putting together a more complex thesis. For example, while this book gives a great look at the development of fraud law in the US, it would have been wonderful to see the author’s take on how that compares to other governments and civilization. I realize it is probably not his specialty, but a comparison of American and British fraud enforcement over history would have been appreciated.
=== Summary ===
I never knew I was interested in this subject-indeed, I never really knew it was a subject. I had just assumed that fraud had always been illegal, immoral, and aggressively enforced and eradicated. That is simply not true, and the story of how it became the outrage of the 21st century is a fascinating mix of many disciplines. The book is not a quick, simple read, but when something catches my attention, I am willing to work my way through complicated texts.
=== Disclaimer ===
I was able to read an advance copy through the courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Fraud is an outstandingly well researched history and an enthralling read.
Just put down the completed book and can't recommend enough this book! For anyone who enjoys tales of deception, trickery and an overall history of grifters in the US, this is a great read in a well laid out and engaging format.
Awaiting an in depth description of the antics of Ponzi, Barnum and Madoff this reader was overwhelmed by the intense description of fraud and responses to it over the course of American history. The various governments and their regulation or de regulation responded to creative masters of fakery and fraud all for ill gotten gain. For the casual and interested reader too technical.
This is a good book — but not quite what I was expecting. The title (and cover) suggests a focus on fraud, but the balance is more on the development of laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud. A better summary of the book is this from the dust wrapper
“Starting with an early nineteenth-century American legal world of ‘buyer beware,’ this unprecedented account describes the slow, piecemeal construction of modern regulatory institutions to protect consumers and investors, from the Guilded Age through the New Deal and the Great Society.”
As such, the book is of greater interest to legal scholars than it is to those looking for a lively history of American fraud.
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