Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistleblower's Story [Paperback]

Lynn Brewer (Author), Matthew Scott Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2004

ESPIONAGE. FRAUD. POLITICS. "This book is one of the most chilling and compelling business stories I've ever read. Lynn Brewer lived the Enron story, and in a deeply personal, yet highly professional way, lets us peek into what can go horribly wrong in a publicly-traded business. There are some great lessons for leadership in this tale."Oren Harari,Author, The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell "In this incredibly lucid and juicy account of Enron's shenanigans, Lynn Brewer courageously reveals what went on behind the scenes. What she reports will shock the financial press who voted Enron "the most innovative and admired" five years in a row. It will shame research analysts and investors who drove Enron's stock up into the stratosphere - while never being able to explain how Enron made money. Brewer hasn't forgotten the teachers, the small business owners and retirees who lost a bundle when the house of cards came crashing down. She urges us to see Enron not simply as the failure of a few people and institutions. No, it is symptomatic of our win-at-any-cost culture. To prevent future Enrons, we all must look to see how our choices perpetuate this culture, which ultimately, like Enron, is unsustainable."L. J. Rittenhouse,Author, Do Business With People You Tru$t: Balancing Profitsand Principles "Lynn Brewer unabashedly exposes the unchecked greed and chicanery operating in the leadership of Enron. Her story clearly reveals how the unethical leadership at Enron led to an unbearable culture of emotional turbulence and fear, drawing everyone into a web of deceit. Readers will get the inside view of one of the country's biggest corporate scandals."Danna Beal, M.Ed.,Author, Tragedy in the Workplace: The Longest Running Show in the Country LIES. DECEPTIONS. SCANDAL.ENRON. Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistlebower's Story, is Lynn Brewer's gripping account of nearly three years spent with the company that has come to symbolize the worst in corporate greed. Lynn's riv

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lynn Brewer is a former Enron executive. In her nearly three years at Enron, she was responsible for Risk Management in Energy Operations, the e-Commerce initiatives for Enron''s water subsidiary, and Competitive Intelligence for Enron Broadband Services. During her tenure she witnessed numerous instances of illegal and corrupt dealings, including bank fraud, espionage, power price manipulation and the gross overstatements to the press, public and financial world. Prior to joining the energy giant, Lynn worked in forensic accounting and spent 18 years as a legal professional in private practice, until she joined Ralston Purina where she worked in Corporate Development for the General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer. Since leaving Enron, Lynn has become an internationally recognized speaker on the subject of corporate integrity, addressing audiences in South Africa, New Zealand, India, Canada, Venezuela, and the New York Stock Exchange. She provides compelling details into Enron''s rise and fall, leaving audiences shocked when they realize how vulnerable they are to becoming the next Enron. She is the Founder and President of The Integrity Institute, Inc., which independently assesses and certifies corporate integrity at the request of organizations for the benefit of their stakeholders. She holds a Certificate in Business Ethics from Colorado State University and serves on the steering committee for the Open Compliance and Ethics Group. In 2003, she was nominated for the Women of Influence Award and in 2004, she was named a Paul Harris Fellow by The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Lynn is also the author of SportsVision: Athletic Excellence through Visualization, (foreword by Lou Holtz and Mike Ditka), based upon her 15 years as a competitive and professional figure skater, as well as a coach.

Matthew Scott Hansen is the co-author of the bestseller Andy Kaufman Revealed. Matt, his wife Stephanie, their two dogs and four cats live in Southern Califo

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1418485365
• ISBN-13: 978-1418485368
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,647,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good in ways the author did not intend., January 24, 2005

By 

Econ Doc "Econ Doc" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistleblower's Story (Paperback)

This is a great book for reasons that the author never intended. Brewer was not really an executive nor a whistleblower, but basically a paralegal who played the Enron game and eventually lost. What makes the book so interesting is that Brewer seems to lack the self-realization of her participation in Enron's dysfunctional culture. I recommend the book for college classes in organization behavior and business ethics.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Confession of a fired employee?, October 24, 2007

By 

Lansing-Omaha "ht" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistleblower's Story (Paperback)

Unfortunately, this book reflects how somebody can make money by exaggerating his/her role. As USA Today found, Ms Brewer was never an Enron Executive. She was merely doing a clerical work and was fired when she failed to perform an assignment in UK.
I'm just wondering what lesson should we take from her book? For me the main lesson is, people will do everything to get famous and rich. Even by fooling others and taking credit of someone's accomplishment.
So, don't be fooled by this book and the author. The true Enron Whistleblower is not her. All of the stories in this book are fiction.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars How Not To..., July 3, 2007

By 

EG (Blacksburg, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistleblower's Story (Paperback)

You really want to give this woman money by buying her book? She wasn't an executive and didn't actually choose to be a whistleblower, she plead out. Part of her plea agreement is that she had to found the "Integrity Institute" (not sure why the judge thought she'd be qualified for that). She knew there was impropriety for years, but whenever she brought it up Enron gave her enough stock options for her to look the other way. Ah yes, integrity. She spoke at my university and when a student said that he wants to have a successful career but not break the law, her advice was, "Just be sure you make enough money that you can afford a good lawyer."

This book could be a great "what NOT to do" book on integrity, and it can certainly spawn interesting conversations in a HS or college Ethics class, but I recommend you get it from the library so as not to pad Brewer's pockets any more.