The Ropespinner Conspiracy [Paperback]

Michael M. Thomas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even though the climax of Thomas's latest financial thriller hinges upon some rather unbelievable twists, it remains to the end an entertaining and often fascinating tale of intrigue at the highest levels of the banking world. Taking its cue from Lenin's line about capitalism selling the rope with which it will hang, the novel traces a long and complex plot, the brainchild of a Communist and an American economist, in which the underpinnings of the Western economy will be undermined from within. In this context, Thomas attempts to show that the history of banking since the '30s, especially the deregulation and economic policies of the current administration, fit neatly into a plot that will eventually send Western capitalism into a violent and fatal tailspin. The author of Green Monday and Hard Money, Thomas is terrific when it comes to simplifying the intricacies of economics to suit his plot and he manages to keep the story rolling along at a compelling clip while at the same time issuing a cautionary tale about the self-destructive avarice of the financial world. 75,000 first printing; 75,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Thomas, author of Green Monday , Someone Else's Money , and Hard Money , bids fair to become the Barbara Cartland of Wall Street. In his latest financial thriller, the story (a Communist plot to destroy American capitalism by exploiting the weaknesses of its banking system) is weak; characterization is slim; the action drags. There is not even the full explanation of the financial mechanisms involved in the story that lends a certain fascination to the works of his peer, Paul Erdman. Labels with insufficient content, a plot that creaks, prose with no distinction or charmthis is third-rate financial journalism offered under the guise of speculative fiction. But it reads quickly, with no effort on the part of the reader. Not recommended. David Keymer, Dean of Students, SUNY Coll. of Technology, Utica
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Warner Books Inc (Mm); First Edition edition (November 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446346764
• ISBN-13: 978-0446346764
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After a career as a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a partner at Lehman Brothers and an independent financial consultant and investor, I sat down in 1978 to write my first novel. The book, Green Monday, published in 1980, was a success, and I became a full-time writer. Since then I have published seven other novels, written innumerable articles and reviews, and beginning in 1987, a weekly column for The New York Observer. I also contribute occasional commentary to Forbes.com.
I like to write novels that I would enjoy reading - for I was a voracious reader long before I took up the typewriter and then the computer keyboard.To me, reading enjoyment derives from both the intelligence and the heart. I've often said I read nonfiction for information, but novels for truth, by which I mean insight and understanding. Plots must make narrative sense; the reader must say to himself or herself from the first page, "Yes, this could happen!" And, indeed, much of what I've set down in my novels has in fact subsequently come to pass.My characters take a view of life, which they both shape and are shaped by. They have opinions, and sometimes what they have to say has such a ring of authenticity that readers can get upset. Still, the criticism I am most proud of appeared just last Suday, July 19, in The New York Post, in a review of my latest novel, Love & Money (Melville House), by Kyle Smith, who opened his review with the statement, "Smart people need beach reads too." There's my ideal reader: who wants both enlightenment and entertainment in the same package, and is scared of neither.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Greenspan's Demolition Roadmap, October 15, 2010

By 

canyonal - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ropespinner Conspiracy (Paperback)

the ropespinner conspiracy is not a great thriller (hence 4 stars). but it makes one wonder about the motivations behind key players in the financial markets.

the clear objective of destabilising an economy by encouring banks and investment houses to fill their balance sheets with enormous quantities of "toxic securities". written in 1987, the year greenspan was appointed.

greenspan like the key protagonist was indoctrinated into a political philosophy by sex, as a member of ayn rand's clique. the parallels are uncanny.

did mr. thomas know what the munchkin of mayhem was planning? or did the munchkin use the book as a plan?

either way worth reading to see that risk analysts either have no imagination about potential outcomes or are far too specialized to have a broader understanding of human behavior and motivation.

a worthwhile read for the context and effects.