Customer Reviews

Serpent on the Rock: Crime, Betrayal and the Terrible Secrets of Prudential Bache

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a story that I missed when it first came out -- but I went back to it after reading Eichenwald's new book, The Informant. This is fabulous -- full of twists and turns, a real legal thriller. The new book is better, but this one still kept me up late at night.

This book is a reminder of the potential excesses in the financial services space. And this was 20 years ago. Kurt Eichenwald does a great job of writing a "Grisham like" novel - except it is true.

The story revolves around the marketing and sale of limited partnership interests in various Prudential-Bache backed investments, and the rather questionable to downright illegal interactions among general partners, limited partners, investors and lenders. Sounds eerily similar to current news...

The book is a great read, very entertaining, and enlightening given the topic. Makes you wonder what financial product is next, since the cycle appears to continue unabated.

This book is a reminder of the potential excesses in the financial services space. And this was 20 years ago. Kurt Eichenwald does a great job of writing a "Grisham like" novel - except it is true.

The story revolves around the marketing and sale of limited partnership interests in various Prudential-Bache backed investments, and the rather questionable to downright illegal interactions among general partners, limited partners, investors and lenders. Sounds eerily similar to current news...

The book is a great read, very entertaining, and enlightening given the topic. Makes you wonder what financial product is next, since the cycle appears to continue unabated.

This book is a reminder of the potential excesses in the financial services space. And this was 20 years ago. Kurt Eichenwald does a great job of writing a "Grisham like" novel - except it is true.

The story revolves around the marketing and sale of limited partnership interests in various Prudential-Bache backed investments, and the rather questionable to downright illegal interactions among general partners, limited partners, investors and lenders. Sounds eerily similar to current news...

The book is a great read, very entertaining, and enlightening given the topic. Makes you wonder what financial product is next, since the cycle appears to continue unabated.

This book is a reminder of the potential excesses in the financial services space. And this was 20 years ago. Kurt Eichenwald does a great job of writing a "Grisham like" novel - except it is true.

The story revolves around the marketing and sale of limited partnership interests in various Prudential-Bache backed investments, and the rather questionable to downright illegal interactions among general partners, limited partners, investors and lenders. Sounds eerily similar to current news...

The book is a great read, very entertaining, and enlightening given the topic. Makes you wonder what financial product is next, since the cycle appears to continue unabated.

This book isn't well researched and overly relies on several characters for the facts and anecdotes. In the footnotes of the book it confesses quite clearly, "the reader should not assume that any individual participant in a conversation is the source of the statement, or even among the sources." It is hard to believe Eichenwald's accusations against Jim Darr (who was never charged with anything) and others, when the facts show they were not found guilty of anything.

How can anyone read ANYTHING by this guy? He is accused of producing child porn and of paying off sources to create a story. According to other posted sources he, using a pseudonym, is one of the "readers" writing rave reviews about his own books!! National Public Radio just did a piece called Sex, Checks and The New York Times and said, "The story of Kurt Eichenwald and Justin Berry is sordid in every way." I suggest reading more about the author, rather than reading this book.

Enough of the likes of Darr and Harrison. This book jumped out at me and I instantly began to search the credibililty, honesty and background of my own stock broker. Have the financial houses no shame?