24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate AmericaThis is the story of Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller, the two reporters who led the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Enron and uncovered the unorthodox partnerships at the heart of the scandal through skill, luck, and relentless determination. It all started in August 2001when Emshwiller was assigned to write a supposedly simple article on the unexpected resignation of Enron CEO Jeff Skilling. During his research, Emshwiller uncovered a buried reference to an off-balance-sheet partnership called LJM. Little did he know, this was the start of a fast and furious ride through the remarkable downfall of a once highly-prized company. Written in an intense, fast paced narrative style, 24 Days tells the gripping story of the colossal collapse of what would become the world's most notorious corporation. The reader follows along as Smith and Emshwiller continue to uncover new partnerships and self-dealing among the highest levels of Enron's management. As they publish articles detailing their findings in the Journal, Wall Street and individual investors have a crisis of confidence and start selling Enron stock at unprecedented levels of volume. In the end - 24 short days later - Enron had completely collapsed, erasing 16 years of growth and losing $19 billion in market value while watching the stock drop from $33.84 to $8.41. Not only was the company destroyed, but investors and retired employees were completely wiped out-all the while Enron executives were collecting millions of dollars. Climaxing with this 24-day period, this book shows the reporter's-eye view of a David-and-Goliath battle between journalists and a giant corporation. Each day a new story uncovered another fact; each day the company issued denials. And when the investigative stories reached critical mass and momentum, the stock market cast its final vote of no confidence. In the tradition of Indecent Exposure and Barbarians at the Gate, two other gripping narratives that began as a series of Wall Street Journal stories and ended up as books that defined an era, 24 Days brings the importance of great investigative journalism to life. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - terbby - LibraryThingI just finished reading the Kindle version after finding a recommendation in Library Thing. The subject of the Enron collapse is fascinating but this is not the best coverage of the subject. The ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dakin - LibraryThingGreat recap of how the Enron story unfolded. Terrific ideas for reporting. Read full review
Contents
3 | |
Whos Andy Fastow? | 12 |
You Wont Believe What Skilling Just Told Me | 22 |
I Have Found That Mt Lay Doesnt Take Kindly to Ctiticism | 31 |
It Isnt a Conflict of Intetest | 42 |
Youte Just Sctatching the Sutface | 47 |
You Ate About to Topple a 20B House of Catds | 57 |
I Want to Be CFO of the Yeat | 67 |
Does Ken Lay Know About This Meeting? | 193 |
Dont Apptoach Theit People Again | 210 |
At Least Wete Going to Be Pat t of the Biggest | 220 |
Laydoff com | 228 |
Thete Will Be Something Else Fun and Exciting on | 241 |
Enton Has a Ptoblem You May Want to Wtite About | 258 |
We Notified Entons Audit Committee of Possible Illegal Acts | 278 |
Do You Guys Have a Shteddet Hete? | 286 |
Its Okay to Have a Conflict | 76 |
Make the Joutnal Go Away | 83 |
He Would Have Done Nothing to Hatm Enton | 89 |
Amend My Last Statement | 94 |
You Missed Something That Could Be Really Big | 119 |
Looks Like the SEC Read Yout Stoties | 134 |
Thete Is an Appeatance That You Ate Hiding Something | 142 |
Oh 1 Expect to Be in the Office All Weekend | 172 |
Those Liats | 183 |
Youve Got to Be Kidding Me | 306 |
Thete Was a Young Tutk Attoganre | 329 |
Next Titne Fastow Is Going to Run a Racket 1 Want to | 341 |
The Attogance The Lack of Accountability | 355 |
Entons CFO Koppet and Othets Devised a Scheme to Deftaud | 363 |
If It Isnt Ctiminal It Ought to Be | 373 |
Index | 399 |
Other editions - View all
24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that ... Rebecca Smith,John R. Emshwiller No preview available - 2003 |
24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that ... Rebecca Smith,John R. Emshwiller No preview available - 2003 |
24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that ... Rebecca Smith,John R. Emshwiller No preview available - 2004 |