Smartest Guys in the Room : The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

by McLean, Bethany (Author); Elkind, Peter (Author)

• ISBN13: 9781591840534
• ISBN10: 1591840538
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-28
• Publisher: Portfolio Trade

Summary

Just as Watergate was the defining political story of its time, so Enron is the biggest business story of our time. And just as All the President’s Menwas the one Watergate book that gave readers the full story, with all the drama and nuance, The Smartest Guys in the Roomis the one book you have to read to understand this amazing business saga. And the critics agree: This book is right up there with Den of Thieves and Barbarians at the Gate. . . . Those who want to learn what happened here, you don’t have to read anything but this.” —James Cramer, CNBC The best book about the Enron debacle to date. . . . Based on hundreds of interviews and fresh details, McLean and Elkind masterfully weave together the many strands of the Enron story. They shine in their characterizations of Enron’s often incompetent executives.” —Wendy Zellner, BusinessWeek News junkies and mystery lovers who enjoy financial scandals will devour this multilayered book. . . . The Smartest Guys in the Room will rival other models of the genre, including James Stewart’s Den of Thieves. . . . The authors write with power and finesse. Their prose is effortless, like a sprinter floating down the track. . . . The character sketches of former chairman Kenneth Lay, former CEO Jeff Skilling and ex-chief financial officer Andrew Fastow are masterful.” — Edward Iwata, USA Today Powerful and shocking. . . . succeed[s] in opening a disturbing window into both the company and the era . . . filled with fascinating characters and anecdotes.” —Jonathan A. Knee, The New York Times Book Review The Smartest Guys in the Room is utterly professional, readable and—even though you know what’s coming—highly entertaining.” —Daniel Gross, The Washington Post Meticulously reported and compelling . . . a cautionary tale about highfliers who weren’t as clever as they thought.” —David Koeppel, Entertainment Weekly

Author Biography

Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind are Fortune senior writers. McLean is a former investment banking analyst for Goldman Sachs. Her March 2001 article in Fortune, -ôIs Enron Overpriced?,-ö was the first in a national publication to openly question the company-'s dealings. Elkind, an award-winning investigative reporter, is the author of The Death Shift.

Table of Contents

Authors' Notes and Acknowledgments	p. vii
Cast of Characters	p. xiii
Our Values	p. xix
Introduction	p. xxi
Lunch on a Silver Platter	p. 1
"Please Keep Making Us Millions"	p. 15
"We Were the Apostles"	p. 27
The First Prima Donna	p. 44
Guys with Spikes	p. 55
The Empress of Energy	p. 70
The 15 Percent Solution	p. 85
A Recipe for Disaster	p. 100
The Klieg-Light Syndrome	p. 114
The Hotel Kenneth-Lay-a	p. 132
Andy Fastow's Secrets	p. 150
The Big Enchilada	p. 171
"An Unnatural Act"	p. 189
The Beating Heart of Enron	p. 212
Everybody Loves Enron	p. 229
When Pigs Could Fly	p. 246
Gaming California	p. 264
Bandwidth Hog	p. 284
"Ask Why, Asshole"	p. 313
"I Want to Resign"	p. 337
The $45 Million Question	p. 352
"We Have No Cash!"	p. 378
Epilogue: Isn't Anybody Sorry?	p. 406
Index	p. 415
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