The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust Audiobook

" Author Diana Henriques is a senior financial writer for the New York Times and deftly covers the ongoing saga of Bernie Madoff. The Ponzi scheme he was able to keep going over many years is astounding. He fooled savvy investors and fended off numerous half-hearted and inept SEC queries. I suspect that if the financical crash of 2008 hadn't happened he'd still be going strong. The early part of the book describes the still murky story of how and when he began stealing his clients' money. It's a bit vague but Henriques pins down what she can. The last part of the book, after his confession and arrest, is stronger, describing the huge undertaking of unraveling the mess, still going on at the time of publication and likely to continue for many years. Not only were wealthy investors affected but many small investors were wiped out as well. The descriptions of investors willing to overlook the questions about Madoff's investment returns and the keystone cops work of the SEC is enough to scare anyone away from investing in anything but a sturdy box to bury in the backyard. "

" interesting but not much is revealed that hasn't already come out in various articles and news programs. wished it had probed more into the psychology of b.m. but henriques seems timid to do so... "

" Couldn't get through it. I just didn't understand all the wall street talk. Not a book for someone outside the finance industry. I was hoping for more family drama. "

" Wow! Interesting story of Bernie Madoff and the many lives he destroyed. Then again one could argue some destroyed their own lives. The sad fact is that this ponzi type scheme can and will happen again. "

" Not much new here if you've followed the case from the beginning. Although the author was the first to be granted a press interview with Madoff behind bars--she readily acknowledges that it is likely he lied his way through their two face to face and subsequent email meetings--thus lending little or no value to the encounters in terms of the complex story of Madoff. Ms. Henriques seems especially sympathetic to the family and maybe that is warranted but it is difficult to know. "

" really enjoyable read that makes you think about this scandal adn some of it's more profound implications. it read kind of like a thriller. "

" The con man of all con men's story is interesting, especially as the scam begins to fall apart. "

" It is a good book. "

" I didn't understand all the technical financial details, but I thought the author showed a lot of insight into Madoff and his crime. A fascinating read. "

" Well written description of a financial vulture who did the largest white collar crime in history stealing $60 BILLION. Yes I wrote $60 BILLION. "

" This book has more of the technical details on how Bernie M. was able to pull this giant scam off. Its fascinating and it makes you want to stock up on water and non-perishables and start buying gold and hiding it in your underground bunker. "

" Learned about bankruptcy law, stocks, wall street, investments, and more! in a very well written and easy to understand book. I really enjoyed every page of this book. What a worldwide catastrophe! "

" A great deep dive into the mechanics of the scandal and aftermath. Not a ton of gossip. But a lot of lessons in business and life. Highly recommend. "

" An easy read. Not too much technical (financial) jargon. A better explanation for what was going on, what happened, and who did it than anything I saw on, say, PBS's Frontline. "

" This is a fascinating book about a fascinating character. It is a lesson for all of us about not putting all of our eggs in one basket. "

" Everyone should read this. A fascinating account of the ultimate con man. "

" Well written description of a financial vulture who did the largest white collar crime in history stealing $60 BILLION. Yes I wrote $60 BILLION. "

" Learned about bankruptcy law, stocks, wall street, investments, and more! in a very well written and easy to understand book. I really enjoyed every page of this book. What a worldwide catastrophe! "

" This was a good and clear look at the Madoff scam. Kind of repetitive and preachy at the end but overall very interesting. "

" Most of this is just a repeat of wsj and nytimes Nothing new and at times hard to follow "

" really enjoyable read that makes you think about this scandal adn some of it's more profound implications. it read kind of like a thriller. "

" Darn good book. Being uninitiated in the world of Wall Street, I sometimes became entangled in the jargon of money-speak. But the author kept the pace up as we watch the heat build up on Bernie through the years. Good book for those interested in the great charlatans of American history! "