Review: Sophisticated Chcanery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 11, 2014
Wonderful book! Though I got bogged down at times in al the financial shenanigans, the characters, plot, and actions are spot on in this book. Though there is violence, it is minimized. The violent characters are not sadists and treat their work as "business." The author gives just enough background on each important character so that no one is dehumanized. Morality is definitely missing from this book, but it is surprising how appealing and understandable the characters are. Basically, most of them are rational as they pursue their selfish goals, which makes for an easier read than if they did any soul-searching. It is a very cynical book about very intelligent criminals who are not much different from ordinary people.I did have a hard time believing criminals could be so successful for such a long period of time, but the rules governing the financial community are complex and probably allow for a lot more slippery behavior than most of us realize. Reading it, I was fascinated even when I barely understood how the scams were working.