Brad-the ultimate con man
585815
I just finished reading 8 of ann rules books  i don't know why I just found her - but i am so glad i have!!!!  So many of the men/women who commit the crimes she relates are really so fascinating. I think Ann does an incredible job of weaving the history of the people involved, the psychological profiles, and the trials with updates and pictures...it's all good...

The people who perpetrate these crimes are such charming "users" - it is quite overwhelming to read 8 of her books in a row - i am watching neighbors to see if any of them seem psychotic!!  Can make you a tad paranoid, but hey, these books are true and we should all be a bit more careful out there.

So I'm a new fan, cannot wait to buy more of her books!!!
966306
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has been portrayed in the popular media as a gullible fool . . . and nothing could be farther from the truth.

He saw many things, incredible things, in the seances which he attended. One would be hard put, even today, with so much info at our command, to replicate the phenomena that so impressed Conan Doyle.

So what is one to make of it all? I  don't know. Recognizable spirit faces and full-body apparitions of one's mother and other intimate beings; closely guarded secrets made known by those who could not possible know; fingerprints of a deceased brother, left behind at a seance,  verified by the Navy records. . .  it is baffling. And cold-reading, mentalism,  and conjuring arts do not explain it.

Sir Arthur saw spiritualism as a blessed relief from his harsh and tortuous Roman Catholic upbringing. He saw it as a scientifically verifiable  demonstration of the world of Spirit intruding on the world of crass materialism, a life-giving fountain of refreshing water in a wasteland of modern decadence and vulgarity.

Sir Arthur was well aware of the charlatans and money-grubbers that the movement was attracting, but he saw genuine practitioners of the spiritual arts, and championed them. He was opposed, attacked, villified,  by both the scientific materialists, and the organized religions.

I was surprised and gratified to learn of his high morals, his skepticism, and his unrelenting search for truth.

 I admire the man considerably.
3301247
I found this book to be truly an experience of a lifetime.  I have never felt sorry for and hated a man as much as Kuklinski.  But, others feel he is a braggart and a publicity hound, I watched larry King when they had his Kuklinski's family on there and they pretty much substaniated.

It seems that other people believe sammy the bull.  God knows, he's telling the truth (snicker). Kuklinski had nothing to lose and everything to gain, he could have talked and talked big and probably gotten a highly reduced sentence but he kept his mouth shut and took everything he knew to the grave.

Good job investigating Mr. Carlo.  Job well done.  You showed the true side of a homicidal maniac who made you feel part of his pain and lonliness.
2656923
Havent read the book yet (I ordered several), but if Brad stays true to his work, and all his previous works I have read do, this will be one you would rather lose an hour sleep just to finish it!
730446
This book was awesome!  Brad is one bold dude and his boldness is rewarded.  This book was easy to read and extremely enjoyable I laughed, I cried, I screamed as hung out with Brad through his journey of success and life.  Every chapter was punchy and chock full of entertaining content...Never a full moment...I actually read the book in one sitting bc I couldn't put it down.  Loved this book and highly recommend it you'll learn a lot about what it takes to succeed as a business person.  Thanks for your candidness Brad and thank for sharing this with the world!
1059765
This was just the free preview and I loved it. I just bought the book and am enjoying it as I do all of Brad's work. A great read.
4579471
We have all heard and used the term Ponzi Scheme, but almost none of us living today know the story that gave birth to the term.  In this skilful and intelligent biography of Charles Ponzi, Mitchell Zuckoff shows us Ponzi's character flaws, his charisma, how he developed his scheme(s), and how the enemies he made brought him down.

Charles Ponzi was born Carlo Ponzi in 1882 in the town of Lugo, Italy.  His family sacrificed to send him to a prestigious university where he fell in with rich kids whose lifestyle he enjoyed.  In trying to keep with them he ended up having to leave school without finishing.  His family sent him to America where the streets were paved with gold, so they told him.  Of course, like most Italian immigrants of the time, he had hard times.  However, hard work was distasteful to him.

This combination of a desire to live rich lifestyle combined with a disdain for hard work and an impatience to build wealth led him, predictably, to problems with the law.  He was obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes.  Then came the lightening bolt.  In 1920, he saw an International Reply Coupon.  These coupons were merely meant to provide prepaid return postage for international mail.  Let's say I sent a vendor in a foreign country a contract.  I could include the appropriate coupon so my vendor could return the signed contract at my expense.

Ponzi had about 1/3 of a good idea (noticing the mispricings between the currency exchange rates and the fixed priced coupons).  He knew that there were mispricings in these coupons because of the currency devaluations in certain currencies after the Great War.  So, all he had to do was buy coupons that were under priced, turn them into stamps, turn the stamps into cash, and he would have oceans of money!  So, he plunged ahead without  bothering to work out all the details in his scheme.  But he needed cash to start the ball rolling.  The solution was Ponzi notes.  He offered 50% interest on your money in 45 - 90 days.  He found the first few "investors" and when he paid on time, money began flowing in.  Soon it was a torrent of cash.  It wasn't long before Ponzi had an ocean of money; millions of dollars.  He was big news and a hero to many.  He developed a patter noting how he was making all this happen for the little guy because he didn't care about money whereas banks took all their profits for their shareholders.

Zuckoff writes a fascinating account of how Ponzi tried to find a way of going "legit" while he robbed Peter to pay Paul as he stalled for time.  Unfortunately for Ponzi, his sudden and shocking success brought unwanted attention from government and media types including the Boston Post.  It is kind of funny how things went bad for Ponzi because the people who were after him had less of a clue than he did (except for C.W. Barron - the financial writer).  The author also shows us the one true thing in Ponzi's life, his love for his wife, Rose.

It is hard to feel too sorry for those ending up losing money in this scheme.  They were also going after quick riches and even under the best of circumstances high return investments also have high risks of losing everything.  Of course, Ponzi's scheme was no investment, and it was all risk.  There was never much of a chance that it would ever do anything but crash.  Although, I couldn't figure out why he didn't try gradually lowering his interest rate and extending the return period.  It doesn't matter.  Those after him were going to bring him down anyway.

The book takes us through the trials and jail terms.  Ponzi's fame had made him too politically profitable to be left alone or punished only once.  His life ends sadly as do the lives of a few of those who built their careers going after him.  It seems to me this book would make a fabulous movie or mini-series.  However, you would have to find just the right actor to pull off Ponzi's greatest assets: his confidence and charm.  He was only five foot two so; the actor would also have to be short.

Anyway, this is a terrifically entertaining read and I recommend it.
3791148
Easily the best book on this brilliant, unfathomable man.
Sure, there is a lot of detail to it but that's necessary. You need to know about the deals he did, and so on to get a feel for his personality.
Hughes was definitely not a people person though oddly enough he ended up being highly dependent on his staff for the most personal of functions. Difficult to  say whether his great wealth was a help or hindrance to him. He clearly had no great view on money, it was just something he used. Let's not forget he was almost Gandhi like about himself - hardly any clothes, no, real possessions he rented houses and rooms, and only ended up buying the hotel in Las Vegas because he was living there, didn't drive or get chauffeured, Spartan diet.
Quite why he became a hermit is not really explained but again what is strange about him is that he was in many ways the epitome of 20th century man, scientific,rational, logical, well informed, a believer in technology, a man without any religion, but then he reacted against the 20th century, the obsession with germs, living in hotel rooms sealed off from even daylight, refusing to see people, going native.
His madness seems to have been what we would now call compulsive obsessive disorder. Kept making lists, repeating himself,wanting everything at the right angle in just the right way. But, come on, he wasn't a maniac. And wasn't he entitlted to live on his own if he wanted, after his world record flight and the film stuff.
I would give him benefit of doubt in that I believe he wanted to do good in founding his medical institute, the authors are a bit unfair on him here. Sure, he wanted people to think well of him - who doesn't?
His life all fell apart in the end.
But the mystery remains - just who was he, and what was really going on inside that active mind?
227099
Another outstanding thriller from Joe Finder!  A father in over his head, dealing with debt, the loss of his ex-wife, and a teenage daughter who has the sensibilities of a teenage girl.  When Danny Goodman has someone finally throw him a lifeline, he knows he shouldn't accept it.  But its a deal he can't refuse.  The consequences of the transaction aren't worth $50,000 to a father just trying to get byand they put Danny to the test.  This is a thriller with plenty of suspense, and one hell of a book!
3338455
with better charecters and an ingenious plot scott harvath pulls together a team to help and assist.the idea of having this team to support scott is a great idea and one that could be looked into again.brad thor is now getting into his charecters and in this novel  you get to care what happens to them.into todays super heroes saving america books it is refreshing to have someone who needs help from other sources to accomplish the mission.using a team of iraq and afghanistan war veterans scott and his team must locate a man nobody in government will admit exists.the power play in the white house is brilliant with each department head trying to be one step ahead of the next. Brad Thor brings to this book one of the most original villians i have read in any book ,and he isn't just their to make up up the numbers but is integral to the book.fast paced,great subterfuge,tremendoes plot this really was a page turner in the real sense of the word.oh! and the finish Brad Thor what have you done.this is the fifth book from Brad with his hero Scott Harvath and i can recommend them all as Brad gets better And better as he developes his main character.the books don't have to be read in any order but i would seriously tell you that if you only buy one book this summer any of Brad Thor's will hit home.the only complaint i have is that he doesnt write quickly enough as i cant wait for the next book
3452499
Have you ever heard about someone pulling off a stunt so crazy that you wondered what makes this person really tick?

This book gives you the  chance to do exactly that.

Youve probably already heard about the hacking of Nikes website and how someone managed to smoothly move about $80,000 of Nike sports inventory into his own possession due to a crazy glitch in Nikes system.

So who is this guy?

Hes a fast talking, gonna land on his feet if it kills him kind of guy.  The type who doesnt have a problem sleeping in his car until he finds another gig.  One who will hustle to make money any way possible  and thinks outside the box more often than not.

The kind of guy who even after being caught hacking into Nikes website to lift over $80,000 in merchandise  thinks to write a flippin book about himself and what led up to Nike.

Great stories throughout such as the ones about his NY ticket scalping days.

I have to say, this book  definitely gave me insight regarding Brad and all the pieces that came in to play leading him up to his Nike caper.

Fast paced read that leaves you  shaking your head while you laugh.
1533509
I have seen and heard Frank Abagnale speak to banking groups on security  challenges in the financial industry.  He's done it all and now he tells  you how he did it!  Abagnale's story borders on incredible...from an  airline pilot to an attorney to a physician on staff at a reputable  hospital....how could anybody get away with being "the great  imposter"?  Well, Frank did!  It's an interesting book that will keep  you asking the question..."How could anybody get away with that?"  Buy it today!
2351406
Casey is probably the most controversial person to ever lead the CIA. Persico does a fantastic job on this biography, building up from the various parts of his life that made him the man he was. He covers everything from college sports, to OSS service, to his financial brilliance.

Casey was a devoted public servant and incredibly smart. While he had a rough demeanor, he was still able to get Ronald Reagan elected president and later lead the CIA (since he couldn't get the State Dept). His view of intelligence was shaped partly by his days in the OSS, when covert action was king. Casey wanted to reverse the trend started by his predecessors to rely on technology instead of humans. He also wanted to use covert action to force US policy abroad.

What remains most fascinating about Casey was his premature death sealed a certain mystique about his role in the Iran-Contra affair. To this day, no one knows what Casey really knew about it. Without question he was the true mastermind and must have known more about the dirty deal than anyone else, even Oliver North. And there are without question secrets that he took to the grave.

This book tells the tale of a flawed patriot, a fierce believer in the American Way and in the role of espionage in the modern world. Casey may have had little regard for the rule of law, but he brought US intelligence to a new level. He was such a unique person; this book is a great read.
1916200
Brad Thor has a knack of bringing his many characters to life and realistically weaving them in from page to page toward a surprise ending. Hidden Order is no exception. The story has a two-pronged plot with two teams working toward ferreting out the bad guy, or guys, who abducted members of the Federal Reserve group. One team, with our hero, Scot Harvath, working for the Carlton Group, partners with Boston detective, Laura Cordero; while the other team is made up of experienced CIA operatives, Lydia Ryan and Bob McGee. Each team has its own agenda and direction. The reader is kept guessing as to whether or not these teams might come together at some point to solve the case.
The story initially unfolds in Washington, D.C., but soon lands in Boston. As we track the story we learn about America's 18th century history and famous landmarks in the Boston area. Brad Thor cleverly weaves civics lessons into the scenario without impeding the essence of the story.
The author goes into great detail explaining the origin and history of our 100-year-old Federal Reserve System, how it was created in secrecy, and how even today it operates in secrecy with little measure of transparency.
One cannot but wonder if given similar circumstances a comparable scenario could play out within our own government today.
The book was a thriller from beginning to end -- by far, Thor's best. I rate it a strong 4.
29010
A very brave man who who paid the ultimate price for exposing the evil puppets, The Clinton's and the other commie traitor Obama.
2076709
The book was very well written.  The facts were true as I knew a lot about this character of a man! When you are finished with the book, you felt like you'd known Tony his whole life.  You feel almost jealous that you aren't Brad and didn't get to know Tony that well.  I will never give this book up, it will remain in my parrothead library for future reads!
969869
Really good read and very well written.  It's hard to put down once you dig in and I think it could turn into a Netflix series or an HBO series. I happen to work in this industry from time to time.  Also check out his band called We Love the Underground this book is the inspiration of Brads writing.  I am a huge fan of his writing and his music don't miss out pick up your copy today and enjoy.  You will not be disappointed guarantee you