Short Reviews of Random Books: No One Would Listen

No One Would Listen

Harry Markopolos’ story of his pursuit of Bernie Madoff is a tightly written and sparse thriller. Markopolos comes across as a ‘quant‘, he’s obsessed with numbers, sure of his own skills, and uafraid of trashing the SEC on every page. He is also not a writer, showing an obsession with jargon and catchphrases to describe the ineptitude of the SEC. The book plays up his level of fear, he does not present any evidence that Madoff was even aware he existed until after the fraud was revealed. The cases of traders being assaulted over lesser amounts of money he refers to give some weight to his fear and caution.

This book is worth a read if you want to know more about Markopolos, Madoff and financial fraud. If you show some patience for Markopolos slightly odd writing style, you get a whirlwind introduction to the Madoff investigation, a quirky view of high finance, and a worthy drubbing for the SEC.

Found it: Featured on the Daily Show
Time to read: One day