Best Biographies of Serial Killers
Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. The passages about Holmes are compelling and aptly claustrophobic; readers will be glad for the frequent escapes to the relative sanity of Holmes's co-star, architect and fair overseer Daniel Hudson Burnham, who managed the thousands of workers and engineers who pulled the sprawling fair together 0n an astonishingly tight two-year schedule.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I will be absolutely honest and admit that I purchased the book because I was interested in the weird story of H.H.Holmes, American con-man, psychopath and serial killer. I've never read anything by Erik Larsen before, but I know that he has a good number of books on the history section shelves and I’ve seen this book in passing for years. I listened to this as an audiobook, and my initial reaction was that there was an awful lot about the 1893 World’s Fair, especially the architecture of the World’s Fair, than I was expecting or interested in. However, about half-way through the book, I found my interest shifting as I was sucked into the world of the Fair and the strangeness of the world right on the cusp of becoming the world we know, with lights and Cracker Jacks and Ferris wheels, but still possessing the instincts and customs of a more genteel and trusting age. One narrative follows the twisted path of Holmes; the other follows the life of the fair. There is no doubt that the Holmes’ narrative starts out in the lead because of the natural human interest in evil, and Holmes was evil. Larsen describes Holmes as America’s first serial killer in an age when the language did not have the term “serial killer” to describe Holmes. In Chicago, he bought a pharmacy from a widow, who he probably conned, married a second wife, deposited the wife and his child in a suburb of Chicago, and then came up with the idea of transforming land he had purchased into a hotel in time for the upcoming Fair. On the other hand, Larsen presents the “White City” of the Fair as the world that was dawning. The idea that the architects are the heroes of the book seems strange since architects rarely play the role of hero, but Larsen manages to invest tension throughout the story arc about the Fair. Thus, there is tension in whether the architects will get the Fair built in time, and then there is tension about whether the Fair will turn a profit in the face of the economic depression gripping the country. My first term paper in history was one I wrote as a Junior in High School about Eugene V. Debbs and the Pullman Strike of 1894, so it was something of a home-coming for me to read about the events that were occurring just before that strike, and to think that Debs and Darrow probably visited the Fair, maybe they ran across Holmes and Burnham. Larsen writes: // Ten thousand construction workers also left the fair’s employ and returned to a world without jobs, already crowded with unemployed men. The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black City now welcomed them back, on the eve of winter, with filth, starvation, and violence.//. Holmes’ story closes out with Holmes’ finally getting tripped up in an insurance swindle and an intrepid Pinkerton detective following the clues to prove that Holmes was a child-killer among his other sins. In that way, Holmes’ story arc concludes as a true crime story about a true crime story."
"I will admit, the author thoroughly researched both topics, but it was clear to me his focus was on the architecture of the World's Fair. Holmes, you may want to read a different book."
"I love Erik Larson's exquisite prose and the way he weaves the story of the building and design of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair in with the ghoulish story of H. H. Holmes and his murder castle."
"Mr. Lynch shows what is really happening by taking his cameras and audience beneath the grass, giving a true close-up at the level of the earth and its bugs. You'll learn about the beautiful, classic architecture designed for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, ultimately called "The White City." One of my favorite chapters discusses how a Philadelphia detective took a multi-city tour, retracing Mr. Holmes' steps, in order to find the missing children of one of the killer's minions. A while back I watched "The Gray Man," an underrated yet macabre film that I highly recommend, and the work by the detective who caught Albert Fish in similar fashion. Sure, still a recommendation, but even though I'm going five, mostly due to tremendous research and even better writing -- one could argue the author's storytelling skills are unmatched -- I still would have preferred to read a little more about one H. H. Holmes myself."
"It is a must read and is very interesting for people who like architecture and also people who like crime stories."
"Chicago history is full of mystery, intrigue, conflict, brilliance, and color."
"Fascinating narrative that is really two parallel stories."
During his twenty-five year career with the Investigative Support Unit, Special Agent John Douglas became a legendary figure in law enforcement, pursuing some of the most notorious and sadistic serial killers of our time: the man who hunted prostitutes for sport in the woods of Alaska, the Atlanta child murderer, and Seattle's Green River killer, the case that nearly cost Douglas his life. Douglas, who developed criminal profiling techniques for the FBI, teams up with novelist Olshaker to tell of his 25-year career tracking down serial killers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A great book for all those out there who are fascinated by criminal psychology, and how these detectives come to their seemingly uncanny and precise criminal profiles."
"I applaud the TV guys who wrote the series - they took a somewhat over-detailed and under-detailed memoir and turned it into a great series - that was brilliant job, but kudos to Mr. Douglas for his perseverance in life and book!"
"I love this book!"
"Interesting Point of View and Lively Storytelling."
"Very interesting and informative book written with a bit of memoir meets history of mass murderers."
"It was pretty fascinating, though it started to drag 3/4 of the way through."
"The cases are interesting."
A thin trail of circumstances eventually tied the Tate-LeBianca murders to Charles Manson, a would-be pop singer of small talent living in the desert with his "family" of devoted young women and men. The meticulous detective work with which the story begins, the prosecutor's view of a complex murder trial, the reconstruction of the philosophy Manson inculcated in his fervent followers... these elements make for a true crime classic. Actor, screenwriter and audiobook narrator, SCOTT BRICK definitely gives new meaning to a hyphenate career with credits in film, television, stage and radio.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I really enjoyed this book."
"The definitive account of the Manson family from the district attorney who prosecuted them, as well as being, in my opinion, the definitive true crime book."
"His proximity and access to Manson -- without ever losing his commitment to his absolute guilt -- is fascinating."
"Helter skelter and charles manson has always fascinated me."
"I was amazed how much information there was of this horrific story."
"Went back in time to read this now-classic work, and was impressed by the depth of reporting by the author."
"Very thorough and we'll written insight into the Manson Family murders and subsequent trial."
"I bought this book for my granddaughter who wants to study criminology."
Best Biographies of Murder & Mayhem
SHELF AWARENESS'S BEST BOOK OF 2017. Named a best book of the year by Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Time, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, NPR's Maureen Corrigan , NPR's "On Point," Vogue , Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Seattle Times, Bloomberg, Lit Hub's "Ultimate Best Books ," Library Journal, Paste, Kirkus, Slate.com. and Book Browse From New Yorker staff writer David Grann, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. It has everything, but at scale: Execution-style shootings, poisonings, and exploding houses drove the body count to over two dozen, while private eyes and undercover operatives scoured the territory for clues. Even as legendary and infamous oil barons vied for the most lucrative leases, J. Edgar Hoover’s investigation – which he would leverage to enhance both the prestige and power of his fledgling FBI - began to overtake even the town’s most respected leaders. With the same obsessive attention to fact - in service to storytelling - as The Lost City of Z , Killers of the Flower Moon reads like narrative-nonfiction as written by James M. Cain (there are, after all, insurance policies involved): smart, taut, and pacey.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This story needed to be told, and it fascinating the amount of detail that went into describing the horrors of that period of time. One aspect that had it been included, would have really helped solidify some of the information is a time line with events and people."
"This is one of the best true crime historical accounts I've ever read."
"You should read it."
"Having been a huge horse racing fan when I was a teenager, I knew about the wealth of the Osage Nation in the 1920s. I had no idea how rich the Osage really were, and I certainly didn't have a clue that the government didn't trust them with all that money. It had to madden many whites that, although they'd shoved the Osage onto a piece of land they deemed unfit for themselves, oil would be discovered and the Osage would turn out to be the wealthiest people in the world. The one way they had of trying to horn in on this wealth was by declaring that the Osage were not fit to use their own money wisely."
"The author captures an era of lawlessness and greed in frontier life and shares a piece of history that almost remained untold."
"This book requires the reader to pay attention to details as they read a fascinating history of a series of traumatic events in American History."
"This book, by far, has had the most impact on my life, when it comes to literature."
"I really enjoyed this book and find myself wanting to know more about the Osage."
Best 19th Century American History
Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. The passages about Holmes are compelling and aptly claustrophobic; readers will be glad for the frequent escapes to the relative sanity of Holmes's co-star, architect and fair overseer Daniel Hudson Burnham, who managed the thousands of workers and engineers who pulled the sprawling fair together 0n an astonishingly tight two-year schedule.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I will be absolutely honest and admit that I purchased the book because I was interested in the weird story of H.H.Holmes, American con-man, psychopath and serial killer. I've never read anything by Erik Larsen before, but I know that he has a good number of books on the history section shelves and I’ve seen this book in passing for years. I listened to this as an audiobook, and my initial reaction was that there was an awful lot about the 1893 World’s Fair, especially the architecture of the World’s Fair, than I was expecting or interested in. However, about half-way through the book, I found my interest shifting as I was sucked into the world of the Fair and the strangeness of the world right on the cusp of becoming the world we know, with lights and Cracker Jacks and Ferris wheels, but still possessing the instincts and customs of a more genteel and trusting age. One narrative follows the twisted path of Holmes; the other follows the life of the fair. There is no doubt that the Holmes’ narrative starts out in the lead because of the natural human interest in evil, and Holmes was evil. Larsen describes Holmes as America’s first serial killer in an age when the language did not have the term “serial killer” to describe Holmes. In Chicago, he bought a pharmacy from a widow, who he probably conned, married a second wife, deposited the wife and his child in a suburb of Chicago, and then came up with the idea of transforming land he had purchased into a hotel in time for the upcoming Fair. On the other hand, Larsen presents the “White City” of the Fair as the world that was dawning. The idea that the architects are the heroes of the book seems strange since architects rarely play the role of hero, but Larsen manages to invest tension throughout the story arc about the Fair. Thus, there is tension in whether the architects will get the Fair built in time, and then there is tension about whether the Fair will turn a profit in the face of the economic depression gripping the country. My first term paper in history was one I wrote as a Junior in High School about Eugene V. Debbs and the Pullman Strike of 1894, so it was something of a home-coming for me to read about the events that were occurring just before that strike, and to think that Debs and Darrow probably visited the Fair, maybe they ran across Holmes and Burnham. Larsen writes: // Ten thousand construction workers also left the fair’s employ and returned to a world without jobs, already crowded with unemployed men. The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black City now welcomed them back, on the eve of winter, with filth, starvation, and violence.//. Holmes’ story closes out with Holmes’ finally getting tripped up in an insurance swindle and an intrepid Pinkerton detective following the clues to prove that Holmes was a child-killer among his other sins. In that way, Holmes’ story arc concludes as a true crime story about a true crime story."
"I will admit, the author thoroughly researched both topics, but it was clear to me his focus was on the architecture of the World's Fair. Holmes, you may want to read a different book."
"In fact that fascinated me a bit more than the criminal aspect of Holmes, but both tickled my love of historical stories; it prompted me to do additional research on both topics."
"Amazing plot with two lines intertwined: creating and designing the World Exhibition in Chicago and the fate of women who mysteriously disappear at that time."
"It takes place in Chicago during the planning of their world's fair back in 1890. The people planning the fair and the killer never meet, but it's all happening at the same time."
Best Forensic Science
And with his discovery that serial killers share certain violent behaviors, Ressler goes behind prison walls to hear bizarre first-hand stories from countless convicted murderers, including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy; Edmund Kemper; and Son of Sam. Indispensable reading for serial killer mavens, and better written than John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's Mindhunter , this book is packed with fascinating details from dozens of cases: The killer John Joubert, for example, started his life of cruelty as a kid one day when he was riding his bike with a sharpened pencil in his hand. Writing with Schachtman ( Skyscraper Dreams ), he recounts in straightforward, fact-filled style his interviews with such infamous murderers as Edmund Kemper, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, William Heirens and Ted Bundy.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Simultaneously horrifying and fascinating...we owe a debt of gratitude to the Ressler, and the men and women who spent their careers studying these monsters, hoping to prevent or minimize future atrocities."
"As expected, interesting read."
"Great book for the true crime junkie!"
"Really enjoyed overall, especially the parts about interviewing the serial killers and how BHU was founded."
"Excellent book."
"If you want to gain an understanding of serial killers, this is the book to read."
Best Urban Sociology
Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. The passages about Holmes are compelling and aptly claustrophobic; readers will be glad for the frequent escapes to the relative sanity of Holmes's co-star, architect and fair overseer Daniel Hudson Burnham, who managed the thousands of workers and engineers who pulled the sprawling fair together 0n an astonishingly tight two-year schedule.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I will be absolutely honest and admit that I purchased the book because I was interested in the weird story of H.H.Holmes, American con-man, psychopath and serial killer. I've never read anything by Erik Larsen before, but I know that he has a good number of books on the history section shelves and I’ve seen this book in passing for years. I listened to this as an audiobook, and my initial reaction was that there was an awful lot about the 1893 World’s Fair, especially the architecture of the World’s Fair, than I was expecting or interested in. However, about half-way through the book, I found my interest shifting as I was sucked into the world of the Fair and the strangeness of the world right on the cusp of becoming the world we know, with lights and Cracker Jacks and Ferris wheels, but still possessing the instincts and customs of a more genteel and trusting age. One narrative follows the twisted path of Holmes; the other follows the life of the fair. There is no doubt that the Holmes’ narrative starts out in the lead because of the natural human interest in evil, and Holmes was evil. Larsen describes Holmes as America’s first serial killer in an age when the language did not have the term “serial killer” to describe Holmes. In Chicago, he bought a pharmacy from a widow, who he probably conned, married a second wife, deposited the wife and his child in a suburb of Chicago, and then came up with the idea of transforming land he had purchased into a hotel in time for the upcoming Fair. On the other hand, Larsen presents the “White City” of the Fair as the world that was dawning. The idea that the architects are the heroes of the book seems strange since architects rarely play the role of hero, but Larsen manages to invest tension throughout the story arc about the Fair. Thus, there is tension in whether the architects will get the Fair built in time, and then there is tension about whether the Fair will turn a profit in the face of the economic depression gripping the country. My first term paper in history was one I wrote as a Junior in High School about Eugene V. Debbs and the Pullman Strike of 1894, so it was something of a home-coming for me to read about the events that were occurring just before that strike, and to think that Debs and Darrow probably visited the Fair, maybe they ran across Holmes and Burnham. Larsen writes: // Ten thousand construction workers also left the fair’s employ and returned to a world without jobs, already crowded with unemployed men. The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black City now welcomed them back, on the eve of winter, with filth, starvation, and violence.//. Holmes’ story closes out with Holmes’ finally getting tripped up in an insurance swindle and an intrepid Pinkerton detective following the clues to prove that Holmes was a child-killer among his other sins. In that way, Holmes’ story arc concludes as a true crime story about a true crime story."
"I will admit, the author thoroughly researched both topics, but it was clear to me his focus was on the architecture of the World's Fair. Holmes, you may want to read a different book."
"In fact that fascinated me a bit more than the criminal aspect of Holmes, but both tickled my love of historical stories; it prompted me to do additional research on both topics."
"Amazing plot with two lines intertwined: creating and designing the World Exhibition in Chicago and the fate of women who mysteriously disappear at that time."
"It takes place in Chicago during the planning of their world's fair back in 1890. The people planning the fair and the killer never meet, but it's all happening at the same time."
Best Biographies of Espionage
From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history The Dead Hand comes the riveting story of a spy who cracked open the Soviet military research establishment and a penetrating portrait of the CIA’s Moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the Cold War While driving out of the American embassy in Moscow on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station heard a knock on his car window. What [Hoffman]’s accomplished here isn’t just a remarkable example of journalistic talent but also an ability to weave an absolutely gripping nonfiction narrative.” — The Dallas Morning News “This riveting drama. packs valuable insights into the final decade of the cloak-and-dagger rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union. Human tension hangs over every page of The Billion Dollar Spy like the smell of leaded gasoline. [Hoffman] knows the intelligence world well and has expertly used recently declassified documents to tell this unsettling and suspenseful story. Hoffman is a scrupulous, meticulous writer whose pages of footnotes and references attest to how carefully he sticks to his sources. “Hoffman viscerally evokes the secret, ruthless Cold War battle between the American Central Intelligence Agency and the Soviet KGB in his true-life espionage thriller. An exciting, revealing tale with a courageous, sympathetic protagonist.” — Tampa Bay Times “The fine first sentence of The Billion Dollar Spy could almost have been written with an icicle. A work of painstaking historical research that’s paced like a thriller.” — Departures “Hoffman [proves] that nonfiction can read like a John le Carré thriller. “A fabulous read that also provides chilling insights into the Cold War spy game between Washington and Moscow that has erupted anew under Vladimir Putin. It is also an evocative portrait of everyday life in the crumbling Soviet Union and a meticulously researched guide to CIA sources and methods. I devoured every word, including the footnotes.” —Michael Dobbs, author of One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War. This is a breakthrough book in intelligence writing, drawing on CIA operational cables—the holy grail of the spy world—to narrate each astonishing move. Hoffman reveals CIA tradecraft tricks that are more delicious than anything in a spy novel, and his command of the Soviet landscape is masterful. Full of twists so amazing you couldn’t make them up, this is spy fact that really is better than fiction.” —David Ignatius, author of The Director. It is a gripping story of courage, professionalism, and betrayal in the secret world.” —Rodric Braithwaite, British Ambassador in Moscow, 1988-1992. “A scrupulously researched work of history that is also a gripping thriller, The Billion Dollar Spy by David E. Hoffman is an unforgettable journey into Cold War espionage. This spellbinding story pulses with the dramatic tension of running an agent in Soviet-era Moscow—where the KGB is ubiquitous and CIA officers and Russian assets are prey. David E. Hoffman is a contributing editor at The Washington Post and a correspondent for PBS’s flagship investigative series, Frontline . He is the author of The Oligarchs and of The Dead Hand , about the end of the Cold War arms race, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book is a tribute as well to the calm and patient courage of the men and women involved in these operations, many of whom are never known due to the sensitivity of their line of work."
"Histories, and the crowded shelves of spy novels set during the era, offer a cursory and misleading view of the day-to-day reality as it was lived by the men and women who worked for the CIA and the KGB. The Billion Dollar Spy was a Soviet engineer named Adolf Tokachev who provided the US with a prodigious volume of technical data about the USSR’s military capabilities from 1977 to 1985. Under the noses of his bosses and the KGB alike, he brazenly supplied photographs of many thousands of pages of top-secret data to the CIA, enabling the US to counteract every technical advantage achieved by the USSR in its most advanced combat aircraft. More often than not, the agency big-wigs second-guessed their field staff, denying multiple requests for money to compensate Tokachev, for the cyanide pill he demanded in case he was discovered by the KGB, and for the spyware he needed to photograph top-secret material he had spirited away from his office at the risk of his life. Yet, as Hoffman writes, “Tolkachev’s material was so valuable back at Langley that he was literally ‘paying the rent’ — justifying the CIA’s operational budget — and helping the agency satisfy the military customers.”. That bureaucratic meddling was the first surprise. When his close personal friend, Kim Philby, defected to the Soviet Union after decades of extraordinarily high-level spying, Angleton apparently went off the deep end into paranoia. As Marc Goodman revealed in his recent book, Future Crimes, Chinese government hackers succeeded in stealing top-secret US military data worth hundreds of billions of dollars."
"The narrative showed the complex planning of spying."
"Never usually read books about military and spying, but this was worth the read."
"This true account of the hard work, dedication and sheer guts of our CIA operatives as they "fought" on the front line of espionage in Moscow to recruit and train Soviet scientists to work for the West at the height of the Cold War provides us an excellent example of the importance of maintaining the capability to apply humans to the task of gathering intelligence."
"Great spy story with high degree of detail on the life and espionage of this character. The author did a great job and pointing out how the espionage conducted by this individual helped our country defeat the enemy."
"A must read for anyone interested in human intelligence."
"Moles section they mention two but only really delved into the one that was believed to give up our agent."
Best Biographies of Organized Crime
Winner of the NBCC Award for General Nonfiction. Named on Amazon's Best Books of the Year 2015--Michael Botticelli, U.S. Drug Czar ( Politico ) Favorite Book of the Year--Angus Deaton, Nobel Prize Economics ( Bloomberg / WSJ ) Best Books of 2015--Matt Bevin, Governor of Kentucky ( WSJ ) Books of the Year--Slate.com's 10 Best Books of 2015-- Entertainment Weekly 's 10 Best Books of 2015 --Buzzfeed's 19 Best Nonfiction Books of 2015--The Daily Beast's Best Big Idea Books of 2015-- Seattle Times ' Best Books of 2015-- Boston Globe 's Best Books of 2015-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch 's Best Books of 2015-- The Guardian 's The Best Book We Read All Year--Audible's Best Books of 2015-- Texas Observer 's Five Books We Loved in 2015--Chicago Public Library's Best Nonfiction Books of 2015. From a small town in Mexico to the boardrooms of Big Pharma to main streets nationwide, an explosive and shocking account of addiction in the heartland of America. Now, addiction has devastated Portsmouth, as it has hundreds of small rural towns and suburbs across America--addiction like no other the country has ever faced. An Amazon Best Book of April 2015: The rise of OxyContin addiction and subsequent heroin use has been much in the news lately as we try to make sense of what is happening in suburban and small town America.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm an Obstetrician who is dealing with the repercussions of the opioid epidemic and countless babies struggling in the throes of neonatal abstinence syndrome (withdrawal)."
"I also was vaguely aware of the 'pill mills' going on in Florida and other states primarily in the eastern part of the US, after reading this book I can say I not only know but am alarmed at how easy it was to get a Medicaid card and rake in big bucks selling Oxycontin on taxpayer money. On the other side of the coin, I have suffered from Fibromyalgia for sixteen years and the premise that pain can be controlled solely by physical therapy, nutrition, counseling, acupuncture without medication is bunk."
"The economics of the heroin trade are analyzed in detail showing evidence of a completely new way of dealing drugs that emanates from a desire of small-town Mexican farm boys to make it big in the US."
"Anyone who wants to understand the state of addiction in America should read this book."
"We are an upper middle class family and I was blown away when I found out our 22 yr old son was on heroin!"
"This book, or at least selected chapters need to be read over and over to kids."
"The reader finishes the book fully informed on the link between prescription pill addiction and black tar heroin."
"This is an excellent book and a real eye-opener about the opiate epidemic in this country."
Best Biographies of White Collar Crime
Today, Enron is the biggest business story of our time, and Fortune senior writers Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind are the new Woodward and Bernstein. It reveals as never before major characters such as Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow, as well as lesser known players like Cliff Baxter and Rebecca Mark. Their prose is effortless, like a sprinter floating down the track.” —USA Today “Well-reported and well-written.” —Warren Buffett Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind collaborated on this book when they both were Fortune senior writers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Of course, it's not fiction, and even if one assumes that the authors may have exaggerated or left out some facts that might have made the villains look less evil, it's still a "credibly incredible" book."
"The companys legacy is riddled in numerous bad decisions and short sided approaches to running a business that it should always be remembered as am example of the damage bad management can have on not just their own company but their clients and business partners."
"If you ever wondered how excessive greed and unethical behavior on this scale could happen without someone opening their mouth, I invite you to read this book to see just how easy it was for those operating in grey areas to manipulate data and facts to reap huge profits while convincing themselves and others that they “technically “ weren’t doing anything wrong."
"Many of the main characters at Enron have personalities as big someone written for fiction, so the book is actually fairly entertaining despite the dry and factual subject matter."
"Enron was a high wire act, a company on steroids, an innovator, obsessed on making deals and its stock price."
"This is an excellent account of an enterprise that became increasingly dependent on stock valuation for the appearance of innovation and profitability, even to the point of creating `independent' enterprises (actually controlled by corporate insiders) that assumed responsibility for losing ventures and kept debt off the books. Also recommended: Bruck's `Predator's Ball,' Burrough's Barbarians at the Gate,' Stewart's `Den of Thieves' and `Disney War."
Best Biographies of Hoaxes & Deceptions
It’s the tale of a runaway that assumed the title of Countess and then went on to fool the FBI, DEA, and Interpol—as well as a number of other celebrities and institutions—with an elaborate tale of world intrigue. At my website are copies of the newspaper and magazine articles mentioned in the book. The articles are from the Austin American Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, and Woman’s World Magazine.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The author, going by the name Tanya Thompson, learned early in life how to exploit her good looks, charm, fearlessness and extreme intelligence to avoid boredom, real work and to have astonishing adventures. When that failed, she figured out how to steal identities of real people, instead. Okay, you do feel sorry for the real people who really got burned, but the author claims she is capable of feeling guilty, so she contained her cons to stealing things that are usually covered by insurance. Having brought down the ire of a Mexican smuggling ring on one of the women whose identity she borrowed, she even had the decency (if you can call it that) to make an anonymous call to the poor girl and warn her that she might soon have some ticked-off hombres showing up at her house."
"You ask, “Really?” and the media answers, “Yes, really.”. Yes really, a fifteen year old girl went and pulled a jaw dropping long con that should earn her some sort of recognition in Wikipedia’s list of famous impostors. Because if you’re not tearing the book apart for its unsubstantiated claims, which we’ve determined are substantiated, then I suspect the hate is personal, because this young woman has gone to some effort to make enemies. She starts the book with a Bloody Mary styled incantation against Jesus (something I was too terrified as a child to repeat three times) and then she casually makes a couple of rape jokes. The bits about the FBI, Interpol, the DEA, INS, the mental asylum, the sheriff’s departments, Ron Howard, the ACLU, and the Dallas Refugee Agency."
"This young woman certainly has a unique set of morals; grey ethics which could easily rival any antihero found in fiction."
"Yes, by most standards Tanya is weird but she’s hoping you’re weirder."
"It now makes me wonder how much of Red Russia was fiction."
"It blows away other non-fiction works for just being interesting (imagine that word "interesting" is in italics)."
"By whatever means, Thompson was born with an armor-clad sense of humor and what must have been God’s busiest guardian angel."
Best Biographies & Memoirs of Criminals
Ghost in the Wires is a thrilling true story of intrigue, suspense, and unbelievable escape, and a portrait of a visionary whose creativity, skills, and persistence forced the authorities to rethink the way they pursued him, inspiring ripples that brought permanent changes in the way people and companies protect their most sensitive information. The considerable charm of this nonstop caper saga lies in seeing the giant, faceless bureaucracies that rule and regulate us unmasked as assemblages of hapless people dancing to a plucky con man's tune.''. Now a security consultant, he has spoken to audiences at conventions around the world, been on dozens of major national television and radio shows, and even testified in front of Congress. He has also written for USA Today and the Washington Post and been interviewed on CNBC, CNN, NPR and by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Time, Newsweek , and many other publications.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've read several of the negative comments written about this book, and I don't understand why these people read the book in the first place. They talk about not being able to sympathize, they judge Mitnick for taking advantage of people, they hate Mitnick for the way he exploited his mother and grandmother, they talk bad because they can't understand what drove Mitnick to continue to break into systems, they are irritated because of his cocky attitude. In common with the people who wrote negative reviews, I too felt bad for his mother, grandmother, friends, him, and everyone he ever used for his criminal activities."
"I didn't want to like this book."
"I really enjoyed his rendition of his past and how he got by so many "gates"."
"A very interesting story detailing the exploits of one of the world's first hackers, Kevin Mitnick, as told by himself."
"Interestingly, a great deal of his success relies on social engineering -- i.e. relying on human nature and deception."
"It's written for the layman - you don't have to know about the technical aspects of the web - but it's only for those curious enough to get into the subject."
"While Kevin Mitnick has been promoted as the "...most elusive computer break-in artist in history, " his book, "Ghost in the Wires" is actually more about phone phreaking (hacking into the telephone networks to make free calls and other mischief) rather than computer hacking. The result of all that social engineering, phone-phreaking and computer hacking knowledge? Give him a telephone and a networked computer, and he'd do things that were unimaginable to most people."