Poorly constructed compensation structures that rewarded unprofitable behavior. I normally really enjoy books like this, but i approached the wisest one in the room with more trepidation than usual. Drawing on a wide range of unique sources, the book follows enrons rise from obscurity to the top of the business world to its disastrous demise. A room by room guide to creating a home that makes you happy mrs. And just as all the presidents men was the one watergate book that gave readers the full story, with all the drama and nuance, the smartest guys in the room is the one book you have to read to understand this amazing business saga. Based on the book by fortune magazine reporters bethany mclean and peter elkind, the film explores the lengths to which the company went in order to appear incredibly profitable, and reveals how lay, skilling, and other execs managed to keep their riches, while thousands of lowerlevel employees saw their loyalty. Boys favorite authors write about being boys domino. The smartest guys in the room 2003 tells the remarkable tale of energy trader enron once a poster child for market innovation on wall street and its dramatic fall from stratospheric heights. Meticulously researched and character driven, smartest guys in the room takes the reader deep into enrons pastand behind the closed doors of private. The smartest guys in the room, which he wrote and directed.
And thirty years later, if youre going to read only one book on watergate, thats still the one. The smartest guys in the room shows, it shouldnt have been. Christopher michael langan born march 25, 1952 is an american horse rancher and author, who has scored extremely high on multiple iq tests. Smartest guy in the room is an entertainment documentary series that tests the problem solving capabilities of three individuals. The tasks presented in the program tests the basic skills of physics, chemistry, mathematics and mechanics. The smartest guys in the room is a 2005 documentary film based on the bestselling 2003 book of the s. When enron filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2001, it was a shock to most americans. While doing so, zappia provides an informal explanation of the role the editor plays in the television production process, offering editing tips and expert advice on everything you need to know to hone your craft. The person whos willing to ask questions is often the smartest person in the room, because he or she has the confidence to admit not having all the answers, and also has the motivation to find. The smartest guys in the room pdf summary bethany mclean.
For this tenth anniversary edition, mclean and elkind have revisited the fall of enron and its aftermath, in a new chapter that asks why enron still matters. Love for sale by cole porter, performed by julie london. The book does a very good job of explaining the history of the company, ken lays involvement in it, and his mentality and motivations. Alex gibney, the oscarnominated director of the highoctane documentary enron. Mclean and elkind worked on the book when they both were fortune senior writers.
Drawing on a wide range of unique sources, the book follows enrons rise from obscurity to the. Alex gibney, who wrote and produced eugene jareckis the trials of henry kissinger, examines the rise and fall of an infamous corporate juggernaut in enron. Then, as it focused on shortterm stock prices, it became corrupted by deceptive accounting, making more egregious bets. The documentary, narrated by peter coyote, traces the energy giants origins including ceo ken lays childhood to its rise as one of the largest corporations in the united states. The smartest guys in the room 2005 rotten tomatoes. Over time his arrogance hardened, and he became so sure that he was the smartest guy in the room that anyone who disagreed with him was summarily dismissed as just not bright enough to get it. Mclean and elkind are credited as writers of the film alongside the director, alex gibney. God knows how much digging and how many interviews were distilled into these 400 pages. The smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean, peter. The smartest guys in the room, says that he was not particularly interested in filming the enron story at first. But the book leaves as many questions open as it provides answers to. The smartest guys in the room frauds and financial scandals in the business world were before an enrons case and will be after it.
Meticulously researched and character driven, smartest guys in the room takes the reader deep into enrons pastand behind the closed doors of private meetings. Summary of the film the smartest guys in the room free. There were dozens of books about watergate, but only all the presidents men gave readers the full story, with all the d. Download the smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean pdf ebook free. Stakeholderswatchdogs overlooking bad behavior as long as they were profiting. Langans iq has been estimated on abcs 2020 to be between 195 and 210, and he has been described as the smartest man in america as well as the smartest man. The smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean is a detailed account of the rise and fall of enron and it gives the most insight into the actions of lay, skilling, and fastow. This was due to two specific wordsphrases in the books pesky subtitle how you can benefit from social psychologys most powerful insights.
The film, based on the book by fortune magazine reporters bethany mclean and peter elkind, opens with a reenactment of the suicide of enron executive cliff baxter, then travels back in. The smartest guys in the room audiobook by bethany. A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying organizations. The smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean, 9780141011455, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Smartest guy in the room shares the story of his rise from television repair man to the goto guy on the sets of wildly acclaimed cbs shows including hee haw and all in the family. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked. The amazing rise and scandalous fall of enron is a book by bethany mclean and peter elkind, first published in 2003 by. The hardest to verbally challenge they may have opinions, but its purely derived from facts and logic. The smartest guys in the room is a 2005 american documentary film based on the bestselling 2003 book of the same name by fortune reporters bethany mclean and peter elkind, a study of one of the largest business scandals in american history. Read the smartest guys in the room the amazing rise and scandalous fall of enron by bethany mclean available from rakuten kobo. The smartest guys in the room the smartest guys in the room.
The smartest guys in the room quotes by bethany mclean. But it was you know, it was a mashup of all kinds of stuff. The smartest guys in the room recounts the effectiveness of the operations which were launched off the radar. The amazing rise and scandalous fall of enron by peter elkind 30sep2004 paperback. The smartest guys in the room chronicles the history of enron, from beginning to end.
Based on the bestselling book of the same name by fortune reporters bethany mclean and peter elkind, alex gibney incredibly reveals how top executives of. The smartest person in no particular order is most often. The smartest guys in the room is a very well researched and exhaustive account haha, see what i did there. Enron dives from the seventh largest us company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. How to identify the smartest person in the room quora. I find his reading a bit slow, but perhaps its good for complicated material. The organizational culture was revolving around rewards and bonuses, without taking into account the imminent threats. Alex gibney examines the rise and fall of an infamous corporate juggernaut. These people are termed as having blue collar jobs but being geniuses with an iq higher than 140. Different smart people, different cues to look out for. Just as watergate was the defining political story of its time, so enron is the biggest business story of our time.
Putatively, it began with good intentions and a believable vision. This book fully updated for the paperback tells the extraordinary story of enrons fall. And how hes always the smartest guy in the room, and nobody else knows it. Peter elkind, coauthor, the smartest guys in the room. It starts after background on ken lay when lay becomes ceo of houston natural gas in 1984 and concludes with the collapse of enron late in 2001, with an epilogue covering the further trials and criminal charges up to.
Today, enron is the biggest business story of our time, and fortune senior writers bethany mclean and peter elkind are the new woodward. There were dozens of books about watergate, but only all the presidents men gave readers the full story, with all the drama and nuance and exclusive reporting. These blinks detail a gripping story of financial deceit, while shedding light on the personalities that built enrons corporate culture and set it up for disaster. The smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean pdf. The amazing rise and scandalous fall of enron teen to teen. The film, based on the book by fortune magazine reporters bethany mclean and peter elkind, opens with a reenactment of the suicide of enron executive cliff baxter, then travels. The amazing rise and scandalous fall of enron is a business book that describes the enron scandal brought down that is one of the most admired companies in the 1990s.
There were dozens of books about watergate, but only. Corporate audio and videotapes tell the inside story of the scandal involving one companys manipulation of californias energy supply and its, and how its executives wrung a. Dennis boutsikaris is a fairly good reader for nonfiction. In 2005, it was adapted into a documentary film, enron. Written by two senior writers for fortune magazine, the smartest guys in the room is a comprehensive history and analysis of the rise of enron and its dramatic and catastrophic collapse. Enron grew from a pipeline company to an economic powerhouse by playing the middle man, selling long term gas contracts to buyers for a fixed price and. Countless books and articles were written about it, but only the smartest guys in the room holds up a decade later as the definitive narrative. The smartest guys in the room by bethany mclean, peter elkind.
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