false 3125555 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors -- and these days, that's most of us -- use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company's health.

Too bad it's often a lie.

The Number provides a comprehensive overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With fresh insight, wit, and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts the accounting fraud of the past three years in context, describing how decades of lax standards and shady practices contributed to our current economic troubles.

As the bull market turned into a bubble, Wall Street became utterly focused on "the number," companies' quarterly earnings. Along the way, the market lost track of what companies are really supposed to do -- build profitable businesses with sustainable futures. With their pay soaring, and increasingly tied to their companies' shares, executives were more than happy to give Wall Street the predictable earnings reports it wanted, whatever the reality of their businesses. Accountants, analysts, money managers, and individual investors played along, while the Securities and Exchange Commission found itself overwhelmed and underequipped to cope with the earnings game.

The Number offers a unified vision of how today's accounting scandals reflect a broader system failure. As long as investors remain too focused on the number, companies will find ways to manipulate it. Alex Berenson gives anyone who has ever invested in -- or worked for -- a public company the tools necessary to see beyond the cult of the number, understand accounting and its limits, and recognize patterns that can lead to fraud. After two decades of stock market hype, The Number offers a welcome dose of truth about the way Wall Street and corporate America really work.

"This will surely be the most important financial book of the year. Every CEO, CFO, CPA, broker, money manager, and congressperson in America will want to read it -- that's a given. But plain old investors will, too. 'So that's what happened to my 401(k),' they will say." - ANDREW TOBIAS, AUTHOR OF THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED"

The Number is number one. A first-class account of how the 1990s got that way." - JAMES GRANT, EDITOR, GRANT'S INTEREST RATE OBSERVER]]> 845107 6 873602 2003 The Number total:11|5:3|4:2|3:4|2:2| 11 39 27 2 195905 3.70 914 208 29441485 46878 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.40 10
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 4 0 false Wed Aug 06 13:43:48 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 06 13:51:37 -0700 2008 I always knew that stock options were just a way for management to steal from stockholders, but the author does an execellent job of explaining this process and gives outragous examples.

Most exec's sell the stock as...more...]]> 72897886 386814 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 3 0 false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Tue Sep 29 10:39:57 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 10:40:35 -0700 2009 74420551 2177734 888353 0743468090 9780743468091 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179197879m/888353.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179197879s/888353.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888353.The_Number 0.0 0 The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors -- and these days, that's most of us -- use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company's health.

Too bad it's often a lie.

The Number provides a comprehensive overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With fresh insight, wit, and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts the accounting fraud of the past three years in context, describing how decades of lax standards and shady practices contributed to our current economic troubles.

As the bull market turned into a bubble, Wall Street became utterly focused on "the number," companies' quarterly earnings. Along the way, the market lost track of what companies are really supposed to do -- build profitable businesses with sustainable futures. With their pay soaring, and increasingly tied to their companies' shares, executives were more than happy to give Wall Street the predictable earnings reports it wanted, whatever the reality of their businesses. Accountants, analysts, money managers, and individual investors played along, while the Securities and Exchange Commission found itself overwhelmed and underequipped to cope with the earnings game.

The Number offers a unified vision of how today's accounting scandals reflect a broader system failure. As long as investors remain too focused on the number, companies will find ways to manipulate it. Alex Berenson gives anyone who has ever invested in -- or worked for -- a public company the tools necessary to see beyond the cult of the number, understand accounting and its limits, and recognize patterns that can lead to fraud. After two decades of stock market hype, The Number offers a welcome dose of truth about the way Wall Street and corporate America really work.

"This will surely be the most important financial book of the year. Every CEO, CFO, CPA, broker, money manager, and congressperson in America will want to read it -- that's a given. But plain old investors will, too. 'So that's what happened to my 401(k),' they will say." - ANDREW TOBIAS, AUTHOR OF THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED"

The Number is number one. A first-class account of how the 1990s got that way." - JAMES GRANT, EDITOR, GRANT'S INTEREST RATE OBSERVER]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Oct 13 13:13:21 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 13:13:21 -0700 2009 73336006 2050989 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sat Oct 03 15:02:01 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 15:02:01 -0700 2009 70629540 2718001 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Sep 09 13:28:16 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 13:28:16 -0700 2009 59066619 2401314 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Jun 09 17:28:55 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 17:28:55 -0700 2009 57071178 2317189 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 3 0 false Sat May 23 11:48:43 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 11:48:55 -0700 2009 49241522 2127418 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sat Mar 14 09:32:39 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 09:32:39 -0700 2009 45689037 1174541 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sat Feb 07 18:14:24 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 07 18:14:24 -0800 2009 45218561 158846 1888279 0375508805 9780375508806 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189802310m/1888279.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189802310s/1888279.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1888279.The_Number 0.0 0 The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors -- and these days, that's most of us -- use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company's health.

Too bad it's often a lie.

The Number provides a comprehensive overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With fresh insight, wit, and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts the accounting fraud of the past three years in context, describing how decades of lax standards and shady practices contributed to our current economic troubles.

As the bull market turned into a bubble, Wall Street became utterly focused on "the number," companies' quarterly earnings. Along the way, the market lost track of what companies are really supposed to do -- build profitable businesses with sustainable futures. With their pay soaring, and increasingly tied to their companies' shares, executives were more than happy to give Wall Street the predictable earnings reports it wanted, whatever the reality of their businesses. Accountants, analysts, money managers, and individual investors played along, while the Securities and Exchange Commission found itself overwhelmed and underequipped to cope with the earnings game.

The Number offers a unified vision of how today's accounting scandals reflect a broader system failure. As long as investors remain too focused on the number, companies will find ways to manipulate it. Alex Berenson gives anyone who has ever invested in -- or worked for -- a public company the tools necessary to see beyond the cult of the number, understand accounting and its limits, and recognize patterns that can lead to fraud. After two decades of stock market hype, The Number offers a welcome dose of truth about the way Wall Street and corporate America really work.]]> 2003 0 0 false Mon Feb 02 21:05:11 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 02 21:05:11 -0800 2009 44590275 830678 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 5 0 false Tue Jan 27 19:47:59 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 19:47:59 -0800 2009 43426200 1174504 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Sat Jan 17 21:57:30 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 21:57:30 -0800 2009 41258640 1073821 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 5 0 false Mon Dec 29 22:44:51 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 22:44:51 -0800 2008 40941965 119900 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 4 0 false Fri Feb 27 22:27:45 -0800 2009 Fri Dec 26 11:41:10 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 27 22:27:45 -0800 2009 39052238 1748109 3125555 0743240146 9780743240147 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3125555.The_Number 5.00 1 The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors -- and these days, that's most of us -- use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company's health.

Too bad it's often a lie.

The Number provides a comprehensive overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With fresh insight, wit, and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts the accounting fraud of the past three years in context, describing how decades of lax standards and shady practices contributed to our current economic troubles.

As the bull market turned into a bubble, Wall Street became utterly focused on "the number," companies' quarterly earnings. Along the way, the market lost track of what companies are really supposed to do -- build profitable businesses with sustainable futures. With their pay soaring, and increasingly tied to their companies' shares, executives were more than happy to give Wall Street the predictable earnings reports it wanted, whatever the reality of their businesses. Accountants, analysts, money managers, and individual investors played along, while the Securities and Exchange Commission found itself overwhelmed and underequipped to cope with the earnings game.

The Number offers a unified vision of how today's accounting scandals reflect a broader system failure. As long as investors remain too focused on the number, companies will find ways to manipulate it. Alex Berenson gives anyone who has ever invested in -- or worked for -- a public company the tools necessary to see beyond the cult of the number, understand accounting and its limits, and recognize patterns that can lead to fraud. After two decades of stock market hype, The Number offers a welcome dose of truth about the way Wall Street and corporate America really work.

"This will surely be the most important financial book of the year. Every CEO, CFO, CPA, broker, money manager, and congressperson in America will want to read it -- that's a given. But plain old investors will, too. 'So that's what happened to my 401(k),' they will say." - ANDREW TOBIAS, AUTHOR OF THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED"

The Number is number one. A first-class account of how the 1990s got that way." - JAMES GRANT, EDITOR, GRANT'S INTEREST RATE OBSERVER]]> 2003 5 0 false Mon Dec 01 14:26:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 01 14:26:00 -0800 2008 37744668 1623756 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Fri Nov 14 14:42:53 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 14 14:42:53 -0800 2008 36933664 18622 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 2 0 false Tue Nov 04 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 04 18:49:12 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 04 18:49:24 -0800 2008 32574547 695779 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Sep 10 20:17:27 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 10 20:17:27 -0700 2008 32505509 1051648 3125555 0743240146 9780743240147 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3125555.The_Number 3.55 11 The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors -- and these days, that's most of us -- use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company's health.

Too bad it's often a lie.

The Number provides a comprehensive overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With fresh insight, wit, and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts the accounting fraud of the past three years in context, describing how decades of lax standards and shady practices contributed to our current economic troubles.

As the bull market turned into a bubble, Wall Street became utterly focused on "the number," companies' quarterly earnings. Along the way, the market lost track of what companies are really supposed to do -- build profitable businesses with sustainable futures. With their pay soaring, and increasingly tied to their companies' shares, executives were more than happy to give Wall Street the predictable earnings reports it wanted, whatever the reality of their businesses. Accountants, analysts, money managers, and individual investors played along, while the Securities and Exchange Commission found itself overwhelmed and underequipped to cope with the earnings game.

The Number offers a unified vision of how today's accounting scandals reflect a broader system failure. As long as investors remain too focused on the number, companies will find ways to manipulate it. Alex Berenson gives anyone who has ever invested in -- or worked for -- a public company the tools necessary to see beyond the cult of the number, understand accounting and its limits, and recognize patterns that can lead to fraud. After two decades of stock market hype, The Number offers a welcome dose of truth about the way Wall Street and corporate America really work.

"This will surely be the most important financial book of the year. Every CEO, CFO, CPA, broker, money manager, and congressperson in America will want to read it -- that's a given. But plain old investors will, too. 'So that's what happened to my 401(k),' they will say." - ANDREW TOBIAS, AUTHOR OF THE ONLY INVESTMENT GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED"

The Number is number one. A first-class account of how the 1990s got that way." - JAMES GRANT, EDITOR, GRANT'S INTEREST RATE OBSERVER]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Sep 10 01:27:40 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 10 01:27:40 -0700 2008 27264425 700773 845107 0812966252 9780812966251 2 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411m/845107.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178846411s/845107.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/845107.The_Number 3.55 11
In this commanding big-picture analysis of what went wrong in corporate America, Alex Berenson, a top financial investigative reporter for The New York Times, examines the common thread connecting Enron, Worldcom, Halliburton, Computer Associates, Tyco, and other recent corporate scandals: the cult of the number.

Every three months, 14,000 publicly traded companies report sales and profits to their shareholders. Nothing is more important in these quarterly announcements than earnings per share, the lodestar that investors—and these days, that’s most of us—use to judge the health of corporate America. earnings per share is the number for which all other numbers are sacrificed. It is the distilled truth of a company’s health.

Too bad it’s often a lie.

Alex Berenson’s The Number provides a comprehensiv, brutally factual overview of how Wall Street and corporate America lost their way during the great bull market that began in 1982. With wit and a broad historical perspective, Berenson puts recent corporate accounting (or accountability) disasters in their proper context. He explains how the wheels came off the wagon, giving readers the information and analysis they need to understand Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Halliburton, and the rest of the corporate calamities of our times.]]> 2003 0 0 false Mon Jul 14 18:32:16 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 14 18:32:16 -0700 2008 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3125555