Kurt Eichenwald

The 2008 financial crisis seemed to come out of nowhere: an economic catastrophe of cataclysmic proportions, one that felled financial giants, destroyed Wall Street, dominated politics, and transformed capitalism with one of the greatest government interventions in history. How did we get here, and could the pain have been averted? And most important, is it going to get worse, or happen again? Kurt Eichenwald answers those questions with a lively look at the modern history of Wall Street, government and the investing world, a toxic stew of recklessness that made the calamity inevitable. Tracing the history from the financial scandals of the 1970's, through the corporate takeover and dotcom booms, to the accounting scandals of the early 21st century at companies like Enron and Worldcom, and finally, to the mortgage mania that pushed the American economy to the precipice of a credit meltdown, he lays bare how the recent financial trauma was the product of decades of foolishness and failure, and explores what corporate executives, government officials and investors must do to avoid repeating this sordid history—particularly with warning signs emerging of the next debacle to come.

In an accessible, enlightening, sometimes maddening and sometime humorous keynotes, Kurt Eichenwald dissects the Enron case, and others, to explore what it means for Corporate America today. How did the nation's seventh largest company implode in scandal? How was it allowed to happen? Will it ever happen again? What are the implications for senior executives, mid-level managers and other employees? From Washington to Wall Street, Eichenwald talks about the recent market lunacies and extracts valuable lessons for investors, business people and corporations. His bottom line message: good compliance and good corporate governance make good business.

In "500 Days", master speaker Kurt Eichenwald lays bare the harrowing decisions, deceptions, and delusions of the 18 months that changed the world forever, as leaders raced to protect their citizens in the wake of 9/11.

Eichenwald's gripping account puts audiences at the heart of these historic events, from the Oval Office to Number 10 Downing street, from Guantanamo Bay to the depths of CIA headquarters, from the al-Qaeda training camps to the torture chambers of Egypt and Syria. He reveals previously undisclosed information from the terror wars, including never before reported details about warrantless wiretapping, the anthax attacks and investigations, and conflicts between Washington and London.