No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller

( 74 )

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Hardcover
$27.95
BN.com price
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$1.68
$27.95 List Price (Save 94%)
Usually ships within 1-2 business days
All (32)  
Used (16)  
New (16)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 32 (4 pages)
$1.68
(Save 94%)
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(500)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Good LIKE NEW. ONE MARKING PRESENT. Goodwillnyonline carries a wide range of quality new and used items at competitive prices. Goodwillnyonline is operated by Goodwill ... Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey. A major provider of services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Astoria, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(309)

Condition: Good
Used books may not include access codes or one time use codes. Proven Seller with Excellent Customer Service. Choose expedited shipping and get it FAST.

Ships from: Conway, AR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(206)

Condition: Good
USED; Cover & Pages Aged We here at Elistics have a 100% satisfaction guarentee. We also ship no later than next business day. Thank you for your business.

Ships from: Vancouver, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$2.00
(Save 93%)
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(238)

Condition: Good
Used - Good Hardcover. BOOK ONLY! 1st Edition May contain highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. May have used stickers on cover. Ships same or next day. Expedited shipping takes 2-3 ... business days; standard shipping takes 4-14 business days. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Fayetteville, AR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$2.30
(Save 92%)
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(238)

Condition: Good
Used - Good Hardcover. BOOK ONLY! 1st Edition May contain highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. May have used stickers on cover. Ships same or next day. Expedited shipping takes 2-3 ... business days; standard shipping takes 4-14 business days. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Fayetteville, AR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$4.62
(Save 83%)
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(618)

Condition: Good
Usually ships within 1-2 business days. All USA orders shipped via USPS with delivery confirmation, please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. USPS does not provide delivery ... confirmation for APO/FPO addresses or addresses outside of the 50 US states. No guarantee on products that contain supplements and some products may include highlighting and writing. We are dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Shepherdsville, KY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$5.00
(Save 82%)
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(144)

Condition: Like New
Unread, Unmarked book in bright dust jacket with sharp edges, small whiteout mark on the first white page

Ships from: Chatham, NJ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$6.99
(Save 75%)
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(64)

Condition: Good
Dust jacket has some scuff marks. Reading pages are clean and free of markings. Q60411

Ships from: Las Vegas, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$7.95
(Save 72%)
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(134)

Condition: Very Good
Hardcover First Edition Very good/Very good

Ships from: Wichita Falls, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$8.89
(Save 68%)
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(5)

Condition: New
Item ships within 2 business days of purchase with tracking. Buy from a trusted and respected seller.

Ships from: Advance, NC

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 32 (4 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$10.33
BN.com price
$16.95 List Price (Save 39%)

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Need a NOOK? Explore Now

Overview

Bernie Madoff was a king of the financial world and a beloved philanthropist. But very few people knew that he was quietly running the largest hedge fund in the world, a fund that eventually spread to over forty nations and handled tens of billions of dollars.

Harry Markopolos was a little-known number cruncher at a Boston equity derivatives firm analyzing investment products. A marketer for that firm, Frank Casey, handed Harry a prospectus outlining Madoff’s strategy and asked him to create a similar product. Harry sat down and looked at the numbers. The numbers didn’t add up. For the next ten years, the investigative team Markopolos recruited warned the government, the industry, and the financial press that the largest and most successful hedge fund in the industry was a total fraud and that the respected and admired Bernie Madoff was a crook. But no one would listen.

This is the thrilling, complete story of the pursuit of the greatest financial criminal in history. The incredible investigation takes listeners inside the financial industry, revealing the never-before-told stories behind the headlines. No One Would Listen is the frighteningly true story of massive fraud, governmental incompetence, and criminal collusion that has changed thousands of lives forever—as well as the world’s financial system.

  • Harry Markopolos
    Harry Markopolos

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Starred Review.

Markopolos, the whistleblower who filed five unheeded complaints against Ponzi king Bernie Madoff over nine years, has produced an astonishing true-life whodunit set amidst the personalities, plots, and international intrigue of Wall Street. Having collected damning information on money manager Madoff-the respected co-founder of NASDAQ who ran the largest financial scam in history-since 1999, Markopolos's work as a chartered financial analyst and certified fraud examiner, aided by an industry journalist and two colleagues from his days as a derivatives portfolio manager, lays bare the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a tragically inept regulating agency that "didn't give a rat's ass about protecting investors," and seemed to consider Madoff "just another guy cutting some corners." Realizing he had not one but two powerful opponents-"Madoff and this nonfunctioning agency"-Markopolos refused to give up, despite fearing for his life and his family; accordingly, he transmits his team's determination and fascination in contagious detail. The hows and whys of Madoff's eventual arrest, Markopolos's subsequent appearances before Congress, and the carnival of press coverage makes a satisfying conclusion to this strange epic; Markopolos also includes complete documentation of his formal submissions to the SEC, plus his recommendations for much-needed reform at the agency.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The Critics
Financial analyst Markopolos chanced upon one of the biggest financial frauds in history in late 1999 when his firm asked him to duplicate the returns of a wildly successful hedge fund run by esteemed Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff. After trying to reverse engineer Madoff's investment strategy, Markopolos concluded that the fund must be a fraud. Markopolos's book is about his decade-long obsession with Madoff's fraud and his frustrations as he tried to get the authorities to intervene in what turned out to be a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. He reserves his harshest criticism for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which he says appeared to be nonfunctional. He recounts his celebrity after Madoff's exposure and includes recommendations for strengthening the expertise and capabilities of the SEC. One of his most astute observations is that the venality of those profiting from Madoff as investors or agents was a major factor in blinding them to the likelihood of something being amiss. VERDICT Likely to be in high demand, this angry account will please readers specifically interested in Markopolos' s role as a Madoff whistleblower. However, it falls short of being a full explanation of the Madoff fraud. A good book on a similar theme is Cliff Stoll's popular 1990 title, The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780470553732
  • Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 3/2/2010
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 354
  • Sales rank: 271,032
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

HARRY MARKOPOLOS, a former securities industry executive turned independent financial fraud investigator, was the whistleblower who provided credible and detailed evidence several times from 2000–2008 that should have prompted an immediate investigation by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission into Bernie Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Markopolos's investigation was assisted by his investigative team, including Frank Casey, Neil Chelo, and Michael Ocrant. The retelling of their true story was assisted by David Fisher.

Table of Contents

Ch. 1 A Red Wagon in a Field of Snow

Ch. 2 The Slot Machine That Kept Coming Up Cherries

Ch. 3 Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

Ch. 4 Finding More Peters (to Pay Paul)

Ch. 5 The Goddess of Justice Wears a Blindfold

Ch. 6 Didn't Anyone Want a Pulitzer?

Ch. 7 More Red Flags Than the Soviet Union

Ch. 8 Closing the Biggest Barn Door in Wall Street History

Ch. 9 Soaring Like an Eagle Surrounded by Turkeys

Epilogue: Mr. Pinkslip Goes to Washington

Appendix A Madoff Tops Charts; Skeptics Ask How

Appendix B The World's Largest Hedge Fund Is a Fraud

Appendix C Online Resource Guide for the Classroom and Beyond

A Note on Sources

Index

Customer Reviews
Average Rating 3.5
( 74 )

Rating Distribution

If you've bought this product, tell the world how you liked it.
Write a Review
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 74 Customer Reviews
  • Posted June 16, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Fell Far Short of Expectations

    I'm afraid I was terribly disappointed by No One Would Listen. Markopolos clearly has an important story to tell and was at the center of team that uncovered Madoff nearly a decade before anyone else. There is no doubt Markopolos exposed not only Madoff but critical, systemic failures of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    But the writing was thick with Markopolos' arrogance and condescension, and it is clear he remains bitter his arguments were not taken seriously years earlier. That is certainly understandable. But I found his credibility somewhat diminished by vengeance to bring the SEC to its knees--which he did in spades. Someone who prides himself in honesty and the fairness of markets needn't have resorted to the self-serving tactics he resorted to--before his Congressional testimony, gratuitously speaking loudly enough for SEC staffers to hear how he had had "raw meat for breakfast" when asking whether he had any blood on his lips. Perhaps so accustomed to being ignored and poorly treated by the industry, media, and SEC itself, perhaps Markopolos felt the need to punish the idiots directly himself. I found it a turn-off and reminiscent of school-yard score-settling.

    So too was the overuse of excessively repetitive metaphors, especially near the end: "Couldn't find their behind with two hands," "Couldn't hit the ocean if they were standing in it," etc. The epilogue felt thrown together at the last minute. Worst of all was his persistent misspelling of "principal" as "principle". As a genius quant who no doubt considers himself principled, as a finance man who must periodically refer to interest and principal, it was terribly grating to find him consistently using 'principle' when he meant 'principal' and further tarnished his credibility. He, his proofreaders, his editor, his publisher couldn't at least catch that?

    Markopolos castigates the SEC (deservedly) for incompetence and failure to investigate Madoff, even when offered multiple opportunities. But I wonder, perhaps, did the people at the SEC find Markopolos arrogant and condescending when reading his submissions, or meeting him in person? Did Markopolos insult others as he did throughout his book? Was his quantitative genius perhaps overshadowed by a frustrated demeanor making him seem less credible? Would Meaghan Cheung of the SEC have even tried to check out Markopolos' arguments or asked superiors for help if she herself weren't made to feel foolish?

    I didn't really learn a whole lot new from the book, except about SEC incompetence drilled into the reader over and over and over, than from the excellent coverage by the Wall Street Journal.

    6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 11, 2010

    Believable and Informative

    I learned a lot from this book. It really did read like a real-life thriller, which was surprising since readers already know the ending. The author is to be commended for the clarity with which he explains the inside world of the "quants" how he came to his conclusions. I found it particularly disturbing that so many experts understood the Madoff operation was a sham but did not come forward. This book should be required reading for anyone who argues that any industry will self-regulate. The lack of oversight by the SEC was villainous.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2010

    Markopolis is amazing

    Markopolis is amazing. When i first watched him in congressional hearings I was cheering the way to made the SEC look like a bunch of morons. This is must read if you are interested in the Madoff ponzi scheme, whistleblowers, and right beats might. I would strongly recommend that you first listen to Harry's testimony on capital hill. Certain essential passages are really brought home when you can impose his voice and mannerisms. The passage on the congressional hearings is classic, as well as when the SEC is forced to listen to him in their offices. Harry Markpolis had the most detailed external inside view of anyone. This book must accompnay any readings on Madoff, and probably should be the first to read. One more thing I would recommnd you do while reading this book is read some of the hundreds of victims statements. Thye are heartbreaking in light of the crime that was unfolding that Markopolis depaerately tried to reveal. Good work Harry!!

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 11, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    "No One Would Listen" by Harry Markopolos

    Common sense took a distant last, far behind greed, due diligence, herd mentally, etc. for those who invested with Bernie Madoff. Markopolos knew early on that the black box theory when combined with too good to be true returns was simply not reality. If you don't understand what is taking place, and the person performing this mystical and miraculous feat doesn't tell you, then be nervous, doubtful, distrustful, and suspect a fraud of some type. It was not all that long ago that Long Term Capital Management, a super large hedge fund that failed, had lured greedy and so called intelligent investors into their fund using the black box theory. We are smarter than you, we aren't going to tell you how we do it, but invest with us. Markopolos writing style in informative, somewhat humorous and a good read as he details his investigation of Madoff's amazing Ponzi scheme years before Madoff was finally "officially" uncovered. I would have suggested the title to be; "They Listened, But Did Nothing".

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted March 13, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    What a great team this was...

    This is an outstanding piece of work. Bernie Madoff was investigated by Markopolos and his team over a period of ten years, and yet this book reads with all the urgency and thrills of a case unfolding now and in a short window. Markopolos admits he is not politically correct, and he holds back no punches for agencies that obstructed, obscured, and ignored information that could have led to the detention of Madoff years before his scheme became widely known. And Markopolos is funny. The language in the book reads as though he were speaking--it has an immediacy, and an irreverence that most of us wouldn't dare commit to paper but which gives the book a refreshing and unstudied artlessness. It is so not lawyerspeak.

    This is a book we all need to read. I am here to say it is no burden to put this on your reading list. It is another example of how a good democracy can work. Citizens must take notice of fraud, and speak of it, lest it overtake us. Incompetence in the regulatory agencies we hire to protect us is unacceptable. We might even recognize unfettered greed as the social ill it is. Sometimes I think Americans get confused about this--they might even admire it.

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 8, 2010

    Informative and enlightening, No One Would Listen tells the incredible story of a Ponzi scheme that stole billions of dollars from innocent investors. It never should have happened. It didn't have to happen. The author tells us why.

    This book could have been a difficult read, but author Harry Marcopolos' style sweeps the reader along like a mystery novel. The reader may not understand some of the terms used, but it is never difficult to understanding the concepts.

    How did one man - Bernie Madoff - destroy the financial lives of so many citizens with his illegal Ponzi scheme without being found out? Marcopolos tells us in chilling detail, that it never should have happened as he relates an unbelievable chain of events.

    Those responsible for policing investments (the Securities and Exchange Commission) WERE alerted repeatedly about the Madoff scheme but would not believe or respond to what they were told. Why? Weakness, negligence indifference, lack of training and knowledge and a degree of arrogance in their ignorance abounded. Whistle blowers were treated badly or ignored instead of accorded respect. The author recommends a complete turnaround of this attitude to encourage and reward those who report wrong doing.

    This book not only exposes weakenesses and failures in the Securities and Exchange Commission but gives ideas on how to solve these problems and recommendations for the future.

    Large groups of people lost vast amounts of money that will never be recovered. A crime like this should never be be repeated, and this book gives concrete and ideas to ensure that it never does.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 10, 2010

    Its alright

    I was not that thrilled about it. Would I recommend it: maybe.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 8, 2010

    Madoff Uncovered

    This is an extremely thoughtful and precise accounting of the Madoff scandal. Although a bit too analytical at times, Markopolos uncovers this Ponzi scheme at at early stage. Unfortunately, the authorities to whom he presents his findings turn a blind eye. When Markopolos and his team are proven correct many years later, the ineptitude of many of our government agencies are clearly recognized.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted April 8, 2010

    First Prize for Fraud Investigation

    If a Pulitzer Prize were awarded to whistleblowers, Harry Markopolos would be the 2010 recipient. In "No One Would Listen," Markopolos provides a detailed, insider's look at his 10-year investigation of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme and blows the whistle on the ineptness of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Markopolos' expose should be required reading for every federal financial regulator, and every Wall Street investor.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted March 23, 2010

    not worth the effort

    pretty much self serving and not very thrilling encapsalation. could have been written in fifty pages easily. the real story is not madoff but the sucekers who bought madoff and the incredible incompetency of the sec, a bunch of pencil pushing freakin lawyers who know nothing about finance.

    1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted December 5, 2011

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - 5 Starts

    I loved this book!! I think everyone should read it, and it would make an excellent book for colleges to have freshman read, or at the very least, business/finance majors as part of the ethics requirements.

    This book only touched on one incident within the financial world, and as Mr. Markopolos mentioned several times that there are others out there taking advantage of the investors.

    After the last year, we are all aware how broken the federal government is but this shed a whole new light on exactly how broken things really are in Washington, DC. I found myself getting more and more angry when reading how the SEC responded to the issues raised by Mr. Markopolos and his team so I can only imagine how they felt when nothing was ever done to stop Madoff.

    Read this book!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 8, 2011

    It's ok

    The topic and research were very good; however, the constant repetition of the evidence and the number of time reported made it a bit monotonous to read. would have been much better had it been condensed.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted September 21, 2010

    Nice Read!

    I found the book very interesting. It's a wonder times are as bad as they are. Thank you Harry!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted September 3, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Why regulators missed Madoff

    When Harry Markopolos began his career in the securities industry, he applied his mathematical skills to the design of investment products. In particular, his bosses wanted him to create investment instruments that competed with those offered by financier Bernie Madoff. When Markopolos found that Madoff's results were impossible to match, he suspected that Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme - not investing money, but paying each investor with cash from other investors. His suspicion led to an investigative odyssey. Markopolos and his team uncovered not only the largest financial fraud in history, but also a dangerously dysfunctional U.S. regulatory system. In this book, Markopolos recounts his frustrating, thwarted efforts to warn the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the threat Madoff posed to unwary investors. The SEC failed to respond to his detailed written evidence, though Markopolos submitted it five times, starting in 2000, long before Madoff finally confessed in 2008 (he is now serving 150 years in jail). getAbstract recommends this engrossing book to readers who want to learn more about this epic scandal and its implications for financial industry regulation.

    Read more about this book in the online summary:
    http://www.getabstract.com/summary/13893/no-one-would-listen.html

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 5, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 10, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 6, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 29, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 2, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 74 Customer Reviews

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit