Author: Steven D. Levitt
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062218328
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the landmark book Freakonomics comes this curated collection from the most readable economics blog in the universe. It’s the perfect solution for the millions of readers who love all things Freakonomics. Surprising and erudite, eloquent and witty, When to Rob a Bank demonstrates the brilliance that has made the Freakonomics guys an international sensation, with more than 7 million books sold in 40 languages, and 150 million downloads of their Freakonomics Radio podcast. When Freakonomics was first published, the authors started a blog—and they’ve kept it up. The writing is more casual, more personal, even more outlandish than in their books. In When to Rob a Bank, they ask a host of typically off-center questions: Why don’t flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have published more than 8,000 blog posts on the Freakonomics website. Many of them, they freely admit, were rubbish. But now they’ve gone through and picked the best of the best. You’ll discover what people lie about, and why; the best way to cut gun deaths; why it might be time for a sex tax; and, yes, when to rob a bank. (Short answer: never; the ROI is terrible.) You’ll also learn a great deal about Levitt and Dubner’s own quirks and passions, from gambling and golf to backgammon and the abolition of the penny.
When to Rob a Bank
Author: Steven D. Levitt
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062218328
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the landmark book Freakonomics comes this curated collection from the most readable economics blog in the universe. It’s the perfect solution for the millions of readers who love all things Freakonomics. Surprising and erudite, eloquent and witty, When to Rob a Bank demonstrates the brilliance that has made the Freakonomics guys an international sensation, with more than 7 million books sold in 40 languages, and 150 million downloads of their Freakonomics Radio podcast. When Freakonomics was first published, the authors started a blog—and they’ve kept it up. The writing is more casual, more personal, even more outlandish than in their books. In When to Rob a Bank, they ask a host of typically off-center questions: Why don’t flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have published more than 8,000 blog posts on the Freakonomics website. Many of them, they freely admit, were rubbish. But now they’ve gone through and picked the best of the best. You’ll discover what people lie about, and why; the best way to cut gun deaths; why it might be time for a sex tax; and, yes, when to rob a bank. (Short answer: never; the ROI is terrible.) You’ll also learn a great deal about Levitt and Dubner’s own quirks and passions, from gambling and golf to backgammon and the abolition of the penny.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062218328
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the landmark book Freakonomics comes this curated collection from the most readable economics blog in the universe. It’s the perfect solution for the millions of readers who love all things Freakonomics. Surprising and erudite, eloquent and witty, When to Rob a Bank demonstrates the brilliance that has made the Freakonomics guys an international sensation, with more than 7 million books sold in 40 languages, and 150 million downloads of their Freakonomics Radio podcast. When Freakonomics was first published, the authors started a blog—and they’ve kept it up. The writing is more casual, more personal, even more outlandish than in their books. In When to Rob a Bank, they ask a host of typically off-center questions: Why don’t flight attendants get tipped? If you were a terrorist, how would you attack? And why does KFC always run out of fried chicken? Over the past decade, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have published more than 8,000 blog posts on the Freakonomics website. Many of them, they freely admit, were rubbish. But now they’ve gone through and picked the best of the best. You’ll discover what people lie about, and why; the best way to cut gun deaths; why it might be time for a sex tax; and, yes, when to rob a bank. (Short answer: never; the ROI is terrible.) You’ll also learn a great deal about Levitt and Dubner’s own quirks and passions, from gambling and golf to backgammon and the abolition of the penny.
How to Rob a Bank
Author: Tom Mitchell
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 000827651X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
A funny, filmic and fast-paced crime-caper by a hilarious new voice in middle-grade fiction, ideal for readers aged 10 and up.
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 000827651X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
A funny, filmic and fast-paced crime-caper by a hilarious new voice in middle-grade fiction, ideal for readers aged 10 and up.
The Summer I Robbed A Bank
Author: David O'Doherty
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241362245
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
*Winner of the Irish Children's Book Award* 'Funny, warm as toast and packed full of ideas that fill up your head and burst in your brain like fizzy magic!' Noel Fielding 'A totally fun, madcap adventure that ends up robbing your heart' Stewart Foster, award-winning author of The Bubble Boy There's a feeling of relief that comes just after you've robbed a bank... Rex's parents have split up and, to make matters worse, he has to spend his summer holiday on a remote and rainy Irish island - with only unruly sheep for company. The only upside: he'll be staying with his strange and brilliant Uncle Derm. Then Rex discovers Uncle Derm is about to execute his most hair-brained plan yet . . . To rob the island's travelling bank! Like the local legend of medieval Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley, Uncle Derm plans to redistribute the money to local needy causes on the island. And he needs Rex's help . . . A chaotic robbery, plenty of sheep and a summer of discoveries come together in this hilarious and heart-warming novel from comedian, actor and author of Danger is Everywhere, David O'Doherty. A perfect adventure for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce, Ross Welford and David Walliams. ---------- Praise for David O'Doherty's Danger is Everywhere series: 'I dislocated my jaw laughing' Eoin Colfer 'Imagine the Mighty Boosh crashed into the Wimpy Kid' The Times 'Brilliantly funny' Gransnet
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0241362245
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
*Winner of the Irish Children's Book Award* 'Funny, warm as toast and packed full of ideas that fill up your head and burst in your brain like fizzy magic!' Noel Fielding 'A totally fun, madcap adventure that ends up robbing your heart' Stewart Foster, award-winning author of The Bubble Boy There's a feeling of relief that comes just after you've robbed a bank... Rex's parents have split up and, to make matters worse, he has to spend his summer holiday on a remote and rainy Irish island - with only unruly sheep for company. The only upside: he'll be staying with his strange and brilliant Uncle Derm. Then Rex discovers Uncle Derm is about to execute his most hair-brained plan yet . . . To rob the island's travelling bank! Like the local legend of medieval Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley, Uncle Derm plans to redistribute the money to local needy causes on the island. And he needs Rex's help . . . A chaotic robbery, plenty of sheep and a summer of discoveries come together in this hilarious and heart-warming novel from comedian, actor and author of Danger is Everywhere, David O'Doherty. A perfect adventure for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce, Ross Welford and David Walliams. ---------- Praise for David O'Doherty's Danger is Everywhere series: 'I dislocated my jaw laughing' Eoin Colfer 'Imagine the Mighty Boosh crashed into the Wimpy Kid' The Times 'Brilliantly funny' Gransnet
The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One
Author: William K. Black
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 9780292706385
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Now updated with an extensive afterword that reveals how the bank failures of 2008 resulted from the lack of regulatory oversight discussed in this book, here is the acclaimed insider's account of how financial super predators brought down an industry by massive accounting fraud.The catastrophic collapse of companies such as Enron, WorldCom, ImClone, and Tyco left angry investors, employees, reporters, and government investigators demanding to know how the CEOs deceived everyone into believing their companies were spectacularly successful when in fact they were massively insolvent. Why did the nation's top accounting firms give such companies clean audit reports? Where were the regulators and whistleblowers who should expose fraudulent CEOs before they loot their companies for hundreds of millions of dollars? In this expert insider's account of the savings and loan debacle of the 1980s, William Black lays bare the strategies that corrupt CEOs and CFOs - in collusion with those who have regulatory oversight of their industries - use to defraud companies for their personal gain. Recounting the investigations he conducted as Director of Litigation for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Black fully reveals how Charles Keating and hundreds of other S & L owners took advantage of a weak regulatory environment to perpetrate accounting fraud on a massive scale. He also authoritatively links the S & L crash to the business failures of the early 2000s, showing how CEOs then and now are using the same tactics to defeat regulatory restraints and commit the same types of destructive fraud. Black uses the latest advances in criminology and economics to develop a theory of why "control fraud" - looting a company for personal profit - tends to occur in waves that make financial markets deeply inefficient. He also explains how to prevent such waves. Throughout the book, Black drives home the larger point that control fraud is a major, ongoing threat in business that requires active, independent regulators to contain it. His book is a wake-up call for everyone who believes that market forces alone will keep companies and their owners honest.
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 9780292706385
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Now updated with an extensive afterword that reveals how the bank failures of 2008 resulted from the lack of regulatory oversight discussed in this book, here is the acclaimed insider's account of how financial super predators brought down an industry by massive accounting fraud.The catastrophic collapse of companies such as Enron, WorldCom, ImClone, and Tyco left angry investors, employees, reporters, and government investigators demanding to know how the CEOs deceived everyone into believing their companies were spectacularly successful when in fact they were massively insolvent. Why did the nation's top accounting firms give such companies clean audit reports? Where were the regulators and whistleblowers who should expose fraudulent CEOs before they loot their companies for hundreds of millions of dollars? In this expert insider's account of the savings and loan debacle of the 1980s, William Black lays bare the strategies that corrupt CEOs and CFOs - in collusion with those who have regulatory oversight of their industries - use to defraud companies for their personal gain. Recounting the investigations he conducted as Director of Litigation for the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Black fully reveals how Charles Keating and hundreds of other S & L owners took advantage of a weak regulatory environment to perpetrate accounting fraud on a massive scale. He also authoritatively links the S & L crash to the business failures of the early 2000s, showing how CEOs then and now are using the same tactics to defeat regulatory restraints and commit the same types of destructive fraud. Black uses the latest advances in criminology and economics to develop a theory of why "control fraud" - looting a company for personal profit - tends to occur in waves that make financial markets deeply inefficient. He also explains how to prevent such waves. Throughout the book, Black drives home the larger point that control fraud is a major, ongoing threat in business that requires active, independent regulators to contain it. His book is a wake-up call for everyone who believes that market forces alone will keep companies and their owners honest.
The Digested Read
Author: John Crace
Publisher: RDR Books
ISBN: 9781571431592
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
Literary ombudsman John Crace never met an important book he didn't like to deconstruct. From Salman Rushdie to John Grisham, Crace retells the big books in just 500 bitingly satirical words, pointing his pen at the clunky plots, stylistic tics and pretensions of Big Ideas, as he turns publishers' golden dream books into dross.
Publisher: RDR Books
ISBN: 9781571431592
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
Literary ombudsman John Crace never met an important book he didn't like to deconstruct. From Salman Rushdie to John Grisham, Crace retells the big books in just 500 bitingly satirical words, pointing his pen at the clunky plots, stylistic tics and pretensions of Big Ideas, as he turns publishers' golden dream books into dross.
Norco '80
Author: Peter Houlahan
Publisher: Catapult
ISBN: 1640093885
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
5 young men. 32 destroyed police vehicles. 1 spectacular bank robbery. This “cinematic” true crime story transports readers to the scene of one of the most shocking bank heists in U.S. history—a crime that’s almost too wild to be real (The New York Times Book Review). Norco ’80 tells the story of how five heavily armed young men—led by an apocalyptic born–again Christian—attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, this Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all. In this riveting true story, a group of landscapers transforms into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military–grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turns the surrounding towns into war zones. And when it’s over, three are dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter has been forced down from the sky, and thirty–two police vehicles have been completely demolished by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial shakes the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today: from the epidemic of post–traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces.
Publisher: Catapult
ISBN: 1640093885
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
5 young men. 32 destroyed police vehicles. 1 spectacular bank robbery. This “cinematic” true crime story transports readers to the scene of one of the most shocking bank heists in U.S. history—a crime that’s almost too wild to be real (The New York Times Book Review). Norco ’80 tells the story of how five heavily armed young men—led by an apocalyptic born–again Christian—attempted a bank robbery that turned into one of the most violent criminal events in U.S. history, forever changing the face of American law enforcement. Part action thriller and part courtroom drama, this Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime transports the reader back to the Southern California of the 1970s, an era of predatory evangelical gurus, doomsday predictions, megachurches, and soaring crime rates, with the threat of nuclear obliteration looming over it all. In this riveting true story, a group of landscapers transforms into a murderous gang of bank robbers armed to the teeth with military–grade weapons. Their desperate getaway turns the surrounding towns into war zones. And when it’s over, three are dead and close to twenty wounded; a police helicopter has been forced down from the sky, and thirty–two police vehicles have been completely demolished by thousands of rounds of ammo. The resulting trial shakes the community to the core, raising many issues that continue to plague society today: from the epidemic of post–traumatic stress disorder within law enforcement to religious extremism and the militarization of local police forces.
Baby's First Bank Heist
Author: Jim Whalley
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1547600640
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 33
Book Description
Meet Baby Frank, the world's most unlikely criminal, as he masterminds his very own bank heist. Perfect for fans of Boss Baby. Move over, Bonnie and Clyde, because there's a new criminal mastermind in town . . . Baby Frank! He's the world's most unlikely criminal, but he's about to pull off the most daring baby bank heist ever. Why? To get money for a fluffy new pet, of course. This baby is dangerously cute and desperate for a pet. You have been warned . . .
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1547600640
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 33
Book Description
Meet Baby Frank, the world's most unlikely criminal, as he masterminds his very own bank heist. Perfect for fans of Boss Baby. Move over, Bonnie and Clyde, because there's a new criminal mastermind in town . . . Baby Frank! He's the world's most unlikely criminal, but he's about to pull off the most daring baby bank heist ever. Why? To get money for a fluffy new pet, of course. This baby is dangerously cute and desperate for a pet. You have been warned . . .
The Santa Claus Bank Robbery
Author: A. C. Greene
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
ISBN: 9781574410716
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Master storyteller A. C. Greene re-creates one of America's most bizarre holdups -- one that began as a lark. On Christmas Eve 1927, four men set off to rob the First National Bank of Cisco, Texas. Soon the lark turned into a tragedy -- and at times a comedy -- of errors. The robbers did not realize the car they had stolen for their get-away was running on empty. The leader did not anticipate the attention his disguise would draw, even though it was a bright red Santa Claus suit. And they could not have known that all of Cisco would have guns at hand because the Bankers Association had offered a reward of $5000 for any dead bank robber, no questions asked. The Santa Claus bank robbery set off a chain of events that would lead to violence and the death of six men and launch the largest manhunt Texas had ever seen. A. C. Greene's factual account of the unusual crime reads like a novel -- fast paced, full of unexpected turns, and rich with the flavor of life in Texas at the beginning of the end of the Old West. This new edition contains an Afterword with photographs, some of them never before published, and follow-up information on the lives of the participants, including the surviving robber, witnesses and kidnap victims.
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
ISBN: 9781574410716
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
Master storyteller A. C. Greene re-creates one of America's most bizarre holdups -- one that began as a lark. On Christmas Eve 1927, four men set off to rob the First National Bank of Cisco, Texas. Soon the lark turned into a tragedy -- and at times a comedy -- of errors. The robbers did not realize the car they had stolen for their get-away was running on empty. The leader did not anticipate the attention his disguise would draw, even though it was a bright red Santa Claus suit. And they could not have known that all of Cisco would have guns at hand because the Bankers Association had offered a reward of $5000 for any dead bank robber, no questions asked. The Santa Claus bank robbery set off a chain of events that would lead to violence and the death of six men and launch the largest manhunt Texas had ever seen. A. C. Greene's factual account of the unusual crime reads like a novel -- fast paced, full of unexpected turns, and rich with the flavor of life in Texas at the beginning of the end of the Old West. This new edition contains an Afterword with photographs, some of them never before published, and follow-up information on the lives of the participants, including the surviving robber, witnesses and kidnap victims.
The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery
Author: Ronald Chase
Publisher: Down East Books
ISBN: 1608933628
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
On November 12, 1971, Bernard Patterson, a much decorated Vietnam War hero, turned a real-life version of Don Quixote, Butch Cassidy, and Robin Hood all rolled into one package, robbed the Northern National Bank in Mars Hill, Maine. He escaped with $110,000; at the time, the largest bank robbery in the history of the state. A tunnel rat and paratrooper in Vietnam who rose to the rank of Sergeant, he was awarded four bronze stars and recommended for a silver star for valor. He returned home to northern Maine broke and disillusioned. Wearing dark glasses, dressed in a Marx Brother’s ankle length coat and wearing a blue wig, he robbed the bank, even though he was recognized by the elderly teller. He initially escaped by paddling a rubber raft down the Prestile Stream. This was the beginning of a comic, outrageous, implausible journey that took him across the United States, then to Europe and North Africa before finally surrendering to authorities in Scotland Yard after he had spent most of the money. Along the way, he lived a raucous life of wine and women while hobnobbing in aristocratic hangouts and giving money to those he perceived to be in need; all the time staying just a heartbeat ahead of law enforcement officials. He motor biked across Europe, hoodwinked border officials, bought a camel and got lost in the North African desert. Returned to the United States for prosecution, he was convicted and imprisoned. Released several years later, he moved back to northern Maine, where he continued to lead a reckless life that included running a “pot farm,” until he died at age 56 in 2003. When asked by a friend why he had robbed the bank, he responded, “the VA wouldn’t give me a loan, so I decided to take one out on my own.”
Publisher: Down East Books
ISBN: 1608933628
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
On November 12, 1971, Bernard Patterson, a much decorated Vietnam War hero, turned a real-life version of Don Quixote, Butch Cassidy, and Robin Hood all rolled into one package, robbed the Northern National Bank in Mars Hill, Maine. He escaped with $110,000; at the time, the largest bank robbery in the history of the state. A tunnel rat and paratrooper in Vietnam who rose to the rank of Sergeant, he was awarded four bronze stars and recommended for a silver star for valor. He returned home to northern Maine broke and disillusioned. Wearing dark glasses, dressed in a Marx Brother’s ankle length coat and wearing a blue wig, he robbed the bank, even though he was recognized by the elderly teller. He initially escaped by paddling a rubber raft down the Prestile Stream. This was the beginning of a comic, outrageous, implausible journey that took him across the United States, then to Europe and North Africa before finally surrendering to authorities in Scotland Yard after he had spent most of the money. Along the way, he lived a raucous life of wine and women while hobnobbing in aristocratic hangouts and giving money to those he perceived to be in need; all the time staying just a heartbeat ahead of law enforcement officials. He motor biked across Europe, hoodwinked border officials, bought a camel and got lost in the North African desert. Returned to the United States for prosecution, he was convicted and imprisoned. Released several years later, he moved back to northern Maine, where he continued to lead a reckless life that included running a “pot farm,” until he died at age 56 in 2003. When asked by a friend why he had robbed the bank, he responded, “the VA wouldn’t give me a loan, so I decided to take one out on my own.”
Ranger Games
Author: Ben Blum
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0385538448
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 453
Book Description
"A gloriously good writer...Ranger Games is both surprising and moving...A memorable, novelistic account."—Jennifer Senior, New York Times Intricate, heartrending, and morally urgent, Ranger Games is a crime story like no other Alex Blum was a good kid, a popular high school hockey star from a tight-knit Colorado family. He had one goal in life: endure a brutally difficult selection program, become a U.S. Army Ranger, and fight terrorists for his country. He poured everything into achieving his dream. In the first hours of his final leave before deployment to Iraq, Alex was supposed to fly home to see his family and beloved girlfriend. Instead, he got into his car with two fellow soldiers and two strangers, drove to a local bank in Tacoma, and committed armed robbery... The question that haunted the entire Blum family was: Why? Why would he ruin his life in such a spectacularly foolish way? At first, Alex insisted he thought the robbery was just another exercise in the famously daunting Ranger program. His attorney presented a case based on the theory that the Ranger indoctrination mirrored that of a cult. In the midst of his own personal crisis, and in the hopes of helping both Alex and his splintering family cope, Ben Blum, Alex’s first cousin, delved into these mysteries, growing closer to Alex in the process. As he probed further, Ben began to question not only Alex, but the influence of his superior, Luke Elliot Sommer, the man who planned the robbery. A charismatic combat veteran, Sommer’s manipulative tendencies combined with a magnetic personality pulled Ben into a relationship that put his loyalties to the test.
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0385538448
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 453
Book Description
"A gloriously good writer...Ranger Games is both surprising and moving...A memorable, novelistic account."—Jennifer Senior, New York Times Intricate, heartrending, and morally urgent, Ranger Games is a crime story like no other Alex Blum was a good kid, a popular high school hockey star from a tight-knit Colorado family. He had one goal in life: endure a brutally difficult selection program, become a U.S. Army Ranger, and fight terrorists for his country. He poured everything into achieving his dream. In the first hours of his final leave before deployment to Iraq, Alex was supposed to fly home to see his family and beloved girlfriend. Instead, he got into his car with two fellow soldiers and two strangers, drove to a local bank in Tacoma, and committed armed robbery... The question that haunted the entire Blum family was: Why? Why would he ruin his life in such a spectacularly foolish way? At first, Alex insisted he thought the robbery was just another exercise in the famously daunting Ranger program. His attorney presented a case based on the theory that the Ranger indoctrination mirrored that of a cult. In the midst of his own personal crisis, and in the hopes of helping both Alex and his splintering family cope, Ben Blum, Alex’s first cousin, delved into these mysteries, growing closer to Alex in the process. As he probed further, Ben began to question not only Alex, but the influence of his superior, Luke Elliot Sommer, the man who planned the robbery. A charismatic combat veteran, Sommer’s manipulative tendencies combined with a magnetic personality pulled Ben into a relationship that put his loyalties to the test.