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If Michael Lewis (The New New Thing, Liar's Poker) or P.J. O'Rourke (Holidays in Hell, Parliament of Whores) had spent the 1990s in Moscow, they might have produced a book like Casino Moscow--a dizzying first-person account of the wild east and its shotgun wedding with capitalism. It begins with Matthew Brzezinski as a rookie reporter getting beaten and nearly killed by a pair of Ukrainian thugs; the rest of the book is a white-knuckle tour through a place where the line separating entrepreneurs and criminals is often impossible to discern. Brzezinski worked in the Moscow bureau of the Wall Street Journal. If his name sounds familiar, that's because he's the nephew of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's national security advisor. He is an ideal guide: sometimes it takes a fish-out-of-water foreigner to see the things a jaded native cannot. (Comparing the author to Alexis de Tocqueville or Gunnar Myrdal is a stretch, but it's the same idea.) Brzezinski also writes with great humor and amazing panache. Describing the parking lot of a high-class bank, he writes that it "resembled a well-stocked Mercedes dealership that specialized only in armored, navy blue 600-series sedans, or shestotki, as the top-of-the-line models were affectionately known--as in 'My shestotka's just been blown up, can I borrow yours?'" Gangsters, prostitutes, and Western investors fill these pages, all of them coming to life courtesy of Brzezinski's narrative skill.

Despite the title, Casino Moscow isn't just about Moscow--some of the best sections cover other parts of Russia: "It was heartbreaking that St. Petersburg had been so mistreated. Yet even in its state of decay, I still preferred its shabby elegance to Moscow's new-money makeover. In St. Petersburg you lived for the past; Moscow lived only for the day." At the edge of Siberia, on the Pacific coast, is Vladivostok--"five time zones ahead of the Russian capital, but a decade behind." The book is a fast-paced adventure story--and a must for readers interested in Russia as well as fans of modern-day gonzo journalism. Brzezinski is a writer to watch. --John Miller

Book Description

After awakening from its long communist slumber, Russia in the 1990s was a place where everything and everyone was for sale, and fortunes could be made and lost overnight. Into this free-market maelstrom stepped rookie Wall Street Journal reporter Matthew Brzezinski, who was immediately pulled into the mad world of Russian capitalism -- where corrupt bankers and fast-talking American carpetbaggers presided over the biggest boom and bust in financial history.

Brzezinski's adventures take him from the solid-gold bathroom fixtures of Moscow's elite, to the last stop on the Trans-Siberian railway, where poverty-stricken citizens must buy water by the pail from the local crime lord, and back to civilization, to stumble into a drunken birthday bash for an ultra-nationalist politico. It's an irreverent, lurid, and hilarious account of one man's tumultuous trek through a capitalist market gone haywire -- and a nation whose uncertain future is marked by boundless hope and foreboding despair.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting, But Not Terribly Informative.......2005-12-12

As someone who has been involved in Russian legal matters for the past ten years, I found this book quite interesting, if not always accurate. It is not so much that it is inaccurate with respect to what it reports, it is that it so much sensationalizes Russian business that it ignores the great multitudes of Russian businesses that are out there slogging it out just like most businesses in the West. So while I greatly enjoyed the book from a mostly prurient perspective, I did not find it terribly helpful in improving my knowledge of Russian business.

the best of all possible worlds?.......2005-07-24

This book is like the story of Candide! Except in this tale Candide remains completely ignorant of all the evidence that this is not the best of all possible worlds. I'am not even going to spend my precious time writing a decent-sized review of this debacle of a book; it's bad enough that I've read the book. If you're looking for a realistic outlook on Eastern European post 1991 condition - look elsewhere.

The Robber Barons of Moscow.......2004-08-29

Matthew Brzezinski, former reporter in the Moscow bureau of The Wall Street Journal (and nephew of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's anti-Soviet National Security Advisor) writes about his time in Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when a gambling mentality took over from the collapsed aspirations of Russia's 70 year experiment with Communism.

His book captures something of the atmosphere of Moscow and the former Soviet Union of the 1990s when anything seemed possible in the world of finance, set in a time and place in which Berezovsky, Gusinsky, and Potanin were discussed with the same awe (and envy) as Bezos, Case and (Martha) Stewart were in the United States.

One tale of a board meeting in the mid-1990s in the chapter "Potemkin Inc." (after the phrase "Potemkin village", a sham devised by 18th century bureaucrats to impress their sovereign) is particularly telling, not only about how far corporate governance has to go to attract foreign investors but also how the 'Soviet' mentality continues:

"One by one, the nine board members followed, one elderly official pausing by the microphone. 'Foreigners need to think about the future of the plant and about the welfare of its employees, not just about pumping profits,' he spat, white with anger. 'This meeting is over,' he added, storming off the stage."

Such comments have a familiar tone to consumers of Soviet propaganda. For 70 years the Soviet Union spoke of the horrors of Western imperialism, while at the same time running the most far-reaching totalitarian empire the world has ever seen.

At times Casino Moscow veers too much between being a personal memoir of his time in Moscow along with his growing relationship with Roberta and the larger story of the first few years of freedom in Russia. Snippets of the life of an expat in Moscow-the problems with personal staff, fears about safety, frustration with the petty bureaucracy-leave the reader wanting to learn more about what it is like to be in a country that has collapsed and is trying to find its place in the world community. Although I can sympathize with the desire for maintaining discretion regarding his wife's career, it was somewhat teasing that Brzezinski doesn't name her shadowy (although well known in Russian finance circles) and immensely profitable employer; he writes, "...I have taken the liberty of changing [her firm's name] to VSO, for Very Secretive Organization." Such subterfuge does little to dispel the notion of a cabal of financiers plotting the future of the world behind the scenes (which does not make Western capital look too attractive to its recipients).

Casino Moscow is an enjoyable book to read for anyone wondering about the beginnings of Russia's post-Soviet history.

Brzezinski Pontificating with Ethnocentric Tunnel Vision.......2004-08-08

Brezezinski offers nothing more than personal asinine butchered urban tales that appeal to people like himself--droll dunderheads lacking in both originality & sincerity. "Moskviche" would love to thank this "author."

Red Whine.......2004-02-17

I've never felt compelled to throw a book away. Until this one.
A reporter for a widely respected newspaper, dropped into '90s Moscow's whirling clash of cultures, should be able to come away with quite a collection of stories. And, to be fair, Brzezinski has some humorous stuff, and some interesting tales, but they're buried among too much personal detritus. There is far too much about the author, his family ties (enough already about "Uncle Zbig!") and his resentment of all things Russian. I've never read a book with such a smug (yet whiny) protagonist.
He didn't much like Russians (and had a big chip on his shoulder throughout the book), and he had little use for the expat community. With all his complaining, I wondered throughout this book why Brzezinski agreed to go to Russia, then why he stayed there, then why he bothered to write about it.
There's a good book somewhere in the Russia of the 1990s. This isn't it.

Casino Capitalism?: Insider Trading in Australia (Australian Studies in Law, Crime, and Justice)

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Casino Capitalism?: Insider Trading in Australia (Australian Studies in Law, Crime, and Justice)
Roman Tomasic , and Brendan Pentony
Manufacturer: Natl Gallery of Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Cowardly Capitalism: The Myth of The Global Financial Casino

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Insightful!
Extraordinarily clear analysis of global finance
Fascinating, Contrarian and Long Overdue

Cowardly Capitalism: The Myth of The Global Financial Casino
Daniel Ben-Ami
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471899631

Book Description

A bold challenge to accepted ideas about the need for regulation of world financial markets
In a controversial new book sure to spark debate throughout the world financial community, British financial journalist and investment expert Daniel Ben-Ami makes a strong case against the current trend toward increased government regulation of the international money markets. In stark contrast to the accepted wisdom, promulgated by the likes of Soros and Krugman, Ben-Ami avers that the real problem currently threatening global finance is not wanton risk-taking, but excessive risk aversion. Rather than reduce the likelihood of financial crises, he believes that greater intervention will bring greater problems including panic waves that could crush the economies of entire regions in a matter of hours. Writing in a lively style, devoid of mathematics, and using many allusions to current affairs, pop culture, and business publishing to illustrate his arguments, Ben-Ami makes this book an enjoyable, highly accessible read.
Daniel Ben-Ami (London, UK) is a professional investment adviser and editor in chief of a well-respected journal for investment advisers.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful!.......2001-11-08

Letýs start out this review by stating up front that we disagree with Daniel Ben-Amiýs assertion that a preoccupation with risk measurement and management is a detriment to the global economy. With that out of the way, we can say that Ben-Ami presents a unique analysis of the modern global economy that is not at all without merit. His contention that lagging growth is a greater peril to the worldýs economy than financial instability is reasonable and backed up by ample evidence and illustration. And his position that increased regulation could be doing more harm than good will be embraced by all free traders. On the basis of these discussions alone, we [...] recommend this book to anyone thinking seriously about international financial systems. But this book is perhaps most useful as a starting point for debate, which it will certainly generate in the mind of any informed reader. While you might quibble with Ben-Amiýs conclusions ý as we do with his assertion that the threat of the 1990s financial crises was overblown ý you will not be bored.

Extraordinarily clear analysis of global finance.......2001-10-21

Usually, books on the dry subject of modern finance are a difficult read but this one is a welcome and worthy exception. The text is so fascinating that I managed to "make it" in three rather short sessions - and without the slightest trace of boredom in the process. I found no superfluous or pseudo-profound sentences and even the footnotes of this carefully researched study fully deserve the reader's attention.

Ben-Ami manages to explain in a few dozen pages the basics of apparently difficult concepts (as he rightly tells us, "even the most complex strategies tend to be built from simple components") such as derivatives, mutual funds, pension funds, hedging, etc. In the process, he shatters a lot of mistaken myths and conventional wisdom.

It is simply not true, he explains, that the instruments of modern finance are essentially speculative; on the contrary, they are usually a means for corporations and investors in general to better manage risk. Modern capitalists, unlike their predecessors of a more dynamic era, have an exaggerated aversion to risk and they try to build their portfolio in a way that minimises it. Thus a corporation dedicated to making cars, for instance, might prefer to invest part of its earnings in derivatives or hedge funds instead of innovating its production processes. The result would of course be a less dynamic form of capitalism, where more resources are spent on the financial markets - as opposed to the real, productive side of the economy. This, insists Ben-Ami, is in short what has been happening since the end of the post-war (1945-73) economic boom.

He offers powerful examples to illustrate his thesis. Yes, he says, it's true that George Soros made a billion dollars out of speculating against the British Pound in the early nineties - but that was only because the fundamentals of the British economy were really incompatible with the high value of its currency. A few years later Soros was betting on a fall of the Rouble and eventually lost two billion dollars. This time he had made a wrong analysis of the fundamentals of the Russian economy and got his fingers burned. The conclusion? Well, speculators really don't have the power to dominate events. So much for the idea that modern economies are but passive instruments at the hands of unscrupulous capitalistic sharks!

Ben-Ami regrets the general climate of fear for the future and horror of risk-taking that he thinks has taken hold of Western Europe and even more the USA in the last few decades - and has been, BTW, amply demonstrated in the recent near-hysteria caused by the appearance of a few cases of Anthrax in the US. He sees in this tendency a sign that the "animal spirits" that Keynes considered essential for the proper working of a dynamic capitalist economy are faltering.

The author doesn't present us a "solution" for this problem, probably because he's well aware of the fact that cultural attitudes are very hard to change. But he does warn that the climate of fear that currently permeates western society constitutes a clear impediment to stronger economic growth, both in the First and Third worlds. And he writes in such a clear, unpretentious style that one might just hope his analysis will eventually find a sympathetic hearing in the decision-making centers of Europe and the United States.

Fascinating, Contrarian and Long Overdue.......2001-09-19

The author performs a complete and delicate post-mortem of modern capitalist beliefs and misconceptions. I read Ayn Rand's "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" some time ago. Daniel Ben-Ami constructs a compelling argument in favour of unregulated markets, healthy competition and good old fashioned risk taking. Unlike Raynd he steers away from abstruse philosophical theories and sticks with what really matters to the reader: Real life examples, cataloging the myriad failiures of faux-capitalism. If like me you whince every time you hear about another ill-thought out but well intended goverment safeguard, you'll enjoy this book for the intellectual ammunition it delivers.

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Casino Capitalism
Susan Strange
Manufacturer: Blackwell Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K3Z1OW

Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
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Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
Nolan Bailey Harmon
Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0687270340

Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
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Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette

Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0687270332

Ministerial ethics & etiquette
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Ministerial ethics & etiquette
Nolan B Harmon
Manufacturer: Abingdon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006XC4RS

Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
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Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
Jr. Nolan B. Harmon
Manufacturer: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SKM29Y

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Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette

Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0687270324

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Ministerial Ethics and Etiquette
I. Parker Maxey
Manufacturer: Schmul Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ministry | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0880192224

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Ministerial Ethics And Etiquette
Nolan Bailey Harmon
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1417929499

Book Description

1928. Dr. Harmon has written a sensible and helpful book to stimulate the minister to uphold the standards of conduct and practice in his exacting responsibility. Every phase of the minister's life and work is handled in a free, even bold manner, and many surprises await the careful reader as he is made to realize the vital relations of the minister to his people from a moral and social standpoint. If pastors would adhere to the principles inculcated in this valuable work, the ministry would be spared many a disgrace it has suffered in the past. Contents: The Profession; The Man; The Citizen; The Brother Minister; The Pastor; The Church; Public Worship; Occasional Services; and Clerical Dress.

Ministerial ethics: That the ministry be not blamed : a guide to ministerial ethics and etiquette

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Ministerial ethics: That the ministry be not blamed : a guide to ministerial ethics and etiquette
I. Parker Maxey
Manufacturer: Schmul Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities with City of Smithville
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Thorough and comrehensive

This Book is Horrible

Good Job

Puke! This book is awful! :-(

Excellent reference for government professionals

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities with City of Smithville
Earl R Wilson , Susan C. Kattelus , and Jacqueline L. Reck
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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West Federal Taxation 2008: Corporations, Partnerships, Estates, and Trusts, Professional Edition (West Federal Taxation Corporations, Partnerships, Estates and Trusts)

ASIN: 0073268925

Book Description

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities, 14e presents complete, accurate, and up-to-date coverage of all facets of accounting for governmental and not-for-profit organizations. With its unique City of Smithville computerized cumulative problem, Wilson offers a level of student engagement and real-world applicability unmatched by any other textbook.

Customer Reviews:

Thorough and comrehensive.......2006-08-10

This book is a perfect trade off between simplified "for-dummies" type writing that simply acquaints you with the subject matter and a comprehensive text that thoroughly covers the subject. If you are a CPA hopeful, a governmental finance professional or a political science graduate student this is the text for you. Although layout and vocabulary could be simplified for improved readability, once you become familiar with the authors' style the reading is enjoyable.

This Book is Horrible.......2006-06-18

This book is poorly written. Unless you know Non-profit accounting, it is not written so that you will learn anything. I'm assuming professors use this book because of the Smithville case and for no other reason. Honestly, I do not feel the Smithville case goes along with the book very well. The authors should have exchanged notes a little more. Unless it is required or you are already working in non-profit accounting, I would not buy this book.

Good Job.......2006-03-23

Great service. The book had breaks on the front and back cover Looks like someone drop-kicked it in shipping ... not the fault of the mailer. I thought about sending it back, but I needed it and the inside was pristine.

Puke! This book is awful! :-(.......2003-04-30

Please, no one buy this book... it will torture you like nothing else can. This book actually deserves -5 stars for how terribly written it is. The authors seem to repeat the same sentences in 5 or 6 different ways. It is poorly organized, it doesn't seem to have any real objective... a little bit of this here and a little bit of that there. Also, it is completely black and white with absolutely no pictures and very few illustrations... it will be of absolutely no help to a visual learner.

I needed this book for a governmental accounting course in college and when my bookstore wouldn't buy it back from me I wept tears. Luckily, my governmental accounting professor was really good otherwise there is no way I would have learned anything from this course. If you can possibly find some other book or maybe a newer edition would be better. The only somewhat helpful thing about this book was the City of Smithville project (CD-ROM) but even that had problems. It had a lot of technical difficulties and if you messed up an entry you pretty much had to start the project all over again. If you are doing City of Smithville, beware!

Excellent reference for government professionals.......2001-01-01

I purchased this book to study for the FGFOA exam and have found it to be an outstanding reference. The book is very readable and covers many critical areas in governmental accounting and finance. Its well worth the cost.

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities w/ City of Smithville - Text Only

Average customer rating:

Poorly organized

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities w/ City of Smithville - Text Only
Earl R. Wilson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Higher Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

Poorly organized.......2007-10-12

Text is poorly organized. Information from later chapters is required for homework of previous chapters. Test bank has extremely detailed questions that requiring combing the chapter for evidence of an answer.

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities 12th Edition (City of Smithville Instructor's Manual to accompany)

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Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities 12th Edition (City of Smithville Instructor's Manual to accompany)

Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000BMF494

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City of Smithville
Earl R Wilson , Greg Buttery , Earl Wilson , and Susan Kattelus
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0072422394

Book Description

This cumulative computerized problem presents a series of transactions covering activities of the City of Smithiville relating to its General, Capital Projects, Debt Service Enterprise Fund, and the General Fixed Assets and General Long-Term Debt Account Groups. It was designed to supplement Wilson: Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities, it can supplement any Governmental text, including Engstrom:Essentials of Accounting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Organizations.

City of Smithville Computerized Case CD ROM

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City of Smithville Computerized Case CD ROM
Earl R Wilson , Greg Buttery , and Earl Wilson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0072537558

City of Smithville Practice Set and Windows, hc, 1999

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City of Smithville Practice Set and Windows, hc, 1999
Wilson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MM9JEY

Accounting for Government and Nonprofit Entities with City of Smithville Package

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Accounting for Government and Nonprofit Entities with City of Smithville Package
Wilson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities w/ City of Smithville

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Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities w/ City of Smithville
WILSON
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGGZ18

Accounting For Governmental And Nonprofit Entities With City Of Smithville Package

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Accounting For Governmental And Nonprofit Entities With City Of Smithville Package
Wilson Earl R
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OG2AM6

Flood insurance study city of Smithville, Missouri, Clay County (SuDoc FEM 1.209:295271)

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Flood insurance study city of Smithville, Missouri, Clay County (SuDoc FEM 1.209:295271)

Manufacturer: Federal Emergency Management Agency
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010DBV4

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