Download or read book Unveiling the Shadows The Web of Fraud and Deception in Credit Rating Agencies written by Alfonso Borello and published by Villaggio Publishing Ltd.. This book was released on with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Unveiling the Shadows" is a groundbreaking and eye-opening work that delves deep into the intricate world of credit rating agencies, exposing the pervasive web of fraud and deception that has tarnished their reputation. This compelling exploration uncovers the hidden truths behind the practices of credit rating agencies and sheds light on the far-reaching consequences of their actions. Drawing on extensive research and meticulous investigation, this work unravels the complex mechanisms that have allowed fraud and deception to infiltrate the very core of credit rating agencies. It unveils the conflicts of interest, questionable methodologies, and lax regulatory oversight that have created an environment conducive to manipulation and misconduct. With compelling case studies and insider accounts, "Unveiling the Shadows" reveals how credit rating agencies have succumbed to undue influence from issuers, succumbed to pressure to provide favorable ratings, and intentionally misrepresented the creditworthiness of financial products. It exposes the systemic flaws that have led to inflated ratings, the neglect of risk factors, and the failure to accurately assess the true nature of investments. The work goes beyond mere revelation, providing a comprehensive analysis of the far-reaching consequences of the web of fraud and deception within credit rating agencies. It explores how the reliance on flawed ratings has contributed to the global financial crisis, the erosion of investor confidence, and the destabilization of financial markets. However, "Unveiling the Shadows" also offers a glimmer of hope. It presents a roadmap for reform and suggests crucial steps to restore integrity and accountability to the credit rating industry. It advocates for enhanced transparency, stricter regulations, and the implementation of robust internal controls to mitigate conflicts of interest and prevent fraudulent practices. This groundbreaking work is an essential reading for policymakers, regulators, investors, and anyone seeking to understand the intricate dynamics of the credit rating industry. It serves as a wake-up call, urging stakeholders to confront the shadows that have plagued credit rating agencies and take decisive action to restore trust, credibility, and reliability to this critical pillar of the global financial system. Keywords: Fraudulent Ratings Uncovered Deception in Credit Ratings Exposing Agency Misconduct Conflicts of Interest Revealed Unveiling Rating Manipulation Investor Harm Exposed Unmasking Rating Agency Fraud

Download or read book I Have No Idea The Power of Not Knowing written by Alfonso Borello and published by Villaggio Publishing Ltd.. This book was released on with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if the key to navigating life isn’t in having all the answers, but in embracing the unknown? In a world obsessed with certainty and expertise, there's a quiet power in admitting, "I have no idea." It’s a radical notion, one that invites curiosity, humility, and, surprisingly, a deeper kind of wisdom. This book isn’t about teaching you what to think. It’s about challenging you to think differently. It’s an invitation to step off the well-worn path of knowing and to explore the uncharted territory of not knowing. No promises of quick fixes or easy solutions—just a series of thought-provoking chapters that delve into the unexpected strength of strategic ignorance. Whether you’re navigating the complexities of the workplace, wrestling with relationships, or simply trying to make sense of the world around you, this book offers a fresh perspective. It’s not a guidebook with a neat set of rules, but a companion for those willing to embrace the messiness of life, to linger in the questions, and to discover what lies beyond the comfort of certainty. Ready to explore the power of not knowing? Turn the page, and let’s see where this journey takes us.

Download or read book Is Italy Becoming a Museum A Long Decay of Experimental Democracy written by Alfonso Borello and published by Villaggio Publishing Ltd.. This book was released on with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Is Italy Becoming a Museum? A Long Decay of Experimental Democracy” explores the intricate and evolving political landscape of Italy, from its Renaissance glory days to its contemporary challenges. This book delves into Italy's rich history, examining how its once-prosperous city-states laid the groundwork for a vibrant culture and economy, only to face numerous trials in the centuries that followed. The narrative begins with Italy's early struggles and triumphs, including the rise of influential families like the Medicis and Sforzas, and the profound impact of the Holy Roman Empire and the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. It then transitions into the turbulent era of Fascism under Mussolini, the devastating effects of World War II, and the remarkable post-war economic recovery known as the Italian Economic Miracle. As Italy navigates the complexities of modern democracy, the book addresses pressing contemporary issues such as regional disparities, the influence of populism, and the challenges posed by a fragmented political system. It highlights the tension between preserving Italy's high standards of manufacturing excellence and the influx of sub-quality products from immigrant communities, particularly in cities like Prato. With a focus on Italy's renowned "Made in Italy" brand, the book underscores the importance of maintaining quality and innovation in a globalized market. It also considers the potential benefits and pitfalls of increasing regional autonomy, capping the number of political parties, and embracing more open immigration policies. "Is Italy Becoming a Museum?" offers a compelling and comprehensive look at a nation with a rich past and a complex present. It invites readers to consider whether Italy can balance its historical legacy with the demands of modern governance and economic competition. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the ongoing evolution of one of the world's most fascinating democracies.

Download or read book The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report written by Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission and published by Cosimo, Inc.. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 692 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.

Download or read book The Art of Deception written by Kevin D. Mitnick and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-08-04 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide. Now, in The Art of Deception, the world's most notorious hacker gives new meaning to the old adage, "It takes a thief to catch a thief." Focusing on the human factors involved with information security, Mitnick explains why all the firewalls and encryption protocols in the world will never be enough to stop a savvy grifter intent on rifling a corporate database or an irate employee determined to crash a system. With the help of many fascinating true stories of successful attacks on business and government, he illustrates just how susceptible even the most locked-down information systems are to a slick con artist impersonating an IRS agent. Narrating from the points of view of both the attacker and the victims, he explains why each attack was so successful and how it could have been prevented in an engaging and highly readable style reminiscent of a true-crime novel. And, perhaps most importantly, Mitnick offers advice for preventing these types of social engineering hacks through security protocols, training programs, and manuals that address the human element of security.

Download or read book A Shadow Bright and Burning Kingdom on Fire Book One written by Jessica Cluess and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Vivid characters, terrifying monsters, and world building as deep and dark as the ocean." --Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years. The prophesied one. Or am I? Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers. Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one. As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves? Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare. "The magic! The intrigue! The guys! We were sucked into this monster-ridden, alternative England from page one. Henrietta is literally a 'girl on fire' and this team of sorcerers training for battle had a pinch of Potter blended with a drop of [Cassandra Clare's] Infernal Devices." --Justine Magazine "Cluess gamely turns the chosen-one trope upside down in this smashing dark fantasy." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Unputdownable. I loved the monsters, the magic, and the teen warriors who are their world's best hope! Jessica Cluess is an awesome storyteller!" --Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A fun, inventive fantasy. I totally have a book crush on Rook." --Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author "Pure enchantment. I love how Cluess turned the 'chosen one' archetype on its head. With the emotional intensity of my favorite fantasy books, this is the kind of story that makes you forget yourself." --Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen "A glorious, fast-paced romp of an adventure. Jessica Cluess has built her story out of my favorite ingredients: sorcery, demons, romance, and danger." --Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters

Download or read book The Puppet Masters written by Emile van der Does de Willebois and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the use of these entities in nearly all cases of corruption. It builds upon case law, interviews with investigators, corporate registries and financial institutions and a 'mystery shopping' exercise to provide evidence of this criminal practice.

Download or read book The Digital Person written by Daniel J Solove and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daniel Solove presents a startling revelation of how digital dossiers are created, usually without the knowledge of the subject, & argues that we must rethink our understanding of what privacy is & what it means in the digital age before addressing the need to reform the laws that regulate it.

Download or read book Corporate Wrongdoing and the Art of the Accusation written by Robert R. Faulkner and published by Anthem Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses an old and basic question: what is the moral order of the market? 'Corporate Wrongdoing and the Art of the Accusation' is an exploration of accusations of wrongdoing, and the revelations these accusations expose about the dark side of capitalism and modern corporations, and their relationships with suppliers, buyers, peers, investment banks and state regulators. The study explores data gathered from the past twenty years, including over a thousand accusations of economic wrongdoing in corporate America. The research traces exchange paths or structural routes; cultural recipes or ideas about wrongdoing; and interactions between the culture and structure of transgression in economic in markets. Repertoires of accusation, and the three-way associations between accused, accuser and accusation, reveal the moral order of the market. The tools provided in this data collection and analysis provide a template for the study of the three-way relationship between the following: cultural items or types (i.e., accusation types), structural locations or paths (i.e., market interfaces) and time (i.e., temporal locations of types and paths, or recipes and routes). Repertoires unlock the moral order of the modern market and other institutions (family, politics, education, religion, science) as revealed in accusations of transgression.

Download or read book The End of Wall Street written by Roger Lowenstein and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-04-06 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Watch a Video Watch a video Download the cheat sheet for Roger Lowenstein's The End of Wall Street » The roots of the mortgage bubble and the story of the Wall Street collapse-and the government's unprecedented response-from our most trusted business journalist. The End of Wall Street is a blow-by-blow account of America's biggest financial collapse since the Great Depression. Drawing on 180 interviews, including sit-downs with top government officials and Wall Street CEOs, Lowenstein tells, with grace, wit, and razor-sharp understanding, the full story of the end of Wall Street as we knew it. Displaying the qualities that made When Genius Failed a timeless classic of Wall Street-his sixth sense for narrative drama and his unmatched ability to tell complicated financial stories in ways that resonate with the ordinary reader-Roger Lowenstein weaves a financial, economic, and sociological thriller that indicts America for succumbing to the siren song of easy debt and speculative mortgages. The End of Wall Street is rife with historical lessons and bursting with fast-paced action. Lowenstein introduces his story with precisely etched, laserlike profiles of Angelo Mozilo, the Johnny Appleseed of subprime mortgages who spreads toxic loans across the landscape like wild crabapples, and moves to a damning explication of how rating agencies helped gift wrap faulty loans in the guise of triple-A paper and a takedown of the academic formulas that-once again- proved the ruin of investors and banks. Lowenstein excels with a series of searing profiles of banking CEOs, such as the ferretlike Dick Fuld of Lehman and the bloodless Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan, and of government officials from the restless, deal-obsessed Hank Paulson and the overmatched Tim Geithner to the cerebral academic Ben Bernanke, who sought to avoid a repeat of the one crisis he spent a lifetime trying to understand-the Great Depression. Finally, we come to understand the majesty of Lowenstein's theme of liquidity and capital, which explains the origins of the crisis and that positions the collapse of 2008 as the greatest ever of Wall Street's unlearned lessons. The End of Wall Street will be essential reading as we work to identify the lessons of the market failure and start to reb...

Download or read book No One Would Listen written by Harry Markopolos and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-02-08 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harry Markopolos and his team of financial sleuths discuss first-hand how they cracked the Madoff Ponzi scheme No One Would Listen is the thrilling story of how the Harry Markopolos, a little-known number cruncher from a Boston equity derivatives firm, and his investigative team uncovered Bernie Madoff's scam years before it made headlines, and how they desperately tried to warn the government, the industry, and the financial press. Page by page, Markopolos details his pursuit of the greatest financial criminal in history, and reveals the massive fraud, governmental incompetence, and criminal collusion that has changed thousands of lives forever-as well as the world's financial system. The only book to tell the story of Madoff's scam and the SEC's failings by those who saw both first hand Describes how Madoff was enabled by investors and fiduciaries alike Discusses how the SEC missed the red flags raised by Markopolos Despite repeated written and verbal warnings to the SEC by Harry Markopolos, Bernie Madoff was allowed to continue his operations. No One Would Listen paints a vivid portrait of Markopolos and his determined team of financial sleuths, and what impact Madoff's scam will have on financial markets and regulation for decades to come.

Download or read book Crimes Committed by Terrorist Groups written by Mark S. Hamm and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Examines terrorists¿ involvement in a variety of crimes ranging from motor vehicle violations, immigration fraud, and mfg. illegal firearms to counterfeiting, armed bank robbery, and smuggling weapons of mass destruction. There are 3 parts: (1) Compares the criminality of internat. jihad groups with domestic right-wing groups. (2) Six case studies of crimes includes trial transcripts, official reports, previous scholarship, and interviews with law enforce. officials and former terrorists are used to explore skills that made crimes possible; or events and lack of skill that the prevented crimes. Includes brief bio. of the terrorists along with descriptions of their org., strategies, and plots. (3) Analysis of the themes in closing arguments of the transcripts in Part 2. Illus.

Download or read book Blindsight written by Peter Watts and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-10-03 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hugo and Shirley Jackson award-winning Peter Watts stands on the cutting edge of hard SF with his acclaimed novel, Blindsight Two months since the stars fell... Two months of silence, while a world held its breath. Now some half-derelict space probe, sparking fitfully past Neptune's orbit, hears a whisper from the edge of the solar system: a faint signal sweeping the cosmos like a lighthouse beam. Whatever's out there isn't talking to us. It's talking to some distant star, perhaps. Or perhaps to something closer, something en route. So who do you send to force introductions with unknown and unknowable alien intellect that doesn't wish to be met? You send a linguist with multiple personalities, her brain surgically partitioned into separate, sentient processing cores. You send a biologist so radically interfaced with machinery that he sees x-rays and tastes ultrasound. You send a pacifist warrior in the faint hope she won't be needed. You send a monster to command them all, an extinct hominid predator once called vampire, recalled from the grave with the voodoo of recombinant genetics and the blood of sociopaths. And you send a synthesist—an informational topologist with half his mind gone—as an interface between here and there. Pray they can be trusted with the fate of a world. They may be more alien than the thing they've been sent to find. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation written by Francesca Giardini and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-22 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gossip and reputation are core processes in societies and have substantial consequences for individuals, groups, communities, organizations, and markets.. Academic studies have found that gossip and reputation have the power to enforce social norms, facilitate cooperation, and act as a means of social control. The key mechanism for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of reputations in everyday life is gossip - evaluative talk about absent third parties. Reputation and gossip are inseparably intertwined, but up until now have been mostly studied in isolation. The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation fills this intellectual gap, providing an integrated understanding of the foundations of gossip and reputation, as well as outlining a potential framework for future research. Volume editors Francesca Giardini and Rafael Wittek bring together a diverse group of researchers to analyze gossip and reputation from different disciplines, social domains, and levels of analysis. Being the first integrated and comprehensive collection of studies on both phenomena, each of the 25 chapters explores the current research on the antecedents, processes, and outcomes of the gossip-reputation link in contexts as diverse as online markets, non-industrial societies, organizations, social networks, or schools. International in scope, the volume is organized into seven sections devoted to the exploration of a different facet of gossip and reputation. Contributions from eminent experts on gossip and reputation not only help us better understand the complex interplay between two delicate social mechanisms, but also sketch the contours of a long term research agenda by pointing to new problems and newly emerging cross-disciplinary solutions.

Download or read book Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2020 written by United Nations and published by UN. This book was released on 2021-04-30 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2020 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons is the fifth of its kind mandated by the General Assembly through the 2010 United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. It covers more than 130 countries and provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels, based primarily on trafficking cases detected between 2017 and 2019. As UNODC has been systematically collecting data on trafficking in persons for more than a decade, trend information is presented for a broad range of indicators.

Download or read book Ugly Love written by Colleen Hoover and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-08-05 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Colleen Hoover, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends with Us, a heart-wrenching love story that proves attraction at first sight can be messy. When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't think it's love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her. Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future. They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all. Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.

Download or read book Journalism fake news disinformation written by Ireton, Cherilyn and published by UNESCO Publishing. This book was released on 2018-09-17 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: