Executive Roadmap to Fraud Prevention and Internal Control: Creating a Culture of Compliance

"A thing worth having is a thing worth cheating for," said W.C. Fields, though the executive fraudsters from Enron, Adelphia and WorldCom who are now languishing in prison might disagree. Two others who disagree are former federal agents Martin Biegelman and Joel Bartow. Now fraud investigators at U.S. companies, the authors have pooled their considerable knowledge in this comprehensive overview of what fraud is, how it occurs and how to prevent it. The book briefly describes everything a busy executive needs to know about antifraud programs. Actually, they provide everything and more, which is the rub. The book is repetitious and disorganized, bogs down in irrelevant legislative history, contains a spotty index and reads like a series of verbose PowerPoint slides. We recommend this book to those who can look beyond ponderous presentation and need a single-volume overview on stopping the many ruses to which any company is vulnerable. Fraudsters take note: Your days are numbered if CEOs and CFOs take this book to heart.

While reading this book I was very impressed with the accessibility of the information provided. The authors have done a tremendous job of breaking down this complex view of individual and corporate behaviors into windows that are easy to see through and understand. With understanding comes the responsibility of doing something to decrease the opportunities for fraud in companies both large and small. As a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, I will be providing copies of this book to my clients -- along with our award-winning toolset for governing compliance -- because the book makes my educational mission easier to accomplish. Excellent for all levels of an organization.

In this book, the author explains fraud in terms that are clear and understandable to the reader. He is able to provide in very simple terms how fraud schemes work and how damaging fraud can be. The book is serious, yet at times humorous. It is well worth the money, not just for CEOs, but for the American public.