Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Enron dives from the seventh largest US company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked: the personalities of Ken Lay (with Falwellesque rectitude),Jeff Skilling (he of big ideas),Lou Pai (gone with $250 M),and Andy Fastow (the dark prince) dominate. Along the way, we watch Enron game California's deregulated electricity market, get a free pass from Arthur Andersen (which okays the dubious mark-to-market accounting),use greed to manipulate banks and brokerages (Merrill Lynch fires the analyst who questions Enron's rise),and hear from both Presidents Bush what great guys these are.