Author: Bradley C. Birkenfeld
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1645720233
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Updated and Uncensored! As a private banker working for the largest bank in the world, UBS, Bradley Birkenfeld was an expert in Switzerland's shell-game of offshore companies and secret numbered accounts. He wined and dined ultrawealthy clients whose millions of dollars were hidden away from business partners, spouses, and tax authorities. As his client list grew, Birkenfeld lived a life of money, fast cars, and beautiful women, but when he discovered that UBS was planning to betray him, he blew the whistle to the US Government. The Department of Justice scorned Birkenfeld's unprecedented whistle-blowing and attempted to silence him with a conspiracy charge. Yet Birkenfeld would not be intimidated. He took his secrets to the US Senate, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, where he prevailed. His bombshell revelations helped the US Treasury recover over $15 billion (and counting) in back taxes, fines, and penalties from American tax cheats. But Birkenfeld was shocked to discover that at the same time he was cooperating with the US Government, the Department of Justice was still doggedly pursuing him. He was arrested and served thirty months in federal prison. When he emerged, the Internal Revenue Service gave him a whistle-blower award for $104 million, the largest such reward in history. A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Readers will follow Birkenfeld and share his outrage with the incompetence and possible corruption at the Department of Justice, and they will cheer him on as he ''hammers'' one of the most well-known and powerful banks in the world.
Lucifer's Banker Uncensored
Author: Bradley C. Birkenfeld
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1645720233
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Updated and Uncensored! As a private banker working for the largest bank in the world, UBS, Bradley Birkenfeld was an expert in Switzerland's shell-game of offshore companies and secret numbered accounts. He wined and dined ultrawealthy clients whose millions of dollars were hidden away from business partners, spouses, and tax authorities. As his client list grew, Birkenfeld lived a life of money, fast cars, and beautiful women, but when he discovered that UBS was planning to betray him, he blew the whistle to the US Government. The Department of Justice scorned Birkenfeld's unprecedented whistle-blowing and attempted to silence him with a conspiracy charge. Yet Birkenfeld would not be intimidated. He took his secrets to the US Senate, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, where he prevailed. His bombshell revelations helped the US Treasury recover over $15 billion (and counting) in back taxes, fines, and penalties from American tax cheats. But Birkenfeld was shocked to discover that at the same time he was cooperating with the US Government, the Department of Justice was still doggedly pursuing him. He was arrested and served thirty months in federal prison. When he emerged, the Internal Revenue Service gave him a whistle-blower award for $104 million, the largest such reward in history. A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Readers will follow Birkenfeld and share his outrage with the incompetence and possible corruption at the Department of Justice, and they will cheer him on as he ''hammers'' one of the most well-known and powerful banks in the world.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1645720233
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 419
Book Description
A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Updated and Uncensored! As a private banker working for the largest bank in the world, UBS, Bradley Birkenfeld was an expert in Switzerland's shell-game of offshore companies and secret numbered accounts. He wined and dined ultrawealthy clients whose millions of dollars were hidden away from business partners, spouses, and tax authorities. As his client list grew, Birkenfeld lived a life of money, fast cars, and beautiful women, but when he discovered that UBS was planning to betray him, he blew the whistle to the US Government. The Department of Justice scorned Birkenfeld's unprecedented whistle-blowing and attempted to silence him with a conspiracy charge. Yet Birkenfeld would not be intimidated. He took his secrets to the US Senate, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, where he prevailed. His bombshell revelations helped the US Treasury recover over $15 billion (and counting) in back taxes, fines, and penalties from American tax cheats. But Birkenfeld was shocked to discover that at the same time he was cooperating with the US Government, the Department of Justice was still doggedly pursuing him. He was arrested and served thirty months in federal prison. When he emerged, the Internal Revenue Service gave him a whistle-blower award for $104 million, the largest such reward in history. A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Readers will follow Birkenfeld and share his outrage with the incompetence and possible corruption at the Department of Justice, and they will cheer him on as he ''hammers'' one of the most well-known and powerful banks in the world.
Lucifer's Banker Uncensored
Author: Bradley C. Birkenfeld
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781645720225
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
Updated and Uncensored! As a private banker working for the largest bank in the world, UBS, Bradley Birkenfeld was an expert in Switzerland's shell-game of offshore companies and secret numbered accounts. He wined and dined ultrawealthy clients whose millions of dollars were hidden away from business partners, spouses, and tax authorities. As his client list grew, Birkenfeld lived a life of money, fast cars, and beautiful women, but when he discovered that UBS was planning to betray him, he blew the whistle to the US Government. The Department of Justice scorned Birkenfeld's unprecedented whistle-blowing and attempted to silence him with a conspiracy charge. Yet Birkenfeld would not be intimidated. He took his secrets to the US Senate, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, where he prevailed. His bombshell revelations helped the US Treasury recover over $15 billion (and counting) in back taxes, fines, and penalties from American tax cheats. But Birkenfeld was shocked to discover that at the same time he was cooperating with the US Government, the Department of Justice was still doggedly pursuing him. He was arrested and served thirty months in federal prison. When he emerged, the Internal Revenue Service gave him a whistle-blower award for $104 million, the largest such reward in history. A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Readers will follow Birkenfeld and share his outrage with the incompetence and possible corruption at the Department of Justice, and they will cheer him on as he ''hammers'' one of the most well-known and powerful banks in the world.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781645720225
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
Updated and Uncensored! As a private banker working for the largest bank in the world, UBS, Bradley Birkenfeld was an expert in Switzerland's shell-game of offshore companies and secret numbered accounts. He wined and dined ultrawealthy clients whose millions of dollars were hidden away from business partners, spouses, and tax authorities. As his client list grew, Birkenfeld lived a life of money, fast cars, and beautiful women, but when he discovered that UBS was planning to betray him, he blew the whistle to the US Government. The Department of Justice scorned Birkenfeld's unprecedented whistle-blowing and attempted to silence him with a conspiracy charge. Yet Birkenfeld would not be intimidated. He took his secrets to the US Senate, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, where he prevailed. His bombshell revelations helped the US Treasury recover over $15 billion (and counting) in back taxes, fines, and penalties from American tax cheats. But Birkenfeld was shocked to discover that at the same time he was cooperating with the US Government, the Department of Justice was still doggedly pursuing him. He was arrested and served thirty months in federal prison. When he emerged, the Internal Revenue Service gave him a whistle-blower award for $104 million, the largest such reward in history. A page-turning real-life thriller, Lucifer's Banker Uncensored is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the secret Swiss high-net worth banking industry and a harrowing account of our government's justice system. Readers will follow Birkenfeld and share his outrage with the incompetence and possible corruption at the Department of Justice, and they will cheer him on as he ''hammers'' one of the most well-known and powerful banks in the world.
Lucifer's Banker
Author: BRADLEY. BIRKENFELD
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781250116918
Category : Banks and banking
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
In January 2010, Bradley C. Birkenfeld, an internationally-successful banker from suburban Boston, entered the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility, where he was cuffed, processed, and issued standard prison garb. Nearly three years later, soon after being released, he was issued a United States government check from the Internal Revenue Service for $75 million. Why? With Lucifer's Banker, Birkenfeld reveals how he became the single most important whistleblower in financial history. Birkenfeld exposed-and finally helped bring down-the Swiss banking system that allowed plutocrats, drug lords, art collectors, politicians, terrorists, and hundreds of thousands of dishonest rich people to conceal and grow their wealth. In the United States alone, Birkenfeld assisted the Treasury in recovering over $10 billion in back taxes, fines, and penalties from Americans who had been cheating the IRS by hiding cash, gold, silver, and other precious metals, artwork, antiques, and a range of valuable assets in the secret underground vaults of Swiss accounts-including those of his employer, UBS, then the largest bank in the world. Part Wolf of Wall Street, part Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Lucifer's Banker is a dramatic, entertaining, and enraging expose of international fraud, financial scandal, wild parties, high-stakes espionage, and the ongoing collusion between our government and some of the wealthiest people in the world.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781250116918
Category : Banks and banking
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
In January 2010, Bradley C. Birkenfeld, an internationally-successful banker from suburban Boston, entered the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Facility, where he was cuffed, processed, and issued standard prison garb. Nearly three years later, soon after being released, he was issued a United States government check from the Internal Revenue Service for $75 million. Why? With Lucifer's Banker, Birkenfeld reveals how he became the single most important whistleblower in financial history. Birkenfeld exposed-and finally helped bring down-the Swiss banking system that allowed plutocrats, drug lords, art collectors, politicians, terrorists, and hundreds of thousands of dishonest rich people to conceal and grow their wealth. In the United States alone, Birkenfeld assisted the Treasury in recovering over $10 billion in back taxes, fines, and penalties from Americans who had been cheating the IRS by hiding cash, gold, silver, and other precious metals, artwork, antiques, and a range of valuable assets in the secret underground vaults of Swiss accounts-including those of his employer, UBS, then the largest bank in the world. Part Wolf of Wall Street, part Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Lucifer's Banker is a dramatic, entertaining, and enraging expose of international fraud, financial scandal, wild parties, high-stakes espionage, and the ongoing collusion between our government and some of the wealthiest people in the world.
Secrets of Swiss Banking
Author: Hoyt Barber
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470257975
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In Secrets of Swiss Banking, offshore financial specialist Hoyt Barber shows how to protect your hard-earned assets by safely and legally moving your money into trusted Swiss financial institutions. Along with timely banking advice and solid investment insights, Barber provides authoritative information on a variety of Swiss banking-related issues—from the basics of opening an account to the nuances of numerous Swiss banking and investment strategies. He also details Swiss banking policies and regulations along with U.S. tax and reporting requirements.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470257975
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
In Secrets of Swiss Banking, offshore financial specialist Hoyt Barber shows how to protect your hard-earned assets by safely and legally moving your money into trusted Swiss financial institutions. Along with timely banking advice and solid investment insights, Barber provides authoritative information on a variety of Swiss banking-related issues—from the basics of opening an account to the nuances of numerous Swiss banking and investment strategies. He also details Swiss banking policies and regulations along with U.S. tax and reporting requirements.
Living My Life
Author: Emma Goldman
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 9780486225449
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 532
Book Description
The autobiography of the early radical leader and her participation in communist, anarchist, and feminist activities
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 9780486225449
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 532
Book Description
The autobiography of the early radical leader and her participation in communist, anarchist, and feminist activities
The Plant-Based Diet Revolution
Author: Alan Desmond
Publisher: Yellow Kite
ISBN: 1529310172
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 561
Book Description
'This book is fantastic. We love the recipes and secretly wish that we'd written them ourselves!' Stephen and David Flynn, The Happy Pear 'Get ready, because this book is going to change your life in so many positive ways!' Kathy Freston, New York Times best-selling author of Clean Protein 'Dr Alan Desmond's The Plant-Based Diet Revolution will introduce a new era of delicious food that promotes a healthy mind, body and gut. Long live - and live long - in the Revolution!' Dr Will Bulsiewicz, New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled 'With clear scientific explanation, colourful illustrations, and dozens of easy, tasty recipes, Dr Desmond has created an instant classic that gently guides you through the delicious transition to a health-promoting, plant-based diet.' Dr Michael Klaper As rates of chronic disease continue to rise, 'What should we eat?' has become one of the most important questions of the 21st century. Dr Alan Desmond cuts through the diet confusion to explain how we can all unlock the power of a healthy gut and optimise our overall well-being by simply putting more plants on our plate. Alongside clear explanations of the science and 80 beautifully illustrated and completely plant-based recipes, you'll find 'the 28-day revolution', the essential step-by-step guide to discovering the true power of a plant-based diet for yourself. Join The Plant-Based Diet Revolution today and unleash the true power of the food on your plate!
Publisher: Yellow Kite
ISBN: 1529310172
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 561
Book Description
'This book is fantastic. We love the recipes and secretly wish that we'd written them ourselves!' Stephen and David Flynn, The Happy Pear 'Get ready, because this book is going to change your life in so many positive ways!' Kathy Freston, New York Times best-selling author of Clean Protein 'Dr Alan Desmond's The Plant-Based Diet Revolution will introduce a new era of delicious food that promotes a healthy mind, body and gut. Long live - and live long - in the Revolution!' Dr Will Bulsiewicz, New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled 'With clear scientific explanation, colourful illustrations, and dozens of easy, tasty recipes, Dr Desmond has created an instant classic that gently guides you through the delicious transition to a health-promoting, plant-based diet.' Dr Michael Klaper As rates of chronic disease continue to rise, 'What should we eat?' has become one of the most important questions of the 21st century. Dr Alan Desmond cuts through the diet confusion to explain how we can all unlock the power of a healthy gut and optimise our overall well-being by simply putting more plants on our plate. Alongside clear explanations of the science and 80 beautifully illustrated and completely plant-based recipes, you'll find 'the 28-day revolution', the essential step-by-step guide to discovering the true power of a plant-based diet for yourself. Join The Plant-Based Diet Revolution today and unleash the true power of the food on your plate!
Straight to Hell
Author: John LeFevre
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN: 0802192084
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
The hilarious New York Times bestseller “sharply observes the lives of globe-trotting, overindulging investment bankers” (Entertainment Weekly). “Some chick asked me what I would do with 10 million bucks. I told her I’d wonder where the rest of my money went.” —@GSElevator For three years, the notorious @GSElevator Twitter feed offered a hilarious, shamelessly voyeuristic look into the real world of international finance. Hundreds of thousands followed the account, Goldman Sachs launched an internal investigation, and when the true identity of the man behind it all was revealed, it created a national media sensation—but that’s only part of the story. Where @GSElevator captured the essence of the banking elite with curated jokes and submissions overheard by readers, Straight to Hell adds John LeFevre’s own story—an unapologetic and darkly funny account of a career as a globe-conquering investment banker spanning New York, London, and Hong Kong. Straight to Hell pulls back the curtain on a world that is both hated and envied, taking readers from the trading floors and roadshows to private planes and after-hours overindulgence. Full of shocking lawlessness, boyish antics, and win-at-all-costs schemes, this is the definitive take on the deviant, dysfunctional, and absolutely excessive world of finance. “Shocking and sordid—and so much fun.” —Daily News (New York) “LeFevre’s workplace anecdotes include tales of nastiness, sabotage, favoritism, sexism, racism, expense-account padding, and legally questionable collusion.” —The New Yorker
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN: 0802192084
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 284
Book Description
The hilarious New York Times bestseller “sharply observes the lives of globe-trotting, overindulging investment bankers” (Entertainment Weekly). “Some chick asked me what I would do with 10 million bucks. I told her I’d wonder where the rest of my money went.” —@GSElevator For three years, the notorious @GSElevator Twitter feed offered a hilarious, shamelessly voyeuristic look into the real world of international finance. Hundreds of thousands followed the account, Goldman Sachs launched an internal investigation, and when the true identity of the man behind it all was revealed, it created a national media sensation—but that’s only part of the story. Where @GSElevator captured the essence of the banking elite with curated jokes and submissions overheard by readers, Straight to Hell adds John LeFevre’s own story—an unapologetic and darkly funny account of a career as a globe-conquering investment banker spanning New York, London, and Hong Kong. Straight to Hell pulls back the curtain on a world that is both hated and envied, taking readers from the trading floors and roadshows to private planes and after-hours overindulgence. Full of shocking lawlessness, boyish antics, and win-at-all-costs schemes, this is the definitive take on the deviant, dysfunctional, and absolutely excessive world of finance. “Shocking and sordid—and so much fun.” —Daily News (New York) “LeFevre’s workplace anecdotes include tales of nastiness, sabotage, favoritism, sexism, racism, expense-account padding, and legally questionable collusion.” —The New Yorker
Undue Influence
Author: David Margolick
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 670
Book Description
At the age of 76, Seward Johnson, the Johnson & Johnson magnate, married Barbara Piasecka, a recent Polish immigrant 42 years his junior. When he died 12 years later, she inherited his $400 million fortune after a protracted. . . legal battle with her six stepchildren. This book tells the story of the contesting of that will."
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 670
Book Description
At the age of 76, Seward Johnson, the Johnson & Johnson magnate, married Barbara Piasecka, a recent Polish immigrant 42 years his junior. When he died 12 years later, she inherited his $400 million fortune after a protracted. . . legal battle with her six stepchildren. This book tells the story of the contesting of that will."
Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Author: Monika Jensen-Stevenson
Publisher: Skyhorse
ISBN: 1632200155
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
The classic account of the abandonment of American POWs in Vietnam by the US government. For many Americans, the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan bring back painful memories of one issue in particular: American policy on the rescue of and negotiation for American prisoners. One current American POW of the Taliban, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, stands as their symbol. Thousands of Vietnam veteran POW activists worry that Bergdahl will suffer the fate of so many of their POW/MIA comrades—abandonment once the US leaves that theater of war. Kiss the Boys Goodbye convincingly shows that a legacy of shame remains from America’s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam. Until US government policy on POW/MIAs changes, it remains one of the most crucial issues for any American soldier who fights for home and country, particularly when we are engaged with an enemy that doesn’t adhere to the international standards for the treatment of prisoners—or any American hostage—as the graphic video of Daniel Pearl’s decapitation on various Jihad websites bears out. In this explosive book, Monika Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson provide startling evidence that American troops were left in captivity in Indochina, victims of their government’s abuse of secrecy and power. The book not only delves into the world of official obstruction, missing files, censored testimony, and the pressures brought to bear on witnesses ready to tell the truth, but also reveals the trauma on patriotic families torn apart by a policy that, at first, seemed unbelievable to them. First published in 1990, Kiss the Boys Goodbye has become a classic on the subject. This new edition features an afterword, which fills in the news on the latest verifiable scandal produced by the Senate Select Committee on POWs. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Publisher: Skyhorse
ISBN: 1632200155
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
The classic account of the abandonment of American POWs in Vietnam by the US government. For many Americans, the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan bring back painful memories of one issue in particular: American policy on the rescue of and negotiation for American prisoners. One current American POW of the Taliban, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, stands as their symbol. Thousands of Vietnam veteran POW activists worry that Bergdahl will suffer the fate of so many of their POW/MIA comrades—abandonment once the US leaves that theater of war. Kiss the Boys Goodbye convincingly shows that a legacy of shame remains from America’s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam. Until US government policy on POW/MIAs changes, it remains one of the most crucial issues for any American soldier who fights for home and country, particularly when we are engaged with an enemy that doesn’t adhere to the international standards for the treatment of prisoners—or any American hostage—as the graphic video of Daniel Pearl’s decapitation on various Jihad websites bears out. In this explosive book, Monika Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson provide startling evidence that American troops were left in captivity in Indochina, victims of their government’s abuse of secrecy and power. The book not only delves into the world of official obstruction, missing files, censored testimony, and the pressures brought to bear on witnesses ready to tell the truth, but also reveals the trauma on patriotic families torn apart by a policy that, at first, seemed unbelievable to them. First published in 1990, Kiss the Boys Goodbye has become a classic on the subject. This new edition features an afterword, which fills in the news on the latest verifiable scandal produced by the Senate Select Committee on POWs. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Summary of Bradley C. Birkenfeld's Lucifer's Banker Uncensored
Author: Everest Media,
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 39
Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I grew up in a castle. It was a six-bedroom house with gables, turrets, and lead-paned glass windows. It was built in the early twentieth century by a wealthy industrial baron. My father was a well-respected neurosurgeon in Boston, and my uncle was a combat veteran and adjutant general of Connecticut. #2 I had always had an itch for adventure and independence, despite the careful sculpting of my erstwhile elders. I was a avid marksman and had purchased my own Colt. 45-caliber pistol. I was parachuting out of airplanes and dragging my groaning buddies off to three-day treks in the Vermont mountains. #3 I was bored at college, so I started a movie rental business with my roommate, Beeker. We bought four VCRs, thirty movie tapes, six movie posters, and a color TV. We then measured our sitting room, went into Northfield, and bought wood paneling, hardware, wall-to-wall carpet, and three plush lounge chairs. #4 I was a senior cadet and upperclassman, and I was strong as a bull. I was never going to be a fighter pilot, and I knew it. I had to find something else I would be happy with.
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 39
Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I grew up in a castle. It was a six-bedroom house with gables, turrets, and lead-paned glass windows. It was built in the early twentieth century by a wealthy industrial baron. My father was a well-respected neurosurgeon in Boston, and my uncle was a combat veteran and adjutant general of Connecticut. #2 I had always had an itch for adventure and independence, despite the careful sculpting of my erstwhile elders. I was a avid marksman and had purchased my own Colt. 45-caliber pistol. I was parachuting out of airplanes and dragging my groaning buddies off to three-day treks in the Vermont mountains. #3 I was bored at college, so I started a movie rental business with my roommate, Beeker. We bought four VCRs, thirty movie tapes, six movie posters, and a color TV. We then measured our sitting room, went into Northfield, and bought wood paneling, hardware, wall-to-wall carpet, and three plush lounge chairs. #4 I was a senior cadet and upperclassman, and I was strong as a bull. I was never going to be a fighter pilot, and I knew it. I had to find something else I would be happy with.