Publisher, Tantor Media (October 2009)

NOTE: RETAIL EDITIONS are packaged in attractive, compact cardboard, jewel-case or DVD shrink-wrapped cases, with full-color art.

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Erin Arvedlund, the financial reporter who questioned the amazing returns of Bernie Madoff's hedge funds way back in 2001, traces the life of the infamous swindler and addresses the tough questions surrounding the collapse of his Ponzi scheme.

Despite all the headlines about Bernard Madoff, who pleaded guilty to running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme, he is still shrouded in mystery. Why (and when) did he turn his legitimate business into a massive fraud? How did he fool so many smart investors for so long? And who among his family and employees knew the truth?

The best person to answer these questions---and tell the full story of Madoff's rise and fall---is Erin Arvedlund. In early 2001, she was suspicious of the amazing returns of Madoff's hedge fund, which no one could explain. Her article in Barron's, based on more than one hundred interviews, could have prevented a lot of misery had the SEC followed up.

But almost no one was willing to believe anything bad about "Uncle Bernie"---so nice, so humble, so generous to charities. As Arvedlund shows, Madoff was no ordinary liar but a master of the type of lies people really wanted to believe. He kept his clients at a distance and allowed handsomely paid friends to solicit new ones for him; playing hard to get created an irresistible mystique.

Now, Arvedlund tackles the tough questions that are still unanswered in the wake of Madoff's collapse:

---Did he start off as a legitimate money manager or was he a fraud from the beginning? Were there indications of larceny at the very start of his career?

---Why did Madoff's biggest supporters within the industry, such as Walter Noel of Fairfield Greenwich and Ezra Merkin of Gabriel Capital, ignore the warning signs that were so apparent? Did they choose to remain ignorant as long as their commissions rolled in?

---Why did SEC investigations fail to catch Madoff's Ponzi scheme even though several people had voiced concerns about his operation?

---Who else helped Madoff carry out his scam? His family and close associates have denied any involvement, but was it possible for one man to engineer a heist of such scope?

With her keen investigative eye, Arvedlund presents a sweeping narrative of Madoff's career---from his youth in Queens, New York, to his early days working for his father-in-law, to his time as chairman of the NASDAQ exchange, and finally to infamy as the world's most notorious swindler. She offers a riveting glimpse of Madoff the man---an indifferent student with little ambition who transformed himself into a star with a talent for trading, a reputation for innovation, and an unmistakably erratic nature.

Listeners will be fascinated by Arvedlund's portrayal of Madoff, his empire, and all those who never considered that he might be too good to be true.

About the Author: Erin Arvedlund is an investigative journalist who has written for Barron's, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, TheStreet.com, and Portfolio.com. She has also worked abroad, writing for the Moscow Times. In 2001, she wrote the first skeptical article about Bernard Madoff for a major publication. She lives in Philadelphia.

About the Narrator: Karen White is an actress who has performed on stage, film, and television, and whose work has taken her to Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. Her credits include many Shakespeare plays, the films The Out-of-Towners and Monument Ave., and appearances on The Drew Carey Show and Party of Five. Karen is also a voice coach, and she has taught voice and acting at Brandeis University and Emerson College. She has narrated more than forty audiobooks and has received two AudioFile Earphones Awards, one for Another Song About the King by Kathryn Stern and one for My Kind of Place by Susan Orlean. Karen's other audiobooks include The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland, the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross, and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California.