[.ca] Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed and the Fall of Arthur ... (ISBN 0767913833)

Very Erratic:
Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed and the Fall of Arthur Andersen is sort of like a hamburger served at a cheap fast food restaurant. It has plenty of bread at both ends but not much meat midway through. Barbara Toffler gives a good introduction to whats it is like to interview and train for Arthur Andersen. She gives valuable insight of the mentoring relationships as well and how things sometimes changed rapid fire for her. In addition, it was quite interesting to note how the Audit and Consulting groups never seemd to play for the same team. However, midway through the book, the reading becomes quite a chore. Way too much repetition about the author's inability to generate sufficient revenues. Toffler does not distinguish herself as a Big Person within Arthur Andersen as she merely makes excuses that anyone reading this review could make. The chapters on massive billing are such a bore. This issue happens everyday at law firms. Anyone who has every watched LA Law would know this. The repeated obstacles that Toffler faced really could have happened anywhere. All of a sudden, Toffler jumps into the Enron and MCI incidents without sufficient detail. Why did Duncan order the paper shredding? Furthermore, the dry writing style makes it nearly impossible for an outsider to maintain their attention span. Its like you had either work for Arthur Andersen or a similar firm to even relate. The conclusion to Final Accounting is decent. Toffler is fair in her judgement and places some blame on her own shoulders. However, there are way too many questions left unanswered. Overall, a better book still needs to be written on this subject that will appeal to the average worker in a large corporation.

Physician, heal thyself...:
This is an odd book, because it's actually two separate books in one cover. The first book, which is essentially a short history of the rise and fall of Arthur Andersen, was no doubt written by the ghostwriter, Jennifer Reingold, and is actually fairly informative. This is the part that gets the three stars - not great by any means, but at least informative. The second book is interspersed with the first, and purports to be a scathing indictment of the culture of Arthur Andersen, a respected American institution that was subverted and destroyed by arrogance and greed. It's easy to read a lot into this story, since it's really just the current American business ethic in microcosm. Nothing matters here but greed and taking pleasure in stepping in the other guy's face. What's interesting here is the fact that Barbara Toffler, who clearly considers herself to be an "ethics expert", openly confesses that she was just as ruthless and greedy as everyone else at Andersen. But the reader is left wondering if she ever really quite gets it - does she understand she's just as morally culpable as the Andersen partners she eviscerates? She certainly doesn't seem to be too troubled by her own long list of questionable actions, in any case. The old joke about the definition of "chutzpah" being a person who murders his parents and then pleads for mercy because he's an orphan gets an update here: an unethical peddlar of "ethical services" who turns a quick buck by selling her story. You might feel like taking a shower after you finish this one.

Nasty and vindictive:
I read this book as a recommendation from a friend who called it 'interesting'. I thought it was awful! The author sounded like a child who was left out of the 'in' group and therefor, nothing went her way. The writing was horrible and kept skipping around by years which was confusing. I believe the only accuracy was found in some of the historical events. Unfortunately, she then added her spin and negativism to the events to distribute blame. I have known many people associated with the firm and they are recognized as outstanding and ethical. I have heard stories over the years of clients quitting or 'being fired' because an Andersen accountant would not comply with their wishes. While I don't doubt that every company has some rotten people and it was that situation that brought down the firm, that certainly wasn't the case with the majority of the fine people that ended up suffering. Most the the Andersen partners I have asked about the book describe it as 'junk'. Don't waste your time!

Great Description of the Fall of an American Icon:
Very good book overall. As someone in the accounting profession, I found the book to be very interesting. Many defenders of Andersen do not realize that Enron was only one of many reasons that caused Andersen's demise. A string of other audit failures and a culture turned greedy also contributed to the demise. Former Andersen employees will give this book a poor rating, call it garbage, and point out that the author has it all wrong. However, a lot of what she mentions regarding the Andersen culture, Andersen's mad scramble for fees, and infighting within the firm are very well documented in many business articles. As someone who did not work at Andersen, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a good business book.

Biased, Hypocritical & Untruthful in Part:
I had the displeasure of meeting Ms. Toffler a number of times at Andersen. Her personality made Leona Helmsley seem like Miss Manners by comparison. She was abrupt and rude to almost everyone she met and would never have fitted in at any large professional firm. Her antipathy to Andersen makes her book so biased as to lack credibility. It seems oriented more to profitable revenge than to providing insight. I know at least one of her descriptions in the book is factually untrue but her fiction makes for a more entertaining read. A pity this "ethics consultant" didn't walk the talk herself. A career as a writer for the National Enquirer seems a better fit. If you want insights rather than insults, buy "Inside Arthur Andersen" instead. It is written by people skilled in analyzing organizational behavior, appears to be far more objective despite the authors' positions within Andersen, is better researched, and identifies and explains the issues well. It also shows that the key issues affect other firms too, not just Andersen. That book should be required reading for all CPAs, accounting professors and students.