The exception was Merrill Lynch, a firm that revolutionized the stock market by bringing Wall Street to Main Street, setting up offices in far-flung cities and towns long ignored by the giants of finance. With its "thundering herd" of financial advisers, perhaps no other business, whether in financial services or elsewhere, so epitomized the American spirit. Merrill Lynch was not only "bullish on America," it was a big reason why so many average Americans were able to grow wealthy by investing in the stock market. Merrill Lynch was an icon. Its sudden decline, collapse, and sale to Bank of America was a shock. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what does this story of greed, hubris, and incompetence tell us about the culture of Wall Street that continues to this day even though it came close to destroying the American economy? A culture in which the CEO of a firm losing $28 billion pushes hard to be paid a $25 million bonus. A culture in which two Merrill Lynch executives are guaranteed bonuses of $30 million and $40 million for four months' work, even while the firm is struggling to reduce its losses by firing thousands of employees. Based on unparalleled sources at both Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, Greg Farrell's "Crash of the Titans" is a Shakespearean saga of three flawed masters of the universe. E. Stanley O'Neal, whose inspiring rise from the segregated South to the corner office of Merrill Lynch--where he engineered a successful turnaround--was undone by his belief that a smooth-talking salesman could handle one of the most difficult jobs on Wall Street. Because he enjoyed O'Neal's support, this executive was allowed to build up an astonishing $30 billion position in CDOs on the firm's balance sheet, at a time when all other Wall Street firms were desperately trying to exit the business. After O'Neal comes John Thain, the cerebral, MIT-educated technocrat whose rescue of the New York Stock Exchange earned him the nickname "Super Thain." He was hired to save Merrill Lynch in late 2007, but his belief that the markets would rebound led him to underestimate the depth of Merrill's problems. Finally, we meet Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis, a street fighter raised barely above the poverty line in rural Georgia, whose "my way or the highway" management style suffers fools more easily than potential rivals, and who made a $50 billion commitment over a September weekend to buy a business he really didn't understand, thus jeopardizing his own institution. The merger itself turns out to be a bizarre combination of cultures that blend like oil and water, where slick Wall Street bankers suddenly find themselves reporting to a cast of characters straight out of the "Beverly Hillbillies." BofA's inbred culture, which perceived New York banks its enemies, was based on loyalty and a good-ol'-boy network in which competence played second fiddle to blind obedience."Crash of the Titans" is a financial thriller that puts you in the theater as the historic events of the financial crisis unfold and people responsible for billion of dollars of other people's money gamble recklessly to enhance their power and their paychecks or to save their own skins. Its wealth of never-before-revealed information and focus on two icons of corporate America make it the book that puts together all the pieces of the Wall Street disaster.

    In clear and lively writing, the authors explain how the payments systems work, how they evolved, who uses them, who provides them, who profits from them, and how they are changing. Anyone in the payments industry – or needing to use payments products – can benefit from understanding this. The third edition updates information about each system, adds a chapter on payments innovation, and includes a glossary of industry terminology.

    This much talked about book of I M Pandey demonstrates that the subject of finance is simple, interesting and relevant in practice. A must-have book for all Management students! Application-oriented, it focuses on the analytical approach to financial decisions, making it a one-point reference for all its readers and most importantly, the book helps students to relate theories and concepts to practice.

    Twyman reveals how the entire global economy is based upon the principles and processes of this ‘Royal Art.’ Discover the connections between economics and ghastly rituals from the past that include child sacrifice, eating human flesh, and bathing in blood. Learn the occult origin of the dollar symbol, and the truth about the mysterious demon named ‘Baphomet’ who helped the Knights Templar to invent the banking system. See what arcane magic is at work in such things as the Federal Reserve, the Social Security system, free trade, taxation, the minimum wage, the fiscal year, and consumerist Christmas. Unlock the mystery of the Golden Age of Saturn, a time of prosperity and peaceful anarchy that purportedly existed in the past, and will come again, perhaps sooner than we could ever be prepared for.

    The content of this series is designed to expose the reader to groundbreaking methodologies in conducting thorough information security analysis, as well as advanced penetration testing techniques. Armed with the knowledge from the Security Analyst series, along with proper experience, readers will be able to perform the intensive assessments required to effectively identify and mitigate risks to the security of the organization's infrastructure. The series prepares readers for the EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (E|CSA) certification. Penetration Testing: Network and Perimeter Testing. Network and Perimeter Testing coverage includes firewall and ids penetration testing as well as penetration testing of laptops, PDA's, cellphones, e-mail, and security patches.

    The problem is so pervasive that a solution seems impossible and yet, there is a solution. This solution's only requirement is the action of a single person acting in a manner to help only himself, but in so acting ultimately he helps all of society. The powerful combination of Austrian Economics, The Sound Money Solution and Privatized Banking, as described by R. Nelson Nash's Infinite Banking Concept, is the "new" idea in this book.

    In the States, a chance summer job led him to the small, private investment bank of Lazard Frères, where he came under the tutelage of legendary financier André Meyer. The summer job turned into an extraordinary fifty-year career. Hailed as "the preeminent investment banker of his generation," Rohatyn was a creator of the merger-and-acquisition business that revolutionized investment banking and transformed the worlds of finance and entertainment. In this very personal account, Rohatyn takes us behind the headlines to offer readers a telling look at some of the era’s most renowned figures in the worlds of finance, entertainment, and politics. We are alongside Rohatyn as he meets Steve Ross in the back of the funeral parlor Ross is managing as they strategize to take control of Warner Brothers, and in André Meyer’s art-filled apartment as they negotiate with Frank Sinatra. We are with Rohatyn as he assists Harold Geneen of ITT weather a series of congressional investigations, and as he stays one step ahead of the canny Michael Ovitz as Matsushita attempts to win control of Lew Wasserman’s Universal Pictures. We also watch Rohatyn defending shareholders’ interests as the RJR-Nabisco buyout becomes a cautionary tale of executive greed. We have a front-row seat as Rohatyn and Governor Hugh Carey forge a desperation plan to save New York City from bankruptcy. And we accompany Rohatyn when he returns to Paris as the U.S. ambassador to the country he barely escaped alive as a young boy. Full of headline-making revelations, insider stories, keen personal observations, and relevant financial wisdoms, Dealings is the page-turning story of a life well lived.

    This detailed book highlights how Islamic banking is consistent with the Sharia’a and, as such, an important part of the system is the prohibition on collecting interest. This central religious precept appears to rule out most aspects of modern finance but it does allow money to be used for trading tangible assets and business, which can then generate a profit. Brian Kettell’s book looks at all aspects of Islamic banking, including detailed chapters on its creation through to explanations of Murabaha and Musharaka contracts, Ijara and Istisna'a financing methods, as well as Salam and Takaful insurance. Finally the book takes a look at Sharia’a law and Sharia’a boards, indicating the roles and responsibilities that come with membership. Islamic banks have been operating in places such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Dubai for some time. Conventional bankers have traditionally viewed the sector as a small, exotic niche, but in the past five years it has seen a surge in popularity. Several Western investment banks, including HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Citigroup, have started working with Muslim clerics to create new ranges of financial products designed for devout Muslims, due not only to the growing Muslim population in Europe but also higher oil prices. Although estimates of the size of the Islamic finance industry vary greatly, everyone agrees that it is expanding rapidly and this is the perfect book for anyone looking to understand the industry.