"Dishonest Dollars"

Terry L. Leap is Professor of Management at Clemson University.

He applied the "page 69 test" to his new book, Dishonest Dollars: The Dynamics of White-Collar Crime, and reported the following:

Page 69 concludes the discussion of insider trading and introduces the topic of corruption among public officials.

Insider trading is viewed as a morally ambiguous crime. That is, not everyone believes that such trading is harmful, and corporate insiders often view non-public information and its money-making potential as simply another executive perquisite. On page 69 of Dishonest Dollars: The Dynamics of White-Collar Crime, I view beneficiaries of insider trading in the same vein as card cheats. Card cheats bend the rules to gain an advantage over their honest opponents. So, while I know people who condone insider trades, I have yet to meet anyone who would play poker with a known cheater.

Page 69 also introduces corruption among public officials -- a major problem familiar to anyone who watches the news or reads a newspaper. Bribes, kickbacks, embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, and other acts of fraud can be found at all levels of government. I cover interesting cases such as former California Congressman, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who is currently serving time in federal prison for taking bribes from defense contractors.

Dishonest Dollars also discusses possible causes of white-collar crime as well as the many excuses white-collar criminals seem to have when they are caught (and, most of the time, they are NOT caught). I also suggest ways to reduce white-collar crime, and I explore the effects of prison time on high-profile white-collar criminals. That, and much more.

Read more about Dishonest Dollars at the Cornell University Press website.

Visit the complete list of books in the Page 69 Test Series.

--Marshal Zeringue