The ‘Mandelaian’ modelww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2010/11/28/8018784/Sherman_Review.pdf · etecting...
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D etecting the Scam: Nelson Man- dela’s Gift by Michael Friedlan- der is an intriguing book with a refreshing and original take on the fascinating topic of high- profile deceit and deception. It offers a dis- tinctly original perspective on the art of negotiation and of diagnosing stratagems of deception that will appeal to a wide range of readership. Friedlander draws on his long years of experience as an international lawyer and senior business executive in the US, Europe and the Middle East to conduct an evalua- tion of the mechanisms and machinations of some of the most well-known scandals of the last decade in finance and international politics. His highly engaging analysis spans episodes such as the Enron bankruptcy, the Madoff embezzlement and the Ahmed Chalabi debacle in Iraq. Perhaps reflecting his South African roots, Friedlan- der suggests a decidedly unusual and original set of criteria for detecting and contending with potential scams and scammers: the personal qualities and skills displayed by Nelson Mandela in his dealings with the South African regime, which Friedlander identifies as integrity, curiosity, courage and moral authority. It is the example set by the iconic African leader that the author deems “the gift” Mandela has provided for students of scams and swindles, and which he codifies into his “10 Powers of Negotiation” to serve as a road map for those wishing to avoid falling prey to sophisticated schemers. Although couched in affable raconteur style, and well-spiced with wry humor, this very readable book contains much real – and troubling – substance. It raises the dis- turbing allegation of complicity – whether active or passive, witting or unwitting – on the part of those charged with sounding the alarm bells to warn of impending scam- ming and alert those who might fall victim to it. Friedlander reserves particularly harsh censure for what he terms “our finest and brightest minds” – the lawyers, the account- ants, intelligence experts and strategic plan- ners – whose professional function is to scrutinize the claims of poten- tial deceivers and to warn of their impending trickery. Too often, indeed in all the case studies in the book, he finds them to be, at best, derelict. Whether it was because the lure of profit eclipsed their professional integrity, or whether professional indo- lence induced them to take the easy way out, they regu- larly ignored, or negligently failed to pick up on, the accu- mulating evidence that foul play was afoot. He is no less scathing in his criticism of those who molded these dys- functional professional “luminaries,” Amer- ica’s leading universities, for failing to endow their graduates with an adequate measure of “Mandelaian” qualities: the intellectual curiosity to probe into the sus- picious, the spiritual courage to recognize the unpalatable and the moral authority to expose the fraudulent. Friedlander drives his point home forcefully with a telling quote from Robert Gates, formerly presi- dent of Texas A&M University and current- ly US secretary of defense. Speaking after the Enron scandal, Gates acknowledged the responsibility of the nation’s universities for the proliferation of fraudulent conduct – or at least for not preventing it. “All of these liars and cheats and thieves are graduates of our universities. The uni- versity community cannot avert its eyes and proclaim that this is not our problem, that there is nothing we can do or that these behaviors are an aberration from the norm.” But Friedlander does not exonerate the victims either. He raises an interesting moral question by suggesting that those who fall prey to wiles of the scammer often bear some measure of guilt – by disregard- ing and/or concealing what they know to be the unpalatable truth, or at least what they suspect might be. As a guidebook to allow us to successfully navigate through the traps of tricksters, he lays out a set of common sense rules which he terms “The Duck School.” In it he enu- merates the cognitive pitfalls the layman should avoid so as not to succumb to temp- tation of believing – and putting money into the belief – that what looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck is in fact a swan. But quite apart from being a compelling read in its own right, perhaps the most important aspect of Detecting the Scam is the potential its suggested analytical techniques have for the investigation of additional events in both the political and the commercial spheres, not only in an ex-post-descriptive sense for analyzing past scams, but also in an ex-ante-predic- tive sense to forecast, and hopefully avoid, future ones. Particularly amenable to application of its proposed principles are the ongoing politi- cal processes in the Middle East and the US, where so much is at stake. Hopefully Friedlander will rise to these challenges in the near future. 24 MAGAZINE October 15, 2010 BOOKS BERNARD MADOFF, president and founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, walks out of Manhattan federal court in New York last year. Friedlander includes an analysis of the Madoff scam. (Bloomberg) • MARTIN SHERMAN Author Michael Friedlander uses the personal qualities and skills displayed by the South African president as a formula for detecting and contending with potential scams and scammers DETECTING THE SCAM By Michael Friedlander | CreateSpace | 296 pages | $19.99 The ‘Mandelaian’ model
Transcript of The ‘Mandelaian’ modelww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2010/11/28/8018784/Sherman_Review.pdf · etecting...
Detecting the Scam: Nelson Man-dela’s Gift by Michael Friedlan-der is an intriguing book with arefreshing and original take onthe fascinating topic of high-
profile deceit and deception. It offers a dis-tinctly original perspective on the art ofnegotiation and of diagnosing stratagems ofdeception that will appeal to a wide rangeof readership.
Friedlander draws on his long years ofexperience as an international lawyer andsenior business executive in the US, Europeand the Middle East to conduct an evalua-tion of the mechanisms and machinationsof some of the most well-known scandals ofthe last decade in finance and internationalpolitics. His highly engaging analysis spansepisodes such as the Enron bankruptcy, theMadoff embezzlement andthe Ahmed Chalabi debaclein Iraq.
Perhaps reflecting hisSouth African roots, Friedlan-der suggests a decidedlyunusual and original set ofcriteria for detecting andcontending with potentialscams and scammers: thepersonal qualities and skillsdisplayed by Nelson Mandelain his dealings with theSouth African regime, whichFriedlander identifies asintegrity, curiosity, courageand moral authority. It is theexample set by the iconicAfrican leader that the author deems “thegift” Mandela has provided for students ofscams and swindles, and which he codifiesinto his “10 Powers of Negotiation” to serveas a road map for those wishing to avoidfalling prey to sophisticated schemers.
Although couched in affable raconteurstyle, and well-spiced with wry humor, thisvery readable book contains much real –and troubling – substance. It raises the dis-turbing allegation of complicity – whetheractive or passive, witting or unwitting – onthe part of those charged with sounding thealarm bells to warn of impending scam-ming and alert those who might fall victimto it.
Friedlander reserves particularly harshcensure for what he terms “our finest andbrightest minds” – the lawyers, the account-ants, intelligence experts and strategic plan-ners – whose professional function is to
scrutinize the claims of poten-tial deceivers and to warn oftheir impending trickery. Toooften, indeed in all the casestudies in the book, he findsthem to be, at best, derelict.Whether it was because thelure of profit eclipsed theirprofessional integrity, orwhether professional indo-lence induced them to takethe easy way out, they regu-larly ignored, or negligentlyfailed to pick up on, the accu-mulating evidence that foulplay was afoot.
He is no less scathing in hiscriticism of those who molded these dys-functional professional “luminaries,” Amer-ica’s leading universities, for failing toendow their graduates with an adequatemeasure of “Mandelaian” qualities: theintellectual curiosity to probe into the sus-picious, the spiritual courage to recognizethe unpalatable and the moral authority toexpose the fraudulent. Friedlander driveshis point home forcefully with a tellingquote from Robert Gates, formerly presi-dent of Texas A&M University and current-ly US secretary of defense. Speaking afterthe Enron scandal, Gates acknowledged theresponsibility of the nation’s universitiesfor the proliferation of fraudulent conduct –or at least for not preventing it.
“All of these liars and cheats and thievesare graduates of our universities. The uni-versity community cannot avert its eyesand proclaim that this is not our problem,
that there is nothing we can do or thatthese behaviors are an aberration fromthe norm.”
But Friedlander does not exonerate thevictims either. He raises an interestingmoral question by suggesting that thosewho fall prey to wiles of the scammer oftenbear some measure of guilt – by disregard-ing and/or concealing what they know tobe the unpalatable truth, or at least whatthey suspect might be.
As a guidebook to allow us to successfullynavigate through the traps of tricksters, helays out a set of common sense rules whichhe terms “The Duck School.” In it he enu-merates the cognitive pitfalls the laymanshould avoid so as not to succumb to temp-tation of believing – and putting moneyinto the belief – that what looks like a duck,walks like a duck and sounds like a duck isin fact a swan.
But quite apart from being a compellingread in its own right, perhaps the mostimportant aspect of Detecting the Scam isthe potential its suggested analyticaltechniques have for the investigation ofadditional events in both the politicaland the commercial spheres, not only inan ex-post-descriptive sense for analyzingpast scams, but also in an ex-ante-predic-tive sense to forecast, and hopefullyavoid, future ones.
Particularly amenable to application of itsproposed principles are the ongoing politi-cal processes in the Middle East and the US,where so much is at stake.
Hopefully Friedlander will rise to thesechallenges in the near future.
24 MAGAZINE October 15, 2010
BOOKS
BERNARD MADOFF, president and founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment SecuritiesLLC, walks out of Manhattan federal court in New York last year. Friedlander includes ananalysis of the Madoff scam. (Bloomberg)
• MARTIN SHERMAN
Author Michael Friedlander uses thepersonal qualities and skills displayedby the South African president as a
formula for detecting and contendingwith potential scams and scammers
DETECTING THE SCAMBy Michael Friedlander | CreateSpace | 296 pages | $19.99
The ‘Mandelaian’ model
