The Fortune Tellers

Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media, and Manipulation

De: Howard Kurtz

Narrado por: Howard Kurtz

Just as "spin" has taken over politics in America, so too has it come to define the long bull market on Wall Street. The booming trade in stocks has produced an insatiable demand for financial intelligence. On television and the Internet, commentators and analysts are not merely reporting the news, they are making news in ways that provide huge windfalls for some investors and crushing losses for others. And they often traffic in rumor, speculation, and misinformation that hit the market at warp speed.

New York Times best selling author Howard Kurtz turns his skeptical eye on the business-media revolution that has transformed the American economy. He uncovers the backstage pressures at television shows like CNBC's Squawk Box and CNN's Moneyline and at Internet start-ups like TheStreet.com and JagNotes, real-time operations in the very arena where fortunes are made and lost with stunning swiftness.

No one has ever reported from inside the Wall Street media machine or laid bare the bitter feuds, cozy friendships, and whispered leaks that move the markets. In a time of head-spinning volatility, The Fortune Tellers is essential audio listening for all of us who gamble our savings in today's overheated stock market.

©2000 Howard Kurtz, All Rights Reserved (P)2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[An] incisive exposé...first-rate analysis of the interplay between the media and American financial institutions." (Publishers Weekly)

The drama of wall street

Very informative about the behind the scenes activities driving the business of informing the public about business. Entertaining and dramatic. If you want to know how to invest this isn't for you. If you want a look at what is behind the curtains at some of the major players on Wall Street then read on.

A truly entertaining listen and well done.

Jim Cramer currently known for his wild antics of Mad Money is highlighted in this collection of highly charged stories woven together in this captivating narration. Cramer is resurrected from the bowls of poverty to the precipice of stock stardom and a central character in this drama. This compilation has an edge of artful drama, enough cold blooded back stabbing to compete with any daytime soap. Hear either enlightenment or entertainment, depending on your level of gullibility.

The cast of characters include the morning stock talk host anchors and underling reporters that try to turn our heads each day as we watch and listen for tidbits of advice rather than study and do our own due diligence. Also in the parade of carnival barkers are the analysts who rise and fall from grace. Are we to believe in the fortune tellers or are they just performance artists tapped by the "Producers" on Wall Street to rumor monger and hype stories heard on the street. They peddle to the Stock Addicts a daily fix of so called breaking news from the floor, conflicting advice, numbingly repetitious reports and hypnotic tag music to hold us between commercials to get the next fix. The fortune tellers are also captives of their own performances and over time they have come to actually believe they have the power to move markets. They are the Muse and are convinced we blindly follow as THEY lead US. If you are a novice to the trading community, hopefully your veil will be lifted in this narration. At the end of the day, who or what do you believe? After all, we are the market and nobody really knows anything.