Cleaning Up

by Barry Minkow

Before he was even old enough to drink, he had bank accounts, a Ferrari, a mansion, a multi-million dollar corporation, and a desperate little secret . . . it was all a lie . Most of us can't imagine life getting much worse than it got for Barry Minkow, the one-time Wall Street wiz kid who catapulted his company to stardom and success only to see it exposed as a $300-million fraud. Most of us can't imagine spending more than seven years in federal prison and coming out owing victims $26 million. Most of us can't imagine our careers changing from FBI target to FBI trainer, from CEO to senior pastor, from con man to con catcher. Or can we? We've all slipped up. We've all failed. Cleaning Up is Barry Minkow's comeback story-a powerful a tale of redemption and inspiration, of second chances and setting things right. More than a decade from defrauding investors, today, as cofounder of the Fraud Discovery Institute, he's uncovered over a billion dollars worth of investment scams.

Genres: Business, True Crime

330 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[ERIC PECHINOT · Rating 2 out of 5]

From con man to fraudster- buster!
Well, more accurately, fraud-buster, which in itself is already quite an achievement...

As a charismatic teenager, Barry Minkow was the youngest hustler ever to defraud Wall Street on a large scale.
After facing the full extent of the law with a twenty-five year sentence, he sought redemption in a risky way that could have put his life on the rocks once again.

But what if once a con, always a con?

This is certainly not the best of books, but the story is worth telling. It reminds us that where there's a con, there's always someone to be conned.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishingly good book. The author came to Christ through an amazing set of circumstances that prove God's willingness, not only to forgive but then to change that forgiven person completely. I was bowled over and could not put the book down, reading the first half all in one setting. This is a "must read" for anyone who does not believein the God who yet proves Himself by His work of redemption in His little clay people.

[Harry Harman]

Crime is like a piping hot bathtub. One second you’re dipping your toe in it; the next second you’re fully submerged and the temperature seems totally normal.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see what psychological demons motivated Barry Minkow to do what he did. His actions make more sense now, and remind me a lot of Jack Abramoff. The book goes a bit over the top, but it's interesting to see how and where Minkow went wrong, and how to avoid falling into the same pitfalls that he did. I just wish he hadn't fallen back into old habits after everything he's done to make up for his original crime; he seemed to be doing so well.

[Emi]

Apparently relapsed and busted again. Curious of his thinking process from the perspective of behavioral psychology as well as any insights as to why he sees Christians as easy targets for scams -- which ties in to my greater interest in exploring the roles faith and the kind of complacency inherent to doctrinal correctness play in making Christians vulnerable to pseudoscience, snake oil, propagandas, pop culture, etc.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the infamous ZZZZ Best carpeting cleaning fraud.

It was OK. The dust jacket says "stunning and stirring comeback story". Well he was sentenced again in 2011 to 5 years for securities fraud.

Doesn't sound like he legitimately came back far enough for his liking.

Check it out at the library though.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book b/c it spoke and moved me. It made me realize that I don't have to be perfect to accept my self. It is an awesome book. I also met the author and he is an outreageous loving compasionate person. I couldn't stop reading the book I read it in 3 days.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but I found the book tedious with details and dragging. Very good inspiration but needed to be more about his life in prison and after prison.

[Randy Loar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Jeff Sy · Rating 3 out of 5]

hard to read and appreciate knowing he's done it again ( fraud I mean)