The World's Best Book Summaries
What was the Enron Blockbuster deal, and why is it important? The Enron Blockbuster deal was a failed deal in which Enron and Blockbuster attempted to start a streaming service. The Enron Blockbuster deal fell apart, and Enron blamed Blockbuster, and then covered up their losses with unethical accounting practices.
Can you get a biological patent on someone else’s cells? What happened to John Moore’s cells when Dr. David Golde took them? How did the court consider the issue of patenting of biological material? John Moore’s cells were involved in an important case on the patenting of biological material. Read more about his case, which involved the issue of awarding a biological patent and breach of fiduciary duty.
Who was the Enron CEO who was responsible for the company’s collapse? Enron had two CEO’s, Ken Lay, the founder, and Jeff Skilling, the former COO who moved into the CEO position. Both Enron CEO’s contributed to the culture and bad business practices at Enron that eventually cause the company’s failure. Read below to learn more about each Enron CEO.
What did Edward Snowden do after CIA Training? What happens at training to be a telecommunications information systems officer (TISO)? How did complaints secure Edward Snowden Geneva instead of his preferred post? CIA training is conducted at a placed called the Hill. The training program for TISOs Ed Snowden went to included work with a variety of older technologies. Read more about CIA training, Edward Snowden, Geneva offices, and what Ed took away from all of it.
Who was the daughter of Henrietta Lacks that died only a few years after her mother? Why was Elsie Lacks committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane? How was she treated at this facility with a record of experimentation and abuse? Elsie Lacks was the second child of Henrietta Lacks. She was diagnosed with “idiocy” and committed to the Hospital for Negro Insane. Elsie Lacks’ medical records show that she suffered abuse, experimentation, and mistreatment. Learn about the short and tragic life of Elsie Lacks, Crownsville and its atrocities, and how the records were found.
Did Edward Snowden break the law when he used intelligence technology for unofficial purposes? Did Edward Snowden break the law when he took files out of the NSA? Did Edward Snowden break the law when he leaked documents to journalists? Edward Snowden broke US laws and was charged with a political crime. However, because he went to a non-extraditing country and got asylum, he is not in jail. Read more about Edward Snowden’s actions and their legal implications.
Who is Sarah Harrison? Why did Sarah Harrison, WikiLeaks journalist and editor, want to help Edward Snowden? Sarah Harrison, WikiLeaks editor went to Hong Kong to help Edward Snowden after he leaked to journalists. With help from Sarah Harrison, Snowden got a UN travel document. Learn more about Sarah Harrison, WikiLeaks, and Snowden’s route from Hong Kong to Russian asylum.
What happens to the family of Henrietta Lacks at the end of Rebecca Skloot’s book? Is there some recognition for Henrietta or compensation for her family? What happens to Deborah, who is a large focus of Skloots storytelling in the Henrietta Lacks book? Rebecca Skloot first became interested in HeLa in high school. Her research her brought her to Deborah Lacks. Over the course of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks book, Deborah’s struggles are a key feature. Read about how The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks book ends for Rebecca and Deborah.
What was the Enron collapse, and how did it happen? The Enron collapse of 2001 occurred when Enron, a company that had previously been wildly successful in the stock market, declared bankruptcy. The Enron collapse was due to a combination of unethical accounting practices, the failure of business watchdogs, and other factors. Keep reading to find out about the issues that contributed to the Enron collapse.
What does the CIA do? What is the CIA Langley headquarters like? How have agents felt about CIA operations and the agency’s reputation over the years? The CIA is one of the key US intelligence agencies. After 9/11, CIA operations and control were reduced in response to its intelligence failure. Read about the CIA and its current responsibilities, reputation, and issues.