Essays on Fraud reviewed by Paralegal Sandy Hutchens for clients

By: Sandy Hutchens  08/18/2009
Keywords: Legal Services, Education And Training, Counseling Services

Author David Rakoff has a searing sense of humour, using his iconoclastic sword to share his insights regarding fraud with his readers. This is why I enjoy recommending this book to my paralegal clients who don't know whether to laugh or to cry. You may be aware that Rakoff is a public radio celebrity, and his first collection contains his material from public radio's This American Life and from Outside and Salon, as well. Assigned to visit a New Age retreat for a Buddhism workshop led by actor and Aikido master Steven Seagal, then to look for elves in Iceland, to attend the Aspen Comedy Festival and to train at a wilderness survival camp, Rakoff endures urban dweller misadventures with a spin such as: "If only the mist would part to reveal a beautiful, beautiful parking lot, I will get through this." Outstanding is "Lush Life," a look at the delusions and despair of poorly paid NYC editorial assistants, "complicit believers in the mythic glamour of a literary New York" yet forced to subsist on "salmonella-friendly" free snacks in "unhappening bars" where they can avoid former classmates with six-figure incomes. Rakoff can be as funny as other great standup comedians, but he adds a touch of pathos, peeling away poignant layers unexplored by other humor writers. The author's woodcut illustrations have a certain humility which is endearing.

David Rakoff sees the scam in nearly everything. The success of his book, however, is no fraud or accident. The writing is subtle and brilliant at the same time. The settings are all over the place from Scotland to Iceland; from ice cream parlors to cancer hospitals. The endearing and self deprecating style makes you want to read him again and again. Rakoff shows us that, despite all the lies, the truth is out there!

I share this great read with clients that have a sense of humor. It really helps to break the ice. Fraud hurts but we can't take ourselves or the the world too seriously or we will not only lose our money but also our health.

Keywords: Cancer, Counseling Services, Education And Training, Fraud, fraud scheme, Legal Services, Scam, Whistleblower

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