Tangled Webs: How false statements are undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff

Tangled Webs: How false statements are undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff
By James B. Stewart

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

If you like crime novels, an excellent reading experience, or you are just looking for entertainment, this would be an excellent book to choose. Stewart is a great writer, and the detail he provides in each of the cases he discusses (Martha Stewart, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Barry Lamar Bonds, and Bernard L. Madoff), gives you a tremendous sense of presence throughout this book.

This is an engaging, captivating, and totally encompassing experience. One reviewer at Amazon.com characterized the book as: "suspenseful, ensnaring, and powerfully emotional." I agree. Despite what you may have read about each of these cases previously, and despite what you may think about each of these individuals, Stewart does a superb job of explaining why these four people are not innocent victims nor victims of anything but their own behavior.

Incidentally, there are eight pages of small-print sources the author used, and it is clear that his findings and conclusions are exhaustively investigated and researched (through the use of notes from investigations, court proceedings, and personal interviews). Of course, he is a journalist and a lawyer, so you would expect a high degree of credibility, and it is demonstrated throughout the book.

I recommend this book highly—without reservation or qualification. Lying in our society is rampant today, and it doesn’t matter whether it emanates from high-profile people or from citizens in general, it has the potential of undermining the fabric of our society.