CRASH OF THE TITANS Greed, Hubris, the Fall of Merrill Lynch and the Near-Collapse of Bank of America

How did Merrill Lynch, a ninety-year-old revered establishment embedded deeply in U.S. culture, molded by Charlie Merrill, a man of vision who brought Wall Street to Main Street, fall victim to the economic downturn of 2008 and land in the grips of Bank of America? Greg Farrell has written a masterpiece that rivals any investigative documentary. Narrator Dan Woren methodically delivers a thorny tangle of ego, greed, self-promotion, and arrogance mixed with a few heroic acts. Woren is an extraordinary storyteller who is reminiscent of gifted newsreel broadcaster. In fascinating detail, he dramatizes the increasing desperation felt by the unsung hero of this story, Greg Fleming, the second in command at Merrill Lynch, who truly loved the company and respected its culture. He knew the firm was slipping away and set the stage for CEO John Thain to sell Merrill to Bank of America. This is a perfect pairing of text and narrator. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2011]