Law And More

Apollo Continues Pivot into Sustainability - Focus on Transition to Non-Fossil Sources of Energy and Game Theory

Recently, Apollo Global Management had announced it was creating the function of Chief Sustainability Officer.

The mission has been to review all investments in terms of its compliance with ESG criteria for Environment, Social and Governance principles. This Law and More article analyses the rewards and risks of that move.

On Friday, October 22nd, the financial giant expanded its reach and branding in sustainability. As it details in its press release it has bet big money on the energy transition to non-fossil sources. Here is the financialese:

"Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that funds managed by its affiliates (the “Apollo Funds”) have agreed to invest $824 million in a convertible equity portfolio financing agreement with NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) in a 2.5 GW renewable energy generation portfolio (the “Portfolio”). The Apollo Funds committed to the investment as part of the sale of 50% of the Portfolio from NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) to NextEra Energy Partners."

That portfolio contains 13 utility-scale wind and solar assets. Of those, three facilitate battery storage. 

The transaction had been handled by law firms Allen & Overy and Paul Weiss. 

What does this mean?

Well. to begin with, it's a kind of what's called "virtue signaling." That is, the message is: We are on the right side of global values. Salvation for mankind entails the battery's replacing gasoline.

In addition, Apollo is leveraging its influence to confirm the importance of energy transition. That includes how investors should make their choices. Yes, investors, non-fossil fuels are the horse to bet on.

And, Apollo is positioning and packaging itself as being in the front lines of a business philosophy that goes by the umbrella term "ESG." Apollo publishes an annual report "The Apollo ESG Effect." Here you can read it. 

The stars are aligned that Apollo will impact the energy sector in a major way.

In the global corridors of influence what moves the dial on getting things done are the connections among the movers and shakers. Journalist Hedrick Smith explained those dynamics in his book "The Power Game."

It is interesting to note in Apollo's journey toward being the player in sustainability its long-time legal counsel has been law firm Paul Weiss. Yes, that firm oversaw this most recent transaction. 

The Paul Weiss Chairperson Brad Karp has been a first-mover in the law firm sector's embrace of ESG values. For example, it established the first ESG practice.

Also, on personal level, Karp has mobilized collective action throughout law firms to support causes associated with ESG values. They include push-back against suppression of voters' rights. Those initiatives reinforced Paul Weiss' presence for being a force field in social justice. That fits nicely where Apollo is heading. 

It also can be useful to observe that Apollo's actions may be based on a version of game theory. The genius John Nash brought the erudite discipline mainstream. Recently I have created material for a client on the implications of game theory for the crypto market. 

Essentially, game theory strategy is about optimizing outcomes through ensuring cooperation among those in the loop. That seems to be underlying how Apollo is going about sustainability. The self-interest of all the players is brilliantly locked in. 

Game theory is becoming an increasingly useful lens for assessing investing initiatives. Meanwhile, green is good. It's in the public interest. 

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Books & Comebacks - Should David Boies Try That, Like Katie Couric, Huma Abedin?

Today on "Today" former television personality Katie Couric had been a busy bee.

She dished the dirt on her former co-host Matt Lauer. That's one of the ways she is trying to promote her book "Going There." And also she is trying, of course, for a comeback. Obviously she wants career runway. She is only in her 60s. Clint Eastwood is in his 90s and still very much out there. His most recent production has been "Cry Macho."

Also, struggling to find a place for herself again in attention game is former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Yes, she too is leveraging a book - "Both/And" to circle back into the spotlight. It will be excerpted in Vogue.

Exposure, though, is simply that: exposure. It doesn't necessarily convert into rebranding and a sustainable comeback.

See, even if the books sell briskly, those two may not achieve their real obective: regaining relevance in a world of sharp elbows for having, holding, and growing star power.

The twinkle twinkle little star game is brutal. In fact, a compassionate observer might do a Greek Chorus like chant: Let us not praise famous men - and women.

There is also that possibility that the books might not sell well. Those dismal numbers on Amazon could create a dark corridor of shame.

Take Bob Dilenschneider's "Decisions."

This morning it ranks in Amazon hell: 1,002,216. That public affair representative had had as a client Roger Ailes. The relationship bit Dilenschneider in the brand. That was when the Ailes' career went into a tailspin through allegations of sexual misconduct. Dilenschneider seemed to go the book route for regaining star power. I don't discern any twinkles.

So, it's a gamble - and a high-profile one - for former powerhouses in the branding box to bet on a book. There is not only the investment of time. There is also the risk of being Nowhere on Amazon.

But, once celebrity in litigation David Boies might try it. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. His is brilliant. Call him the Tom Brady of legal strategy and running that across the field of law.

Here's the current danger: Boies could encounter lots more bad press if he is actually called to testify at "US v Elizabeth Holmes." He had not only been on the board of startup Theranos. He also had been its legal counsel. Incidentally, in his book "Guilt by Accusation," Alan Dershowitz (who could also go in pursuit of a comeback) labeled that dual role a conflict of interest.

In the Holmes trial, the defense by Williams & Connolly is searching for others to blame for the unraveling of Theranos. It makes sense to target Boies. Therefore, he could really use a book, right.

Are there alternates to books for comebacks? Sure.

But currently the memoir is the way to go.

Former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen looks like he hit a homerun with "Disloyal." The public values what he shares, both about the Trump ethos and his own tragic flaws. He admits he was swept up in the chaos, action, and proximity to power of assisting Trump. Father Forgive Me, I Have Sinned. The memoir ranks 9,895 on Amazon.

The Cohen star could wind up twinkling brighter than before.

The model for that had been the comeback of fianncial player who also had gone to prison: Michael Milkin. Prison can be a platform for reimagining a career. 

And, what about a book by professionals whose stars keep ascending? Actually, publishing a book might be expected.

For instance, Paul Weiss Chairperson Brad Karp has expanded his huge brand to include "visionary." 

As I document in this Law and More article, Karp anticipated the perfect storm corporations would be entering because of ESG (Environmental Social Governance). Paul Weiss was the first to customize an ESG practice. That was way back in April 2020.

More recently, Karp had predicted that not only corporations but also the law firms themselves would be pulled into that force field. That has been the reality of Mayer Brown's crisis in China.

Law firms have begun to embody that phenomenon articulated in the W.B. Yeats' poem "Among School Children":

"How can we know the dancer from the dance?" 

The answer is: No longer can we. And all the constituencies looped into the U.S. legal system have to understand the implications of that. That could be a development Karp might sort out for both law firms and the public interest. What should society expect from its law firms?

Books remain a powerful medium. That is why Cohen arose before dawn to pen in his prison cell "Disloyal" before other inmates awakened. He knew exactly what he was doing.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who Has the Most Prestigious Job of All? (let it be me, let it be me)

Yes, yes, yes. The extreme work culture, in service of the prestigious career path, is being questioned. 

The cool meme is to damn all that:

" ...  the price you pay for a longer-term reward of power and prestige in big-name, big pay-cheque institutions." Meredith Turits, BBC, April 27, 2021.

"The desire for prestige and money is why we: 1) spend an outrageous sum of money on education, 2) kill ourselves at jobs we don’t like, 3) put up with colleagues and bosses we despise, 4) never pursue our dreams, 5) neglect our children, and 6) eventually fill our hearts with regret." - Financial Samurai, September 25, 2021.

In his book "Excellent Sheep," former Yale Professor William Deresiewicz captures how emotionally, socially, and cognitively paralyzed young people are by their pursuit of the prestigious career path.

However, there is no shortage of youth chasing after opportunities in businesses considered "prestigious." For instance, Bloomberg, a powerhouse brand, has received about 20,000 applications for a few hundred jobs in Europe. 

Also, 55% of law schools have overenrolled 1L classes. A JD could be the ticket to a a position at Skadden or Cravath. There could be tremendous ego satisfaction informing everyone that's where one works. 

And, although The Office has been vilified, associates are complying with mandates to return (at least right now). There may not be The Massive Attrition. Too much prestige is at stake.

Sure, in a Bloomberg Law interview, Paul Weiss Chairperson Brad Karp warns that the legal sector has to push the brakes on that whole always-on ethos.

But, come on, how many lawyers read that and said to themselves: Time to ease up, even if that limits upward mobility.

In my previous role as an academic counselor and currently in coaching I have found that the majority of talented human beings truly believe they can hold up and thrive, no matter how punishing the work demands.

On the other hand, there really is a You Only Live Once (YOLO) movement. Establishment media The New York Times describes how successful professionals in prestigious jobs are exiting the long, soul-crushing hours and pressure. Among them had been Brett Williams, a partner in a large law firm. He downshifted to a no-brand career path.

On Financial Panther, a lawyer who identifies himself as Kevin chronicles his journey from making all the right moves for a prestigious job in a large law firm to his current path. He is employed at a non-profit, making $70,000 less than he had in the prestige box.

No one, of course, can predict what value system about work will harden into the standard.

However, what I am noticing is this: Concrete results are counting more than brandnames.

Prospects for my marketing communications services don't seem to care that I had done assignments for the American Expresses and Edelmans. Their criteria for selecting a vendor are based on what had been achieved for other clients. And, how good would be the fit. 

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Big Law - Some Rashomon Moments

From the time of Jeremy Blackman's satiric blog "Anonymous Lawyer" to current best-seller "The Caesars Palace Coup" Big Law has been vilified. That's the way it has been.

The partners are depicted as feudal lords.

Law firms defending the likes of Harvey Weinstein become fodder in media such as The New Yorker. 

The up and out system which results in only about one out of 10 associates making it to partner is interpreted as a destroyer of souls. There is no type of Greek Chorus chanting: Hey, you knew the deal when you looped in. 

Netflix is having a 10-part series derived from the novel "Partner Track." Negative, of course. 

And media sites such as RollonFriday and Abovethelaw which accept insider leaking from law firms are on side of the angels.

But that dark lens for viewing large law firms is only one. And Big Law isn't doing such as hot job pushing back on it through pro bono assignments, social justice outreach, and public-interest op-eds in The New York Times and The National Law Journal.

What those firms haven't unleashed is The Rashomon Factor.

As the Japanese film "Rashomon" showcased, there are myriad perspectives for interpreting just about everything. In that movie about a murder and a rape, the takeaway is how differently a number of people experienced it.

More recently, the film about flawed justice  in the 14th century "The Last Duel" also uses the Rashomon style. What is claimed to have happened - a rape - and the background events are configured into a variety of scenes of the same events. The story, incidentally, is true. 

Big Law has the resources to conjure up its own engaging Rashomon moments.

Do a 24/7 TikTok video of what goes on in law firms. Sure, block the confidential. And let the world decide if that's so bad. Viewers could be enchanted by the analogue of Tom Brady-type strategic planning and actual plays.

Follow a summer from the law office, back to law school, and back to the law office. Pan in on the struggles. Public opinion can assess the values of that world. The interesting part could be the shaping of a legal mind and resistance. Are humans wired not to think like lawyers? Add on a public interest tutorial on how do just that: Think like a lawyer.

Humor also is back in marketing communications. It's always been a power tool in messaging. Some will recall how presidential candidate Ronald Reagan blew up the age issue with a quip about Walter Mondale's "youth and inexperience." Here is a clip of that game-changer in the campaign.

Perfect would be an action-figure comic book. Let the world become engaged in how a chairperson like Larry Sonsini at Wilson Sonsini protects startups or Brad Karp at Paul Weiss mobilizes thousands of lawyers from law firms throughout America to work free on behalf of the victims of COVID. It's not only a prosecutor such as Jack McCoy from "Law & Order" who fights the good fight. 

And, yes, contract with designers (hopefully on a pro bono basis) to create video games about the weapons defense lawyers carry into combat. Empower players to make genius moves. Selling those games can provide funding for scholarships to law school for diverse students. 

Marketing communications. It’s about results. Not quantity. Not clickbait. Not even influence. Together we will get those results. Clients range from American Express to industrial accounts. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Politico, Under Alex Springer Ownership, Putting Up Paywall, Expanding - And Other Shifts in the Influence Game

Large law firms are not only inherently highly political. Those making partner have had to master the politics. 

They also usually officially or unofficially are engaged in lobbying. On its website, Squire Patton Boggs positions itself this way: Global Connections, Global Influence. 

Therefore, it should matter to them that Politico will be changing in two major ways.

The Wall Street Journal reports that after Alex Springer completes its $1 billion acquisition there will be a paywall and also expanded coverage. Regarding the latter, it will be increasing its manpower by 10%.

The paywall could be the tipping point cutting out some of the constituencies law firms have targeted for influence. They will have to research what the readership, post-paywall, consists of. 

And, more news provides an opportunity to expand their reach. They can pitch more content and opinion pieces. 

On the other hand, The Hill remains without a paywall. Getting material into it can be a powerful placement. What had resonated for months in the worst of times for America had been Dentons global head Joe Andrew's op-ed on how many low-income had no choice but to go into the workplace when COVID began. That was in April 2020.

Like everything else, the influence game keeps changing.

Big Law, especially those with Wall Street clients, has to rethink its dependence on establishment media, ranging from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Instead it has to figure out the right tone and content for sites such as Reddit and TikTok. Most firms also don't know how to get attention on the professional social network LinkedIn. When they post they rarely engage readers. 

In addition, are the progressive players in Big Law preaching to the choir?

So much of their outreach is to like-minded progressives. Not enough bridges are being built with conservatives. Yet, that force field is growing in power and reach. They have their messaging down cold. Also, there's no counting out former U.S. President Donald Trump for 2024. The Harvard CAPS - Harris poll found that 58% of those surveyed would vote to return him to the White House. 

Yes, Big Law has funds to invest in advancing its and its clients' points of view. But there is so much money floating around. In itself the money is simply the price of entry. It has to do more than just put up the bucks. 

Of course, the midterm elections are already being written off as a disaster for progressives. But so also could be 2024 and beyond.

Yes, conservative messaging is winning out.  "Woke Inc.," which contends liberalism is destroying democracy, is a best-seller: 734 ranking on Amazon. Authored by successful entrepreneur and first-generation American Vivek Ramaswamy it argues persuasively against just about every manifestation of the current social justice movement.

Yet, as Bloomberg Law points out, many law firms are competing to pile on more and more social justice cred. Again, they might seek more common ground with those who support Ramaswamy's reform of not only politics but also business. As for the latter, he wants business to return to all-business and away from stakeholder capitalism or ESG.

Meanwhile, the very notion of what's in the public interest is in play. 

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Corporations Woke to the Profits in Social Justice, Hammers Vivek Ramaswamy: But That Is Money Hard-Earned

Vivek Ramaswamy's manifesto against business' supposed embrace of social justice, published in August, is a best-seller. The book is "Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam." On Amazon, it ranks 705. 

Right from the get-go Ramaswamy, a successful entrrepreneur and first-generation American, is persuasive. He provides an example that resonates. It's Coca-Cola.

Lawyers will vividly recall how the chief legal officer there created a radical initiative for increasing diversity. That imposed quotas on outside law firms for having minorities on the account and docked those which didn't conform. Coca-Cola also took a stand against voter suppression in Georgia. In addition, it implemented anti-racisim training for employees.

Ramaswamy assesses all that as a kind of protective coloring that allows it to actually do "bad things" and make big profits. In the chapter "The Goldman Rule," he writes:

"Coca-Cola fuels an epidemic of diabetes and obesity among black Americans through the products it sells. The hard business decision for the company to debate is whether to change the ingredients in a bottle of Coke."

This approach to doing business is called "Stakeholder Capitalism." Another term for that is ESG (Environmental Social Governance). But the real game, he contends is: "pretend like you care about something other than profit and power, precisely to get more of each."

Those buying his book give it an almost "5" rating out of a possible "5." And the author is receiving glowing reviews from thought leaders such as Glenn Greenwald, journalist and constitutional lawyer, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Bill Ackman who founded hedge fund Pershing Square, and N. Gregory Mankiw of the Harvard Economics Department. 

So, "Woke, Inc." has touched a nerve. But what Ramaswamy doesn't get is that already there have been severe questionings of the tenets of Stakeholder Capitalism or ESG and various forms of push-back. Trying to make a buck off it doesn't go all that smoothly.  

The now-classic example has been the unraveling of Allbirds. Incidentally, it's yet to make a profit and is racking up large losses.

Among Allbirds' Woke efforts had been in governance. It gave permission to its board of directors to factor in other stakeholders, not just shareholders. Its marketing platform was sustainability-centric. For its IPO it established a sustainability framework which could be a model for others to leverage in their IPOs.

Then came the lawsuit seeking class action certification "Patrica Dwyer, et al.  v Allbirds" challening the claims. Here is a copy of the complaint. Allbirds has modified much of the sustainability material for its IPO filing. Media outlets have turned on it.

The raw reality is that many corporations are struggling to navigate the legal, public relations, stock price, employee activism, political, and community challenges associated with stakeholder capitalism. If they are making money from ESG, it's well-earned.

In response to the pickles corporations can get into during this era of stakeholder capitalism, most large law firms have established special ESG practices to guide them. The first of the law firms to anticipate the chaos had been Paul Weiss. Way back in April 2020 it had custom-made an ESG practice. 

Last August, a sign of these confusing times, Reuters Legal presented a case study of a corporation mired in ESG troubles and had law firms size up the situation and respond.

And Coca-Cola actually lost money on how it positioned and packaged its social activism outreach. Forbes reports that both those supporting and those opposing its middle-of-the-road stance on Georgia's voting law, threatened to boycott the corporation. The latter actually went through with that. Also, there was plenty of bad media.

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"US v Elizabeth Holmes" - Business Partners Walgreens and Safeway Never Checked Out Device Itself

"What was missing from the diligence [by Walgreens and Safeway], according to court testimony over the past two days, is that neither company spent significant time studying the Theranos device itself and testing it for reliability or accuracy." - The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2021.

And, as The Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou discovered, that technology didn't produce accurate results. Later he published the book "Bad Blood" describing in detail the problems at Theranos. Representing Theranos and a board member there David Boies of Boies Schiller huffed and puffed to block that WSJ article. No dice. The story was published, breaking the story that much of the Theranos story was built around a technology that didn't work. Boies is on the prosecution's witness list.

As business partners, Walgreens and Safeway did comprehensive due diligence. Only, as came out in court, they didn't have the device reviewed by experts. That is a cautionary tale for investors in tech or anything Silicon Valley.

Marketing communications. It’s about results. Not quantity. Not clickbait. Not even influence. Together we will get those results. Clients range from American Express to industrial accounts. Fees customized for your unique budget. Complimentary consultation - janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

WeWork Founder Adam Neumann Contracted with Brandname Defamation Lawyer Tom Clare

"Tom Clare was recently hired by Neumann to combat suggestions that Neumann engaged in criminal activity during his rollercoaster stint at the co-working giant [WeWork] ... He convinced HBO Max to revise its description of Neumann in an episode of the forthcoming series 'Generation Hustle,' Clare and an HBO Max representative told Bloomberg Law." - Chris Opfer, Bloomberg Law, October 13, 2021.

Clare is a brandname in the defamation space. Among his other clients is Dominion Voting Systems which is suing alleged sources of defamation ranging from Fox to MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.

Since WeWork is giving it another run at an IPO this month, Neumann has become high-profile again. For about 18 months he had been laying low. But, now he's back. And part of the back is the publication of a negative book about him published in July 2021. That's "The Cult of We" by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell. On Amazon it ranks high: 8,459.

Allegedly it was Neumann's decisions and behavior which made the original plan for the IPO go kaput. At JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon advised him to drop that idea for that present time. Now that it's a go again, if it succeeds in its $9 billion evaluation, Neumann could make big money. That is estimated at about $245 million. 

However, the Neumann brand remains in play. Clare can address the legalities of that. However, more would have to be done on a sustained basis in media relations. 

Like Elizabeth Holmes at Theranos, Neumann had a vision of changing the world. That would be through how his co-working concept would disrupt how people work. 

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Baby Boomer Partners - Yeah, You Started This Hustle-Culture Mess in Legal Sector

Our parents simply went to work. Some even were in white-collar jobs like accounting or middle management. Then they came home each evening and that was that. No bringing work home. Instead they turned on the evening news.

On the popular televsion series of the 1950s "Father Knows Best" employee in the insurance industry Jim Anderson was home for dinner every night. And he was "there." He listened to everyone's problems and shared their joys. 

Then we baby boomers came along.

Low-cost college education and the opportunities of the post-war economy unleashed in us intense ambition. Law school tuition was relative peanuts. There was a shot at making it big and we went for it.

Along the way The Career Advice industry emerged to guide our every move.

Yes, it's all political. Work is only a defensive move.

Here's how to comport yourself if you sense the boss will be fired.

Dress like those do in the position you're heading toward.

We were our work.

Parents, both males and females, weren't home for dinner. There was a struggle to hire and retain the best nannies. Remember on "A Million Little Things" how Katherine, when offered partnership, asked to be allowed to go home to have dinner with her son and then return to the office. No dice, the partners said. 

Single women without children like myself were what employers wanted. We could hop on a plane without notice to solve a problem in the plant in Canada or Mexico. 

And born was what LinkedIn News calls "The Hustle Culture."

Even though many of us currentlyy are beyond normal retirement age we are still our work. We can't shake that our professional identify is the primary one. If there is mandatory retirement age at the law firm, lateral to another one. 

Those of our colleagues forced to retire and who can't put a Work Next together usually wither. I have observed that when I visited former college acquaintance Kathleen Huebner in Oro Valley, Arizona. Although she had had a succesful career she opted to retire in one of those retirement communities. Mostly what I had heard was those gushing about their previous careers. There was no there in the present. 

Now, The Hustle Culture, which we made glam, is being vilified. It's been fingered for everything from burnout to an inability to connect on a deep level. It could also trigger The Massive Attrition among associates. They don't want part of what we made the right thing to do.

In my coaching those over-50 the focus is on simply easing up, even a little, on the compulsion to keep achieving. There is no expectation of being totally liberated from an ethos which anointed work as sacred. The irony is that those letting go even just a bit become more successful. Essentially they drop the story line of past whatever and immerse themselves in the now.

As for younger generations, they are a fragmented bunch.

Some Gen Zers have decided work will be just a part of their lives and on their terms. Those include operating remotely.

Then there are the strivers captured in "Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life." It's by former Yale Professor William Dersiewicz. That subculture within youth is trapped in a constant hustle. They fear making a mistake or getting a bad grade. Therefore, they freeze into cartoon characters chasing what they have been told are the rules for success.

The good news is that hustle can be tamed. The silver lining in the pandemic was that, with one's life on the line, there was reflection about how that life was being lived. What has resulted is a deep rethinking about work. Insider reports that recently in one month five million workers quit. They refused to do The Hustle.

Since you started The Hustle, you can be in the front lines for reducing its influence. The first step is to humanize how you work. Be kind to associates and staff. Find satisfaction in serving clients, not just in winning. And, forgive yourself if you didn't make it as big as you envisioned. Doing this is in the public interest. America seems on the verge of a collective emotional meltdown.

Intuitive guidance about your career. Drop your story line and open to extreme possibility. Sliding Scale Fees. Please make an appointment for a complimentary consultation at janegenova374@gmail.com.

From Jane Fonda's Outing of Her Bulimia to Those Recent Gossipy Exposes of Wall Street and Big Law

It's supposedly in the public interest. Or, to save souls. 

That's given as the motivation for celebrities and book authors to dish the dirt. Either about themselves. Or about others. 

But more often than not, all that can actually set in play the opposite: harmful behavior. Both individual and for society. 

Take Jane Fonda's revealing her bulimia. That probably kicked up plenty of eating disorders. I know. My coaching clients shared that with me. Too many young women and not-so-young women sized up Fonda's disclosure as: So, that's how Jane stays thin. This is great. I better get busy purging. 

And there is also the new run of expose gossipy books.

One is by former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen - "Disloyal." It ranks on Amazon 9,294. It's rated almost a 5 out of 5. And 24,317 customer reviews - mostly positive - have been posted.

You bet, it's in glam territory. Part of the glam is that Cohen wrote the book in his prison cell pre-dawn before the other inmates were up. Could anything be more cool. 

Early in the book he sets the heady tone of a smart lawyer being caught up in his own brilliance. That includes pulling an all-nighter to pore over documents to find a legal way out (aka loophole) for a squeeze Trump had been in. The ethos showcased is a subculture of surreal ambition, drive, and chaos.

Cohen is supposed to be rejecting all that, right. He got religion. That's the purpose of the book: preventing others from taking the path he had. 

But, hey, who wouldn't want to be in on such excitement and in such proximity to extreme power, wealth, and influence? That's exactly why youth chase low-paying long-hour jobs in the D.C. and home offices of politicians. There are also the interns. Monica Lewinsky had the adventure of her life. 

Another dishing of the dirt is "The Caesars Palace Coup." It's by two financial journalists Sujeet Indap and Max Frume. It means to be a fire-and-brimstone censuring of what shouldn't be. The specific targets are big bad Wall Street and those Ivy League lawyers in Big Law. For shame.

So that we get the point that these are white-collar villains the book portrays this: the brutal clashes of superhumans as they battle to get what they want or what their investors/clients want. And the world is supposed to tisk tisk and lobby government to tame those games.

Instead, it's more likely the world comes away from the book trying to figure out how they and/or their children can become a member of either tribe: Wall Street or Big Law. Why the hell be stuck on the reservation as middle manager in a cereal corporation or sweating getting clickbait for a social-media client! We want to be Marc Rowan at Apollo or a partner at Kirkland and Ellis. 

Indap and Frume, though, aren't as proficient book authors as Cohen. Theirs has plunged recently to 24,317. It has only 237 customer reviews. Some of those pan the book for a lack of proper editing. And, the tone is downright nasty. We expect even prisoners on death row to be treated with respect.

Perhaps personal confessions and books created for the public interest/saving souls should be officially labeled just the opposite: Hazardous to the impressionable. They could even wind up in the slammer like Cohen. 

The Fondas, Cohens, Indaps, and Frumes can also be as annoying in their self-righteousness (they have seen the light and we haven't, get it) as those members of 12-step programs bashing about inflicting their amends on us. 

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