What becomes clear when reading this informative and incisive book is that history, especially financial history, is bound to repeat itself. If you don't want to come out on the losing end the next time the bubble begins to look suspiciously big and shiny - then read "The Number,"

You'll walk away from this book a smarter investor.

And there's plenty. After reading The Number, it's clear what Jenkins is afraid of - Berenson is willing to take guilty to task - and YES, that includes not only the CEOs, the accountants, the analysts, and embarressed bulls like Jenkins - who foolishly believe that the Market Can Do No Wrong. This seems to be the mantra of the conservatives: let the market correct itself, it needs no regulation - we can dismantle the SEC - on and on it goes - until the market runs wild, and the bubble bursts. Berenson does an excellent job proving that markets are all too easy to manipulate, all too fallible - and that they need a REAL dose of healthy regulation.

But why would conservatives want regulation? Afterall, they manage to profit nicely from the swings - their savings aren't tied up in 401Ks. What the defenders of the status quo forget is that everytime the markets flare out of control is that real people get burned - and the aftermath leaves the economy reeling, and inevitably affects all of us. He may not have all the answers, but at least Berenson is trying to do something about it.

Kudos to The Number.