Michael Friedlander

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to - and I wont... Prior to arriving in Los Angeles in 1979, I worked as an attorney in Johannesburg, South Africa. I then moved to London where I worked for an international trading company in its London and Zurich offices in the banking and financial sectors. I have no recollection of learning anything from that experience.... After moving to Los Angeles, I was admitted to the California Bar in 1979. Since then, my law work has focused on assisting clients in the negotiating and structuring of their transactions around the world. In the late 1990s, I ventured from the dark side and left the formal practice of law to explore life on the bright side-the world of business. I was the CEO of an international music company and then the CEO of an award-winning international architectural design company. I've now returned to the dark side where I belong... During these years, I saw first-hand some of the same ethical issues that confronted many of the modern senior executives who were involved directly and indirectly in the recent high-profile scams. That might be my next book. Maybe not... I also saw how the negotiating techniques of some of the most successful business executives and high-powered attorneys mirrored the basic principles that are laid out in the 10 Powers of Negotiation in my new book. I also saw how they all followed the principles of The Duck School in applying some old-fashioned common sense to whatever they were doing. Was it a coincidence that they were so successful? What confused me was that my two young sons employed the same negotiating techniques in their dealings with me and followed the same principles without ever having gone to Harvard. Perhaps this meant there was still hope for us non-Harvard blokes... I've recently written "Detecting the Scam: Nelson Mandela's Gift," which was initially critically acclaimed by my family and closest friends. After all, isn't this what family and friends are for? Now, fortunately, its also been critically acclaimed by The Jerusalem Post and some quite respectable folks who are neither friends nor family. Hope springs eternal...
 Michael Friedlander

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Author Michael Friedlander offers an intriguing and distinctive perspective on recent high-profile scams by.....

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T'was the Night Before Christmas... 

 (With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, may he forgive my doggerel...)

...and all through the shop,
all we minions were working,
   until ready to drop.

The ebooks were flying,
the covers were spare,
The edits were crazy,
   with "one more thing I must share!"

We waited for Santa,
'Cuz we love old Saint Nick,
But Hitch made us work,
   Waving 'round an old stick!

So slave we all did,
And made all your books,
So that Hitch would say now,
   that we're off the hook.

Come today we're off,
to rest up our fingers,
Our hats we will doff,
   No books they do linger.

But we'll all be back,
Don't give it a thought,
for like all wage slaves,
   we're easily bought.

We'll be back on the fifth,
all eager and fresh,
All ready for you,
   after a well-deserved rest.

So Hitch wants to say,
very strongly and loud,
THANKS ALL YOU GUYS,
  you're the best type of crowd.

Indy and Len and Hitch and the gang,
will be back on the 5th,
to do books with a BANG!

In the meantime don't worry,
if you're in a hurry,
'cuz some poor guy got stuck
   sitting here like a duck.

Your emails we'll receive,
so no need to grieve.
We'll be a bit slow,
but we're raring to go.

Your books will be worked on,
your edits still made,
we're just resting a bit,
   before we all fade.

So please excuse the delays;
It won't be for days;
we'll jump on your queries,
   for your wondrous new series.

We waited for Santa,
'Cuz we love old St. Nick,
And sure 'nuff he came,
   It wasn't a trick.

And as he rode off,
into the night,
I could swear I heard Hitch yell,
   "That Edit's Not Right!"

~~~~~~~~~~

We'll be back on the morning of January 5th; we'll be here parttime between now and then, thanks.