The Fortune Tellers Inside Wall Street's Game of Money, Media and Manipulation

From the author of theNew York TimesbestsellerSpin Cyclecomes this engrossing, entertaining expose of how the media -- from television to newspapers to the Internet -- drive the financial markets today.The booming economy and mass investing have produced an insatiable demand for financial news and given rise to a group of "fortune tellers" eager to scoop and spread the latest intelligence. In this riveting, unsettling book, Howard Kurtz introduces the powerful journalists, commentators, and analysts whose reports -- too often based on rumor, speculation, and misinformation -- have a real-time impact on the rise and fall of stocks and on the financial health of millions of investors.Focusing on such well-known figures as cable TV's Ron Insana, Maria Bartiromo, and Lou Dobbs; Christopher Byron and other print reporters who specialize in exclusives; and superstar analysts Ralph Acampora and Henry Blodget,The Fortune Tellersis an incisive, often amusing, and sometimes terrifying report by a journalist well known for his sharp-eyed observations and behind-the-scenes access. In a time of head-spinning volatility,The Fortune Tellersis essential reading for all of us who gamble with our savings in today's overheated stock market.

Howard Kurtz is the author of three previous books, including the national bestseller Spin Cycle. The media reporter for The Washington Post and host of the weekly CNN program Reliable Sources, he was named the nation's best media reporter by the American Journalism Review. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.