This week's oral argument at the US Supreme Court about the Arthur Andersen case won't bring Andersen back to life. But if you're curious about the demise of Andersen, read this book by Barbara Toffler.
The book has a nice, crisp history of how the original Arthur Andersen built his accounting firm around honesty and integrity -- so much so that businesses flocked to his door because Andersen's seal of approval meant so much to investors. The book also has a morbidly fascinating account of a downward ethical spiral that seemed to belong to the institution as much as to individuals. You learn what the infamous "fee f***" was all about. (That really was the term they used.) You will also wonder about the author herself, an ethics consultant, who sold product and services that she knew the clients didn't need -- and sold them at inflated prices.