I'm Gretchen Ribin and this is a little happier.

Like many people, I recently read the absolutely riveting book, Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies

and a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carey.

I've also been listening to the podcast The Dropout by ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis.

This is all about the Theranos scandal with Elizabeth Holmes.

Over the years, I've also seen documentaries about the Bernie Madoff fraud and the Enron

fraud.

Many people have recommended to me recently the documentaries about the Fire Festival

fraud.

Now, some people commit fraud.

I find that interesting in a kind of detached way, but what I find much more troubling

or myself as I listen to these stories is apart from the people at the very center of

the fraud, what about the others who get pulled in?

The lawyers, the accountants, the auditors, the consultants, the finance people.

Where to the point?

What would I have done if I had somehow been involved?

I started my career in law and I can imagine a world in which I'd state a lawyer instead

of switching to become a writer.

And I can imagine that I might have been a lawyer who worked with one of these companies.

Would I have been able to recognize wrongdoing?

Having recognized it, would I have stood up against it?

If lots of smart people said that a deal was lawful and proper, would I have accepted

...