LONGREADS

Business Longreads for the Week of August 9, 2013.

From a major art forgery ring to the abuses of civil forfeiture, The Daily Beast brings you the best in business journalism from the week of August 9, 2013.

The Curious Case of Kandinsky: How Communist Russia Enabled Art Forgers to Make Millions

Amar Toor – The Verge

In May, a major forgery ring was busted in Germany that had been selling forged paintings of Russian avant garde artists like Kandinsky and Malevich. The success of the forgery ring was based on two major factors – one, Russian avant garde is easy to forge, and two, thanks to Stalin, they are extremely popular among Russian oligarchs.

Did We Waste a Recession?

Adam Davidson – New York Times Magazine

One of the more significant problems in the run-up to the financial crisis was the inability of regulators to really determine the financial health of major financial institutions. Now, five years later, it does not seem much has changed.

Did Goldman Sachs Overstep in Criminally Charging Its Ex-Programmer

Michael Lewis – Vanity Fair

In 2009, Goldman Sachs accused a programmer Sergey Aleynikov of stealing computer code. In his typical fashion – Michael Lewis takes a fresh look at the controversial case.

The Use and Abuse of Civil Forfeiture

Sarah Stillman – New Yorker

Punishing bad guys and funding cops – sounds like a good idea. However, broad asset forfeiture laws have led to some major abuses and leave major questions about the current relationship between government and private property.

Starting College? Here’s How to Graduate with a Job

Jim Tankersley – Washington Post Magazine

Want to get a good job right out of college? Most people will say to major in engineering, math or science. However, that may not be the best route.

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