Stealing Dreams

Originally published: London: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2021.

When three whistle-blowers informed authorities and the media in 1995 that doctors at the prestigious and lucrative Center for Reproductive Health -- a fertility clinic operated by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) -- were taking eggs from some women and implanting them into others without donor consent, a scandal unfolded that ended careers, destroyed reputations, and forever altered the lives of many families. This first incident of egg and embryo theft, as well as claims of insurance fraud, research misconduct, and misappropriation of funds, grabbed headlines around the world and was featured on television programs from Primetime to The Oprah Winfrey Show. By the time the scandal had subsided several years later, two of the clinic's preeminent physicians had fled the country to avoid prosecution, one doctor was convicted on criminal charges in a highly controversial trial, and UCI had paid over twenty million dollars to settle laws suits filed by former patients. The full story behind the much-publicized case is unveiled for the first time in this riveting book. The authors untangle an intricate web of repeated cover-ups, scapegoats, evasions, self-interest, nastiness, and injustice. They scrutinize how a complex interplay of circumstances set the stage for wrongdoing at the clinic, reveal how the dramatic events were played out on both the public and legal battlefields, and examine the personal histories, motivations, and actions of the major players-the physicians, the whistle-blowers, the claimants, the lawyers, the various investigatory committees, the overzealous media, and UCI administrators. Stealing Dreams provides an absorbing, evenhanded look at the evolution of the fertility clinic scandal and illuminates the complex ethical, medical, and legal issues surrounding the largely unregulated field of reproductive medicine.

Pulitzer Prize winner Hedrick Smith’s new book is an extraordinary achievement, an eye-opening account of how, over the past four decades, the American Dream has been dismantled and we became two Americas. In his bestselling The Russians, Smith took millions of readers inside the Soviet Union. In The Power Game, he took us inside Washington’s corridors of power. Now Smith takes us across America to show how seismic changes, sparked by a sequence of landmark political and economic decisions, have transformed America. As only a veteran reporter can, Smith fits the puzzle together, starting with Lewis Powell’s provocative memo that triggered a political rebellion that dramatically altered the landscape of power from then until today. This is a book full of surprises and revelations—the accidental beginnings of the 401(k) plan, with disastrous economic consequences for many; the major policy changes that began under Jimmy Carter; how the New Economy disrupted America’s engine of shared prosperity, the “virtuous circle” of growth, and how America lost the title of “Land of Opportunity.” Smith documents the transfer of $6 trillion in middle-class wealth from homeowners to banks even before the housing boom went bust, and how the U.S. policy tilt favoring the rich is stunting America’s economic growth. This book is essential reading for all of us who want to understand America today, or why average Americans are struggling to keep afloat. Smith reveals how pivotal laws and policies were altered while the public wasn’t looking, how Congress often ignores public opinion, why moderate politicians got shoved to the sidelines, and how Wall Street often wins politically by hiring over 1,400 former government officials as lobbyists. Smith talks to a wide range of people, telling the stories of Americans high and low. From political leaders such as Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to CEOs such as Al Dunlap, Bob Galvin, and Andy Grove, to heartland Middle Americans such as airline mechanic Pat O’Neill, software systems manager Kristine Serrano, small businessman John Terboss, and subcontractor Eliseo Guardado, Smith puts a human face on how middle-class America and the American Dream have been undermined. This magnificent work of history and reportage is filled with the penetrating insights, provocative discoveries, and the great empathy of a master journalist. Finally, Smith offers ideas for restoring America’s great promise and reclaiming the American Dream. Praise for Who Stole the American Dream? “[A] sweeping, authoritative examination of the last four decades of the American economic experience.”—The Huffington Post “Some fine work has been done in explaining the mess we’re in. . . . But no book goes to the headwaters with the precision, detail and accessibility of Smith.”—The Seattle Times “Sweeping in scope . . . [Smith] posits some steps that could alleviate the problems of the United States.”—USA Today “Brilliant . . . [a] remarkably comprehensive and coherent analysis of and prescriptions for America’s contemporary economic malaise.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Smith enlivens his narrative with portraits of the people caught up in events, humanizing complex subjects often rendered sterile in economic analysis. . . . The human face of the story is inseparable from the history.”—Reuters

Success- we crave it, work for it, dream it, want it as a personal achievement, but how we each define it differs. Power, influence, wealth, fame, or a position of authority--the hallmarks of success we strive for can just as easily become the cause of our destruction, if we don't have a clear set of boundaries by which to live. Corporate and religious scandals of recent years have caused unprecedented havoc and heartache in the world's economy and in the church world. Executive and spiritual arrogance causes a toxic atmosphere in too many organizations. There are safeguards and principles we must focus on to ensure balance with excellence in what we do. Core questions to be considered include: Should your fear Success? Why do so many fail when they attain success? Is failure considered a friend of foe? Do you have a balanced ego or a pre-occupation with self? Take a discerning look at the concept of success in a personal, professional, and spiritual context in Success Kills. Explore the gift of adversity, finding a moral "north", learning from mistakes, and why some fear "successful" leaders. Discover a more important definition of success and the principles you can put in place today to achieve without compromising yourself or your future.

This is the story of Rosco Tavarovich, son of Sgt. Peter Tavarovich of the Russian Army. Peter and a disgraced Russian Army Colonel Dubrovik steal millions of Dollars of Russian Government money from a Swiss Bank some seventeen years ago. Peter dies and Dubrovik loses access to the money. But Peter ensures that his son Rosco has the access before he dies. The Colonel then dreams of stealing the huge wealth stolen and stashed away by the dons of the day. Priceless art objects like Rembrandt, Van Gogh are involved. The Colonel makes ingenious plans to locate and steal the stolen wealth from the Dons. Meanwhile, the Dons plan a gigantic heist which includes mankind’s most valuable artefact ever made. Russian Government smells the rat and prepares to catch the thieves. Though Rosco and his girlfriend Lisa are drawn unwillingly into the dangerous games of the crooks, how do they STEAL THE DREAM of the colonel?

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller In this iconic bestseller, popular business blogger and bestselling author Seth Godin proves that winners are really just the best quitters. Godin shows that winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt—until they commit to beating the right Dip. Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out fun…then gets really hard, and not much fun at all. You might be in a Dip—a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac—a total dead end. What really sets superstars apart is the ability to tell the two apart. Winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can beat the Dip to be the best, you’ll earn profits, glory, and long-term security. Whether you’re an intern or a CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you’re in a Dip that’s worthy of your time, effort, and talents. The old saying is wrong—winners do quit, and quitters do win.

A captivating tale of two passionate women separated by decades but united by a shared vision. One, the famous jeweler Suzanne Belperron, fighting to protect her company and rescue the man she loves. The other, a young auctioneer whose exceptional gifts reveal a secret that endangers her very life. “Only one thing saves you, and that is not losing sight of beauty.” Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz. New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan. Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship. Why has it returned now? While inspecting the trunk, she senses it holds a hidden treasure and finds a hoard of precious jewels that provoke nightmarish visions and raise a multitude of questions. Who owned these pieces? Why were they hidden inside the trunk? Were they stolen? Could their discovery derail Paul’s campaign and their burgeoning attraction to each other? So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. There, Violine will discover both her and Paul’s surprising connections to the trunk—and to Suzanne Belperron, who silently and heroically hid an amazing truth in plain sight. Told through Violine’s first-person account and Suzanne’s diary entries, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams is a riveting story of magick, mystery, romance, and revenge. Inspired by the real-life legend Suzanne Belperron, it marks yet another masterpiece by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author M.J. Rose. Reviews for The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams: “Take this magical ride. You won’t regret it! An absolute must-read!” ~ J.R. Ward, New York Times bestselling author “A dual storyline of past and not-exactly-present that had me tapping the right side of my Kindle into the wee hours of the night.” ~ Kristen Ashley, New York Times bestselling author “Rose infuses her writing with such beauty that it is nothing less than breathtaking. She doesn’t just give readers a story, she invites readers to embrace an experience.” ~ A Potpourri Of Opinions “This historical fiction was a beautiful story, in a time of turmoil for one character and a time of discovery for the other.” ~ For Love of Books