The Profit

Many readers will be familiar with Kahlil Gibran's Prophet, which is almost essential reading in order to understand this brilliant parody and satire on the financial world. Piers Black is the ultimate charismatic tycoon 'revered by men and universally desired by women, a legend in his own Armani suit', and has his own ruthless and calculating message to deliver to a packed audience of shareholders. He speaks in turn on a variety of topics suggested by members of the audience such as profit, greed, mobile phones, work, adversity and even accountants, takeovers, clothes (you are what you wear), cars, sex and money. When it comes to love, the text is the greatest travesty of and contrast with Gibran: 'Love brings powerless confusion to those whose purpose and direction was as unshakeable as a mountain.' Piers sees love as a monstrous web and maintains that the greatest love of all is self-love. Just as he reaches a peak of eloquent rhetoric, the voice of his father rings across the hall, asking him what has become of 'the time to be kind and long-suffering and loving and generous.' This incident creates a crisis from which he makes a nearly full recovery, reverting to his self-assured arrogance. This is a great book to take on holiday and will surely make you laugh out loud as someone asks enquiringly 'speak to us of cars' and Piers launches forth with soaring metaphors and high-flown but utterly cynical prose.