Blowback: The Unintended Consequences of Exposing A Fraud by Amy Block Joy


Blowback: The Unintended Consequences of Exposing A Fraud
Title : Blowback: The Unintended Consequences of Exposing A Fraud
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Kindle Edition
Number of Pages : 247
Publication : Published June 4, 2017

Blowback is a non-fiction, first-person memoir about the unintended consequences of failed workplace ethics. Blowback, a prequel to Whistleblower (Bay Tree Publishing, 2010) is based on real events that took place before the whistle was blown.

Faculty member, scientist, and educator Amy Block Joy loved her job at the University of California, Davis. For two decades, she administered a highly successful, multi-million-dollar poverty program that provided training to thousands of Californians who needed it most. Working diligently to enforce the federal, state, and university rules, she was frequently criticized by her colleagues and supervisors for not getting them more money. After the federal government requested an extensive audit of the program, her policy of keeping a tight rein on millions of federal dollars was confirmed by the audit results. Not deterred by threats or intimidation by her esteemed colleagues and supervisors, Block Joy focused on making a difference in the lives of the program's needy families.

So why did her highly educated colleagues and supervisors become involved into a $2.3 million scandal at her university? Were they duped? Pressured? Was it the money, power, prestige? The answer will surprise even the most cynical.

Blowback tells a cautionary story about the importance of workplace ethics. By observing the mundane routines at her publically funded university, Blowback presents a stunning account of how complex financial structures, loosely based accountability, rule-bending for leadership, the pressure to conform, and money woes can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust. Reflecting on workplace discontent, along with her own hard-fought personal experiences, Block Joy, offers a masterful strategy to improve workplace ethics and reduce fraud.

Blowback happened at Block Joy's institution. This book can stop it from happening at yours.


Blowback: The Unintended Consequences of Exposing A Fraud Reviews


  • Laura V.N.

    Whatever less than sterling things I say about the book, I can tell you I was riveted by the book and was constantly finding time, in ways I don't usually, to finish the book.

    The editing isn't great in the Kindle edition. some words are hyphenated that shouldn't be, which wasn't a big problem. Sometimes a word was left out that I had to figure out (not that hard).

    The detail of what people were wearing was distracting (except when the garb was out of place for the expected meeting. then it seemed appropriate). I'm not sure the relevance of her struggles in her marriage where pertinent. She doesn't directly relate it to her stress levels, although I imagine it added a lot of stress.

    Sometimes I wonder if the conferences were as wonderful as it seemed. Maybe they were. I'm actually not sure it matters to the stories if her conferences were great, good, or mediocre, or even horrible. It does matter what was covered, and who did and didn't show up, and how it relates to travel, and misuse of funds.

    But that was all noise. The story of how she uncovered what was happening, and what she did, was fascinating. And her attention to detail, a trait which can be annoying to a lot of people, shines through and is probably one of the pivotal factors in her success.