Denby, David. American Sucker.(Brief Article)(Book Review)

Little, Brown. Jan. 21104. c.320p. bibliog. ISBN 0-316-19294-5. $24.95. BUS

Denby, a film critic for The New Yorker and author of the best-selling memoir Great Books, has written an aptly titled cautionary tale about playing the stock markets and losing big time. Facing financial difficulties in 2000, he focused his energies on investing with the aim of making a "million dollars." To that end, he obsessively watched CNBC, became conversant with the day-to-day workings of the markets, followed up on investing tips, amassed a portfolio of mostly speculative tech stocks, and hob-nobbed with the likes of Sam Waksal and Henry Blodget. He had become (in his words) "the …