American culture applauds those who will do anything to make it to the top. The past few decades have seen success redefined in terms of more wealth and power than ever before. The deification of top earners, and an acceptance of life without limits, has helped pave the way for the eventual corruption of the corporate system. Corrupted by greed and driven by self-interest, those who had reached the pinnacle levels of success felt justified to venture beyond integrity, forgoing compassion and scruples, in search of profit. They were above the law- that is, until they were caught. "Permission to Steal" begins much-needed reflection upon the disgraces that have taken place right under our noses. Citing recent examples including Enron, Arthur Andersen, and WorldCom, Newton explores what went wrong, and advocates a universal reassessment of what is considered "good" in corporate America so that we won't again fall victim to corporate thieves.