Before all of you scoff and say who in his or her right mind would read a book like this, let me provide you an insight.

The Rise and Fall of The House of Barneys is indeed a well-researched book about a family business of fashion written by Joshua Levine, a previous senior editor of Forbes magazine, no less.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the book filled with witty comments and humorous moments as Levine explores the building of the Barneys empire over three generations and later, its tumbling in just a few years.

A family tale of chutzpah, glory and greed indeed, the book is a typical story of rags to riches but with a twist.