Still, "Odyssey" is an intriguing account of one of the decade's most celebrated corporate crises.

The company appears to be entering a period of maturity, but its valuation suggests that many investors fear something worse: a corporate midlife crisis.

But looking back at recent corporate crises, it seems that if someone wants to hide something, derivatives can often help.

The next corporate crisis to thud into bankruptcy courts might well be the clean-up of hazardous wastes.

In 1982/83 the "Gutehoffnungshütte" plunged into a deep corporate crisis.

The book appeared at the depths of the Depression, a time of great corporate crisis.

Corporate crisis after corporate crisis, however, demonstrates the importance of such preparation.

Through its crisis management work, Burson-Marsteller has become identified with many major corporate crises of the past half-century.

"Our practice is now nearly perfectly positioned for the corporate crisis," he added.

But these days, it's probably more true that there is a point when spending itself becomes a sign of corporate crisis.