Honore de Balzac lived most of his life one step from his creditors; his house in Paris even had a special exit for avoiding them. No one knows more about money problems than Balzac, and this is his subject in _Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau_ one of Balzac"s greatest novels. It is the story of Cesar Birotteau, an honest perfumer who is lured into overextending himself. This luring is the work of the unsavory du Tillet, an employee Birotteau fired for embezzlement. The Embezzler works in secret to take revenge. And take it he does: Birotteau falls hard. Bankruptcy -- ignominious bankruptcy -- is in the cards. But all is not lost -- not yet. Anselme Popinot, a brilliant young marketer in love with Birotteau"s daughter, works to help Birotteau recover. Perhaps together they can recover Birotteau"s honor -- perhaps.