Book excerpt: Neil Fox has made a fortune off the "head we win/tails you lose" venture capital deals negotiated by his brother, costing him almost everything but money. His ex-wife and daughter spurn him, and he lost his young son years ago. He now lives a carefully plotted life, working as a lawyer at a small investment-banking firm and spending nights at home with a drink. When the affable Bud Younger moves in next door--on a parcel that Neil had sold off--Neil takes an almost instant dislike to him. Bud is nearly everything Neil is not--a gregarious, energetic striver loved by his intact family. When Bud asks Neil to fund a new business venture, he reluctantly accepts, setting in motion events that hurtle to a startling and haunting conclusion. The Arriviste delves into the psyche of avarice and envy, presenting a portrait of a man both ordinary and monstrous.