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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsConfessions of an Economic Hit Manby John Perkins
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:The runaway bestseller that has generated a major movie deal — and an international dialogue — with over 170,000 copies sold in hardcover and seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list!
"Economic hit men," John Perkins writes, "are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization." John Perkins should know — he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S. corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their "pound of flesh" in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of one man's experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world. Review:"Perkins spent the 1970s working as an economic planner for an international consulting firm, a job that took him to exotic locales like Indonesia and Panama, helping wealthy corporations exploit developing nations as, he claims, a not entirely unwitting front for the National Security Agency. He says he was trained early in his career by a glamorous older woman as one of many 'economic hit men' advancing the cause of corporate hegemony. He also says he has wanted to tell his story for the last two decades, but his shadowy masters have either bought him off or threatened him until now. The story as presented is implausible to say the least, offering so few details that Perkins often seems paranoid, and the simplistic political analysis doesn't enhance his credibility. Despite the claim that his work left him wracked with guilt, the artless prose is emotionally flat and generally comes across as a personal crisis of conscience blown up to monstrous proportions, casting Perkins as a victim not only of his own neuroses over class and money but of dark forces beyond his control. His claim to have assisted the House of Saud in strengthening its ties to American power brokers may be timely enough to attract some attention, but the yarn he spins is ultimately unconvincing, except perhaps to conspiracy buffs." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"[A] gripping tell-all book." The Rocky Mountain News Review:"Astonishing." Boston Herald Review:"This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel....Highly recommended." Library Journal Review:"John Perkins was for 10 years a player in a high-stakes game of global empire. Confessions of an Economic Hit Manis his very personal account of the events that forced him to choose between conscience and a glamorous life of power, luxury and beautiful women. It is also an adventure thriller worthy of Graham Green or John Le Carré that connects the dots between corporate globalization, American Empire, and the dynasty of the House of Bush." David C. Korten, Dragonfly Review Review:"John Perkins has written a book that shakes one's confidence in the ethics of the prevailing economic system. We are in troubling times and need to understand realistically the price we are paying for the 'free' market we enjoy. Perkins has written an extraordinary tale." Jim Garrison, author of America As Empire, President of the State of the World Forum Review:"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is a unique book, brave because it is personal....This book possesses an immediacy that separates it from the numerous studies we already have of American Empire. It comes from the heart. I highly recommend it." Michael Brownstein, author of World on Fire Review:"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is a brave and potent book written by a man whose commitment to the truth transcends any personal concerns about revealing his own previous blindness....This is a stunning and groundbreaking book that is a must-read for anyone who cares about our world." Lynne Twist, global activist and author of The Soul of Money Synopsis:Perkins, a former chief economist at a Boston strategic-consulting firm, confesses he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. Synopsis: From the author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, comes an exposé of international corruption? and an inspired plan to turn the tide for future generations With a presidential election around the corner, questions of America?s military buildup, environmental impact, and foreign policy are on everyone?s mind. Former ?Economic Hit Man? John Perkins goes behind the scenes of the current geopolitical crisis and offers bold solutions to our most pressing problems. Drawing on interviews with other EHMs, jackals, CIA operatives, reporters, businessmen, and activists, Perkins reveals the secret history of events that have created the current American Empire, including: ? How the ?defeats? in Vietnam and Iraq have benefited big business ? The role of Israel as ?Fortress America? in the Middle East ? Tragic repercussions of the IMF?s ?Asian Economic Collapse? ? The current Latin American revolution and its lessons for democracy ? U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe, with consequences reflected in our daily headlines. Having raised the alarm, Perkins passionately addresses how Americans can work to create a more peaceful and stable world for future generations. About the AuthorJohn Perkins is founder and president of the Dream Change Coalition, which works closely with Amazonian and other indigenous people to help preserve their environments and cultures. From 1971 to 1981 he worked for the international consulting firm of Chas.T. Main, where he became chief economist and director of economics and regional planning. Perkins has lectured and taught at universities and learning centers on four continents and is a regular lecturer for the Omega Center. Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface ix Prologue xvi
Part I 1963-1971
1 An Economic Hit Man Is Born 3 2 "In for Life" 12 3 Indonesia: Lessons for an EHM 20 4 Saving a Country from Communism 23 5 Selling My Soul 28
Part II 1971-1975
6 My Role as Inquisitor 37 7 Civilization on Trial 42 8 Jesus, Seen Differently 47 9 Opportunity of a Lifetime 52 10 Panama's President and Hero 58 11 Pirates in the Canal Zone 63 12 Soldiers and Prostitutes 67 13 Conversations with the General 71 14 Entering a New and Sinister Period in Economic History 76 15 The Saudi Arabian Money-laundering Affair 81 16 Pimping, and Financing Osama bin Laden 93
Part III 1975-1981
17 Panama Canal Negotiations and Graham Greene 101 18 Iran's King of Kings 108 19 Confessions of a Tortured Man 113 20 The Fall of a King 117 21 Colombia: Keystone of Latin America 120 22 American Republic versus Global Empire 124 23 The Deceptive Resume 131 24 Ecuador's President Battles Big Oil 141 25 I Quit 146
Part IV 1981-Present
26 Ecuador's Presidential Death 153 27 Panama: Another Presidential Death 158 28 My Energy Company, Enron, and George W. Bush 162 29 I Take a Bribe 167 30 The United States Invades Panama 173 31 An EHM Failure in Iraq 182 32 September 11 and its Aftermath for Me, Personally 189 33 Venezuela: Saved by Saddam 196 34 Ecuador Revisited 203 35 Piercing the Veneer 211
Epilogue 221 John Perkins Personal History 226 Notes 230 Index 240 About the Author 248
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