Confessions of an Economic Hitman

By: John Perkins

Narrated by: Brian Emerson

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the inside story of how America turned from a respected republic into a feared empire.

"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."

John Perkins should know; he was an economic hit man. His job was to convince countries that are strategically important to the U.S., from Indonesia to Panama, to accept enormous loans for infrastructure development and to make sure that the lucrative projects were contracted to Halliburton, Bechtel, Brown and Root, and other United States engineering and construction companies. Saddled with huge debts, these countries came under the control of the United States government, World Bank, and other U.S.-dominated aid agencies that acted like loan sharks, dictating repayment terms and bullying foreign governments into submission.

This extraordinary real-life tale exposes international intrigue, corruption, and little-known government and corporate activities that have dire consequences for American democracy and the world.

Listen to John Perkins discuss the book on To the Best of Our Knowledge.

©2004 John Perkins (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

What is Real?

This one is hard to rate, as I have no idea if the author is telling the truth or not. Yes, I believe that this economic and political stuff goes on, but I have a suspicion some of the author's details may be a little dramatized. The book does detail the economic manipulations that go on, and also shed light on why Americans are not well liked in many countries. However, the author's protestations about the guilt he feels for his role in this process rings hollow to me. It's all well and good to express guilt after you collect your millions, and then go on to write about your guilt and make even more money. I may have believed his sentiments if he had quit during the infancy of his career, before he was able to cash in on his reputation in the field. I also had a hard time with him talking about the greedy politicians; perhaps looking in a mirror is in order? I listened to this on audio shortly after I finished an audio about media manipulators, so at this point, you have to wonder what is real out there??

I wept.

I know some of the reviews note that Perkins expresses too much guilt. I didn’t feel that way! I wept at the end thinking ‘how on earth did we get here?’ When in reality Perkins explains how at 1st the govt had to train EHMs but soon the money and perks were so good everyone just got on board no matter who or how many died or were enslaved in the process. Excellent history of the US told through confession. Highly recommended.

Wow is this who we are?

this eye opener redefines us to the point I wish it wasn't true. But the pieces fit leading to a lot of insights. If you think you are self aware - read this

Sensationalized, but unsubstantiated

Unsubstantiated and historically inaccurate, the contents of this book amount to a compilation of conspiracy theories that the hoi polloi have more or less conjured up on thier own. The narrator is very good, but his tone and manner of reading make the claims sound more sanctimonious and less persuasive. If we are to believe Thomas Friedman, Niall Ferguson, Francis Fukuyama, Jay Solomon, and Jeremy Rifkin, the era of "corporatocracy" as Perkins describes is almost over, and this is a good time for an Economic Hitman to repent by laying a guilt-trip on his audience for his vaguely exaggerated past achievements.

Eye opening

Eye opening content. Great info, well done reading. I recommend it to everyone. There is an updated version, which I plan to read next.

Entertaining, but a little over-the-top

I found this book somewhat entertaining, enough that I finished the book. However, I'm not sure I'm persuaded that we are all out to build an empire. It seems equally likely that it's simply individual greed driving most of the corporate decisions around the world.

Would Recommend

I would recommend this book to friends and family. Definitely wanted to give it five stars.

A book for everyone to read

Powerful book. The humility to admit what part you played in hurting people, while explaining just why things were done makes for a good narrative.Even if your eyes are already open to injustices of the world this makes it that much more clearer. Anyone who is politically charged should read this and then reason on just what type of goverment they really have and want.

A wake-up call for America and the World!

This is a awe inspiring tale of just how far the upper 1% will go to own it all!
We are the peasants begging for scraps outside their castle gates!!
Great narration by Emerson.
A must listen!!!!

Good read

Now we know why the rest of the world hates us and why we aren’t a democracy anymore