Griftopia

Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America

By: Matt Taibbi

Narrated by: Patrick Egan

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The dramatic story behind the most audacious power grab in American history.

The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The stunning rise, fall, and rescue of Wall Street in the bubble-and-bailout era was the coming-out party for the network of looters who sit at the nexus of American political and economic power. The grifter class - made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding - has been growing in power for a generation, transferring wealth upward through increasingly complex financial mechanisms and political maneuvers. The crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.

Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi here unravels the whole fiendish story, digging beyond the headlines to get into the deeper roots and wider implications of the rise of the grifters. He traces the movement’s origins to the cult of Ayn Rand and her most influential - and possibly weirdest - acolyte, Alan Greenspan, and offers fresh reporting on the backroom deals that decided the winners and losers in the government bailouts. He uncovers the hidden commodities bubble that transferred billions of dollars to Wall Street while creating food shortages around the world, and he shows how finance dominates politics, from the story of investment bankers auctioning off America’s infrastructure to an inside account of the high-stakes battle for health-care reform - a battle the true reformers lost. Finally, he tells the story of Goldman Sachs, the “vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity".

Taibbi has combined deep sources, trailblazing reportage, and provocative analysis to create the most lucid, emotionally galvanizing, and scathingly funny account yet written of the ongoing political and financial crisis in America. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the labyrinthine inner workings of politics and finance in this country, and the profound consequences for us all.

©2010 Matt Taibbi (P)2010 Random House Audio

Lots of fun

I love this audio book. The things you will learn about the world, the economy, politics and business are amazing. There are twists and turns, humor, and good explanations that will leave you shocked and surprised. Narration is very good. Could not put it down. Excellent.

Couldn't you find a reader younger than 85?

great book. the reader, however, was a serious mismatch. not a bad reader, just totally inappropriate for matt taibbi's tone, language, and overall voice.

Tyranny coming on strong because.. of not knowing

If you could sum up Griftopia in three words, what would they be?

The real truth ... not on TV.

What did you like best about this story?

The very best political writer + a very good narrator... I didn't know what the Tea Party was. I didn't know what Obama care was ...not really...
This book gave me some clues as to what those things are....
I've been through about 12 or so books on politics...I haven't been reading commentators ... I've been reading great authors.... I've tried to read both sides... Gosh is sad Republicans .and people in government have no defense for their horrible behaviors ( murder and robbery).....Geitner tried, and failed with his book.. Anyway, Griftopea finally has driven home all I need to know and in a way I'll remember... Still, I'll probably listen to this one many times... That says a lot for the book ..because I never listen to books more than once...

Which character – as performed by Patrick Egan – was your favorite?

Yes, he's the best of the best political writers.

If you could give Griftopia a new subtitle, what would it be?

No.. The narrator was very good.

Any additional comments?

I don't think the majority of the population know what was done and what is being done in America.. The only have the time and energy to watch TV.... Who knows how long it'll be that we'll be allowed to read books like this.. Before long Amazon will dictate what is allowed to be published and how it is marketed...and so not only will the media and the internet be censored...so will books...

great book! very detailed!

so much detail and great examples of how financial products worked in the bankjng sector

Fantastic Book!

This is an absolute must listen for those curious about the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Matt does an excellent job setting up the backdrop for the crisis that came to pass. I never received any of this information from any news source. This was great investigative journalism. I don't think I would've made it through the book without the great narration from Patrick Egan as well. With the information being presented, it was important that I could tune in and stay focused on the narrator.

It was a bit tough for me to get through the book the first time since I was learning a lot of the financial jargon mentioned for the first time. Fast forward two years and having learned quite a bit about finance, I gave the book a second listen and everything made sense. This book, coupled with Christopher Leonard's book "Lords of Easy Money," provides insight to the events leading to the crash and the events that followed.

Listen to understand the world where the idea for bitcoin was born

Listen to understand the world where the idea for bitcoin was born and the problems it is designed to fix

Greedy Bastards

What made the experience of listening to Griftopia the most enjoyable?

It was all great. The intensity of Matt Taibbi is a joy to listen to.
The narration by Patrick Egan was spot on.
Well worth the one credit. Looking forward to Matts next book.

Excellent book, a must read/listen!

The book provides insight into the inner working and corruption at the heart of our financial and political institutions. The facts in some chapters might make your skin crawl at times but it is better to know.

Griftopia Unveils the Naked Emperor ... Again!

Taibbi deconstructs the evolution of the economic meltdown that panicked the nation's leaders and sent severe jolts down the line into the heart of America! Taibbi does a masterful job of researching the topic and an even better job of wordsmith acrobatics to make the extremely complex seem simple and easy to understand. If you want a glimpse behind the curtain (Pay no attention to that man in the suit) where the money changes hands and the BIG deals are made, Taibbi will lead you on a fascinating journey. Myself, I'm prone to emotional outbursts when I see or hear of injustice heaped upon innocent people, and I've had several outbursts while reading Taibbi's investigation of the Wall Street scam that nearly toppled our economy. It ain't pretty, but it's an insightful, worthwhile read!

A terrifying look into the relationship between politics and the financial sector

Matt Taibbi does a great job explaining and discussing the events and the key characters surrounding the 2008 Financial Crisis. He meticulously explains very convoluted financial concepts and terms in a clear, and often, hilarious manner.

I enjoyed this book overall but I do have a couple gripes about it. Most notably, I think Matt Taibbi paints a very bleak (and most likely true) image of our capitalist society. However, I felt like he didn't really present any solutions as to how to improve or to prevent something like this from occurring again. Reading the book makes one very worried about the future of America but at the same time, one feels disempowered to take action.

Overall, however, I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand the basics of this important issue before they delve into the more sophisticated elements.