The Shock Doctrine

The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

By: Naomi Klein

Narrated by: Jennifer Wiltsie

The bestselling author of No Logo shows how the global "free market" has exploited crises and shock for three decades, from Chile to Iraq

In her groundbreaking reporting, Naomi Klein introduced the term "disaster capitalism." Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic "shock treatment," losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers.

The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman's free market economic revolution. In contrast to the popular myth of this movement's peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies in so many parts of the world from Latin America and Eastern Europe to South Africa, Russia, and Iraq.

At the core of disaster capitalism is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. Klein argues that by capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, and is the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for fifty years.

©2007 Naomi Klein; (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

“A movement bible.” —The New York Times on No Logo

“Klein is a sharp cultural critic and flawless storyteller. Her analysis is thorough and thoroughly engaging.” —Newsweek.com on No Logo

Reality Bites

This book is depressing, but needed. I was impressed by the amount of research the author put into this work. With every chapter I can see the reality of what we hear, or should I say what we don't hear, in our daily news.

The reality of the political elite have messed with our minds and our citizens. The degradation caused by this administration spreads to the rest of the world as it was a very large supermarket with humans as commodities.

I appreciated this honest and factual account of the state of economics and human suffering.

I am better for the knowledge to make informed judgments when I go to the voting booth.

Thank you Naomi for your hard work!

If Only We Knew...

...Thanks to Naomi Klein we see the REAL reason behind the corporatacracy that has unfolded in our country with the help of the current administration.

Must read

I couldn't stop listening to it, replaying it my head and looking at the news cycle in an entirely new way. She connects the economic terrorism in Latin American to Russia and Iraq.

arguments obscured by personal agenda

I liked the book. My problem is with Naomi’s constant, and aggressive attacks of the Republican Party. I don’t think her books need these sensationalized stabs at this party that she so obviously dislikes. On several occasions I was about to turn it off, and chalk it up to pandering to the liberal jib-jab, but she had some good points that kept me listening. It does open your eyes, although the concepts would be more valid without her political manipulations that constantly seem to appear in each chapter, and after each insight.
Excluding Naomi’s personal views, this book is very persuasive in the arguments that it makes, and causes one to think about the current affairs of the global manipulations by a few tinkers.

Was expecting the full version

I bought this book expecting it to be the unabridged version and was disappointed to find out how about half of the book is missing.
Still a great listen just wished there was more.