The previous edition of this now-classic book revealed the existence and subversive manipulations of ""economic hit men"". John Perkins wrote that they ""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 murde"". In Perkin's case the tool was debt-convincing strategically important countries to borrow huge amounts of money for enormous, ""development"" projects that served the very rich while driving the country deeper into poverty and debt. And once indebted, these countries could be controlled. In this last edition, Perkins provides revealing new details about how he and others did their work. But more importantly, in an explosive new section he decribes how the EHM tools are being used around the world more widely than ever-even in the U.S. itself. The cancer has metastasized, yet most people still arent aware of it. Fear and debt drive the EHM system. We are hammered with messages that terrify us into believing that we must pay any price, assume any debt to stop the enemies who we are told lurk at our doorstep. The EHM system- employing false economics, bribes, surveillance, deception, debts, coups, assassinations, unbridled military power-has become the dominant system of economics, government and society today. It has created what Perkins calls a ""Death Economy"". But Perkins offers hope: he concludes with dozens of specific, concrete suggestions for actions all of us can take to wrest control of our world away from the economic hit men, and help give birth to a Life Economy.

Author Biography

John Perkins was formerly Chief Economist at a major international consulting firm where he advised the World Bank, United Nations, the IMF, U.S. Treasury Department, Fortune 500 corporations and governments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.