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  • The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

  • Written by: John Perkins
  • Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
  • Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (218 ratings)

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The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Written by: John Perkins
Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
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Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best seller, updated and expanded, featuring 15 explosive new chapters.

The previous edition of this now-classic book revealed the existence and subversive manipulations of "economic hit men". John Perkins wrote that economic hit men (EHM) "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". In Perkins' 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 latest edition, Perkins provides revealing new details about how he and others did their work. But, more importantly, in an explosive new section, he describes how the EHM tools are being used around the world more widely than ever - even in the United States. The cancer has metastasized, yet most people still aren't 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 doorsteps. The EHM system - employing false economics, bribes, surveillance, deception, debt, coups, assassinations, and 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.

©2004 John Perkins (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

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Don't waste your credits.

Excellent story and initial descriptions, the last four chapters were needless and nullified the author's credibility. He could have left off the section of the text where he slips into emotional pleas about activism. I probably shouldn't expect anymore out of a bourgeois boomer attempting to repent for crimes against humanity, conveniently well after his financial position is well secured for life, reminiscent of Al Gore and his more convenient timing. Substantive on the surface, nullified by the presenter.

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5 people found this helpful

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a must read for every free thinker!

have heard about this book before but was skeptic about some of the testimonies in the first version, this version answers alot of questions and creates even more, which is awesome!

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2 people found this helpful

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Must read

Opens eyes, surfaces truth, points reality, educates minds all in one book. It will change your projection and perception of globalization.

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2 people found this helpful

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Enlightening

This book changed how I view the world. You always hear theories about how the US manipulates developing countries to take advantage of their resources. I have always been a bit skeptical as to how far they actually do, I always thought it was pretty much conspiracy theories. No more, Perkins, IMO provides very credible evidence to how EHM (Economic Hit Men) do precisely that. His personal stories about how he was recruited and became a EHM is fascinating. The book gives detailed examples of how he and his colleagues moved in to manipulate politicians, till they became pawns for US corporations and government. If I had one criticism, it would be the book kind of drags on towards the end and gets a bit repetitious. I highly recommend that anyone should read (listen) to this book.

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Eye opening book!!

If you want to really know how the world works, this is the book for you! Amazing but disturbing all at the same time. Highly recommended!!

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good overall.

very repetitive specially if you already have a economic background or are well read. but good overall

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Great Book

Very important insight on how the world really works. I’ll be reading the first book to this series next.

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absolutely fascinating and eye opening!

This is a must read! Exposé on world financial manipulation and politics! 5 stars!

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Great start, poor finish

It was an interesting start, lot of great insight into American expansion using economic means. At the same time after he left his position I don’t think there was much substantial new information. It reads like that guy who can definitely tell a story to make it sound better than it actually happened. In the end what would have made this book good in the second half would be some actual insight into the Chinese EHM program in Asia and in Africa where this is happening right now. In the end his morality got the best of him and I had to sit through a few hours of endless talking points and broken misguided thoughts on how to reform world economics so we can live is this beautiful green economy where equality reigns supreme. To read into it a bit more he was just a mid level guy separated from a lot of the big decisions, probably could have got pretty high up then left before his time.

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Original Was Better

The author almost had me convinced until he started citing people like Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul as examples to be followed. We now know thet we’re two of the most corrupt people in history.

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  • Bill Redfield
  • 2016-02-24

Don't buy the first "confessions. .." buy this one

A lot of repeat information for about the first half with some, not much more detail or clarity of the first book. So I wouldn't waste the money buying the first rendering. The remaining 15 or so chapters are packed full of new and some repeat information for clarity purposes because there is a lot going on.
Now about the content, it had and has me pissed off knowing all the misinformation that has been pushed to the general public while the greedy bastards are still continuing to conquer, destroy, kill, manipulate, ..... and no one is held accountable. The outsiders pay dearly on a continuous basis without the slightest smidgen of guilt or compassion. Pure evil is the best way to describe it.

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  • Jonathan Love
  • 2016-08-17

More like Liberal Hit Piece

A friend recommended this book to me and, although I know his political positions, he revealed a limited premise that really got me excited. What I found, however, was chapter after chapter of a mea culpa by a man who, while self-admittedly escaping his puritanical upbringing, claims to have known he was doing wrong, but did it anyway.

The story is actually fascinating, but rings hollow as not once during the book does he give any detail of being an economic hit man. In fact the book reads more like a loosely, tied-together, string of Wikipedia entries wherein he inserts himself into that history and then blames Capitalism for every death around the world that could plausibly be related to a western company's market entrance.

All that being said, there's plenty in this book that I do believe and admire Mr. Perkins for writing a generalized book of a highly slanted perspective of 'Corporatocracy'. At the end of the day, much of this stuff can't be denied, regardless of personal political persuasion. For me, it's really not so much the problems (although hyperbole doesn't help anyone) I disagree with, it's the solutions proposed (e.g., government sponsored via tax-payer dollars) which only continues the cycle of fraud and filling the coffers of other companies.

If only Mr. Perkins left out the political partisanship (although in two instances he does mention Democrat party officials as facilitators and benefactors of said Corporatocracy), provided some details of how his economic forecasts actually forced governments to accept these loans, some context to his accusations via similar countries that didn't accept the economic incentives and their parallel growth, and didn't just throw crap up to see what sticks (i.e., one of his last chapters he just starts citing random articles that he thinks may corroborate his work, but also says he didn't do any vetting of the articles themselves), I might have been more swayed to what he was peddling.

Apparently as an Economic Hit Man, Mr. Perkins was superb since he managed to stay and grow in that field, but I seriously doubt his claims of "recruitment by the NSA" led to anything more than a peripheral interest in him due to his association with the son of a foreign dignitary. Also, his writing and conclusions aren't the work of any seasoned intelligence officer as they are laced with conjecture, hyperbole, speculation, and partiality.

The narrator was superb and I was able to listen at 3x speed without any problem; audio was clear and crisp.

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  • Jdwilson112
  • 2017-04-02

Difficult to decipher fact from fiction

I purchased this book thinking I would learn some useful information about global economics, but instead what I got was a hard to believe story littered with left wing propaganda.

I'm sure there is truth to some of the stories outlined in this book but it difficult to decipher the truth from the padded stories that lack any real facts or research. The author tells his story with a very biased and anti-capitalist theme. I really tried to give this book a chance but I just couldn't get past the left wing agenda and constant jabs against capitalism and the Republican Party. The last straw was when the author quoted an article from Vanity Fair as fact. This is the first audible book I just could not finish.

The authors points would have been much more valid had he left out his biased views and left wing agenda. The only good part about this audio book was the narration.

It really is a shame. If you have a basic understanding of global economics then some of the authors points make great sense. This book could have been so much better if the author just stuck to the facts and presenting the story without trying to push his agenda on to the reader.

I will be returning this one to audible and getting another book that's less politically driven.

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  • Luca
  • 2016-05-20

Read, read, read!!

This book is a must read, especially for any American who may be struggling to understand the world we live in today and what role the US plays in it.

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  • alan
  • 2016-05-09

Time to Open our Eyes - and Say Enough!

After listening to The Creature from Jekyll Island and others, The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man really is a eye opener and it fills in the gaps. This book is a must listen if you really want to understand what is going on in the global economy. If your concerned for the environment and why the World Bank says they want to eradicate global poverty but in fact are the agents who support global corporations to rape the 3rd world, then your ready to swallow the red pill and buy this book.

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  • Nick Kean
  • 2017-04-13

Good start, pathetic last half

After enjoying the first half of the book I was thoroughly disappointed with the rest. If I wanted to hear about shamanic healing and tree hugging I'd have bought a different book. The author thinks he's James Bond but comes across as more of a Walter Mitty.

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  • Zikomo
  • 2017-06-17

Starts off interesting, but a lot of it is filler

The author pretends to take responsibility for his actions, but is really looking to do some virtue signalling. On the one hand, he admits that the bad stuff happened because guys like him (and worse guys) used lies, threats and even violence to force foreign leaders to make bad decisions. But he also wants us to believe that the economic problems in the world are the fault of free market capitalism. It's ridiculous. Free market capitalism is very much opposed to the practices that he describes in the book, and yet he wants to blame capitalism and sympathize with left wing terrorists.

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  • Perpetual
  • 2016-05-01

Confirmations of Fear

This book confirms much of what you fear goes on among massive multinational corporations and our governments. Much of the "aid" we send other countries through various financial mechanisms is a veiled attempt at strangling them with debt and dependences as those countries develop. Perkins does a great job sharing the behind the scenes activity and the reasons for it, painting a complete picture of the things we suspected were happening. Perhaps the only negative about this book is that some of the later chapters get washed out with generic suggestions to prevent this in the future albeit a very positive message. When even our political system is used against us, keeping us fighting unimportant battles with each other, it is hard to accept a simple message of buying goods from good companies and acting in good conscience after the level of moral disregard and wanton malevolence is made clear.

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  • theboot
  • 2017-05-07

Good message garbled in self-pity

This book could've been 25%, possibly 35% shorter if the author spent less time wading around in guilt and self-pity and spent more time on the details of the mini-stories and the overall message. A worthwhile read if you can block out the annoying interludes of guilt confessions.

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  • jksc2011
  • 2016-05-08

Vivid accounts of historic hidden truth, it's a...

Sad Necessary Awakening to the Real State of the Union. This updated edition brings us right up to 2015 atrocities and sources of hope and action.

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  • Thom Wiseman
  • 2022-12-12

Excellent book on supranational organisations

Excellent book that covers corporations and the supranational organisations that control the finances of the world

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