Palast is an American journalist with an annoying wiseass sense of humor, but better defined by his hardass devotion to journalistic investigation with a left wing agenda. This book collects and connects his articles exposing the crimes of globalization, corporate corruption, and sell-outs in the United States and British governments. The book – assuming that what he writes is true or even partially true – inspires depression over the sad state of affairs while at the same time an enduring hope in that there are those that are willing to fight.

“It is estimated that one in eight American adults have worked at McDonald’s. This acts as kind of moral instruction for the working class, as jail time does for ghetto residents. It is one reason behind America’s low unemployment rate. As my old professor Milton Friedman taught me, unemployment falls when workers give up hope of higher pay.” (p. 78)

“It would be a mistake to view the politics of emptiness – in which ideals and beliefs are suspect – as a New Labour invention. Blair, Cardoso of Brazil, Frei of Chile, are all products of the factory that manufactured Bill Clinton, all bionic election machines who, in Medelsohn’s words, are ‘not ideologically constrained.’ LLM’s manifesto dismisses ‘leaders who lead’ as antique creatures of The Passing World. Today, markets lead. Industry CEOs lead. In the Emerging World, prime ministers and presidents LISTEN. Without the restraints of conviction, they are free to respond to requests of the powerful while shifting their media images as the public mood demands.” (p. 170) ( )

I was aware of some political scientists associating the American as opposed to the British political system with inherent corruption, because of personality cult rather than party discipline. This book pins down both! ( )

Should be required reading for everyone in America. No matter what your political inclination or your feelings on the Iraq war, this book will provide an eye-opening perspective on the true motivations of the Bush administration. ( )

Whether one believes Katherine Harris’s claim that Palast’s conclusions are "twisted and maniacally partisan" or Tribune Magazine’s declaration that he is "the greatest investigative reporter of our time," one thing is plain: Palast does not shy away from controversy. This collection of reports touches on a number of familiar topics, including Enron, the presidential election of 2000 and the Bush family’s purported connection to Saudi Arabia. These issues have been explored in more depth by other authors, but what makes this audiobook so entertaining is its all-star anti-administration cast, including Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Jim Hightower. All of the readings are well-executed, but the full plate of narrators can cause confusion. It’s unclear how the text is divided up amongst the readers, and at any moment, a new chapter may begin with a new, unidentified voice. Despite the guessing-game nature of the audio presentation, this is still a fun, provocative listen ( )

Corruscating, eye-opening and fearless investigative journalism. ( )