Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Confessions of an Economic Hitman



Written by: John Perkins

Read by: Brian Emerson

Background: "Economic hit men," John Perkins writes, "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."
I first heard about this book from John C. Dvorak on one of the many podcasts he frequents. He highly recommended this book as an explanation for why things are they way they are in this world. Before I read the book I also saw an old Documentary produced by PBS journalist Bill Moyers in the 80's called "the shadow government". In the documentary, Moyers exposes alot of the Government corruption and who's behind it in Washington. What Moyers didn't  realize is that alot of the things he talked about in his hit piece, John Perkins was personally responsible for. 
Perkins never actually worked directly for any Government agency , but rather worked for a private consulting group called Maine. Maine which is now defunct, produced expert analysis and recommendations to  developing nations. He would essentially fabricate economic growth estimates in order to justify massive loans from the IMF and World Bank. Loans that would make the leaders of these nations wealthy while saddling their people with debt that could never be repaid. Once the nation defaulted on these loans the United States would then call in favors like access to natural resources like Oil Fields, or allowing the construction of Military bases. Also, any national development projects would have to go to U.S. based construction and engineering firms like Bechtol and Haliburton , further pushing the country into the hole by not employing their own labor force.

John Perkins spent alot of his career working in Central and South America. One of the more interesting stories he talks about is in Ecuador in the 1950's. During this time Shell Oil was pushing hard to explore for Oil in the Northern Amazon Rainforest. Which is why a group of Missionaries from America went there to attempt to contact native tribes living in the Forest. According to Jaime Roldós Aguilera , Ecuador's President from 1979 - 1981. SIL the Missionary organization that sent in Missionaries like Rachel Saint and her Brother Nate Saint and his friends Jim and Elisabeth Elliot and others. Apparently SIL was pressuring the natives off their land and into Mission Organized camps , in order to make the land more available to Shell for exploration for Oil & Gas. President Aguilera said SIL was dropping in food to the natives laced with Laxatives. Then the missionaries would come to the rescue with the cure. Among other very disconcerting accusations. This to me explains a much better reason for why the Waodani Tribe murdered Nate, Jim, Peter, Ed and Roger. It never made much sense to me that they were killed by this tribe just because they were savages that didn't understand right from wrong. President Aguilera says they were upset that the Oil companies were forcing them off their land and they used the Missionaries as an example of what would happen if this continued to happen.
In my view, I think the death's of these 5 great men was a tragic loss one that could have been avoided. And now I believe that they were being used , maybe without even knowing it, by Shell Oil. I saw the movie that came out about their story a few years ago. It was sad and tragic, but I think the better story is that of Rachel Saint. I think she was the real hero in this case.

John Perkins tells a very intriguing story, one that I think is honest. Maybe he didn't have as large of an influence on the world stage as he thinks he did, but maybe he really did. The pieces certainly do seem to fit when you look at it from his angle.

The Review:
As for the Audio part of this review, the book works well as an Audio book. But the reader Brian Emerson's pace and tone, and inflection in certain words is just off at times. It is very listenable but I'd rather someone like Scott Brick read it. I can't say that I'd be looking forward to Brian Emerson reading me another book anytime soon.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

-B

The Long Run

The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter's Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete

Written By: Matthew Long & Charles Butler

Read By: Mathew Del Negro

Background: I stumbled across this book recently and after listening to the sample , I added it to my list of books I someday wanted to listen to. Earlier this year I started training for a charity bike ride event for the National MS Society. This got me started on the road to working out more consistently. After I lost some weight biking, my next goal was to start running, and be able to do a 10k in 2011.Well after reading Matty Long's book, I think I'm going to step it up, and attempt a full Marathon instead.
In 2005 the NYC Transit workers Union went on strike for 60 hours, shutting down the entire city's public transit system. No subways, no buses, and no cars were allowed in parts of Manhattan unless there were at least 4 people in the car. One early December morning, Matt Long was riding his bike to work because of the strike, and was run over by a chartered passenger bus taking Bear Stearn's Employees to work. His body was almost completely destroyed by the Bus, I'll spare the details he gives.
Only a few weeks before the accident, Matt had just completed the NYC Marathon and set a time good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Prior to getting hit by the bus, Matt was an accomplished athlete , an Ironman Finisher, successful business owner, and 12 year Veteran of the NYC Fire Dept. He even Survived the North Tower collapse at the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001.
 Matt, must embark on a recovery journey that few people could go through and recover to the level that he did. He was given only a 5% chance of living through the night upon making it to the hospital. He not only survived, but later went back to run the NYC Marathon again, and just last year, he completed the Lake Placid Ironman for the second time!

The Review:
Matt Long's story is truly the definition of living a good story. He is a character that wants something, and overcomes INSURMOUNTABLE odds to get it. I've listened to alot of books this year, some Theology books, some Fiction, some non-fiction, all over the spectrum. But I think for 2010, if I were to give out a "Audio Book of the Year Award" it would go to "The Long Run". This was easily the best book I read this year. Donald Miller's book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years", would be an extremely close 2nd.

Matthew Del Negro, reading this book has just the right amount of New York accent to give you the flavor the region. He reads at a really good pace, and fittingly, I listened while going on a couple jogs, and he more then kept me motivated to keep running.

I can't recommend this book enough. If you're a runner, if you're a biker, if you're a human, You'll love the book. It can be graphic at times be warned about that. But that's part of his story, and an important part. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wants to try turning this into a movie, but I hope they don't. Matt's story is one that many people have gone through to varying degrees. And his is one that is emotional, and awe inspiring. I'd be truly honored to meet him someday.


Rating 5 out of 5


-B

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Written by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Read by: Frank Muller



Background: I've heard of this book because it's one of those books that's on every American classic book list. I never knew what it was about, or really anything. I, much like sitcom character Doug Heffernan could have easily just assumed that Gatsby was a magician. Which is not the case at all.

Overall I guess the story was ok, but it's not one that you can just automatically pickup on. There seems to be a lot of subtly and nuance to the characters. Honestly I'm still not sure why Fitzgerald even titled it the way he did. Gatsby is not even the main character and he isn't introduced until well into the book. The one theme I could slightly identify with was the main character Nick, who turned 30 years old, and goes off about how turning 30 is such a milestone for him. Since I myself am turning 30 in a few short days, I could identify a lot there.

Mostly the story is a socialite commentary set in the 1920's. In this regard it felt in parts like another book I read this year "Atlas Shrugged". Except this book is no where near as long as Atlas Shrugged.

The Review: The Great Gatsby has been recorded into audio by many publishers. The one I listened to was done by Recorded Books, and read by Frank Muller. Mr. Muller is a superb reader. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance of this cast of characters. Even though I wasn't able to fully grasp all or really any of the meaning behind the story itself, I did enjoy the book. And hey, now I can say, yes, I have read "The Great Gatsby".

Rating: 3.5 of 5

-B

Messy Spirituality

Messy Spirituality: God's Annoying Love for Imperfect People

Written By: Mike Yaconelli

Read By: Fred Stella


Background:  Mike Yaconelli  was a lay minister and founder of Youth Specialties. A Christian leadership organization that focus's on developing people specifically for ministry with young people. Mike tragically passed away in 2003 of an auto accident after suffering a stroke while driving. This was my first introduction to Mike and I have to say I think I would have really liked him had I known him. His brand of "K-mart Seminary" is refreshing in it's simplicity. He doesn't feel the need like allot of Churches and Church leaders to constantly have everything look perfect.

The Review:
Messy Spirituality, is truly what Mike practiced. He was not perfect, and he knew it. He made many mistakes, big ones too. He was divorced, which for many would be Church Leaders can be the end of your Ministry Career. But in spite of all of his short comings in life , he was constantly reminded that God loved him. Just a few days before his death, he was speaking at a conference and said that his first words to God if he had died right then would be "What a Ride, What a Ride".

Mike speaks to what many in the Christian culture would call "Legalism" or "Holiness" or just plain "Perfectionism" that has pushed many people away from the Church. It has always struck me as odd how an institution that should be loving and accepting of all people can so blindly do the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. This is a hot button issue if you're involved in the Church leadership world. And it's never just as easy as doing what Jesus says, because Jesus doesn't always speak in formula's or absolutes. He speaks in stories and gives real examples. Like another favorite author of mine Donald Miller says, "if you read through the Gospels, it's almost as though Jesus is doing everything He can to never do the same thing twice, because if He did we wouldn't trust Him , we'd trust the Formula". I think that's what we in the Church in America have become addicted too. Practicing the formula of Religion. Instead of living like Christ.  Top that off with todays 21st century media coverage, and now everyone can see how living life according to Formula doesn't work.

Another problem I think this has created in the Church in America is the "Can't someone else do it?" mindset. There's this group of Christian teachers out there in what has been labeled the "Emergent Church Movement" (which may be on it's way out), and the one thing they most all have in common is calling the Christains that attend their Churches to get out and DO SOMETHING about Extreme Poverty, Justice, Slavery, Sex Trafficking, the list could go on forever. And many of these Churches, are literally changing the world in Jesus name.

Then there's the critics, who latch onto one or two taken out of context statements by (insert name of popular preacher here) and then claim they're of the Devil and Heretics and should be burned at the stake. Usually their solution for all the issues that plague the world today is Pray about it, and God will help them. Now this may be true, God can help, but I think more often then not. When we're praying for God to fix something, He's right there asking us , "ok what are YOU going to do about it?" . We are supposed to be the "Hands and Feet of Christ" after all.

This has become a Messy blog entry, and it's fitting I think. Because it just shows that being a Christ Follower in today's world is not easy, it's not clean, and anyone who says otherwise is lying to you.

Bottom line, I think more us of should be like Mike Yaconelli. He's a great guy, that is truly missed.


Rating 5 out of 5

Read it. Or listen to it, Fred is a good reader.


-B

Flashforward

Flashforward

Written By: Robert J. Sawyer

Read By: Mark Deakins


Background: Flashforward is the 1999 novel that the 2009 TV Series of the same name, was based on. In part the TV series is similar only by the inclusion of the main character from the book. In the TV series Lloyd Simcoe is really a secondary character compared to the main character as he is portrayed in the novel. On the whole, the novel is really completely different from the TV Series. If someone watched the TV series and was hoping the book would fill in the blanks left by the TV shows cancellation. You will be sorely disappointed.

The Review: I think Science Fiction was meant for the Audio Book format. It really works well when all your mind has to do is process the story, and the imagination of the author. The book takes place in the year 2009, and instead of Flashing Forward only a few months as the TV show did, the books Flashforward goes 21 years into the future. And there's no Conspiratorial subplot in the book either.
Probably one of the most interesting side parts of the book, is all the News of the day interludes. Where the author takes the time to explain how the world has changed in 21 years. Things like, sometime in 2027 Bill Gates will lose his entire fortune, and by 2030 Microsoft will be bankrupt. Some of his predictions of what the future will be like are very interesting. The cause of the Flashforward is attributed to experiments conducted at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The giant Atom smasher built on the border of France and Switzerland. In the book they were colliding lead particles together, and interestingly enough, the LHC just announced last week that they are now starting to do this very same process! Kinda scary. 

The book is read by Mark Deakins, this is my first book I've heard him read, and I have to say that I really enjoyed him reading this. He kept the pace good, kept me interested in the story even through some of the deep science parts. I was able to listen to this book while jogging, driving to work and even found myself listening at work. I will be looking for other books that he's read for sure.


Overall I enjoyed Flashforward the book, and the TV Series was ok. I just wish that it would have gotten picked up by another network after ABC let it die. As long as you can separate the Book from the TV series I think you will enjoy Flashforward.
So , What did you see ?.............



Rating 4.5 out of 5


-B

Star Wars: Rouge Planet

Star Wars: Rouge Planet

Written by: Greg Bear

Read by: Michael Cumpsty



Background: I did read The Phantom Menace, but I didn't bother reviewing it here. It was largely the same as the film, and even the Unabridged Audio book could not save it from itself. It was still a terrible storyline.

The Review:
Rouge Planet is the follow up to The Phantom Menace. Yet again, I found myself wishing this movie had been made. It seems like all the side story novels are just 10 times better than the stories Lucas ended up giving us. In Rouge Planet Obi-Wan and his 12 year old Padawan, Anakin Skywalker are sent on a mission to a distant planet to find a missing Jedi. The world they visit is called Zonama Sekot, and they produce the fastest Starships in the Galaxy. The odd thing is though , everything that is made on Sekot is grown from living beings called "Seed Partners" , and even the furniture you sit on is still alive. Nothing has to be killed on Sekot in order to produce something to use. It makes for a very symbiotic relationship between the inhabitants of the Planet and the Planet itself. It's quite unlike any other Star Wars world that is shown.

The audio version is abridged, and all Star Wars Abridged audio books have sound effects. Thankfully though whoever produced this book went easy on the effects, and just let the story tell itself. This is one abridgment however  that I wish I could have had the full text in audio. I think there was alot of details left out, so much that at the end, the narrator has to give you a summation of what all was left out.

The reader again, is Michael Cumpsty, and again he did a very good job reading, and portraying the different levels of characters in the book. I always find it funny how whoever is reading, always has to do their best Yoda impression when reading his lines.

I enjoyed this book alot. I just wish I would have enjoyed The Phantom Menace as much. If you like the Star Wars universe and exploring new places, you'll certainly like this.


Rating 4 out of 5

-B

Nullification : How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century

Nullification : How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century

Written By: Thomas Woods

Read By: Alan Sklar




Nullification is the democratic principle based on the 10th amendment to the United States Constitution. The term "Nullification" is drawn from the "Principles of 98" , which were responses by Virginia and Kentucky to the passage of the "Alien and Sedition Acts", both were issued in 1798. Basically, the State Governments of Virginia and Kentucky passed resolutions stating that the laws that the Federal Government had passed were unconstitutional and thereby null and void. Since the laws were null, the States were not going to enforce those laws.

Thomas Jefferson , is credited with coming up with this idea. Because during the founding of the Union, every other nation in the known world was based on a Central controlling Government. But Jefferson had the Policy that the Government that Governs nearest to the People Governs Best. So by his measure each State in the Union should be able to stand up to Washington D.C. and say we will not enforce your unconstitutional laws.

Here's where it gets sticky, and why most State Governments just do what they're told by the Feds. There are always certain political ideas that a loud minority will make lots of noise about just to make it into an issue and get Washington to do something about it. For example, Health Care. You'll hear lots of complaints about how many people don't have Health Care, and that is why it was important for the Feds to pass the Health Care bill. But Washington in it's infinite Wisdom can't just pass a Health Care bill, no, they have to make it Mandatory, and if you don't buy insurance , you can be "fined" by the IRS. This is where Nullification, can come into play. Individual States can stand up for their people and simply not allow the Government to Fine or penalize anyone for not having insurance. But it would take a State Government with the guts to do it. And because of the Constitution, the Federal Government can do nothing about it. The reason most states bow to Washington's wishes though, is usually due to them needing Federal Funding.

Now proponents of Central Government will sometimes say that it doesn't make sense to live in a country where one States laws are different than another. Thomas Jefferson would disagree. For him and the founders that was one of the main points of why they setup the system the way it is. So if you live in a State and they have a law you don't like , say you'd rather drive 70 on the Highway than 65. Then you can move to a State where the Speed Limit is 70. That was the point. And in the event that something needed to be outlawed on a National Level, the Federal Government should propose a Constitutional Amendment, and when enough States support it, then it becomes the law of the land.

The part that people today don't like about amending the Constitution is that it would take seemingly a long time. And in today's "we want it yesterday" mentality , Americans seem willing to put up with losing Freedoms bit by bit, while gaining perceived Government services. There hasn't been a Constitutional Amendment Ratified by the States since 1992. And that one was about limiting changes to Congressional Pay. Interestingly enough, the 27th Amendment was initially introduced in Congress in 1789, so it only took 202 years to become an amendment. Clearly we are so easily distracted by the whatever the crisis of the day is.

The Review:
The book it self is very deep and somewhat complex. I have to admit , I'm not a Constitutional Scholar, so it was difficult to follow along at times. Overall it was an interesting read, and the author includes alot of Full quotes from old documents. Including the full readings of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 at the end of the book. The most interesting thing Mr. Woods purposes is that each State should form an independent office of Constitutional advisement. Basically a group of bipartisan Constitutional Scholars who would review Federal Laws, and then advise State Legislators on weather or not the law is enforceable by the  State.

The book is read by Professional Reader Alan Sklar. As a reader I felt he was just ok. He wasn't able to keep my attention at all times. I can't say I recommend him as a reader.

Even though the book itself wasn't the most captivating read, I think it I need to recommend that all Americans should read it, and understand it. Because unless more people understand how our Government SHOULD work, then our Government is just going to do what IT wants, and not what it's people want.


Rating 2.5 of 5

Tom Woods on the Principles of 98

-B