Moneyland: Why Thieves And Crooks Now Rule The World And How To Take It Back

Why Thieves And Crooks Now Rule The World And How To Take It Back

By: Oliver Bullough

Narrated by: Oliver Bullough

An Economist Politics and Current Affairs book of the year.

Once upon a time, if an official stole money, there wasn't much he could do with it. He could buy himself a new car or build himself a nice house or give it to his friends and family, but that was about it. If he kept stealing, the money would just pile up in his house until he had no rooms left to put it in, or it was eaten by mice. And then some bankers in London had a bright idea. Join the investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into Moneyland - the secret country of the lawless, stateless superrich. Learn how the institutions of Europe and the United States have become money-laundering operations, undermining the foundations of Western stability. Discover the true cost of being open for business no matter how corrupt and dangerous the customer. This is the story of wealth and power in the 21st century. It isn't too late to change it.

“You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland.” NEW STATESMAN©2018 Oliver Bullough (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd

A bit half baked

The book as a whole lacks structure so that it reads, rather ploddingly, like a write-up of the author's notes - a travelogue more than a serious treatise. It makes for an anecdotal style overall that undermines the profundity and implications of Bullough's thesis. Also there are whopping omissions. No mention of the Panama papers, or the mortal dangers that more forensic investigators have encountered. Interesting, but definitely a missed opportunity.