Top 5 books to read themed on ‘Corruption’
Remember when India saw its largest Anti-Corruption movement in 2011? It’s been a decade since we experienced a unanimous raising of voice against something that is even today a part of our daily lives.
9th of December is celebrated as International Anti-Corruption Day to raise public awareness of how $1 trillion is paid in bribes every year while an estimated $2.6 trillion is stolen under various corrupted schemes. This sum is equivalent to 5% of the global GDP!
Sharing some curated reads that cover ‘corruption’ as a theme for you to enjoy as they are all thrilling to read!
Do share more recommendations, reviews, and thoughts with our community at merrative.com!
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
“Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it.”
Macbeth is a drama of superstition, bloodshed, and desire for power. It pictures the suffering of a man surrendering to the evil wishes of passion and power.
“From the very beginning of the play, Shakespeare’s plot moves quickly from royal prophecy to bloodshed to massacre to madness and finally to its gripping conclusion. Don’t be fooled by the fancy language; this is a fast-paced story! ― A Great Real Place
Corruption in America — From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United by Zephyr Teachout
“Like liberty, speech, or equality, corruption is an important concept with unclear boundaries. It refers to excessive private interests in the public sphere; an act is corrupt when private interests trump public ones in the exercise of public power, and a person is corrupt when they use public power for their own ends, disregarding others.”
This book is on the lines of the history of the idea of ‘corruption’ and also what the historical leaders and decision-makers have done to curb the same. It’s an academic examination of corruption in The United States of America.
“You have probably heard pundits say we are living in an age of ‘legalized bribery’; ‘Corruption in America’ is the book that makes their case in careful detail.” — NYTimes
The Case that Shook India: The verdict that led to the emergency by Prashant Bhushan
“In a coup planned and executed with ruthless military efficiency Mrs Gandhi that night transformed the country from a working democracy into a dictatorship”
This book is a legal and historical document in which the author, advocate Prashant Bhushan provides the complete picture of the inside and outside court proceedings. This includes bribes and threats given, deceits inflicted and lies promoted as truth. It also showcases how in order to save PM’s elections, the ruling government can misuse legislative power. The author was a prominent member of the group India Against Corruption (IAC) and worked alongside Anna Hazare for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
“An invaluable, historical document…being re-issued when new questions are being asked about the independance of the judiciary from the PMO.” — Caravan
Kickback: Exposing the Global Corporate Bribery Network by David Montero
“Bribery, unlike other crimes, often plays out slowly, with secret payments flowing between a company and the government over the course of years, if not decades, so its impact is not obvious until long after money or power has changed hands. The result is a slow motion disaster, leaving economic, political and social damage that cannot be detected unless someone begins to look for it.”
The author investigates and writes about the corporate bribery scandals of the past two and one-half centuries including eighteenth-century machinations of British East India. This book shows the relationship between business and politics and how they together induce corruption.
“Kickbacks, [Montero] demonstrates, are the ‘cost of doing business.’ But by the end of his book, one is left with the impression that the cost, whatever it might be, is far too high.” — Bloomberg
Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright and Braley Hope
“The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths, it has its pearls too”
Imagine someone from a prestigious institution like the Wharton School of Business pulling off a heist that would symbolize the next significant threat to the global financial system. It’s a story of how a man siphoned money in billions from an investment fund to finance elections, movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and buy real estate.
“As Bad Blood is to biotech, Billion Dollar Whale is to international finance… a wonderful read… Thrilling.”―Bill Gates
Hope you enjoy this list! If you have more recommendations or have read any of these books, share your takeaways and review them with the community at — merrative.com!
