A riveting exposé of international corruption-and what we can do about it, from the author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list.

In his stunning memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins detailed his former role as an "economic hit man" in the international corporate skullduggery of a de facto American Empire. This riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé unfolded like a cinematic blockbuster told through the eyes of a man who once helped shape that empire. Now, in The Secret History of the American Empire, Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world and, drawing on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, and activists, examines the current geopolitical crisis. Instability is the norm: It's clear that the world we've created is dangerous and no longer sustainable. How did we get here? Who's responsible? What good have we done and at what cost? And what can we do to change things for the next generations? Addressing these questions and more, Perkins reveals the secret history behind the events that have created the American Empire, including:

- The current Latin-American revolution and its lessons for democracy

- How the "defeats" in Vietnam and Iraq benefited big business

- The role of Israel as "Fortress America" in the Middle East

- Tragic repercussions of the IMF's "Asian Economic Collapse"

- U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela

- Jackal (CIA operatives) forays to assassinate democratic presidents

From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe. Alarming yet hopeful, this book provides a compassionate plan to reimagine our world.

約翰．柏金斯John Perkins

著有《經濟殺手的告白》一書，揭露國際貪腐的驚人內幕，雄踞《紐約時報》暢銷書排行榜一年多，已譯成三十多種語言出版。他是「夢想改變」（Dream Change）和帕恰瑪瑪聯盟（Pachamama Alliance）的創辦人和理事。這兩個非營利性組織致力於喚醒人民，為後代子孫打造穩定、永續、和平的世界。柏金斯足跡遍及四大洲，到多所大學演講、授課，包括哈佛、華頓商學院、普林斯頓。目前投身環境、社會運動。

個人網站：www.johnperkins.org

譯者簡介

黃中憲

政大外交系畢業，曾任出版社叢書主編、網路媒體國際新聞編譯，現專職筆譯。譯作有《革命狂潮與化學家》、《成吉思汗》、《1776：美國的誕生》、《瞧這些英國佬》、《國家地理攝影精技》、《發現非洲》、《伊斯蘭世界》、《破解古埃及》等。