Corruptible
Who Gets Power and How it Changes Us
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- 6,99 €
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- 6,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
'Illuminating . . . reveals why some people and systems are more likely to be corrupted by power than others' - Adam Grant
'Passionate, insightful, and occasionally jaw-dropping . . . Corruptible sets out the story of the intoxicating lure of power-and how it has shaped the modern world' - Peter Frankopan
'A brilliant exploration' - Dan Snow
'Klaas is the rarest of finds: a political scientist who can also tell great stories. He mixes memorable anecdotes with stern analysis to tackle one of the biggest questions of all: do we have to be ruled by bad people?' - Peter Pomerantsev
Does power corrupt or are corrupt people drawn to power?
Are tyrants the products of bad systems or are they just bad people?
And why do we give power to awful people?
In Corruptible, professor of global politics Brian Klaas draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world's top leaders - from the noblest to the dirtiest - including presidents, war criminals, cult leaders, terrorists, psychopaths, and dictators to reveal the most surprising workings of power: how children can predict who is going to win an election based just on the faces of politicians; why narcissists make more money; what makes a certain species of bee more corrupt than others; whether a thirst for power is a genetic condition; and why being the second in command is in fact the smartest choice.
From scans of psychopathic brains, to the effects of power on monkey drug use, Klaas weaves cutting-edge research with astonishing encounters (including a ski lesson with the former viceroy of Iraq, tea with a former UK prime minister, and breakfast with Madagascar's yogurt kingpin president). Written by the creator of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, Corruptible challenges our basic assumptions about power, from the board room to the war room, and provides a roadmap for getting better leaders at every level.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Political scientist Klaas (The Despot's Accomplice) investigates in this illuminating study whether power corrupts or corrupt people seek power, and why humans seem "somehow drawn to giving power to the wrong people for the wrong reasons." Drawing from sociology, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, Klaas examines how innovations in warfare and agriculture contributed to the rise of hierarchical societies between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago, and illustrates theories about the nature of power with intriguing historical cases. For example, the contrast between King Leopold II's progressive reforms in Belgium, where he "faced accountability and oversight," and his barbaric treatment of villagers in the Congo, where "he was a tyranny of one and his atrocities were hidden" from those who kept him accountable back home highlights the role that systems play in guiding individual behavior. Elsewhere, Klaas compares police department recruiting techniques in the U.S. and New Zealand to show that an emphasis on weaponry instead of community care in the U.S. attracts those more likely to use force. His concrete suggestions for how organizations can reduce corruption include expanding the pool of applicants for leadership positions, rotating employees through different departments, and auditing decision-making processes. Enriched by colorful case studies and lucid explanations of academic research, this is a nuanced and entertaining guide to the meaning and function of power.
