When Corporations Rule the World

by David C. Korten

"This is a 'must read' book--a searing indictment of an unjust international economic order, not by a wild-eyed idealistic left-winger, but by a sober scion of the establishment with impeccable credentials. It left me devastated but also very hopeful. Something can be done to create a more just economic order."
Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate

"Building on the electrifying, Ralph Nader

"Like many of the people Danny Glover Activist and Actor

"Periodically, there comes along a book which really must be read by everybody associated with business and/or politics. I think this is one such book."
Social & Environmental Accounting

"Should be high on the list of 'must-read' books for even the busiest corporate executive."
The Financial Times (London)

"Korten's book is creating an intellectual framework for dealing with the issues of the entry of humankind into the 21st century."
Klaus Schwab, President, World Economic Forum

"A tour de force. Korten's Second Edition of When Corporations Rule the World builds upon his earlier volume but delivers a new message of hope. His relentlessly brilliant analysis of unfolding global events, combined with his frank appraisal of failed models of economic development, leaves the reader breathless at the extent of the devastation wrought by even well-meaning initiatives. Yet, he finds reason to believe that the tide is turning and that there may yet be hope for building economic models that leave room for both sound environmental planning and a nurturing of the human spirit." 
Amy Domini President, Domini Social Equity Fund

"If every corporate leader who believes implicitly that consumerism is the path to happiness (and that rampant development is the road to global prosperity) were to read When Corporations Rule the World with an open mind, the world just might have a chance of becoming a better place for us all."
Toronto Globe and Mail

"When Corporations Rule the World is an absolutely indispensable guide to the new world economy. It is a learned, courageous, and ultimately hopeful book. It provides a blueprint for the process of economic reformation which is essential for the recovery of sovereignty, community, and a right relation to the natural world." 
Resurgence

"This book is a breakthrough. No business or economic analysis from now on will be able to speak of the U.S. or global economic system without reference to it .... This book will be the foundation of a new deeper dialogue on the financial, corporate, and social future of America and the world."
TRANET Digest

"If you can read only one book on how to understand and address the enormous challenges of our time, this is it .... Korten weaves together a devastating critique of the tyranny of the global economy with an arsenal of well-argued alternatives that combine vision and practicality to offer an empowering agenda for change."
John Cavanagh, Director, Institute for Policy Studies

"This is a book that everyone needs to read--politicians, corporate managers, activists, and anyone concerned with the way the world seems to be heading. We all need to read it and start down the road to a better tomorrow, for all of us."
Elliott Bay Booknotes

"If you work in business, or know someone who does, this book is required reading. Korten defines the business agenda for the next 20 years."
Peter Block Author of Stewardship and Flawless Consulting

"An incomparable presentation of those forces and institutions that are ruling the nations and ruining the Earth. One of the most important books of this century."
Thomas Berry Theologian and Author of The Dream of the Earth

"A clear-eyed, rational critique. Korten's book deserves a large readership"
Academy of Management Review

"This book should be read by every thinking person in the developing world."
Rashmi Mayur, International Environmental Scientist Director, International Institute for a Sustainable Future, Bombay

"Regular readers of publications such as The Economist or Business Week might well think they are having a bad dream when they open David Korten's latest book. The realities that Korten describes in the corporate-led trend toward economic globalization are far different from the glowing reports of growth opportunities and strategic positioning depicted in the mainline business press .... This book is riveting reading, relevant to the everyday experiences of life, and rich in current detail."
The Marketplace

"A profoundly important book. Required reading for the modern day revolutionary struggling against corporate globalization. When Korten spoke at our Action Camp before the Seattle WTO demonstrations I'd swear that he was channeling Thomas Payne."
John Sellers Director, The Ruckus Society

"This book has been a 'must read' route map for many of us who found ourselves on the wrong (right!) side of the police lines at the Seattle protests. Now this essential update finds hope in the burgeoning counterbalance that citizen groups are bringing to bear on big business--tempering its vast power with a conscience, and, God forbid, maybe even a heart!"
Anita Roddick Founder and Co-Chair, The Body Shop

"An eye-opener, which, in a nerve-touching way, clearly depicts the role of business in a changing world. Every business leader should read it."
Rolf Osterberg Former Chairman, Swedish Newspapers Association, Author of Corporate Renaissance

"Korten's mixture of acute observation, common-sense practicality, and vigorous idealism may open more than a few minds."
New Internationalist

"Required reading for women who want to peek behind the curtain of the global economy and figure out how to save ourselves and respond to the global SOS. Korten describes a nightmarish system out of control .... So overwhelming is corporate control that even the men who pull the levers seem powerless to stop the wheels of destruction--even if they wanted to."
Bella S. Abzug Co-chair, Women's Environment & Development Organization (WEDO)

"Probably the most important economics book to come out since The Wealth of Nations."
David Rivard, President, Steel Reinforcing Inc. Co-founder, California World Foundation

"This book is about the most serious crises that mankind may ever have faced. It is a must for those who care."
Steingrimur Hermannsson, Former Prime Minister of Iceland

"At a time of such excess propaganda to persuade us of the benefits and benign nature of corporations, we are fortunate to have a calm, well-reasoned exposition of their more pernicious effects, and a reminder that any form of organization, unrestrained and carried to the extreme, becomes dangerous and destructive. This book should be carefully read by every corporate manager and every citizen concerned with the future of our society."
Dee W. Hock Founder, President, and CEO Emeritus, Visa International

"David Korten's book is an important tool for social movement activists who are trying to get a handle on the new system of corporate rule that is undermining democracy throughout the world today."
Tony Clarke Director, Polaris Institute

"I recommend this book to any business executive as a 'must read.' It deals with one of the most important questions we can ask these days: What is the future role of business on the planet? The book is tough-minded, hard-hitting, and right on the money. It might at first glance strike some readers as anti-business, but it is not. It is just pro-people and pro-planet"
Willis Harman, President, Institute of Noetic Sciences

"A wise, learned, and inspiring book about the challenge of the new world economy. Korten's impressive analysis of global corporations is essential reading for anyone who places a higher value on the welfare of human beings than on money. The book is indispensable help in the search for a more hopeful path into the twenty-first century."
Richard J. Barnet, Co-author of Global Dreams: Imperial Corporations and the New World Order

"A revealing portrait of the effects of corporations on the global scene along with proposals for a transformation that will bring the massive global economy into tune with human values. Highly recommended."
In Context

"Never in history has there occurred the economic gamble that is taking place today in the form of economic globalization. David Korten's important work begins the critical process of economic reformation that will surely follow this universal loss of sovereignty, self, and community."
Paul Hawken, Author of The Ecology of Commerce

"Korten is an honest witness to the disastrous betrayal of common people and future generations that is being carried out by corporations, governments, and multilateral banks. He cuts through the loud rhetoric of economic growth and global economic integration to the facts of increasing poverty, inequality, and dependence. I hope that this book is widely read."
Herman E. Daly, Senior Research Scholar, University of Maryland

"David Korten is an eloquent critic of globalization that is untempered by either compassion or vision. He will move you to profoundly rethink out collective direction, and to take steps towards redirecting your own life."
Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin Co-authors of Your Money or Your Life

"Taking us beyond the myths and illusions of the global economy, Korten's proposals for change bear careful consideration by all who care about the future we leave to our children."
Doug Tompkins Cofounder and ex-CEO, Esprit

"The world system is not working for most people. In this courageous volume David Korten confronts the illusions of unlimited growth and domination of global corporations. He describes an alternative to a global system rooted in participatory communities, spiritual values, and mutual respect. A compelling vision."
John Al Lapp Executive Secretary, Mennonite Central Committee

"The transnational corporations that control the global economy are working hard to assure that nothing interferes with their short-term interests. In this masterful book, David Korten spells out the dramatic implications and shows why our greatest priority today must be to bring economic activities once more under democratic control."
Teddy Goldsmith Founding Editor of The Ecologist and Recipient of The Right Livelihood Award

"Hard-nosed and idealistic, Claire L. Gaudiani President, Connecticut College