The Silent Takeover by Noreena Hertz

The Silent Takeover by Noreena Hertz

Acclaimed economist Hertz's The Silent Takeover explains how corporations in the age of globalization are changing our lives, our society, and our future. Of the world's 100 largest economies, fifty-one are now corporations; only forty-nine are nation-states. The sales of General Motors and Ford are greater than the GDP of the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. Wal-Mart now has a turnover higher than the revenues of most of the states of Eastern Europe. Hertz reveals how multinationals consistently manipulate and pressure governments by both legal and illegal means-and are threatening the very basis of democracy. Yet few of us are fully aware of the growing dominance of big business: newspapers continue to place news of the actions of governments on the front page, with business items relegated to the inside pages. So, which has more influence over our lives: governments or businesses?

Noreena Hertz is a bestselling author, academic, and thinker. She has provided keynote addresses at TED and the World Economic Forum, sits on the board of Warner Music Group, and advises a range of major corporations. She is an honorary professor at the Centre for the Study of Decision-Making Uncertainty at University College London.