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88th out of 300 books
—
145 voters
Vultures' Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores
by
Greg Palast
The New York Times bestselling author of Armed Madhouse offers a globetrotting, Sam Spade-style investigation that blows the lid off the oil industry, the banking industry, and the governmental agencies that aren't regulating either.
This is the story of the corporate vultures that feed on the weak and ruin our planet in the process-a story that spans the globe and decade...more
This is the story of the corporate vultures that feed on the weak and ruin our planet in the process-a story that spans the globe and decade...more
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published
November 14th 2011
by Dutton Adult
(first published October 18th 2011)
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Most people in the U.S. still have this Pollyannaish belief that the CEOs at the top are just guys trying to make a buck like the guy that runs the corner supermarket. That's because the system of "journalism" in the United States is now a total failure. The biggest industry is now run by thugs who get as much money as they can by sticking their boot in the face of the decent people. The journalist has become just another corporate employee and won't report any of this.
Greg Palast, one of the la...more
Greg Palast, one of the la...more
Almost as good as Taibbi at weaving vulgarity into rants of righteous indignation. He will make you want to occupy something.
First of all you have to get used to his style of gonzo journalism. However, once he settles down I found this compulsive reading. He takes an important event in the news, for example the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska and after wondering why it has been reported in certain way and why the parties involved have acted in a particular way he gets gets down to serious investigating (with his team). What makes his investigations so interesting is their depth and his willingness to go through swathe...more
Apr 15, 2012
Alan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who still, despite everything, aren't angry enough
Recommended to Alan by:
Clayton
I found it very, very hard to get through this book... not that Greg Palast's breezy style is hard to read, not at all, but I could only absorb so much bad news at one sitting. If vultures are what their own banks call repo men for entire nations (p.26) and the Raven is now a supertanker in Alaska (p.211), Palast must be a crow, alternately croaking about our doom and cawing about his discovery of it. Or maybe he's the canary in our coal mines—or, more to the point, oil wells—chirping madly in t...more
I am reading this in the Kindle version - which Palast has cleverly used to include mini videos (he is a TV guy with the BBC and Channel 4 so understands the power of image). I don't normally review a book until I have finished it but this is so extraordinarily fine and important, that I thought I would recommend it to any out there who believe that it is possible that those who suck oil out of the ground for a living, may indeed be a bunch of crooks.
Written in a way that makes it as exciting as...more
Written in a way that makes it as exciting as...more
The most satisfying way I can describe this book is: journalism without the additives.
While satisfying, it doesn't tell you that much. Here's a little more: Palast and his team investigate the fraud, corruption and corporate criminal activities going on that do far more harm than any bank robbery or kidnapping. These criminals bring entire nations to their knees, and they get away with not so much as a slap on the wrist. In fact, they usually walk away with at least several billion dollars profi...more
While satisfying, it doesn't tell you that much. Here's a little more: Palast and his team investigate the fraud, corruption and corporate criminal activities going on that do far more harm than any bank robbery or kidnapping. These criminals bring entire nations to their knees, and they get away with not so much as a slap on the wrist. In fact, they usually walk away with at least several billion dollars profi...more
After nearly a decade spent building a public persona based around (apt) comparisons to Same Spade, BBC journalist Greg Palast has finally given us a book that provides a plot and supporting characters to match. In this hard-to-put-down work of pulp nonfiction, Palast's heroes are journalists, researchers, photographers and whistleblowers and his villains are the villains of tomorrow's headlines. As with Palast's previous work, where he was ahead of the pitch on Kenneth Lay and BP, the vulture's...more
Finished 'Vultures Picnic' and it remained compulsive reading right through. I wasn't sure I was going to like the structure - which is episodic - hopping around in time and space. However, that IS the nature of his journalistic life so I guess it allows some evaluation of his claims. Who needs fiction when the doings of the rich and powerful are so extraordinary.
He is SO quotable:
My favourite: "Louisiana shut down its hurricane center. After Katrina."
Things I have learned:
1. Any notion of the...more
He is SO quotable:
My favourite: "Louisiana shut down its hurricane center. After Katrina."
Things I have learned:
1. Any notion of the...more
Fascinating, but disjointed as hell and therefore confusing at times. But Palast is the real deal and it's good to get a little insight as to just who is screwing the economy, the environment and stealing humanity's future. A few gems:
"Louisiana shut down its hurricane center. After Katrina."
"Nothing has changed since Genesis 6. It is greed and arrogance and deception, not water, that drowns us."
"...the Valdez property was worth [in 1969], say, a couple of billion or so. How much would the oil g...more
"Louisiana shut down its hurricane center. After Katrina."
"Nothing has changed since Genesis 6. It is greed and arrogance and deception, not water, that drowns us."
"...the Valdez property was worth [in 1969], say, a couple of billion or so. How much would the oil g...more
I would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
This book appeals to my conspiracy theory side. Greg is a writer/journalist for the BBC who likes to take shots at big corporations. The stories he shares in this book are fascinating, sometimes complicated and always riding that border of reality that makes it easy to deny they are true if you don't want to believe it. That is if you have the print copy.
I wish I had the digital download because there are links, even mentioned in the print version, to th...more
This book appeals to my conspiracy theory side. Greg is a writer/journalist for the BBC who likes to take shots at big corporations. The stories he shares in this book are fascinating, sometimes complicated and always riding that border of reality that makes it easy to deny they are true if you don't want to believe it. That is if you have the print copy.
I wish I had the digital download because there are links, even mentioned in the print version, to th...more
It is really difficult to describe what this book is about. Oil companies' lying, mostly, but some about vulture funds and nuclear power companies. It was a very slow read for me, because I spent most of it too pissed to read very much at one time.
I waffled on the rating of this. On the one hand, it's horrifying and electrifying information. On the other hand, he is both kinda creepy about women and seems to think he's in a noir film. Which is fine, except he's so very pleased with himself that...more
I waffled on the rating of this. On the one hand, it's horrifying and electrifying information. On the other hand, he is both kinda creepy about women and seems to think he's in a noir film. Which is fine, except he's so very pleased with himself that...more
Vulture's Picnic is Greg Palast's existential confessions as much as it is a work of journalism. It reads like an academic at a symposium booked at the same time as Snookie, next auditorium over. He hears the muffled cheers coming through the walls, looks at his audience, a handful of die hard keeners, loosens his tie, discards his slide presentation, and says #$%@! it. Not only am I going to tell you what is happening in your world, I'm going to tell you what its like to be the guy who tells yo...more
It's difficult to gauge the accuracy of the facts presented, but boy is the author convincing...This book is downright scary.
The book is basically a long tirade of the evil deeds of mostly energy companies but also provides a nice summary of how the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act (separation of commercial and investment banking) brought about the global economic crisis.
Palast's style is similar to a gumshoe detective in a noir novel, which I found irritating at first but got used to. Feel fre...more
The book is basically a long tirade of the evil deeds of mostly energy companies but also provides a nice summary of how the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act (separation of commercial and investment banking) brought about the global economic crisis.
Palast's style is similar to a gumshoe detective in a noir novel, which I found irritating at first but got used to. Feel fre...more
Vulture's Picnic is the type of book that you'd hope more people read. While I am dubious of some of Palast's claims, the journalism and tell it how it is approach is refreshing and needed. I have a lot of faith in what Palast says and writes, although I suspect he is prone to some exaggeration. For example, he will quote an "expert" but who is to say whether someone is an expert or not? Regardless, this book is important. Palast has some gonzo journalism in him, albeit this writing is somewhat...more
By indicting every corporatist he comes across, Palast falls short of convincingly convicting any one of them. A lot of red herrings, false starts and dead-ends. Not his fault of course, his courageous journalism and investigative approach means the playing field is steeply stacked against him. As a reader you come away feeling more defeated than ever. The bad guys truly have won, despite Palast saving Liberia. Wait, but wasn't this book supposed to be about the BP spill..? It's unfocused, manic...more
See how it goes. At page 71 and having trouble telling how much is straight down the line and how much is crap. Would usually want a book that is meant to be an expose of something to be clearly and logically presenting information, evidence and conclusions but this looks unlikely. Without having any form of appendix to the book to check by cross referencing data it loses credability and becomes sort of black entertainment, which is I guess is what it is.
Got to about page 100 and gave up. Would...more
Got to about page 100 and gave up. Would...more
Oh, what a depressing book about the evils that corporations and 'other' people get away with because of the money involved and the power they have. Justice for the collective people is just not done. His jumpy writing style moving from different places and different times sometimes made it hard for me to follow without going back to review. I read it pretty quickly and I wouldn't recommend reading it over more than a 2 week time frame as the characters would get even more confusing especially w...more
Another great book from Greg Palast, containing his own investigative journalism. Detailed are the murkier activities of the major oil companies and their misfeasance and malfeasance related to a number of oil-industry accidents they were too cheap to even try to prevent (probably even figuring that it's cheaper to pay for claims afterwards then pay for safety beforehand), state and federal governmental ineptitude before and after hurricane Katrina, amoral international debt speculators buying t...more
This book has to many unknown sources, no endnotes, footnotes. I am not saying the things in his book did not happen. Just that no one can check it out except him. Also, His detective narrative gets annoying and he is not particularly funny which he tries to be. With a more scholarly approach this could be a great book, but it is too hard to take at face value. Although, it is no surprise to any reasonable human being that big oil is corrupt greedy and destructive to the environment.
Disjointed and hard to follow at times, at least partly because I'm not nearly as savvy about this topic as I should be. This is must-know stuff if you care about 1) the environment 2) the wealthy -vs- the poor and how they keep themselves -vs- how they are kept that way 3) how countries are set up to be bought and sold by big corporations 4) (space available).
Not sure what Palast book to read next--The Best Democracy Money Can Bu or Armed Madhouse, but either will be worth the read.
Not sure what Palast book to read next--The Best Democracy Money Can Bu or Armed Madhouse, but either will be worth the read.
The book covers a lot of ground right from the infamous BP Gulf Oil spill, to the purchase of sovereign debt for a fraction of their value only to assert champertous claims later. While the author makes no pretense of objectivism and resorts to primary often anonymous sources, the reason is understandable and he does build a plausible narrative. For those not liking Yankee speak, the book will be a pain to read, but for everyone else, a great book
how big companies (especially big oil companies, 7 sisters, blah blah) are lying and destructing for the bottom line, being big fat paychecks for the boss. this book is not too enlightening, except for the details, which are very nice and grainy, on all the dirty deeds done to us of late if you have been paying the slightest bit of attention, but is a fun read n-t-l, and funny too. plus author has a cool hat.
Greg Palast is an unarmed James Bond (with his own Badpenny nonetheless :) with a serious case of ADHD. But whoever he targets must be as frightened of him as movie villains of James Bond. This maniacal journey explains what is going wrong with oil pipelines, drilling platforms, nuclear power stations, high finance and more. Read and be prepared to be surprised with each page.
I love a snarky gumshoe whodunit about power, corruption and greed, especially when humor is mixed in. Greg Palast’s book, Vultures’ Picnic, fits the bill, except it’s non-fiction. Then you have no choice but to face the world we live and educate anyone who can pull their heads out of the sand.
I can't say that I ever really enjoy Greg Palast's books because they just make me so mad about how f'd up our world is, but I always recommend them.
If you aren't pissed before you read this book, you aren't paying attention. If you aren't more pissed after reading it, you aren't human.
If you aren't pissed before you read this book, you aren't paying attention. If you aren't more pissed after reading it, you aren't human.
Once again, Palast delivers. This book is the result of hard work and many uncomfortable moments, and we need more people like Palast out there to expose the evil underbelly of our corporate and political rulers. I so wish I could stop all use of petroleum after reading this book.
Remarkable stuff from the real-life Spider Jerusalem. If you wonder how much you're being lied to about things like Fukushima, the Deepwater Horizon spill and the financial meltdown, read Greg Palast. Then prepare to get angry.
If information is power, this is the book that the powerful don't want you to read. Essential.
If information is power, this is the book that the powerful don't want you to read. Essential.
Half way through it and I can't believe how good it is. I don't always like political books, even though I do read a lot of articles. But nobody is doing investigative journalism like Palast and his team. I highly recommend this book if only to show the world how entrenched massively rich corporations are in all governments... except the governments that are suddenly removed.
It reads like a detective novel, except that it's all relevant and current to my lifetime. It's happening now.
Now done wit...more
It reads like a detective novel, except that it's all relevant and current to my lifetime. It's happening now.
Now done wit...more
Horrifying! I am appalled by all that Greg Palast reveals in this book yet when I try to explain my disgust to other people, I am defeated by all the twists and turns in his investigations and explanations of them.
If only this book would be read by many and we would all rise up and say NO, NO MORE. He spares no one, even Jimmy Carter. Read it and try to pass along what you learn.
If only this book would be read by many and we would all rise up and say NO, NO MORE. He spares no one, even Jimmy Carter. Read it and try to pass along what you learn.
chocked full of scandals and conspiracy theories that almost seem to crazy to be real -- but palast presents compelling evidence. i dock a star because the writing is quite haphazard and disorganized.
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