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The Informant: A True Story

by Kurt Eichenwald (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 1,341 ratings · 238 reviews

"The FBI was ready to take down America's most politically powerful corporation. But there was one thing they didn't count on."

...more "The FBI was ready to take down America's most politically powerful corporation. But there was one thing they didn't count on."

So reads the cover of this high-powered true crime story, an accurate teaser to a bizarre financial scandal with more plot twists than a John Grisham novel. In 1992 the FBI stumbled upon Mark Whitacre, a top executive at the Archer Daniels Midland corporation who was willing to act as a government witness to a vast international price-fixing conspiracy. ADM, which advertises itself as "The Supermarket to the World," processes grains and other farm staples into oils, flours, and fibers for products that fill America's shelves, from Jell-O pudding to StarKist tuna. The company's chairman and chief executive, Dwayne Andreas, was so influential that he introduced Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev, and it was his maneuvering that ensured that high fructose corn syrup would replace sugar in most foods (ever wondered why Coke and Pepsi don't taste quite like they used to?). There were two mottoes at ADM: "The competitors are our friends, and the customers are our enemies" and "We know when we're lying." And lie they did. With the help of Whitacre, the FBI made hundreds of tapes and videos of ADM executives making price-fixing deals with their corrivals from Japan, Korea, and Canada, all while drinking coffee and laughing about their crimes. The tapes should have cinched the case, but there was one problem: Their star witness was manipulative, deceitful, and unstable. Nothing was as it seemed, and the investigation into one of the most astounding white-collar crime cases in history had only just begun.

Kurt Eichenwald, an investigative reporter, covered the story for The New York Times and interviewed more than 100 participants in the case. He methodically records the six-year investigation, leaving no plot twist or tape transcript unexplored. While his primary focus is on deconstructing the disturbed Whitacre and revealing the malleability of truth, the portrait of ADM (and even the Justice Department) is damning enough to make anyone a cynic. --Lesley Reed

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Published (first published August 28th 2000)

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Sep 05, 2008 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites

I attended a continuing legal education event a week ago, at which the author of this book and one of the FBI agents from the book spoke about the case. I left the event determined to read the book straight away - and in any event, before the movie comes out next year.

I had known of this book for some time, and was generally aware it concerned the ADM antitrust price-fixing trial. But I had thought, wrongly as it turned out, that the book was about the trial. In fact, the trial is relegated to...more

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Jun 14, 2008 Tannie Olsen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tannie by: Co-Worker

This book was a tradeout between me and a friend of mine from work. He got to read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman and I got to read "The Informant". I think he got the better end of the deal.

The Informant is a true story about Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and their alleged price fixing in a variety of agricultural markets. Mark Whitacre, a top executive of ADM, is the 'informant'. Whitacre assisted the FBI in compiling hundreds of audio and video tapes, documenting ADM's price fixing wit...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Andrew Crouch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Logistics, logistics, logistics! If you're like me and you love the fine and gory details about massive operations, be they corporate or government, you'll be hard-pressed to go hungry with Eichenwald's comprehensive account of the ADM price-fixing scandal. At least that's the prima facie subject matter: what the book is really about is one of the most vivid and complex characters that I've come across in fiction or non-fiction, the enigmatic Mark Whitacre. Whitacre's frenzied paranoia and intri...more

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Mar 14, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finance

The author is fairly good at telling an interesting story,
but by the time I got to page 450, I was burned out and went to the last chapter to see how things turned out.

He put in too many descriptions of buildings, etc that really didn't have anything to do with the story.
Also every fart, sneeze, cough and backache by everyone in the book.

Whoever edited the book failed, the story needed to be tighten up.

Only a little about the trial, and because the book was written in 2000, nothing about a...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK, so I know it's a little weird to say i just finished reading a can't-put-it-down book about an anti-trust case featuring Archer Daniel Midland, a grain-producing company in DeKalb, Illinois. Talk about a page turner, huh? To continue with the negative, it's 600 pages long, non-fiction, and besides price fixing, deals with embezzlement and political infighting. Wow, right?

Seriously, I am so impressed with author Kurt Eichenwald that I'm set to read anything he writes. I first read his Enron b...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is for those who like true crime and those that enjoy John Grisham. This book is a John Grisham type novel, except that it really did happen. In fact there are similarities to his book, "The Partner". If anyone has read John Harr's novel "Civil Action", which is a true lawyer story, will find this book very much to their liking.

This book is about the executive employees of Archer Daniels Midland Company, or ADM. Although I did not recogfnize this company, it does touch each of our live...more

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Nov 21, 2010 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

As far as business books go, this is well worth a read. The story is ostensibly about global price fixing in an obscure food related industry, but it really is more about the whistle blower and the agents who track and manage him. The "Informant", Mark Whitacre, is a case study in himself, and I found it hard to empathise with him despite quite a sympathetic portrayal by the author. He blithely lies, schemes, betrays and embezzles his way through the book in order to try and hide his numerous fr...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First it was a radio program. Then it was a book. After that, a movie. And now, it's a goodreads review!

This book tells the real-life story of Mark Whitacre, and the others involved with him in an international price-fixing scheme. He worked for ADM (Archer Daniels Midland, "Supermarket to the World") as the president of the bioproducts division. In particular, he helped set up, and remained in charge, of lysine production. Lysine is fed to chickens and other animals, and many tons of it are sol...more First it was a radio program. Then it was a book. After that, a movie. And now, it's a goodreads review!

This book tells the real-life story of Mark Whitacre, and the others involved with him in an international price-fixing scheme. He worked for ADM (Archer Daniels Midland, "Supermarket to the World") as the president of the bioproducts division. In particular, he helped set up, and remained in charge, of lysine production. Lysine is fed to chickens and other animals, and many tons of it are sold each year. In the early 90's, Whitacre told his bosses that he had received a phone call from a mole at a Japanese producer of lysine. The mole said that they had installed a saboteur at ADM's lysine division, who was causing problems with their yield. For a few million dollars, Whitacre said, the mole would expose his bosses, identify the saboteur, and provide a solution for the problem.

ADM decided to call in the FBI, who interviewed the people involved. When the FBI planned to tap Whitacre's phone in order to help catch the mole, he showed some resistance -- and then quickly confessed to participating, with the knowledge of the top execs at ADM, in a global lysine price-fixing conspiracy.

ADM and the other top producers -- just a handful of companies -- were regularly meeting at deciding on a total volume of lysine production, how much each company would sell in each part of the world, and how much they would sell it for. Whitacre said that the price-fixing had turned the lysine division from a money loser into a division that was making millions every quarter. Whitacre wanted to confess this to the FBI, he said, so that he wouldn't be prosecuted for his role -- now that the FBI was poking around and tapping phones, he was sure that they would have discovered the entire scheme anyway.

The rest of the first half of the book tells the story of Whitacre's taping other execs at ADM and the other producers, and cooperating with the FBI to help record a huge number of price-fixing meetings. The real story is as compelling as any Grisham novel, and amazingly, it actually happened.

As the book goes on, it continues to tell the story of recording the conspirators. That alone would have made for a great story, but we actually get a lot more: as the tale unfolds, we discover massive fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and even Nigerian scammers. It's simply ridiculous.

The first half of the book, which ends just as the prosecution is set to begin, is excellent. It's quite substantial, and seems to tell a complete story by itself. It easily could have been made into its own book, and I would have given it five stars, easily.

The second half of the book isn't as good. It covers the trial and its setup: jurisdictional battles, counter-action taken by ADM, plea bargains, and so on. It's not bad, but it's not especially great: the first part of the book is easy to understand and follow. The second part bounces around between different people fighting a few different legal battles. Their roles are connected, but the story bounces between them. It's nice to see how the court battle ended up, but it just didn't draw me in as much as I wish it would have.

Even with the second half's weaker execution, this book is easily worth reading.(less)

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Jul 13, 2009 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A can't-put-it-down book about... antitrust? YES.

The ADM price-fixing case in the late 1990s was unprecedented in terms of scope and evidence. The cooperating witness, Mark Whitacre, spent about three taping meeting and phone calls showing ADM agreeing to fix prices with 4 other companies in the global market for lysine. The ADM fine and evidence led to other prosecutions of price-fixing and law enforcement approaches price-fixing investigations and prosecutions in a completely new way.

But the...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: big-picture, true-story

If you suspect big corporations sometimes place profits before ethical and transparent business practices, this book will absolutely confirm that suspicion. I also got an education on things like food additives - or more precisely, biologically engineered things fed to would-be food, like chickens, to make them heavier - and related US and international corporations' price fixing and dirty dealings. This book isn't very stylishly written, but it does march steadily forward with plenty of true de...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As Eichenwald states in his Afterword, "this is a book about the malleable nature of truth." It is also a thoroughly researched and interestingly recounted history of an international price fixing effort, and its tortured investigation and prosecution. Bothe the self destructive behavior of the cooperating witness within ADM and the political tensions between the FBI and the DOJ buffeted the case throughout and increase the suspense as well as building a sense of empathy for some of the key part...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Jordan McPeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: true-crime

Fascinating true story of the main witness in the biggest price-fixing case in the U.S. The first half is the most compelling as Mark Whitacre, the title character, starts to cooperate with the FBI and collect evidence through secret recordings. The second half, once the undercover portion is done, focuses more on how a major case gets stretched and pulled in all directions while winding its way through the bureaucracy. The cast of characters is large, and becomes especially hard to pin down in...more Fascinating true story of the main witness in the biggest price-fixing case in the U.S. The first half is the most compelling as Mark Whitacre, the title character, starts to cooperate with the FBI and collect evidence through secret recordings. The second half, once the undercover portion is done, focuses more on how a major case gets stretched and pulled in all directions while winding its way through the bureaucracy. The cast of characters is large, and becomes especially hard to pin down in the second half, but in the end not much is lost. You don't really need to recall the names and limited characterizations in order to get the point that the bureaucracy is incredibly tangled. I gave up trying. I would've been happy if this part was trimmed.

Whitacre alternately generates cheers, sympathy, frustration, condemnation depending on which bizarre step he takes next, and that's what drives this story along. The underlying price-fixing case is almost secondary to the attempt to simply figure out the truth from all the many versions put forward by Whitacre. Not being familiar with the story from when it unfolded in the 1990's, it read like a thriller. Eichenwald made extensive use of quotations taken from case files. But where did he get all of the many details of what people were thinking or feeling, or gestures they made, or facial expressions they used? Made for good reading, but where do you research this kind of detail? Hard to believe interviewees would remember events with such precision.

The reader does a good job, never getting in the way. He uses an earnest inflection for Whitacre's dialogue which fits well with the character.

It touches a bit on the cost and extent of price-fixing, but that isn't the main point. While it's not mentioned in the book, I couldn't help thinking when it turned out that price-fixing was incredibly widespread, these are the same big business executives who'll happily preach free market principles, less regulation, trust us, we'll do what's best for the country. This book is a fine illustration of what they really mean. (less)

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Mar 01, 2010 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Are you like to read the books first or see the movie first? I'll admit, I'm a "BOOK FIRST" sort of gal. And so when I saw that this would be made into a movie, I wanted to read it first.

This is the true story (non-fiction whore that I am) about a cooperating witness working with the FBI. However, the "golden informant" that the FBI thinks they have turns out to be so much more than they bargained for.

It's such a tangled story but the author does a great job of telling the story. Giving us just...more

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Aug 21, 2009 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know where to begin describing this book.

It's a big book, and I've been reading it for a couple weeks, and I haven't been able to place my finger on why this book is amazing, or even how to describe it.

The basic description, that makes me yawn, is: a large agriculture company is involved with price-fixing, and an executive turns informant to tell the FBI all about it.

But the informant turns out to be....this is one of the places I get stuck - trying to put into words the largess of Mark...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Suzan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FORGET the coy “A true story…based on a tattle tale” cover line, this book is 100 per cent documentary. The Informant reveals, step-by-step, one of the greatest corporate anti-trust cases in American history, exposed by one of the most fascinating and despicable individuals you will ever read about.

When Dr Mark Whitacre contacted the FBI about international price-fixing at Archer Daniels Midland—one of the world’s most influential and politically connected companies—nobody knew (or cared) about...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Sara Jane Blackman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I caught a snippet about this true story on NPR one day (complete with the FBI tapes that were recorded through the investigation) and thought it was fascinating. Then I started seeing the previews for the movie, which make the story seem a comedy (which I suppose it is, in a very "real world" way).

The first 200 pages were really tough to get through. So much information to digest, especially if you are not well versed in the business world and it's dealings. But about midway the story really st...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Who knows what makes a read great for some and not so great for others? This non-fiction tale covers several years, involves people from several countries and multiple U.S. government agencies, with twists and turns that I sometimes found hard to follow, and at the center of this stew is a character who could only be real because as a fictional character, no one would believe it!

The level of power the central character achieved, his inscrutable behaviors, and the enormous size and power of the p...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Melinda Abney Kaiser rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amazingly researched and documented tale of Mark Whitacre and ADM, the story being told in the current movie "The Informant!" starring Matt Damon.

Eichenwald takes what could be pretty boring and makes it read like a novel. I honestly couldn't put it down. Best inside-account of true-life business adventure since Barbarians at the Gate (which I also adored). I read this book before I was aware that a movie was being made and thought "this could make a really interesting movie." Guess someone els...more

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Mar 09, 2009 J.C. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I enjoyed this book enough to give it 3 stars. but I would not put it on my best non-fiction shelf.

I enjoyed the true crime aspects of the case, Kurt Eichenwald did a good job of keeping the suspense up (although the first 150 pages are a bit tedious, and the constant references to Mr. John Grisham could have been left out) as well as his attempts at simplifying the crimes involved for the average reader (don't know much about history, don't know much biology). The beginning prologue is pretty e...more I enjoyed this book enough to give it 3 stars. but I would not put it on my best non-fiction shelf.

I enjoyed the true crime aspects of the case, Kurt Eichenwald did a good job of keeping the suspense up (although the first 150 pages are a bit tedious, and the constant references to Mr. John Grisham could have been left out) as well as his attempts at simplifying the crimes involved for the average reader (don't know much about history, don't know much biology). The beginning prologue is pretty effective and made me want to find out more about the main character (name Mark Whitacre) and his involvement in the "biggest price fixing scheme in history".

I did not like the fact that there were about 400,000 supporting characters in this book (400,000 is my number, I rounded up), every page brings a new character. However, I think that in the end they were all necessary to tell the story correctly and I think Mr. Eichenwald did a good job of re-introducing the not-so-main characters as they pop up and disappear though out the course of the story. there are just so many people and by half way through I was more concerned with what Whitacre did as opposed to what every one else was attempting to accomplish.

I might have appreciated the supporting characters more if I had read the book slower and perhaps tried to care about them a little. Or I might have found them all pointless and quit the book half way through. Either way, I won't be re-reading it anytime soon.

SPOILER WARNING!?!?!?!?!?!?!

As for Mark Whitacre, I began reading this adventure thinking that there would be some sort of Kaiser Sosze moment near the end. A moment where every one realized that this crazy guy, Mark Whitacre, who did everything in his power to sabotage his own initiated investigation was actually running an elaborate con where he was playing good guys against bad guys and getting rich in the process. didn't happen. by the end it's just a story about a rich guy who is sad and bizarre and kinda ridiculous.

now that I think about it, I feel a bit jipped!

If you're reading this or thinking about it and are not into the story, move on to something else.(less)

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Nov 30, 2009 Fiona715 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You don’t have to like or understand business to enjoy this book, it reads like a comedic thriller, but it’s true.

Archer Daniels Midlands is one of those companies you always see ads for (often around PBS shows), but probably have little to no idea what they do. Well, I for one now have a much better idea, but I can’t say that I admire them at all—and the US Justice Department and parts of the FBI don’t come off much better! ADM, which advertises itself as "The Supermarket to the World," proces...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very entertaining read...probably even better if you've NOT seen the film

I had seen the film before reading this, and it was still quite engaging. Probably would've been even better if I hadn't. I still tore through it though. The only criticism I could offer is that it became difficult to keep all of the different government factions straight....there are several different groups within the FBI, DoJ etc. and it's difficult to remember who is fighting with whom. Though I guess that is just anoth...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Sarah Hanly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was intrigued to read this book after listening to the "This American Life" story on NPR and seeing the movie. I was hoping to gain more insight into Whiteacre's personality and motivation. The book was very readable despite the density of the subject matter and, for me, provided more fodder for my loathing of the industrial agricultural complex - a complement to the movies Food Inc. and Fresh.
I didn't necessarily gain the insight into the main character I was looking for though I was curious...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Lacey Louwagie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This isn't the type of book I usually read. I'm not that interested in true crime or in corporate America. So it says something in itself that I still gave this book four stars -- and my main criticisms of it may have to do more with the fact that the genre isn't really my cup-of-tea than real shortcomings of the book.

The hardest things to take about this book are its length and its huge cast of characters. There are times when it just felt long, and it's hard to keep all the ADM employees, lawy...more This isn't the type of book I usually read. I'm not that interested in true crime or in corporate America. So it says something in itself that I still gave this book four stars -- and my main criticisms of it may have to do more with the fact that the genre isn't really my cup-of-tea than real shortcomings of the book.

The hardest things to take about this book are its length and its huge cast of characters. There are times when it just felt long, and it's hard to keep all the ADM employees, lawyers, FBI agents, and other characters straight. (There is a "characters list" at the end of the book that divides them according to their affiliations, but since I listened to the audiobook, I couldn't reference the list and just got to hear it read out at the end of the book, which was less helpful. I was like, "Oh, *that's* who that guy was! Wish I'd realized that when I was reading the book!").

Still, what keeps this book compelling despite its shortcomings is its intensive character study of Mark Whitacre and the FBI agents closest to him. These are fascinating people, and Mark's actions are so bold/crazy/out of left field that it made my jaw drop. It's easy to just refer to him as crazy, but I feel bad actually doing so, since clearly he did have some mental illness issues going on.

I thought that what might make this book all worth it in the end was ADM's top execs getting properly punished for the corporate fraud and greed that was their daily existence. It was sickening how they felt totally untouchable in terms of what they were allowed to do and what they thought they could get away with. And while they didn't exactly "get away with" it, it was a let down to know that they only served a couple years for cheating customers around the world, whereas Mark Whitacre served almost ten years for the money he stole from one company.

Kurt Eichenwald is a good writer and a fantastic journalist, and he even inserts himself at the end of the book, explaining how he came to cross paths with Mark Whitacre and begin this project, which was a nice way to bring things full circle.

I rewatched the movie (which is what piqued my interest in the book initially) after "reading it," and the movie actually does a pretty good job of staying true to the spirit of the story while cutting about 24 hours of material down to two. (less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmmmm...what to say about this one? I think this would be a good book for someone who is interested in business and the world of corporate intrigue, someone who has 'played the corporate game' OR for someone interested in the human psyche and understanding what motivates people. It is a non-fiction story, and if I hadn't listened to it on CD, it would have taken me a long time to plow through it. However, there were MANY jaw-dropping moments that were hard to believe actually happened. As a cons...more

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Oct 19, 2009 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, what a tale. It is simply amazing to find that this is a true story. Having seen the movie previews, I was intrigued and geared for a comedic romp. Hoever, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was no comedy. Although there are definately some chuckles related to Whitacre's befuddling actions, this was a grippingly thorough historical account of his dealings with FBI, the ADM and the other lysine manufacturers.

Eichenwald does such a wonderful job with this fantastically outragous account, t...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the finest non fiction piece I ever read, this fine book is a crash course on anti trust laws and the reasons behind them. It is a brilliant piece of novelization of real events that transpired in 1991-1996, when a lone but goofy man decided to turn in his executives in the adminstation level for violating anti trust laws and price fixing. I really learned plenty about how ecomency works even if I have a hard time spelling that word. Brilliant, simply brillant investigative reporting and...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Alain Dewitt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had heard about Mark Whitacre from my sister, who recommended an episode of 'This American Life' that had featured the story. So when a colleague of mine recommended this book, I was quite interested to read it.

Eichenwald does a great job of providing an extremely detailed account of this incredibly complex tale of corporate corruption and greed. The central figure is Mark Whitacre, who was a division president at ADM, a giant food processing company. Whitacre becomes an FBI informant in a pri...more I had heard about Mark Whitacre from my sister, who recommended an episode of 'This American Life' that had featured the story. So when a colleague of mine recommended this book, I was quite interested to read it.

Eichenwald does a great job of providing an extremely detailed account of this incredibly complex tale of corporate corruption and greed. The central figure is Mark Whitacre, who was a division president at ADM, a giant food processing company. Whitacre becomes an FBI informant in a price fixing scheme involving ADM and several Asian competitors.

The case becomes a massive, sprawling investigation involving the FBI and the Justice Department spanning several years. And then at the end, the FBI learns something about their star insider that threatens the entire case.

There's no way for me to voice my main criticism of the book without spoilers, so here it is: Whitacre is revealed to have been embezzling on a large scale for several years. This is the real heart of the book. Here you have a guy who is a successful executive (he was making several hundred thousand dollars a year by the late 1980s/early 1990s), who seemed destined to become the president of the company one day, and yet he was busy lining his pockets with kickbacks and contracts to fake companies.

And here is where Eichenwald fails in the book. Why. That is what the reader wants to know most of all. Why would Whitacre take such foolish risks? Throughout the length of the book, Eichenwald mostly fails to answer the question. In the very last chapter, he does depict a meeting between he and Whitacre and Whitacre's wife in which he confronts Whitacre about his behavior and pathological lying. After this episode, he does offer some analysis of Whitacre's behavior but it's not enough. I think Eichenwald would have been better served by interspersing excerpts from interviews with Whitacre throughout the book.

So, while I found the story and the telling interesting and entertaining, on one important level it was unsatisfying.(less)

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Dec 17, 2009 C.S. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the most engrossing books I've been fortunate enough to read all year. I saw the Steven Soderbergh's adaptation in theatres shortly after it came out, and like I usually do after seeing a movie, I spent a little time reading reviews after I got home. Several of them made some mention of the book, usually pointing out how brilliant it was, enough that I decided to track it down and have a look myself. I'm glad I did.

I think I saw a pull quote that said something along the lines of...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Lobstergirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: business-finance

Few people do these massive reconstructions of corporate malfeasance better than Kurt Eichenwald. The ADM price-fixing case (which Eichenwald covered for the New York Times) almost recedes to the background as he details the bizarre shenanigans of cooperating witness and lying sociopath Mark Whitacre, president of the Bioproducts Division. (Archer Daniels Midland - "Supermarket to the World..." is a giant agribusiness company that made America obese with high fructose corn syrup and made our die...more

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May 08, 2008 Clif Hostetler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: current-events

This non-fiction story is more interesting than any fictional crime detective story. I feel compelled to be a bit more enthusiastic than usual about this book to overcome the reaction of potential readers who are not interested in a story about price fixing at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). That may sound boring. Trust me, it’s not!

By the end of the book, you will learn that as of the year 2000 over a billion dollars in fines had been paid worldwide by various food and pharmaceutical companies a...more

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Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kurt Eichenwald

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Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Informant: A ...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (19)