Corruptible : who gets power and how it changes us / Brian Klaas.
"Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? Are tyrants made or born? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies? To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world's top leaders - from the noblest to the dirtiest - including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Some of the fascinating insights include: how facial appearance determines who we pick as leaders, why narcissists make more money, why some people don't want power at all and others are drawn to it out of a psychopathic impulse, and why being the "beta male" (second in command) may actually be the optimal place for health and well-being. Corruptible also features a wealth of counterintuitive examples from history and social science: you'll meet the worst bioterrorist in American history, hit the slopes with a ski instructor who once ruled Iraq, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies. Based on deep, unprecedented research from around the world, Corruptible will challenge your most basic assumptions about becoming a leader and what might happen to your head when you get there. It also provides a roadmap to avoiding classic temptations, suggesting a series of reforms that would facilitate better people finding a path to power - and ensuring that power purifies rather than corrupts"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781982154097
- ISBN: 1982154098
- Physical Description: 306 pages : illustration ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Scribner, 2021.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-291) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction -- The evolution of power -- Moths to a flame -- The power delusion -- Petty tyrants and psychopaths -- Bad systems or bad people? -- Why it appears that power corrupts -- Power corrupts -- How power changes your body-- Attracting the incorruptible -- The weight of responsibility -- Watched -- Waiting for Cincinnatus. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Power (Social sciences) Leadership. Dictators. |
Genre: | Informational works. |
Available copies
- 9 of 9 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at North Kansas City.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Kansas City Public Library | 303.3 KLAAS 2021 (Text) | 0001002390464 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
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Corruptible : Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us
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Summary
Corruptible : Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us
An "absorbing, provocative, and far-reaching" ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) look at what power is, who gets it, and what happens when they do, based on over 500 interviews with those who (temporarily, at least) have had the upper hand--from the creator of the Power Corrupts podcast and Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas. Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are tyrants made or born? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies? To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world's top leaders--from the noblest to the dirtiest--including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Some of the fascinating insights include: how facial appearance determines who we pick as leaders, why narcissists make more money, why some people don't want power at all and others are drawn to it out of a psychopathic impulse, and why being the "beta" (second in command) may actually be the optimal place for health and well-being. Corruptible also features a wealth of counterintuitive examples from history and social science: you'll meet the worst bioterrorist in American history, hit the slopes with a ski instructor who once ruled Iraq, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies. Based on deep, unprecedented research from around the world, and filled with "unexpected insights...the most important lesson of Corruptible is that when psychopaths inadvertently reveal their true selves, the institutions that they plague must take action that is swift, brutal, and merciless" ( Business Insider ).