Backstabbing for Beginners, Michael Soussan
Backstabbing for Beginners, Michael Soussan
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Backstabbing for Beginners
My Crash Course in International Diplomacy

Author: Michael Soussan

Narrator: Maxwell Hamilton

Unabridged: 14 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/20/2016


Synopsis

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Ben Kingsley and Theo James, the gripping true story of a young program coordinator at the United Nations who stumbles upon a conspiracy involving Iraq's oil reserves.

"What made this episode in our collective history possible was not so much the lies we told one another, but the lies we told ourselves."

A recent Brown University graduate, Michael Soussan was elated when he landed a position as a program coordinator for the United Nations' Iraq Program. Little did he know that he would end up a whistleblower in what PBS NewsHour described as the "largest financial scandal in UN history."

Breaking a conspiracy of silence that had prevailed for years, Soussan sparked an unprecedented corruption probe into the Oil-for-Food program that exposed a worldwide system of bribes, kickbacks, and blackmail involving ruthless power-players from around the globe.

At the crossroads of pressing humanitarian concerns, crisis diplomacy, and multibillion-dollar business interests, Soussan's story highlights core flaws of our international system and exposes the frightening, corrupting power of the black elixir that fuels our world's economy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rima on April 23, 2018

If you are interested in international diplomacy; this is the book to start with.; A powerful story of diplomacy behind the scenes. If you think or want to join the UN, this is the book to understand how to survive in the male-dominating place of work. The book is an insightful exposé, spiked with o......more

Goodreads review by J. Joan on August 10, 2022

Michael Soussan's memoir of his time as UN Oil for Food Programme Coordinator is all at once informative, provocative, witty, intelligent, and poignant. Far from your ordinary historical review, Mr. Soussan paints a detailed and engaging insider’s picture of what was going on within the iconic inter......more

Goodreads review by Robert on July 18, 2010

I recall seeing the review of this book in the WSJ and remember thinking, I need to read this book. The effortless electronic link to Amazon had the book to my doorstep within three days. It was definitely worth reading although I could not give it my highest rating. I would have liked the author to......more

Goodreads review by Vemund on February 06, 2015

I was visiting a friend of a friend who works at the UN, and we were in a cafe at the New York headquarters, with a view of the river and a huge painting on the wall. I had asked her a lot of questions trying to figure out if the UN is a good thing or not, and in the end she recommended reading this......more