The Shock Doctrine

Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine argues that free-market advocates make and use disasters to further their unpopular economic theories.

Fast Facts

1. Author: Naomi Klein
2. Genre: Non-Fiction
3. Published: September 4, 2007
4. Publisher: Metropolitan Books
5. Pages: 576
6. ISBN 9780805079838
7. Sub Title: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
8. Was on The New York Times Best Seller List
9. Adaptations: Film
10. Negative reviews from economists Tyler Cowen and Anders Åslund

Plot Synopsis

In The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein gives her opinion on how free market policy advocates use disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the 911 attacks to coerce people to make economic decisions while they are in shock from the event.

Critical Reception

"To be honest, I could not finish this book. It made me too angry. These are the stories about our country you don't want to know. Naomi Klein has cast a spotlight on the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the American dream. The Shock Doctrine makes it hard to ignore the tragedy that results from the ruthless logic of maximizing profit at the expense of the people. Recommended by Orin, Powells.com" — Powell Books

Naomi Klein Quote

"What the book is doing that's new is it is connecting these contemporary capitalisms, which I think most of us can easily see in Iraq and in New Orleans, and saying actually this isn't just some twisted invention of the Bush White House. That actually there is a history. Every time there has been a major leap forward for this fundamentalist version of capitalism that really doesn't see a role for the state, the ground has been prepared by some kind of shock." — Naomi Klein — TIME Magazine

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