The Looting Machine

Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth

By: Tom Burgis

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

The trade in oil, gas, gems, metals, and rare earth minerals wreaks havoc in Africa. During the years when Brazil, India, China, and the other "emerging markets" have transformed their economies, Africa's resource states remained tethered to the bottom of the industrial supply chain. While Africa accounts for about 30 percent of the world's reserves of hydrocarbons and minerals and 14 percent of the world's population, its share of global manufacturing stood in 2011 exactly where it stood in 2000: at 1 percent.

In his first book, The Looting Machine, Tom Burgis exposes the truth about the African development miracle: for the resource states, it's a mirage. The oil, copper, diamonds, gold, and coltan deposits attract a global network of traders, bankers, corporate extractors, and investors who combine with venal political cabals to loot the states' value. And the vagaries of resource-dependent economies could pitch Africa's new middle class back into destitution just as quickly as they climbed out of it. The ground beneath their feet is as precarious as a Congolese mine shaft; their prosperity could spill away like crude from a busted pipeline.

This catastrophic social disintegration is not merely a continuation of Africa's past as a colonial victim. The looting now is accelerating as never before. As global demand for Africa's resources rises, a handful of Africans are becoming legitimately rich, but the vast majority, like the continent as a whole, is being fleeced. Outsiders tend to think of Africa as a great drain of philanthropy. But look more closely at the resource industry, and the relationship between Africa and the rest of the world looks rather different.

©2015 Tom Burgis (P)2015 Gildan Media LLC

One of the best I’ve listened to

Narrative was fantastic, and the book moves along at a very nice pace. While the content was troubling, it was an entertaining read nonetheless.

interesting but muddled

great narrator, interesting story, blames oil and mineral companies for intentionally looting africa but treats african politicians who squander community aid money from those same oil and mineral cos as victims of their own circumstance

Learned so much!

I disliked learning there is the dark side of international trade and finance. I liked learning about it and extrapolating explanations about things the Autor did not say. Why do we keep pumping in usd to African countries, why does the inequality and economic hardship still exist in African countries, and why??? This book answers them. It also explained, in plain English, a lot about colonialism that was hinted at in college classes but not clearly elucidated. This book was an easy listen and I highly recommend it.

Frightening, Fascinating, Fatiguing

When Tom Burgis tells us, at the start of this book, how he suffered a nervous breakdown, it's easy to see why. The sheer magnitude and hopelessness of the problem in Africa is almost beyond imagining.
This is an important book. One with which college students should be familiar. The wealth we enjoy is purchased on the misery of millions of Africans, and most of us remain blissfully unaware, if not totally unfeeling.
I had to take this book in pieces, it's so powerfully overwhelming. It has left me hating a system over which it seems I have no control whatever. Still, I'm glad to know the truth of it.
Listen to this book. Grover Gardner is the best narrator one can imagine, and the subject matter is of the utmost importance.

A tale of greeed

The Looting Machine is a tale of many villains- both black and white. In spite of the riches of diamonds, petroleum and valuable metals and minerals, a handful of people make obscene profits while the majority of citizens barely get by.

A good overview of african continent history

The book start after the independence of most african countries and describe how corporate and warlord control africa's wealth and destiny.

Interesting

It's interesting to see how nations have stolen so much from African nations and how African leaders have sold out their countries.

Stolen resources

The resources that were extracted and stoles
from Africa and never replaced or recouped assets

Great book

This is an outline of the countries discussed. You'll have to dive a bit deeper to learn about all the legal crime that's robbing so many Africans of their own wealth. Very sobering.

1. Angola
2. DR Congo
3. Nigeria
4. China
5. Guinea
6. Niger
7. Ghana
8. Niger Delta (Nigerian oil province)
9. South Africa
10. Zimbabwe

The unbelievable Africa wealth story

I've spent a lifetime loving all things Africa. This book points out just how off the mark I am. Africa and poverty are contradictions that becomes clear after reading Tom Burgis brilliant and brave book.