Nothing but a Circus: Misadventures Among the Powerful

by Daniel Levin

Overview

In this eye-opening exploration of the human weaknesses for power, Daniel Levin takes us on a journey through the absurd world of our global elites, drawing unforgettable sketches of some of the puppets who stand guard, and the jugglers and conjurers employed within. Most spectacular of all, however, are the astonishing contortions performed by those closest to the top in order to maintain the illusion of integrity, decency, and public service. Based on the author's first hand experiences of dealing with governments and political institutions around the world, Nothing but a Circus offers a rare glimpse of the conversations that happen behind closed doors, observing the appalling lengths that people go to in order to justify their unscrupulous choices, from Dubai to Luanda, Moscow to Beijing, and at the heart of the UN and the U.S. government.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141984643
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Daniel Levin has spent the last 20 years working with governments and development institutions worldwide. A lawyer by profession, he is an advisor on political and economic affairs, from financial development to conflict resolution. He is a member of the board of the Liechtenstein Foundation for State Governance. He lives outside New York City. 

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Prologue 1

Part 1

Charmed in Big Sandy 9

Dubai Dreams 19

Breakfast at the UN 45

Luanda Lessons 60

Escape from Dakar 84

Part 2

Chess à la Russe 101

Very Foggy Bottom 126

China Class 142

Washington, District of Cabals 164

For the Love of Gold 176

Epilogue 191

Acknowledgements 194

Editorial Reviews

06/11/2018
Lawyer Levin shares true tales of his encounters with influential figures that expose the prevalence of deceit, incompetence, and corruption in contemporary corridors of power. In Texas, he’s duped into a taking a meeting that turns out to be a desperate, bizarre plea for him to fund an evangelical group’s acquisition of a college campus; in Dubai, a sketchy character uses flattery and lies to get in touch with a powerful sheikh Levin knows; he finds out an outspoken member of the opposition in Russia is really a sleeper-cell stooge for Putin; a U.S. State Department official casually tells him—“with a sense of entitlement, and... of impunity”—about his agency’s corrupt practices; a friend shamelessly requests Levin’s participation in cutting his partner out of a deal; and more. But Levin’s reminiscence also includes positive examples of wisdom and humility. For example, after giving a lecture in Angola on Adam Smith and political economy, he visits a vibrant and complex underground market and is immediately humbled (“What had started as a presumption of my knowledge and the Angolans’ ignorance had ended in the realization of their knowledge and my ignorance”). These revealing stories of absurdity are simultaneously captivating, humorous, and distressing. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"Brilliant observations on the anthropology of power. You will laugh aloud and won't put it down." —Daniel Kahneman, author, Thinking, Fast and Slow

From the Publisher