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Oct 3, 2024 11:29 AM

Author:Lou Dubose,Jake Bernstein

Vice

The untold story of Dick Cheney: the most powerful yet most unpopular vice president in American history.

Cheney's relentless rise to political prominence over three decades happened almost by stealth. Veteran reporters Lou Dubose and Jake Bernstein reveal the disturbing truth about the man who successfully co-opted executive control over the U.S. government, serving as the de facto 'shadow president' in one of the most controversial White House administrations in memory.

With unique access to numerous first-hand sources, this account provides startling revelations concerning the war on terror, Cheney’s relationship with the CIA and his involvement with Enron. Dubose and Bernstein explore Cheney’s ruthless manouevers and ambitious drive that consistently steered America to the right, an impact that can still be felt in American politics today.

Credited by Vanity Fair as one of the key influences behind Adam McKay’s Oscar-nominated film VICE, this utterly gripping exposé chronicles the hijacking of the American presidency and illustrates the arrogance of power as never before.

Reviews

The case to rethink our assumptions about the period is one Doggett makes with verve and controlled passion ... An excellent book

—— David Aaronovitch , The Times, *Book of the Week*

[A] fascinating...new book about the decade [the 60's]

—— Rachel Cooke , Observer

Refreshingly undogmatic, well-researched and highly readable

—— David Kynaston , Spectator

I very much enjoyed the ride. Growing Up's strengths lies not so much in it being an expert guide to the seedier side of the 1960s (which it certainly is) but in the question Doggett has woven in every chapter, but just manages to leave unsaid: just how much has changed?

—— Kate Lister , Daily Telegraph

In rich and playful prose, Growing Up knits together material from newspapers, women's magazines, films, television and pop music to create an account of the 1960s that, unlike most popular histories, does not edit out the grim bits

—— Louise Perry , Mail on Sunday

An important reappraisal of a decade that changed us, for good and ill

—— Christina Patterson , Sunday Times

Peter Doggett's fascinating new book Growing Up shows rather conclusively that the sixties was not a sexual paradise

—— Tomiwa Owolade , Evening Standard

A timely reminder of the contradictory and complicated character of the First Lady . . . a revealing portrait

—— Daily Mail

Sarah Bradford is very good, and very detailed, about the Kennedys. A good biography, and a good history

—— Evening Standard

Any government looking to rediscover its "vision, purpose and narrative" already knows who to call

—— Adam M. Lowenstein , American Prospect

The consultants may have different names ...and might perform different economic functions...but the effect they have on their client organisations is the same: to entrench short-term thinking, to deplete them of knowledge and skills, and, ultimately, to enfeeble them.

—— Will Lloyd , New Statesman

The power of government is crucial for driving the economy forward. But only if it retains capacity. Mazzucato and Collington have written a brilliant book that exposes the dangerous consequences of outsourcing state capacity to the consulting industry-and how to build it back. A fascinating look at the biggest players in the game and why this matters for all of us.

—— Stephanie Kelton, author of THE DEFICIT MYTH

A powerful indictment of a dubious industry. This book should be read around the globe, and kickstart a debate that's long overdue: Do we really need all those consultants?

—— Rutger Bregman, author of UTOPIA FOR REALISTS and HUMANKIND

The Big Con documents, in precise detail and with panoramic vision, all the ways that the consulting industry has insinuated itself into the systems that govern and control our lives. Private companies, public charities and trusts, states, and even the international order have all handed mission-critical functions over to management consultants. Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington document the harms that result, as consultants exploit the public while stripping their clients of expertise and even the capacity to learn. This bill of particulars serves a profound master purpose: to demonstrate that we cannot outsource governance over our lives and still hope to remain prosperous, democratic, and free.

—— Daniel Markovits, author of THE MERITOCRACY TRAP

A management consultant,' the quip runs, 'is someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time-and then keeps the watch.' This is the very least of the confidence tricks perpetrated by the global consulting industry it turns out. Another common saying is that 'nobody ever got fired for hiring McKinsey.' With the publication of The Big Con, they just might.

—— Brett Christophers, author of RENTIER CAPITALISM

Doggedly researched and elegantly written, this is a fascinating entry point into a critical yet underreported issue

—— Publishers Weekly
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