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Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us Hardcover – November 9, 2021

by Brian Klaas (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 755 ratings
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An “absorbing, provocative, and far-reaching” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) look at what power is, who gets it, and what happens when they do, based on over 500 interviews with those who (temporarily, at least) have had the upper hand—from the creator of the Power Corrupts podcast and Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas.

Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are tyrants made or born? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies?

To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world’s top leaders—from the noblest to the dirtiest—including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Some of the fascinating insights include: how facial appearance determines who we pick as leaders, why narcissists make more money, why some people don’t want power at all and others are drawn to it out of a psychopathic impulse, and why being the “beta” (second in command) may actually be the optimal place for health and well-being.

Corruptible also features a wealth of counterintuitive examples from history and social science: you’ll meet the worst bioterrorist in American history, hit the slopes with a ski instructor who once ruled Iraq, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies.

Based on deep, unprecedented research from around the world, and filled with “unexpected insights…the most important lesson of Corruptible is that when psychopaths inadvertently reveal their true selves, the institutions that they plague must take action that is swift, brutal, and merciless” (Business Insider).
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Scribner
  4. Publication date
    November 9, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1982154098
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1982154097
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2021

“FUN AND ENTERTAINING…With a deft literary hand, Klaas describes how positions that offer power and possibilities for enrichment feature incentives that attract the wrong sort of people.”
—Washington Post

“COMPELLING... [A] useful framework [for] recognizing that while difficult to change, human behavior can be steered in better directions.”
—Washington Monthly

“UNEXPECTED INSIGHTS…presented in a digestible and accessible way…Maybe the most important lesson of Corruptible is that when psychopaths inadvertently reveal their true selves, the institutions that they plague must take action that is swift, brutal and merciless.”
—Business Insider

"ABSORBING, PROVOCATIVE, FAR-REACHING...Essential for interpreting history and world events—both the province of tyrants—alike."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“ENRICHED BY COLORFUL CASE STUDIES AND LUCID EXPLANATIONS…a nuanced and entertaining guide to the meaning and function of power.”
—Publishers Weekly

“PRESENTS SOME FINDINGS THAT [SHOULD BE] CAREFULLY CONSIDERED…Helps to explain our present time of tumult…In some cases, people started out with good motives and eventually lost their way. But some of them, perhaps more than we think, were already wired that way.”
—Christianity Today

“ILLUMINATING…reveals why some people and systems are more likely to be corrupted by power than others."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again

“A FASCINATING, FUN READ…Klaas has striking insights, presents impeccable science accessibly, and tells terrific stories—all with great writing and wonderfully mordant humor.”
—Robert Sapolsky, New York Times bestselling author of Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

“A NEW, INSIGHTFUL, AND SEDITIOUS ROADMAP TO THE PRIMAL URGE TO DOMINATE… Dangerous as a drug addiction, power changes both those who have it and those who just want a quick fix.”
—Richard Engel, Chief Foreign Correspondent of NBC News

"AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERROGATION OF THE WORKINGS OF POWER... A critical book for these troubling times. A must read!"
—Eddie S. Glaude Jr., James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University

"ENGROSSING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, AND FUNNY... an important exploration of how ordinary people can keep leadership out of the hands of monsters."
—Heather Cox Richardson, author of How the South Won the Civil War and the newsletter "Letters from an American"

"THE FREAKONOMICS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE... With revelations that reach from global politics to how your company is managed, this is a perceptive and, above all, entertaining read."
—Max Boot, Washington Post columnist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

“PASSIONATE, INSIGHTFUL, AND OCCASIONLLY JAW-DROPPING…Corruptible sets out the story of the intoxicating lure of power—and how it has shaped the modern world.”
—Peter Frankopan, internationally bestselling author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World

"RICH INSIGHTS AND FASCINATING OBSERVATIONS... Shines a light on recent efforts to ensure that the corrupt don't get power, and the incorruptible do."
—Richard Stengel, former managing editor of Time magazine and author of Information Wars

“A MAGNIFICENT BOOK THAT IS AS RIVETING AS A CRIME STORY… Klaas merges insights from evolutionary science, a wealth of recent social psychology research, and personal interviews with the powerful (and corrupt).”
—Peter Turchin, author of Ultrasociety: How 10,000 Years of War Made Humans the Greatest Cooperators on Earth

“A GPS SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATING A WORLD INCREASINGLY FULL OF ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACIES, MODERNIZED DICTATORSHIPS, AND POPULISTS WHO CARE ONLY FOR POWER…The power-hungry don’t ask why, they only ask why not.”
—Garry Kasparov, Chairman of both the Renew Democracy Initiative and the Human Rights Foundation, and, formerly, world chess champion

“A BRILLIANT EXPLORATION…This book builds Brian Klaas’ reputation, offering an essential guide through our world of democratic decay, corruption, and cronyism.”
—Dan Snow, bestselling author of On This Day in History

About the Author

Brian Klaas grew up in Minnesota, earned his DPhil at Oxford, and is now a professor of global politics at University College London. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, and frequent guest on national television. Klaas has conducted field research across the globe and advised major politicians and organizations including NATO and the European Union. You can find him at BrianPKlaas.com and on Twitter @BrianKlaas.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner (November 9, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982154098
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982154097
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 755 ratings

About the author

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Brian Klaas

Brian Klaas

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Brian Klaas grew up in Minnesota, earned his DPhil at Oxford, and is now a professor of global politics at University College London. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, and frequent guest on national television. Klaas has conducted field research across the globe and advised major politicians and organizations including NATO and the European Union. Klaas also writes a newsletter called The Garden of Forking Paths.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
755 global ratings
If you like Brian’s podcast, you will love this book.
5 Stars
If you like Brian’s podcast, you will love this book.
You can easily see Brian’s understanding of the subject matter through the years of dedication through research and interviews which shows in his writing. Much like his podcast, he delivers a unique immersive preview into the minds of dictators and despots. I learned something from every chapter. Not only does he present the facts and a fresh perspective, he offers his own constructive ideas on how to improve broken systems.This is a fun read and i’m looking forward to his publications and digital content.
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Top reviews from the United States

Seeker
5.0 out of 5 stars changed the way i think about history, politics and organisational behaviours
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
The author's gift is in the ability to ask the right question: what's the world's biggest problem? This could be a more suitable title for the book but I guess the author/publisher may think such a title sounds too conceited. To me, the book is indeed an attempt to answer such a question. The author's two hours interview with the Big Think channel on Youtube carries this title and is a good summary of the book.

In very short, the author's thesis is that psychopaths are more likely than normal people to get into position of power because they crave it and are ruthless. Once in power, they use it to serve their own interests and/or distorted ideologies rather than the organisations or countries they are supposed to serve. And they create or perpetuate a system that's conducive to more psychopaths gaining power. A moment's thought show that history's biggest disasters like wars and famines are caused or aggravated by psychopaths in power. That's why it's right to say that they are the world's biggest problem.

This problem is very difficult if not impossible to tackle. But a diagnosis in the right direction would be a start.

Highly recommended to anyone who think and care about the world's biggest problem(s).
12 people found this helpful
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Todd Adams
5.0 out of 5 stars A well rounded look at the human psychology behind those who lust for power and those who misuse it
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
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A fascinating examination of power and corruption from the viewpoint of human psychology and social science.

The premise of the book is to take a look at whether power corrupts otherwise good people, or if corrupt people seek power. It's an intriguing question.

It throws light onto an age-old question, does power corrupt, and provides a new angle that suggests maybe we have it backwards. Maybe the allure of power attracts corrupt (or corruptible) personalities.

The problem of corruption, as well as the solution, is multifaceted and has no one size fits all remedy.

One interesting angle explored in the book is that corrupt politicians aren't the only source of the problem. We are also part of the problem for granting power to unscrupulous people.

I found this book to be broader in scope than I expected. On the journey to examining power and corruption in today's political systems, the book takes a few side trips into the evolution of mankind, animal behavior, world history, anthropology, human geography, and even some engineering. I expected a book that was narrowly focused on corruption in politics, but found it to be far more comprehensive. It's a well rounded look into many areas of behavioral science.

The book is also infused with the author's cheeky sense of humor, which I found amusing and unexpected.

I've followed Klaas on Twitter and have been looking forward to this book's release. It did not disappoint and is probably one of my favorite reads this year.
28 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Decent book but the same way that the author complained about WIRED individuals influencing the value of research being conducted in universities, the same problem suffuses his own statements with at attention being given to western case studies drastically outweighing those of other cultures. And the ones including other cultures being surface level assessments.
3 people found this helpful
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ARezaZ
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
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Really enjoyed this book. It was a great insight into what makes certain people seek power, and become corrupted in the process.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars How power has affected people from antiquity to the present.
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
An old professor myself, I'm tickled to imagine the delight that Brian Klass's students at University College, London, must experience in his classroom. He loves stories, and tells them with great verve. The recounts of more than 500 interviews are at the base of this book, which averages to about two for each page of text. Each one involves personalities who, though we've perhaps never before heard of them, had a significant impact upon the matter at hand. Many of them are fascinatingly, inconceivably wicked; Klass's attachment to them is indeed charming. But there are also the decent ones, remarkably gifted people with a quite selfless commitment to the common good; learning about these folks is most heartening. Professor Klass's lively mind, attention to detail, and ability to tell stories about his work are principal reasons for the huge success of this book. It includes 246 pp of text, 2 pp of acknowledgements, 43 pp. of notes, and 14 pp of index.
38 people found this helpful
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Phil Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and even a tad hopeful
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
Klaas has written an important and timely book. Rife with research, compelling stories, lessons, and even a smidge of hope, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll have to check out his other texts.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Seann Haver
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in Canada on March 11, 2024
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Love this book, it gives so many examples and answers to so many questions to what we think might be the right leader or not.
Mr Klass uses humour to make a difficult situation lighter. Well done!
This is a book I will return to when I am not sure of my own judgement in leadership!
Thank you Brian
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Cliente Kindle
4.0 out of 5 stars Minha resenha
Reviewed in Brazil on December 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
Achei o livro bem interessante: além de explicar o problema, o autor também propõe várias soluções; não fica naquela problematização tediosa.
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Amazon Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Großartiges Buch!
Reviewed in Germany on August 27, 2023
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Das Zusammenspiel von Macht, Machthunger und Machtstrukturen wird auf eine einfache, interessante und lustige Weise erklärt.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacularly details systems of power, why the wrong sort seek power and why power corrupts
Reviewed in India on August 5, 2023
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I found this book after listening to Brian's walkthrough of it on YouTube. I absolutely loved the cogent and comprehensive explanation about people, systems and processes that create structures of power in today's world. I was exploring power within corporate structures - and this was a great primer on what to watch for and how to think about power and people in power. I also love how the author conveys the point - and how the narrative shift from people in power to systems of power occurs in the book. Must read for every corporate exec and voter.
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Dr Dave. H
5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of the subject of corruption
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2023
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This book covers all the main topic areas you might expect to see in a book on corruption, except one. It is a great book that is easy to follow and provides many interesting insights.
It falls a little short where most discussions on this subject area do based on gain. However, it fails to identify how corruption is also used to avoid accountability.
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