Brian Klaas | Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us

Iain Martin in conversation with Brian Klaas on his latest book Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How it Changes Us.
Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the outgrowths of bad systems or are they just bad people? Are tyrants made or born? If you were thrust into a position of power, would new temptations to line your pockets or torture your enemies gnaw away at you until you gave in?
To answer these questions, Corruptible draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world's noblest and dirtiest leaders, from presidents and philanthropists to rebels, cultists, and dictators. It also makes use of a wealth of counter-intuitive 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, have breakfast with the yogurt kingpin of Madagascar, learn what bees and wasps can teach us about corruption, find out why our Stone Age brains cause us to choose bad leaders, and learn why the inability of chimpanzees to play baseball is central to the development of human hierarchies.
Corruptible will make you challenge basic assumptions about how you can rise to become a leader and what might happen to your head when you get there. It also provides a roadmap to avoiding classic temptations, suggesting a series of reforms that would ensure that better people get into power, while ensuring that power purifies rather than corrupts.
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[@kodiekulp]

I never heard of this writer. My mom and best friend said to chill out with the political stuff so right now I'm reading a book about vampires that take over the world. But if this guy's put his book on Audible I will listen to it this after I finish the 12. Who knew that a good apocalypse story could get me this hooked into fiction
I can't remember who said it but the idea that anyone thinks that they can control Society is pretty insane themselves. power tends lend itself to the corruptible.
Or something like that. This is fascinating stuff. Thank you for whoever posted this on Reddit.
I grew up not that far from Doraville, my grandmother lived in Chamblee which is right next door I remember friends talking about when the Doraville Police bought a tank. The funny thing is self is very small it mostly contains antique stores with big signs and stone dealers statues for your yard I guess. It made no sense why Doraville needed a tank.... probably because they're the last stop on the mass transit train here in this city. They got to protect myself from City Invaders

[@cayaedwards798]

22.39 good point. These Reaction videos are interesting

[@OnAxisMusic]

Always good to hear an intelligent conversation but has this writer heard of Kent State? History book anyone...please lend it. At 19:48 he said he couldn't imagine it happening in the U.S. and making it sound outlandish that it was being considered in Iraq. Sadly the U.S. created that situation but the point of this comment is to question what he said. Am I missing something or is that inaccurate?

[@simaasvadi6853]

I have ordered the book. But hearing here that the writer has 10 rules for supposedly fix corruption ? I’m less excited. Normally I’m allergic to 10, 12, whatever step recipes. Guess I’ll read the book still……