A chilling and fascinating expose of how one trillion dollars in annual drug revenues is laundered through banks in the U.S. and abroad. A leading authority on banking and money laundering reveals a sophisticated underground economy which links drug cartels, terrorists, and governments in illegal enterprises.

Follow the Money is based on a startling insight: there are three different forms of money, not just one; and the form of money a society implements determines the kind of society it will be, and what's more, how it will think. For money is not neutral. It is a product of human artifice, the particular expression of a particular society, that at the same time determines the further course of that society, not just in terms of economics, but in all areas of cultural endeavor. This thesis is implemented with verve. The book takes the reader on a journey through history, beginning with ancient Mesopotamia, through Phoenicia, Greece, and Rome, then through medieval and early-modern Europe in its interaction with the Near and Far East, all the way to the modern-day community of nations. It demonstrates in no uncertain terms just how decisive the institution of money has been, and at the same time just how misunderstood - its role, its effects, even the very form it takes. This is still the case, with the result that political choices and action end up entirely misguided. It is especially true of the attempt to address the credit and debt crises afflicting the world today. The way forward will only come through a better understanding of money as institution. This book is a first step in arriving at such an understanding. As such, it takes the form of historical inquiry, which is the only form such a first step can take. Follow the Money is illustrated and published in full color.

The untold story of the man who followed the money to bust Al Capone and clean up America's first great crime wave

The Pacific Crest Trail was designated as one of the first National Scenic Trails way back in 1968. As it traverses the “high road” from Mexico to Canada, incredible views are not only commonplace but also uniquely diverse, because the trail connects six of North America’s seven eco-zones. The PCT’s familiar, well-worn path is a special place for hikers from all walks of life on walks of all lengths and for all reasons. Instead of guiding you through the arduous task of hiking the entire PCT, the goal of this book is to help you plan trips that incorporate hiking on the PCT in Southern California, whether you have just an afternoon to spare or you want to escape for the entire weekend. Carefully edited maps and elevation graphs generated with GPS data collected by the author on the trail will help make your trip a success. This cargo-pocket guide offers author-tested advice to help you make the most of your time away from civilization, however long (or short) that stretch may be.

FBI Profiler Sean Kruger must follow a trail of deceit and murder to protect his family, friends, and the country from a Russian oligarch!After the horrific murder of an attorney and a Washington Post reporter on a park bench in Washington, DC., Kruger and company must determine the reason for the murders and who committed the crime. When it is discovered the reporter and attorney were trying to uncover a dark secret hidden within the highest ranks of the United States government, Kruger enlists the help of his trusted friend JR Diminski. As Kruger and JR strip away the lies and treachery, they discover a plot by a ruthless foreign adversary to undermine the confidence of the American electorate in their chosen officials. With JR following the money trail, it will be up to Kruger to protect the ones he loves from a deadly assassin who is determined to keep him from learning the truth.Will they stop the threat in time or will dark money destroy the American way of life?

Mark Hanna -- the turn-of-the-century iron-and-coal-magnate-turned-operative who leveraged massive contributions from the robber barons -- was famously quoted as saying: "There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can't remember what the second one is." To an extent that would have made Hanna blush, a series of developments capped by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision effectively crowned a bunch of billionaires and their operatives the new kings of politics. Big Money is a rollicking tour of a new political world dramatically reordered by ever-larger flows of cash. Ken Vogel has breezed into secret gatherings of big-spending Republicans and Democrats alike -- from California poolsides to DC hotel bars -- to brilliantly expose the way the mega-money men (and rather fewer women) are dominating the new political landscape. Great wealth seems to attach itself to outsize characters. From the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson to the bubbling nouveau cowboy Foster Friess; from the Texas trial lawyer couple, Amber and Steve Mostyn, to the micromanaging Hollywood executive Jeffrey Katzenberg -- the multimillionaires and billionaires are swaggering up to the tables for the hottest new game in politics. The prize is American democracy, and the players' checks keep getting bigger.