Summary of The Shock Doctrine

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, by Naomi Klein, is an ambitious and heartbreaking investigation into the “corporate re-engineering” of societies around the world. From Chile in 1973 to Iraq today, Klein shows how disastrous events are exploited to defund and dismantle vital social programs and shift economic resources to the wealthy. Through interviews and archival research, Klein reveals how large-scale shocks — such as terrorist attacks, economic upheavals, or natural disasters — are used as opportunities to impose controversial and far-reaching free market policies, setting back civil liberties, economic progress, and human rights around the world.