‘Message of hope… the courage to challenge the corrupt,’ Jeremy Pope, Transparency International. ‘We may be at a turning point in humanity’s long wrestle with corruption,’ Davos Group, World Economic Forum.

How much illicit money, grey money in need of laundering , is circulating the globe? How much money is paid in foreign bribes each year? Can businesses claim tax deduction for payment of bribes overseas? How much profit do the drug lords make each year? Corruption: Who Cares? answers these questions and many more as it reveal the scourge of corruption now threatening modern society. But beyond that, it is a book of hope. It shows how governments, NGOs and ordinary citizens are responding, making advances towards a world built on standards of integrity and honesty. It introduces the reader to: · business people who see corruption as a black and white issue with no shades of grey and are ready to pay the costs of such a stand; · a cabinet minister who fought against corruption in the face of fierce opposition from within his own party; · ordinary citizens who effectively and courageously campaigned to end vote-buying in their countries; · a businessman who returned hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid tax and precipitated an industry-wide tax investigation. The book lays before the reader a panorama of evidence that integrity, transparency and honesty are realistically achievable. They are not some distant ‘pie in the sky’ vision.

‘Brian Lightowler has done us all a very great favour in illustrating the range of abuses and their consequences, but also in underlining a message of hope by setting out examples of reforms won by those with principles and the courage to challenge the corrupt. His message? Together, we can – and we shall – overcome. This book is a valuable contribution to that end.’ Jeremy Pope, Executive Director of Transparency International’s Centre for Innovation and Research.

With Grosvenor Books, Australia