World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia

by Tom Gariffo

Alternate cover edition for ISBN: 978-1983349607
For previous cover edition see here

Welcome to the Misinformation Age.

A solitary man strides across a helipad tarmac on the top of a massive skyscraper. He is on his way to receive his next mission. Few know his name or his past, not even his employer, the CEO of World, Inc., who barely understands or cares what drives him. The CEO has called him by the code name “Sliver” since they met, and for the last four years Agent Sliver has efficiently accomplished dozens of covert missions that might ultimately give the company an edge on its competitors. But this is no ordinary tale of corporate espionage:

World, Incorporated is one of five supercorporations which, having overthrown governments across the globe in the wake of decades of social unrest and economic turmoil, spend their near-limitless resources to attain total supremacy in the post-national society of 2058. Answerable to no one, the supercorporations compete for the loyalty of the world’s population using any means necessary: revolutionary advancements, media control, clandestine sabotage. Sliver is an agent of the latter, and he is very good at his job. But his next mission is not going to go as planned…

The world as you know it already has screens that watch you back, figurehead leaders basking in post-truth doublespeak, and corporations with more money and influence than nations. For those who have ever wondered “where can it go from here?” World, Incorporated is a disturbingly believable take on how our society could dramatically evolve in just a few decades. This captivating action-thriller follows a conflicted young man along his path to revenge and redemption in the 21st century dystopia. His world is about to change. Will yours?

286 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2012

About the author

Tom Gariffo is a professional public policy analyst and climate change advocate, in addition to being the author of his first novel "World, Incorporated."

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has left me with mixed feelings, so let’s start with the positives. I really liked the scenes where Sliver clearly struggled with what he wanted to do versus what he was being told to do. It shows a level of depth to his character. Also, I felt Rex, a cyborg, was an interesting addition to the story and one that added humor to the plot.

Speaking of characters, aside from Sliver and perhaps Rex, everyone else was fairly one-dimensional. For the most part, I’m not sure if some of them actually served a big purpose and some of them were hard to remember.

From the beginning, the author did grab my attention, but unfortunately, then my interest started to fade. This especially happened when a series of news articles were included as two separate chapters. The news articles, more or less, chronologizes the past fifty years leading up to the book’s current events. There were just so many given at once that I felt myself being taken out of the story and not in a good way.

There were also some plot holes and not much world building here. When entering a new dystopian world, it is important to fully understand the world the characters are living in to perhaps sympathize with their situation. However, with this book, we only get a glimpse of how everyday people live and we barely scratch the surface of what the five supercorporations entail. I believe the author just focused on one of the five in this book, the World, Incorporated. Does that mean that he’ll focus on the others in subsequent books or are we meant to be left in the dark? Honestly, it was hard to believe this was a potential future for our real word, which some people have stated, just because the reader isn’t given a lot to go by. The pages were filled with more action than description of this supposed modern dystopia.

Without giving too much away, I also don’t agree with how the ending was presented.

Throughout the novel, there were also a number of punctuation missing. Some of these were quotation marks, while many others were commas. Another round of editing would be beneficial here.

Overall, this is a book that I wouldn’t have normally picked up on my own, but being part of the Blogger Reviewer Program, I did read it. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that I would revisit or continue. Perhaps I would recommend this to those who enjoy politically-based books where one man who struggles with his identity.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreadful cover but I want you to relax Tom because you wrote an amazing story. First, let’s get the technical stuff out of the way. I care little about grammar, I’m always searching for a great plot first. But the author delivered on grammar for those out there who are concerned about that area.

The story is about an agent named Sliver who works for the corporate juggernaut World, Inc. He’s basically an assassin even though he runs away from that title as if it's a cross-eyed girl with no teeth. (I’m trying to be funny)

Does anybody like Dr. Who? Because I do and in a way this writer adopts the whole companion thing from that series. Throughout the story he’s accompanied by his talking ship, a young girl named Kelly and a cyborg named Rex. His group of friends who call themselves the Shredders also appear. Sliver and all the people I just mentioned are characters you want to hang out and play Mario Kart with. Nobody made you want to stop reading, they were all enjoyable characters.

Another cool character in the story was Shawn Chase. He’s kind of the John Stewart/Stephen Colbert type of “journalist”. Those two comedians play a big role in politics and the politics was heavily present in this story. I loved every bit of it, ranging from the news blog entry dedicated chapters, the corporate takeover, taxes, credits and nukes…oh my. As a political junkie that all made me happier than a Government Shutdown or State of the Union night.

Of course there’s the main plot, which focuses on Silver’s hate for a CEO named Carnegie. We eventually learn the disturbing reason behind his hatred for the man.

The story opened strong, even though we had to get through a bit of character description before the action. I loved how even though it was set in the future, it felt as if the story could take place today. I researched the author aka cyber stalked him and based on his profile it’s not surprising he managed to put together a story like this that makes politics seem “hip” and throw in some cool action scenes.

As for the ending, it didn’t catch me off guard but the lead in was entertaining.

Rating:
I would recommend this book to my friends and enemies, 4 out of 5 stars. Tom, dude, give that cover a major face-lift. At least consider putting an awesome new world flag with some corporate logos all over it on the cover.

[Bryan Cacciatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

World, Incorporated was a very action-packed book. The only real times where there was not action was when the ship was showing one of the characters the history of the world that she missed out on in the form of blogs and news articles. At first I didn't like the way that those were incorporated into the book, but by the end of a chapter of them I understood why they were there; mainly being that there is not currently a prequel (which I would love to read) about how the world became how it did. IF those couple chapters of history were not there, there would be a large gap as to how the world is so different from today's world.

The main character was very easy for me to get into; a guy with his eyes open to everything around him but doesn't let anyone know that, he just let's them think he is a thoughtless assassin. At times you feel that he is a jerk while at other times you feel sorry for him and other times you are rooting for him. Everyone he meets brings another personality to the table and it makes for a very interesting read.

While the world that was created in the book was not entirely unique, it was a different take on what the future holds for us if we continue on the path we are on with allowing corporations to shape the way society is. The weapons and armour were not inventive, but were put to a good use where most stories they are just there to have them there. After World, Incorporated, I welcome the next book this author puts out.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Good luck, Agent Sliver” the computer said as he opened the door.’

New author Tom Gariffo first published this book in 2012: it is now available in Kindle format. The writing is so strong that we wonder if the author has been writing screenplays or short stories or other novels under a nom de plume since his debut novel WORLD INCORPORATED.

The theme is ‘a modern dystopian set in 2058 and since it is now 2018 that adds to the fright of the work – the conditions addressed cold only be 40 years into the future. Yes, there is evidence at present that the ‘governments’ around the globe are being manipulated by both IT and megacorporations, so the path to extinction is a possibility.

And perhaps that is one of the several reasons this book is so successful – the potential of prophecy added to the fine building of atmosphere, pacing and character development. And the now understood presence of AI and robotics in every part of our lives enhances the credibility.

Our imagination is fully engaged with the opening paragraphs – ‘To him, it was just a job. It was just another slight variation on the same routine he had done time and again, to the point now that he could no longer remember how many times he had done this before, and the thought that there was ever a time when the things he was doing right this instant were not merely a function of reflex seemed entirely baffling in his mind. “Alright, this looks good, take us down” he said commandingly. Sure, his work rarely brought him to the same places, and the specifics of what had to be accomplished would, when considered together, combine into something different than anything he had attempted previously. But the specifics were a finite set of actions, all drawn from the same handful of sources, and each of which he had already done at least half a dozen times if not many more. They could be combined in myriad ways, but any combination would still dictate a few essential functions that he could carry out without any particular concentration, with the necessary motions to go through having been hard-wired into his instinctual memory. So to him, it was just another job. His transport, which he preferred to think of as an airship, was now a dull golden brown hue as it hovered momentarily over a dauntingly massive wheat field, and then gently touched down. He sat in the cockpit before the central control cluster, but his hands did not touch any of it. His arms rested on the arms of the chair, and his head rested unenthusiastically on his fist via his right cheekbone. His gaze stretched out over the wide, flat horizon that stretched out for miles in homogeny. The restraints of the pilot’s seat crisscrossed his torso, starting at the shoulders and running down, securing him snugly in place. When he felt the landing gear meet solid ground, he undid the restraints and began to stretch. A voice that was metallic and gravelly, and slightly British, emanated from speakers on the console. “We have arrived, per your instructions and the mission guidelines,” the onboard computer spoke, and then proceeded to read off the exact coordinates. The plane had touched down somewhere in the middle of North America. There was nothing of particular interest in this area for miles, unless if someone for some reason had business with the squatters that had started sporadically moving into the area. He stepped up from the pilot’s chair and continued to do more thorough stretches. “Sir,” the onboard computer said, “the critical mission data has been uploaded to your personal computing device, and satellite assistance is available, as planned.” “Thank you, Gerald,” he replied, as the console ejected a flat, narrow and wide device, attached to a tight fitting elastic armband.’

Aperitif, perhaps, but the story grows in importance and structure as outlined in the summary – ‘
The year is 2058. The governments of nation-states are gone. Five Supercorporations provide all goods and services anyone could need, including law and order. People are no longer citizens, but consumers, with all information about them from birth until death stored in the Registry. Agent Sliver is the personal covert operative to the CEO of one of the Supercorporations: World, Inc. When one of his missions does not go as planned, he will start to question his world and his place in it. Will you? Welcome to the Misinformation Age.’

Tom Gariffo alerts us that his story is more than likely is not dystopian, but rather imminent. And that is the mark of a fine writer. We need to read more of this man’s work!

[Casey Dorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Sliver, known throughout most of the book only as “Agent Sliver,” is a fearsome assassin, firmly in the hire of World, Inc., one of the five supercorporations that control not just the world’s economy, but the lives of most of its inhabitants. The plot of World Incorporated is set in the 2050’s after most nations have failed, and large corporations have taken over most of the world, both profiting from and providing for the world’s citizens. Sliver’s family was broken apart by one of those corporations when he was young, and he was taken prisoner, victimized as a guinea-pig in biological experiments designed to test drugs and hormones that would make participants slaves to their desire to purchase products. At some point in the process, he was freed by World Inc. and put through even more training, of which he has only a dim memory, to become a physically enhanced assassin, unfortunately addicted to a mysterious drug known as the “Serum.”

Agent Sliver kills with skill and impunity. His normal human feelings have been dulled to almost nothing. His only companion is a talking computer he names “Franklin,” who controls his aircraft, the Chrome Wind, which takes him on his missions. The missions are mostly to assassinate renegades who challenge the system. When he kills two aging counterculture hippies who are plotting to blow up malls and institutions, he discovers that they have a young adult daughter, Kelly, who, despite his better judgment, he saves instead of killing. Kelly has awakened some of his dormant humanity.

As the book progresses we follow Agent Sliver as he tackles several missions, all of which clearly should give him pause, because his victims are innocent crusaders for truth, and he finds himself questioning what he is doing. The human side of Sliver is being awakened by the presence of Kelly, whom he has virtually kidnapped and taken with him as a passenger in the Chrome Wind. But even as he questions what he does, Sliver is compelled to continue doing it. First of all, he is addicted to the Serum, which is controlled by the CEO of World Inc., and second, he hates the CEO of the company that first separated him from his parents and experimented on him, and he is committed to assassinating him.

The plot of World Incorporated is not a simple one. Each assassination provides a dilemma for Agent Sliver, and his growing humanity makes it harder and harder for him to carry out his assignments. On top of that, one of the corporations has developed a cyborg—part human and part machine—assassin whose assignment is to kill Sliver, who is only saved by the assistance of a group of computer hackers who he saved from death years earlier and who alter the cyborg’s programming.

I won’t go into the final scenes of the novel, which are hair-raising with tension and action. What I found most intriguing were the moral dilemmas faced by Sliver and the psychological aspects of Sliver, of Kelly, his female captive, and even of Rex, the cyborg assassin. None of these are cookie-cutter, stock characters or caricatures of people. Their inner conflicts seem real. The novel also has a political side to it related to the conflict between a big-government approach to solving people’s problems and a capitalistic one. The strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are explored, if not in depth, at least fairly even-handedly. A long historico-political section of the book tries to provide a background to these latter issues through news stories and government press releases over a period of years, which I didn’t find effective and is the only reason for not giving the book five instead of four stars. All in all, I found it an exciting, thought-provoking book, which I would highly recommend to fans of futuristic dystopian novels.

[Alan Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t, and it wasn’t the story, it was other things. Ok you may have noticed a lot of commas in the last sentence, and that was one of the issues I had with this book that prevented me from giving it 5 stars, that and some of the writing style (Ok I’m done using commas).


Gariffo tells a story about an assassin who lives in the future where the world’s economies and governments are completely controlled by “supercorporations”. Sliver (I swear I read it as “Silver” for the whole first chapter) is an employee of World Inc. which is one of the super-corporations that run the world. He is given various missions to assassinate targets. Along the way he meets Kelly, the daughter of one of his targets, and Rex a cyborg. Kelly adds some great tension/conflict early on in the novel between herself and Sliver, Rex brought the comic relief.


I’ll start with all the things I liked about the book. First of all, I was drawn in right away. I like futuristic science fiction and I like stories about assassins with crazy skills. This book does not disappoint on those fronts. Sliver goes on multiple missions throughout the book and is very cunning and deadly. I really liked the mission in D.C. and his initial interaction with Rex.


Second thing I liked about the book was the setting. The author did a good job presenting the world, although he could have gotten into more detail about the other corporations, I nevertheless came away impressed with the world building. This is mainly due to the fact that the author did a very good job building up the back story that lead to the stories current time and place. He presented this through news articles that Kelly read in the first half of the book.


Third thing I like about the book was the action and the ending. From about halfway through the book to the end it seemed that every chapter was packed with action scenes that lead to plot twist and turns. I was a little conflicted about the ending, but I didn’t hate it either. I thought the ending was wall developed throughout the story and plausible. It was a surprise and I am all about surprise endings, so that was a plus.


The only gripe I had about this book was the writing style. First, as mentioned, long sentences, with lots of commas, tend to be distracting (Ok last time I swear). Also, the author did way too much narration during the action scenes. There was too much detail about what was happening and all it did was slow down the scenes. In addition, while I liked the back story with the news articles and found it a very interesting read, it should have been better presented in the story. The author had an entire chapter early on in the book in which Kelly read the first set of articles. It was a long chapter and really detracted from the overall story moving forward, especially when I was just starting to connect with the characters and their relationship. Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it. By the way did I mention there were too many commas? Ok, I’m done, promise.

[Payal Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way the world is going, World Incorporated provides a clear but disturbing glimpse of the future. It is a future that it totally utilitarian. World Incorporated is in fact the name of the organization where the protagonist Sliver works. Sliver is the person hired to do the dirty work of the company and he (Sliver) does so not because he is evil, but, because the company is manipulating him with certain drugs and devices. In one of his missions to eliminate a troublemaker for the company, Sliver comes across a girl who causes certain emotions to come to the surface. Sliver starts questioning his life and purpose and slowly but surely clears the entanglement of deceptions and lies. However, he has to use his wit to the fullest and keep his emotions in control to do the right, particularly in the face of personal tragedies. The end is highly surprising and there is a hint of a sequel with perhaps a better fate for the hero.
The book is appealing both for its plot and for its futuristic vision. The story is heavy in dialogue and I like the way words are used to convince a machine to engage in something which it is reluctant to do. Also, since the future vision is not very much far away so while there are changes, there are also glimpses of the present. The story is very much believable and I would like to read a sequel of it.

[Karyn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Him, IT was just a job…
A certainly good literature by Tom Gariffo, that looks into the high tech future of the world. He tries to envisage what the world we live in will turn out to be in the year 2058. I have always been a fan of the future where a man will successfully have reasonable conversations with machines and this book did a pretty good job to create a bond between man and machine.
At least for once, I’ve found one book that shares the same high tech future ideas with me. Reading the pages of this masterfully written literature by Gariffo. The book circles around the life of agent Silver and his mission.
I love the very fact that this book goes ahead to look beyond the current state of things to a period where everything is well organized with every single data about citizens recorded in a registry.
For a moment I had some hard feeling about some of the ideas set out in this. However, as I began to open my mind to the endless possibilities that science can achieve, this book begins to make a lot of sense on a whole new level.
For lovers of the future like myself, this book will certainly be satisfying.

[Yoli García · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Modern Dystopia That Could Turn Into a Reality

World, Incorporated by Tom Gariffo is a thrilling and action-packed modern dystopian novel that could very much turn into a reality for us. The government of the United States collapsed thanks to partisanship and inability to compromise. Nations ceased to exist. Individuals are no longer the citizens of nations but rather costumers loyal to brands. Supercorporations are in charge of education, law, security, information, employment, and healthcare. Those who do not follow the status quo are eliminated.

Agent Sliver works as an assassin for the CEO of World, Incorporated. He has followed instructions without question since he became a henchman. That changes the day he saves Kelly, the daughter of two of his targets. This act of empathy changes something inside of Agent Sliver; therefore, he starts to question the status quo.

Follow him in his adventures along with his futuristic friends, Rex and Franklin to discover if he will continue playing nice. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction, action, and dystopian novels

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopis by Tom Gariffo is a great book that gets off to a solid start. Taking place in the distant future, this tale is a massive criticism of modern society, and the effects that corporations have on society. They wield their power unerringly with little regard. Gariffo presents this criticism skillfully in this well written book, encasing those opinions in a substantial science fiction story. While this book may seem James Bond-ish- it also explores societal issues that have evolved over time, and even uses blogs and news from the past to explain the story settings and tone. This is an excellent literary device, and it works effectively. The characters themselves are unique and well described, right down to their clothing. Dialogue is realistic and moves along the plot nicely. Overall, a compelling and well put together story with an assassin by the name of Sliver, that you will learn to like. Highly recommend.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was not what I expected. In a world where five Mega Corporations rule the entire earth in lieu of governments, we are not citizens, we are consumers/products. Everything we ever wanted, purchased, lusted after is stored data in the Register. If you think this might sound like a creepy version of what is going on today with the privacy breaches and internet companies tracking our every move, you are not incorrect. Amazon has nothing on the corporations depicted in this novel.
The story follows Agent Silver on a mission that fails and forces him to finally question everything about his world. Full of intrigue, action, thrilling mysteries and creepy foreshadowing of what could happen in this world of ours. This book does a great job of painting a bleak picture for our future if we do not do something now to stop the inevitable… the blatant overthrowing of our governments and enslavement of us.

[Rachel Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Tom Gariffo will take you on a journey to 2058 where most governments of nation-states have disappeared. To make up for their disappearance, there are five Supercorporations provided for citizens so they can buy items for their basic needs. These Supercorporations keep tabs on the citizens though and everything about them is documented – nothing is a secret. When a Supercorporation spy, Agent Sliver, is assigned with a special task, he starts to question his role with the Supercorporation and how he may have been blinded by false information.
If you’re looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read, you’ll definitely want to check out this novel. Gariffo incorporates science fiction with politics which creates an interesting combination. He also writes with an intriguing writing style which will capture your imagination. At 288 pages, it’s a little bit of a long read, but it’s certainly worth reading thanks to its well-developed and intriguing plot.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A futuristic story of global domination on a corporate level

World, Incorporated is a sci-fi thriller that takes a look at corporate over reach and what can happen if huge corporations were to take control. There are 5 supercorporarions that supply and control all of the goods and services in the world. Entire life history is stored in a super computer and accessible at any time. Could you live in a world like This? Would you be able to survive and flourish with no control over your life? An agent for one of these global monsters begins to discover what is really happening behind the scene and must now choose to help or be a part of this massive control plot. This was a fun read that comes complete with twists and turns along the sci-fi trail we travel. I recommend this one to all the sci-fi fans as well as the fans of a good adventure story line.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

World, Incorporated: a Modern Dystopia is a very well-written sci-fi thriller that captures your attention over the first few chapters.
The introductory chapters have a slow start. Too much information, too many introductions to characters and to a new world order. Maybe if it was done more organically throughout the story it would be better. Nevertheless, the story progresses well and builds momentum It’s quite an interesting take on what the future may look like. I really enjoyed the characters and the way they interact and grow in the story. It really is one of the stronger features in this book. Tom Gariffo does an excellent work building this dystopian world and introducing the reader to it. It’s not hard to understand how the world evolves into that setting and that makes it believable and relatable. A very good and entertaining read with something for everyone.

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book not only did I find something truly amazing but also something very scary, a vision of what our future might have for us.
Our society is advancing, but despite the general progress, there are a certain percentage of people who still are misinformed, and if that keeps growing in the years to come, we may have a similar outcome than the one in this book.
Despite some political, corporative and corruption elements that are present, I was surprised by the amount of action in this story, and to be honest it was awesome, the premise not only is engaging but also very fresh and the part at the description that says: from citizen to consumer gave me an eerie feel that this might be our future.
This is an excellent book, a futuristic dystopia where everything seems perfect but of course that is not the case. A must buy for everyone!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

World, Incorporate takes place many years in the future where everything is different and the world as we know it is gone. The main character, Agent Silver, is a likeable guy. Although he certainly has his moments. He is sent on a mission that goes wrong and like any book set in an unfortunate future, things go horribly wrong and good vs. evil is the fight.

I felt like the book took on a lot of interesting concepts and questioned what it would look like in the future if things grew worse. It is a thought provoking take on some issues we currently see in our society and the fear that we are unsure where it will max out or if we will end up at this point with the challenges.

I would certainly suggest this book. It has a classic feel to it that makes you want to read more of the authors work.

[Archie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Perspective to Future Word!
A view of the future, which is exciting, thrilling, scary and thought provoking. Idea of citizens being the consumers and no real government, but superpower is big corporations that control and provides everything. The characters are rightly placed, especially the main character Agent Silver who is strong, thoughtful and a little funny. Quite interesting perspective for all of us to think in future 2058.

[Diana Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

The book starts off slow. With lots of news articles to provide some back ground. Found it quite boring to say the least. However it did pick up a bit, but the ending seemed a bit rushed and left me wanting more information on what the main character was going to do next. Besides the very slow beginning and most of the middle, it was a pretty decent book.

[Heather M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian perfection

I have to admit, this isn't my usual genre that I like to read. This was expertly written and kept me in suspense so that I hated to put it down. But it was a wonderful thing to look forward to, and I find myself a little sad it's over. I sincerely hope a sequel comes of this!!

[Daniele Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, bad characters....

I found the history in the book to be more interesting than the characters. Agent Sliver claims! intellectual prowess and yet he severely lacks any kind of rational intelligence. Riveting story! Ridiculous character!

[Samantha Holtsclaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the characters and plot line. If you enjoy science fiction take a look. There is a lot of strong language and descriptions of death and killings.

[Jonathan Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid

Interesting concept with good world building. A lot of exposition but cleverly delivered. Biggest weakness is the characters, who feel stiff and paint by the numbers l

[Jason Schoonenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great modern day thriller

Aww the power of corp leave it to world inc to day the day
Epic read
Worth the time can’t put down

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corporate Dystopia

For those of you who fear a future in which privacy is of the past and companies own the people, your fear is realized in this compelling novel. One of my favorite features is the use of “primary sources” to introduce the reader to the events that led up to total governmental collapse as well as the corporate wars that follow. The reader follows Agent Sliver, a secret asset of a supercorporation whose sole purpose is to “eliminate” any threats to the supercorporation’s profitability. As the novel progresses, we see Sliver begin to question everything he has been programmed to believe. An awesome read, if you can make it through the occasional grammatical error.

[Kendra Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting adventure in the science fiction world. I felt that it was a little bit more of an economic thriller than true science fiction, but it was an interesting way to look at how politics and economics could have some serious impact on how world governments operate.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a science fiction novel that might challenge their thinking on economics.