What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhen Corporations Rule the World
David C. Korten · Book · 1995
If you loved When Corporations Rule the World, start with Dirty Money (2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to When Corporations Rule the World across media.
If When Corporations Rule the World changed your perspective, these titles expose the hidden mechanisms of power behind systemic global corruption.
Films on the same thread
The Big Short
Adam McKay · Film · 2015
Explores: Economic collapse, Corporate greed, Systemic corruption.
Like When Corporations Rule the World, this film strips away the veneer of financial institutions to reveal how corporate greed directly fuels catastrophic global economic collapse.
RoboCop
Paul Verhoeven · Film · 1987
Explores: Corporate Corruption, Dehumanization, Artificial Intelligence.
This satire mirrors the warning in When Corporations Rule the World regarding privatization, depicting a future where corporate interests supersede human life and public safety.
Michael Clayton
Tony Gilroy · Film · 2007
Explores: Moral Compromise, Corporate Corruption, Existential Crisis.
This thriller captures the moral decay described in When Corporations Rule the World, showing how legal systems are manipulated to protect corporate interests at any cost.
Erin Brockovich
Steven Soderbergh · Film · 2000
Explores: Corporate Malfeasance, Underdog Story, Environmental Justice.
Much like the call to action in When Corporations Rule the World, this story highlights the struggle of individuals fighting against the environmental damage caused by corporations.
Series on the same thread
The Power of Nightmares
Adam Curtis · Series · 2004
Explores: political manipulation, fear mongering, social control.
You will recognize the critical analysis from When Corporations Rule the World in this documentary, which examines how institutional power relies on manufactured fear for social control.
Dirty Money
Series · 2018
Explores: Corporate Greed, Corruption, White Collar Crime.
This series serves as a practical companion to When Corporations Rule the World by documenting the specific, real-world examples of the systemic corruption Korten critiques.
Toxic Town
Jack Thorne · Series · 2025
Explores: Environmental Disaster, Corporate Malfeasance, Birth Defects.
This drama echoes the environmental concerns of When Corporations Rule the World, illustrating the human cost when communities are sacrificed for corporate profit and industrial expansion.
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
Adam Curtis · Series · 2011
Explores: Technology and Society, Artificial Intelligence, Social Control.
Expanding on the themes of When Corporations Rule the World, this film explores how technology and global structures have fundamentally altered our perception of societal reality.
Podcasts on the same thread
48 Laws Of Power, By Robert Greene (Full AudioBook)
Podcast
Explores: power dynamics, social strategy, manipulation.
While When Corporations Rule the World critiques power, this work offers a clinical perspective on the strategies of manipulation that define the modern political economy.
Marketplace
Podcast
Explores: economics, business, finance.
If you appreciated the economic analysis in When Corporations Rule the World, this podcast provides the daily context needed to understand our complex global financial landscape.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What core issues does When Corporations Rule the World address?
When Corporations Rule the World examines the detrimental impacts of economic globalization. David C. Korten analyzes the root causes of contemporary social, economic, environmental, and political crises while proposing a shift toward localized economic systems that prioritize the empowerment of people and communities through global cooperation.
Is When Corporations Rule the World based on extensive research?
Yes, When Corporations Rule the World is a well-reasoned and extensively researched analysis. David C. Korten utilizes this research to expose the systemic effects of economic globalization and to outline a strategic framework for creating a more sustainable and community-centered global economic system.
Does When Corporations Rule the World offer solutions to global crises?
When Corporations Rule the World provides a strategy for addressing today's social, economic, environmental, and political crises. The book advocates for the transition toward localized economics, aiming to empower individuals and local communities while maintaining a system of cooperation on a global scale.
What is the primary focus of When Corporations Rule the World?
The primary focus of When Corporations Rule the World is the critique of economic globalization. It explores how current corporate structures contribute to global instability and presents a detailed roadmap for restructuring economies to better serve the needs of local populations and the environment.