This book, written by Anne Applebaum, gives an indepth overview of present and past autocratic leaders and their autocracy’s. About their behaviour, their search for wealth and power and how they are interconnected with eachother. These leaders show (almost childish) behaviour to reach their goals by means of: manipulating people, criminal acts like money laundring, misusing social media and agression. A narcistic and antisocial personality disorder is a prerequisite for becoming an autocratic leader. What is astonishing to read, is the fact that president Putin already used money laundring when he worked at the KGB in former East Germany. At that time he gathered friends that later became the notorious oligarchs of Russia. Also the BRICs -most autocratic- member states are discussed in comparison with the western world. In last chapters the author indicates how the western world has to deal with the growing amount autocratic states and she is positive that western countries will find a proper way how to deal with them. It is most important that western companies have to stop doing business with and backing up autocratic regimes.
Martin van Heun
