From Enron to the opioid scandal, an explosive, deeply-reported exposé that shows how McKinsey's has made the world more unequal, more corrupt and more dangerous over the last sixty years

McKinsey & Co. earns billions of dollars in fees from major corporations and governments who turn to them to maximize their profits and enhance efficiency. Their vaunted statement of values asserts their role is to make the world a better place, and their reputation for excellence and discretion attracts top talent from universities around the world. McKinsey's network is immense: almost 80% of the Fortune 500 and every government, as well as countless militaries, institutions and charities, including the NHS, have paid for and implemented their top secret and world-shaping advice. So what is that advice? And what effect has it actually had?

In When McKinsey Comes To Town, two prize-winning investigative journalists reveal the truth behind the public image. Often McKinsey's advice boils down to major cost-cutting, including layoffs and maintenance reductions, to drive up short term profits, thereby boosting the stock price and the wealth of the executives who hire them, at the expense of workers, and safety measures. They frequently recommend steering contracts from governments to their own clients, and just as frequently advise companies in the same industries.

Shielded by NDAs, McKinsey has escaped public scrutiny despite their role in advising tobacco companies, purveyors of opioids, repressive governments and oil companies. McKinsey helped insurance companies boost their profits by essentially making it impossible for accident victims to get payments; worked their U.S. government contacts to let Wall Street firms evade scrutiny; enabled massive theft in developing countries such as South Africa; reshaped the NHS. Their work has helped destabilize the global economy and divided society, and has been at the heart of some of the worst corporate scandals in history: from Enron to the Opioid Crisis.

Bognadich and Forsythe have managed to penetrate the veil of secrecy McKinsey by conducting hundreds of interviews, obtaining tens of thousands of revelatory documents, and following rule #1 of investigative reporting: Follow the money. When McKinsey Comes To Town is a landmark work of investigative reporting that amounts to a devastating portrait of a firm whose work has made the world more unequal, more corrupt, and more dangerous.

A gripping narrative of secrecy, greed and corruption, this is the story of where and how business went wrong in the modern era.

**A TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022** An explosive exposé of a firm whose work has made your world more unequal, more corrupt and more dangerous. McKinsey & Company have earned billions consulting almost every major corporation in the world - and countless governments, including our own. Shielded by NDAs, their practices have remained vague - until now. In this propulsive investigation, prize-winning journalists Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe reveal the jaw-dropping reality. McKinsey's work includes ruthless cost-cutting in the NHS, troubleshooting for Big Oil, executing Trump's immigration policies (the ones that put children in cages) as well as advising some of the world's most unsavoury despots. 'A story of secrecy, delusion and untold harm' OBSERVER 'Makes you so angry...the evidence the authors winkle out is astonishing' SUNDAY TIMES 'Panoramic, meticulously reported and ultimately devastating' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE 'A harrowing account of decades of dishonourable exploits' ECONOMIST

This delightful book is the first comprehensive architectural guide to Bath, England's finest Georgian city. Full of new discoveries and lively descriptions of the city's notable buildings, the book follows in the great tradition of the Pevsner series. It features superb, specially taken color illustrations throughout and numerous easy-to-use walking maps. The great set-pieces of Bath-the famous Pump Room, The Circus, Royal Crescent-are embedded in a graceful urban landscape developed by a long succession of gifted local architects. The city's Roman roots are represented by the remains of its extraordinary baths, its medieval prosperity by the splendid Abbey. Exquisite villas and terraces on the surrounding hills add further variety. For all who share an interest in the buildings of Bath-from architect to historian, tourist to armchair traveler-this is an irresistible volume.

X is an identity thief extraordinaire who steals the identity of the worst possible person He soon becomes a fugitive, hunted by every intelligence agency in the world. The international adventures of this sardonic and amoral anti-hero combine the irony of The Third Man with the fast-paced thrills of The Bourne Identity. To survive, X must use his talent for deceit and his chameleon-like ability to adopt one persona after another, as his predicament becomes steadily more harrowing and the stakes mount. A former writer for the satirical tabloid The Weekly World News, C. Michael Forsyth peppers The Identity Thief with sly humor and delicious twists. His acclaimed novel Hour of the Beast was hailed by Horror Fiction Review as a "fast-paced, rip-snorting, action-packed, sexy college romp." Critics called his epic romantic adventure The Blood of Titans "an engrossing and well-crafted tale."

The Blood of Titans is unique love story set in the Golden Age of Africa. It is the tale of Halima, a teenage princess who falls in love with a warrior king. Enormous obstacles lie in the way of their happiness. In the course of their adventures, Princess Halima learns about loss, duty, and the high price of romantic love -- and must make a choice that determines the future of kingdoms. Early responses are glowing: "The Blood of Titans is an epic romantic adventure that hearkens back to the origin of African civilization, told with detailed eloquence... an engrossing and well-crafted tale. Forsyth does an excellent job creating Halima's world with details so sharp the reader is easily transported into it." -- Milton J. Davis, Editor of Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology "The lyrical language of The Blood of Titans quickly drew me into this richly textured novel. I could smell the air, hear the music, and see the towns and sea and grasslands and mountains. Every scene comes to life." - Shauna Roberts, Ph.D, author of Like Mayflies in a Stream "C. Michael Forsyth has charted new territory in the land of Sword and Soul. The Blood of Titans will carry you along on an amazing journey. I give it five spears out of five." -- Charles R. Saunders, Aurora Award-winning author of Imaro Many love stories targeted at African-American women are "urban romances," featuring dubious protagonists such as strippers and thugs. In contrast, the characters of this book have a Shakespearean dignity. With rousing depictions of sword battles, fights to the death with ferocious animals and other derring-do, the novel has plenty to offer both male and female fans of fantasy and the sword and sorcery genre. Anyone who enjoys a good story should read this exciting and moving tale.

From Bach's choral works composed for performance in the Thomas-Kirche Leipzig to Stockhausen's electronic music designed specifically for caves, the course of Western music has been closely connected to the spaces in which it has been performed. In this remarkable study, Michael Forsyth - designer of concert halls, architect, and violinist - examines the effect of musical taste and style on architecture and the reciprocal influence that buildings and their acoustics have had on musical performance and composition.Buildings for Music opens with a description of the purpose - built music rooms in Britain and Germany from the 17th century. From there it moves to the evolution of the opera house in Italy and France, analyzing these buildings in terms of the acoustic requirements of 18th-century music in the classical style. The great 19th-century concert halls and opera houses are then described in relation to the development of Romantic music. In seeking the reasons for their excellence and flaws, the book dispels a number of acoustic myths.The final part of the book outlines the growth of acoustic science and the parallel emergence of the 20th-century concert hall and of modern music. The influence of recording techniques and cinema design are also discussed. In closing, Forsyth looks to a future that may find its inspiration in electronics and the adjustable auditorium.Michael Forsyth teaches and researches architecture at the University of Bristol. He has broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on concert hall acoustics, and is a frequent contributor to the Architects' Journal.