Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is a semi-autobiographical book written by American essayist John Perkins, first published in 2004. The book provides Perkins' account of his career with engineering consulting firm Chas. T. Main in Boston. Perkins states that the NSA arranged for him to be hired by the firm, and that he was subsequently seduced and trained as an "economic hitman" by a businesswoman named Claudine Martin, who worked for Chas. T. Main. Perkins writes that his primary role at Chas T. Main was to convince leaders of underdeveloped countries to accept substantial development loans for large construction and engineering projects, thus trapping them in a system of American influence and control. The book was a commercial success, appearing on the best-seller lists of both the New York Times and Amazon. Critics expressed doubts about the accuracy and validity of claims Perkins made in the book. Perkins was referred to as a conspiracy theorist by one reviewer, while a number of former colleagues at Chas T. Main disputed or disagreed with some of his allegations. Several reviewers discussed a lack of documentation or verification for Perkins' claims.