Explores the pathways of global crime that has the power to change the way we think about the world. This work includes interviews with scores of informants, including the smugglers, victims, power elite, and profiteers who populate economic war zones. It provides a framework for understanding twenty-first-century economics and economic power.

Acknowledgments Preface NATIONAL 1. The War Orphan 2. The Bombed-Out Shop 3. Coconuts and Cigarettes: Some Definitions 4. The Gov'nor's Red Tractors 5. Military Takeovers (Or, How to Own a Country) 6. The Untold Story of the Amputees 7. Robber Barons INTERNATIONAL 8. The Border Post--a Billion-Dollar Truck Stop (Going International) 9. Romancing the Stone: Borders and Businesspeople 10. The Washing Machine: Laundering, Part One GLOBAL 11. Diamonds and Fish: Going Global 12. Ports 13. Drugs 14. The Culture of Criminals 15. The Culture of Cops 16. The World-Port 17. The Investment Machine: Laundering, Part Two 18. Human Cargo HOME 19. Post-Terror: Creating (the Illusion of) Security 20. Conclusion Notes References Index

"A deeply insightful book that connects the dots of the hidden systems that have subverted democracy and caused the type of desperation and anger that result in a 9/11. A book that opens our awareness."—John Perkins, author of The New York Times bestseller Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man"Anyone interested in global economic crime should read this book."—Charmian Gooch, a founding director of Global Witness"Global Outlaws is a revealing book about a global trend whose importance is still far from being fully recognized."—Moises Naim, Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine and author of Illicit: How Smugglers Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy"Carolyn Nordstrom's important new book takes us on a dark journey through war-torn landscapes riddled with corruption, violence, and gross inequalities. It is a compelling study—one guided by the norms of scholarly research but also written out of deeply felt experience. A book infused by anger, compassion, but also hope."—Andrew Mack, University of British Columbia"This is a fascinating, insightful, and important ethnographic study of the intersection of crime, finance, and power in the illegal, 'informal', or underground economy. I have read all of Carolyn Nordstrom's books, and this is the best one yet."—Jeff Sluka, Massey University"Carolyn Nordstrom's Global Outlaws is a rare and remarkable fusion of economic anthropology and travel writing. The prose is highly engaging without being sensationalistic. This is a timely and fascinating read for anyone looking for an on-the-ground account of the clandestine underside of globalization."—Peter Andreas, co-author of Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations"Carolyn Nordstrom is the best fieldworker in anthropology, bar none. Yet again she has pioneered new fieldsites and new forms of ethnography in this book, as well as presented a new framework for viewing economics and economic power. This is undoubtedly a highly important work that sets new frontiers for anthropology."—Monique Skidmore, Australian National University