Play Audiobook Sample
The Informant: A True Story Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.02) - 1,370 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
From an award-winning New York Times investigative reporter comes a gripping account of one of the most captivating and bizarre tales in the history of the FBI and corporate America. It was one of the FBI's biggest secrets: Mark Whitacre, a senior executive at Archer Daniels Midland--America's most politically powerful corporation--became a confidential government witness. Putting his career and family at risk, Whitacre, along with a small team of agents, tapped into secrets at ADM that led the FBI to discover the company's scheme to steal millions of dollars from its own customers. But as the FBI and federal prosecutors closed in on ADM, they suddenly found that everything was not all that it appeared. While Whitacre was cooperating with the Feds and playing the role of loyal company man, he also had his own agenda. Whitacre became sucked into his own world of James Bond antics, imperiling the criminal case and creating a web of deceit that left the FBI and prosecutors uncertain where the lies stopped and the truth began. Meticulously researched and richly told, The Informant re-creates the drama of the story, beginning with the secret recordings, stakeouts, and interviews with suspects and witnesses to the power struggles within ADM and its board--including the high-profile chairman Dwayne Andreas, F. Ross Johnson, and Brian Mulroney--to the big-gun Washington lawyers hired by ADM, and on up through the ranks of the Justice Department to FBI Director Louis Freeh and Attorney General Janet Reno. A page-turning real-life thriller that features deadpan FBI agents, crooked executives, idealistic lawyers, and shady witnesses with an addiction to intrigue, The Informant tells an important and compelling story of power and betrayal in America
Download and start listening now!
"I could not put this book down. Gym, work, commute -- everywhere. True story of the Archer Daniels Midland scandal in the early/mid-1990s and Mark Whitacre, the truly strange guy who provided information to the FBI. Kurt Eichenwald clearly did an incredible amount of research for this book, which I appreciated. I haven't seen the movie yet, but now I will."
— Alyssa (5 out of 5 stars)
The Informant Listener Reviews
-
" True account of criminal price fixing by a big corporation but more the sad story of a young executive who's life is destroyed by greed, lies and self-delusion. Full of factual detail about FBI investigation and the politics of the criminal justice system. Good read for anyone who likes books that are well researched but written in an almost fictional style. "
— Ron, 2/15/2014 -
" Conspiracy of fools was better. I read that book and thought this would be a good one as well. Not really. "
— Jon, 2/9/2014 -
" This book was published in 2000 and is a true story. I don't remember hearing about it at the time however. All I can say about this book is that it has to be true because you could NEVER make this stuff up!!! Like me, it will probably shake you faith in every large company on the planet but it is quite a read. Highly recommended! "
— Dennis, 1/25/2014 -
" The amazing story of Mark Whitacre, Archer Daniels Midland executive, revealed that ADM was engaging in price fixing in collusion with competitors; and was himself prosecuted from stealing from ADM. Whitacre seems to be something in the nature of a chronic liar. "
— Converse, 1/18/2014 -
" While I thought the ending could have wrapped up sooner, the sheer amount of research that went into this book is outstanding. It's a great telling--you'd swear you're reading fiction--of a bizarre real-life corporate scandal. "
— Lori, 1/3/2014 -
" One of the more interesting books I've read in a long while, both in terms of content and my reaction to it. I just wish it didn't take 320 pages to become a genuine page-turner. "
— Andrew, 12/31/2013 -
" Wow...Mark Whitacre was one fascinating characters... he wouldn't be believable fictional character. Loved it...a real page turner. "
— Andrew, 12/9/2013 -
" I enjoyed listening to this while commuting, but the middle section sure seemed to drag - a lot of the same thing over and over again. Eichenwald wrote Conspiracy of Fools which is a great book - much better than this one. "
— Mark, 11/1/2013 -
" 4.25--a very nice job on the ADM scandal. The movie version was terrible. "
— Rod, 9/24/2013 -
" One of the best non-fiction books I've read. Eichenwald keeps a fast pace and the twist and turns are truly bizarre. If I hadn't known it was a true story, it would seem unbelievable. "
— Jeff, 8/23/2013 -
" Excellent book but all the detail was too much for me. So many other books I was longing to get to... I'll have to watch the movie. "
— Sherril, 7/22/2013 -
" OK. Pretty big let-down at the end though. With all the twists, figured a big twist at end but didn't happen that way. "
— Greg, 12/19/2012 -
" READ ... IMMEDIATELY! "
— Mary, 10/30/2012 -
" An interesting book but with so many characters it was a bit hard to keep up and quite long winded "
— Maureen, 10/1/2012 -
" It took me over 2 months to get through this book, and in the end, there wasn't a pay-off. It just kinda ended. I feel like I wasted my time reading this. "
— Taylor, 9/27/2012 -
" Wow. What a great book. Richer wall does a great job covering the complex case and the bizarre nature of Whitacre. There are so many twists and turns, and it is all true! It is a long book, but completely with it. "
— Jacob, 8/27/2012 -
" There were so many layers and people involved in this situation that I'm impressed at how well Eichenwald keeps the material organized. One of those "truth is stranger than fiction" case studies that no doubt keep law enforcement courses lively. "
— Laura, 7/3/2012 -
" If you're interested in the unbelievable but actaully true story of ADM and Mark Whitacre READ THE BOOK.... don't waste time on the movie that is an obnoxious injustice to this book that tells the story well. "
— Adam, 2/5/2012 -
" Great non-fiction! Reads like a great and complicated Grisham book....can't wait to see the movie. Hope they didn't screw it up. What a story! "
— Margaret, 1/12/2012 -
" Great book; great story; the protagonist is one of the biggest fools I've ever read about. "
— Mike, 11/1/2011 -
" Great truth-is-stranger-than-fiction read about price-fixing at Archer Daniels Midlands and the eccentric man who blew the whistle. "
— Thecowman32, 9/17/2011 -
" This book is absolutely amazing - the plot and the characters continuously evolve. "
— RunRachelRun, 7/31/2011 -
" Wow...Mark Whitacre was one fascinating characters... he wouldn't be believable fictional character. Loved it...a real page turner. "
— Andrew, 5/13/2011 -
" I can't believe I read the whole thing. "
— Molly, 4/11/2011 -
" So unbelievable you think it is fiction. Marc Whitacre is an author's dream. Truth is truly stranger than fiction. "
— Heather, 2/23/2011 -
" i can't wait to see the movie…<br/>how are they going to make a comedy out of this? "
— Charito, 2/16/2011 -
" A fun, interesting and compulsively readable book. "
— David, 2/12/2011 -
" Very large book but worth reading. A true story - sometimes truth IS stranger than fiction. "
— Laurie, 1/31/2011 -
" This book is endlessly well research, but suffers from a protagonist you hate and too much useless information. Mark Whitacre is an interesting character but not one you want to spend time with. I had to trudge through the first 300 pages to get to the action. "
— Alex, 1/13/2011 -
" Unbelievable page-turner of a story, and so well researched and organized that he keeps it from being confusing. "
— Marilyn, 1/8/2011 -
" Wild, wild, wild. excellent storytelling about the Archer Daniel Midlands mess and a great depiction of how bipolar disorder can screw you up. "
— Maureen, 12/6/2010 -
" WOW! This is truth stranger than fiction. I can't believe that I don't remember this in the news... <br/> <br/>The book is well written and engaging. "
— Emily, 10/11/2010 -
" This was the longest book ever!!! It was a book club selection. I actually took a break from reading it and read something lighter and then came back to it. It is a good story but could've shaved off about 200 pages!!! "
— Angela, 9/19/2010 -
" An interesting book but with so many characters it was a bit hard to keep up and quite long winded "
— Maureen, 9/12/2010 -
" A very good read, but so long that the movie would have been an appealing option if I hadn't already seen it. (It's good too.) "
— Anna, 8/16/2010 -
" HORR. I. BLE. Do not waste your time on this piece of junk! "
— Cindy, 7/28/2010
About Kurt Eichenwald
Kurt Eichenwald is a senior writer with Newsweek, a contributing editor with Vanity Fair, and the author of three New York Times bestselling books. He wrote for the New York Times for more than twenty years. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award for excellence in journalism, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 and 2002. His New York Times bestseller The Informant was made into a major motion picture starring Matt Damon.
About Arthur Morey
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.