The Corporation - Book Review - 1670 Words

The Corporation: A Book Review Joel Bakan’s book, The Corporation: the Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, is a decisive look into the mind of the corporation, or big business. It outlines the importance of profit in business and how ruthless corporations are willing to be in order to bring in substantial revenue. The book uses a historical timeframe to portray the ruthlessness of business ever since the idea of the corporation arose in the 17th century. It provides an insight into a world of cheating, lying and stealing in order to advance in society; which is ultimately the goal Bakan was looking to reach. He provides many cases, examples and accounts which help the reader to understand the scheming which takes place and how†¦show more content†¦One specific example he used to aid in proving the irresponsibility of corporations was a lady who was driving a Chevrolet Malibu when another car slammed into her from behind. Upon impact the gas tank exploded which caused her children to be burnt . She then took her case to court in an attempt to sue General Motors for producing a gas tank which was unsafe and of poor design. When the car was originally test driven a memo had concluded that it would be cheaper to keep the current tank as it was then to produce a safer design. General Motors had concluded that the number of paying for the number of fatalities per vehicle on the road would be cheaper than reproducing a new gas tank to refit its vehicles. It is reasons like this that leads Bakan to conclude that cost-benefit analysis needs to be reviewed and legislation involved. Corporations need to be prevented from â€Å"acting in ways that are reasonably likely to cause harm, even if definitive proof that such harms will occur does not exist.†(PG 162) This is not the only case Bakan provides to help us see the idea of cost-benefit and how the desire for profit outweighs the general concern for human life. As the book progressed we saw Bakan’s idea of the corporation as a machine built to destroy the environment, wages and health; all at no cost toShow MoreRelatedWeek 1 Cpa Report729 Words   |  3 Pagesyour examination of a subsidiary that has been set up as a corporation. †¢ The methodology used to determine deferred taxes. The deferred taxes reported are a temporary difference. The deferred taxes were calculated based on what needed to be reported versus what has been posted to the corporations’ books. The â€Å"temporary difference is the difference between the tax basis of an asset or liability and its reported (carrying or book) amount in the financial statements, which will result inRead More Critical Reviews of Brave New World Essay example742 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Reviews of Brave New World Since the original publishing of Brave New World, the book has stirred up a brew of controversy. It has received many reviews both positive and negative. 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