A review by constantine2020
Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite by Jake Bernstein

informative slow-paced

3.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Nonfiction

Secrecy World, also known as The Laundromat, is a nonfiction book that delves deeply into the murky world of offshore finance, which was brought to light by the leak of the Panama Papers. The primary focus of this book is a law firm known as Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama and played a great role in establishing tax havens and a convoluted network of shell companies.

The main goal of creating this devious system was to assist wealthy individuals in evading taxes, money laundering, and a wide variety of other illegal activities. And what is even more shocking than all this is that many big and well-known names in the banking sector were knowingly or unknowingly partners in all this. 

Obviously, the author has done extensive research to write this book, connecting banks, individuals, and governments to this shadowy system. You will find a comprehensive analysis of all the different situations, mostly backed by the leaked documents. 

Considering that this is a work of nonfiction, I would not consider the entertainment value to be a factor in this case. Nevertheless, the amount of information that the book offered is, in my opinion, an appropriate criterion to use when evaluating the material. I will not lie and say that I really hoped the scope of it extended beyond the leaks in the Panama Papers. Despite that, it was still a good read.