In Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (Doubleday, $29.95), Jane Mayer, an accomplished investigative journalist for The New Yorker, explores how right-wing billionaires, most notably David and Charles Koch, have shrewdly, systematically, and ruthlessly influenced such major centers of power in America as political institutions, academic establishments, courts, think tanks, and foundations. Drawing on court records, extensive interviews, and many private archives, Mayer traces how these enormously wealthy individuals with extreme libertarian views have furthered an agenda that has fortified their own corporate and political interests at the expense of meaningful financial, environmental, and labor reform. Mayer’s book contributes significantly to public understanding of the dark money that is tainting America’s political process, civic life, and democratic values.
