Foreign Agents by Casey Michel examines the intricate networks of foreign lobbying in the United States. Through his lens, Michel portrays a landscape where foreign agents influence political decisions, often operating without adequate oversight. For any person who has at the very least, watched the mainstream media (never the highest choice) they know how much lobbyists control US politician decision making. This book did not inform us of anything new.

Michels Key Points

1. All Lobbyists are Bad:

Michel's narrative suggests that the practice of lobbying, especially foreign lobbying, inherently corrupts democratic processes. He paints a broad picture of lobbyists as malevolent actors, regardless of their affiliations or intentions. Michel cheers as lobbyist’s suffer of old age and debilitating conditions, while encouraging the unjust trials held against them. American’s still have the right to a fair trial and are innocent until proven guilty. The author seems to ignore this basic fact.

Michel disregards the positive attributes of lobbyists for instance, advocating for veterans, improving the lives persons with disabilities, and educating the public about human trafficking.

2. More Legislation is always Better

A significant portion of the book critiques the lax enforcement of existing foreign lobbying laws.

According to Michel, this negligence has allowed foreign agents to influence the American political system unchecked. Why not just enforce existing laws?

3. Foreign Agents in the Trump Administration:

The book asserts that President Trump's administration was filled with foreign agents, implying a direct threat to national sovereignty and democracy (even though we are the US is a democratic republic). Most of whom were thrown into prison and unfairly sentenced. Michel equates them with Benedict Arnold.

The book appears to be targeted towards readers who are haters of President Trump’s administration, as well as those who are concerned about foreign influence in American politics. It may resonate more with individuals holding left-leaning views, and those whom the author thinks advocates for stricter lobbying regulations. In fact, if you are a communist, not judging, this book may be for you.

Personally, I found "Foreign Agents" to be highly biased. Michel’s portrayal of lobbyists is overwhelmingly negative, failing to acknowledge the nuances and complexities of political lobbying. Additionally, the book seems designed to weaponize public opinion against President Trump, rather than providing a balanced examination of the issue. This one-sided perspective detracts from the credibility of the argument.

While Foreign Agents raises important questions about foreign influence in American politics, its heavily biased tone and lack of balanced analysis make it a polarizing read. Readers seeking an objective exploration of foreign lobbying may find themselves disappointed. For those already critical of the President Trump administration and foreign lobbying practices, the book may reinforce existing beliefs but offer little in terms of new insights.

Overall, it is important to approach this book with a critical eye and consider alternative perspectives before drawing conclusions. As with any piece of literature, it is vital to engage in thoughtful discourse and seek out multiple viewpoints to form a well-rounded understanding of the topic at hand. Only then can we truly evaluate the impact of foreign agents on our democratic republic and work towards creating effective solutions for protecting our nation's sovereignty.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a free audible version in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own because contrary to the Michel’s views, I am a United States citizen and have the right to free speech.

A very thorough and well-structured history of lobbying and influence peddling in the United States from Ivy Lee and the Nazis to Paul Manafort and the Russians. Michel is very detailed and makes his case for how dangerous this practice is and the extent of its harm. A must-read for those who still don’t understand how an unqualified grifter ended up as president of the US. The audiobook narration is well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the audiobook access ahead of publication.

DNF @40%

eBook - 2 Stars
This book is unfortunately way above my pay-grade and as I realized as I was listening today, I just wasn't getting much in this at all and was zoning off or doing other things and not really paying attention and knew it was time to give up [even after going back and re-listening to some of it]. The parts I did understand were very good and interesting and I think that this will be a popular book amongst those who know and understand lobbying [I was hoping to learn more about that, but I just couldn't get a grasp of it] and I recommend it to all of them. As someone who loves to learn new things, I am disappointed that I had to give this up.

Audiobook - 4 Stars
Joseph Dwyer is a new-to-me narrator and I have added to my "like to listen to" list as he does a really excellent job in narrating a difficult book. I hope that I get a chance to listen to him again.

I was invited to read/review this book by the publisher, St. Martin's Press and I thank them, Casey Michel, Joseph Dwyer - Narrator and Macmillan Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

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An eye opening read into what happens in the back rooms of Americas political machine. Makes me outraged with politics even more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well-researched, super interesting. You get dropped right in and the hits keep coming.

I listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook

Review of the audiobook : 5 stars
The narrator did a fantastic job, all of the information is clear and there are breaks between each sections and each chapter so you can easily pause to reflect on what you've just learned and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of information

Truly a must read, especially in this political moment


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Casey Michel, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley.

The narrator of this audiobook is Joseph Dwyer. The narrator for nonfiction can in some ways be more important than a narrator for fiction. Nonfiction doesn't always call for the narrator to be emotive and that runs the risk of the narration sounding like a university lecture. This avoids that sad fate. The narration is dynamic and keeps the listener interested.

I'm not as familiar with lobbying period, much lobbying by the USA to foreign nations. This is frightening and fascinating. I learned about the history and beginning of lobbying as well as the fact that its not really a tightly regulated field. Basically Americans without a conscious and sporting an agenda interfere in foreign politics in horrifyingly undemocratic ways.

The book walks us through how this works, who the major players are both historically and currently and the long term impact of this practice abroad as well as at home.

Lobbying is a morally bankrupt practice. It's very presence undermines democracy. In the US bills are written by lobbyist, not by politicians. Its a flawed and anti-democratic system. Of course much of US style so-called democracy doesn't in anyway meet the definition of actual democracy. This truly helps the reader to understand how we find ourselves in this political landscape in 2024.

Thank you to Casey Michel, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.