The Tao Gambit
Great sins for the greater good.
Sketchy high-risk, high-reward deals, international money laundering, banking scams and computer network hacking come together to question: do the ends justify the means?
Paperback and eBook · Gary Livermore
Success walks a dangerous line
Elsa, Eva and Amy are all young women with ties to the coal industry. Each woman has their own unique skill set, but they have one goal: pull off an elaborate scam to bring the coal industry to its knees and make it accountable for the humanitarian and environmental havoc it’s wrecked, or face the death sentence trying.
A thrilling story based on real events in the heart of cold, industrial northern China, a mining town in tropical Borneo and the relaxed Australian surfing town of Burleigh Heads.
A must-read for every Asia-facing dealmaker
Foreword
‘Success belongs to those who move with life, not those waiting for all to be perfect before they move.’
Gary Livermore
This is a story about a coal export deal between China and Indonesia as well as conducting business in the snake pits of China and Indonesia, where trickery, corruption and underhandedness are endemic.
The book is based on real events and is intended to show the rollercoaster ride attached to international trade deals worth millions of dollars in collaboration with optimistic opportunists wanting a clip of the financial proceeds.
The story also tells of how young, smart people with altruistic goals and no appreciation for the gravity of their conduct can bring about change for the better. Particularly with the support of special knowledge, money and the wisdom that can only come from age and experience.
The phrase ‘the end justifies the means’ suggests achieving a desired outcome or goal can validate or excuse the methods used to reach it, even if those methods are questionable, unethical or harmful.
It is up to the reader to form a view on the ethics outlined in this story. For me, though, ‘Success belongs to those who move with life, not those waiting for all to be perfect before they move.’
This story doesn’t stop at its last page. The real adventure begins when the story’s protagonists get into stride and take on big industry, corrupt government officialdom and buffoonish resistance. They do this by using sharp wit, exemplary strategy and the capacity to ‘play dirty’ when it’s called for.
‘If you believe that the end justifies the means, there is nothing that will not be justified, because there is no end that is not good to someone.’
G.K. Chesterton
‘Let your workings remain a mystery. Just show people the results.’
Lao Tzu
Where to buy The Tao Gambit
Available in paperback and eBook.