Pre-order Releases Aug 31, 2027
The Bankruptcy Machine: How Chapter 11 Became Corporate America's Secret Weapon
by Lily Jamali
From $17.70 / copy at 25+ copies; lower per-copy prices at higher quantities (see Volume pricing) As low as $14.70 at 1,000+
Volume pricing
The more copies, the less each one costs
Applied automatically in your cart. No code needed.
About the book
The Bankruptcy Machine
Bankruptcy was supposed to offer a last resort for the insolvent: a way to manage failure, preserve value, and give debtors and creditors a fair path forward. But in The Bankruptcy Machine, Lily Jamali shows how it became one of corporate America’s most potent legal weapons—a way to halt lawsuits, silence victims, protect shareholders, and convert catastrophe into leverage.
At the center of the book is PG&E, the California utility whose equipment sparked some of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history. After the Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise and killed scores of people, PG&E entered Chapter 11—not because it was going out of business, but because bankruptcy offered a way to control the fallout. Inside the court, fire survivors found themselves transformed into “creditors,” forced to compete with hedge funds, insurers, lawyers, and investors who understood the rules far better than they did.
Moving from the origins of modern bankruptcy law to mass-tort cases involving asbestos, defective medical devices, opioids, and wildfire, The Bankruptcy Machine exposes a system built in the name of fairness that now routinely shields the powerful from accountability. It is a devastating account of law, money, disaster, and the quiet machinery that decides who pays when corporations do harm.
What readers are saying
Details
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Author
- Lily Jamali
- Format
- Hardcover
- Release date
- Aug 31, 2027
- ISBN-13
- 9781668035672
- ISBN-10
- 1668035677
- Pages
- 352
- Carton quantity
- 20 copies
Who it's for
Made for teams that read together
Pre-order copies for everyone on your list, and they ship on release.
- Leadership development For new managers and leadership cohorts, a chapter per session. Get a quote
- Company book clubs A shared vocabulary for the whole organization. Get a quote
- Offsites and conferences A takeaway attendees will read, delivered to your venue. Get a quote
- Client and employee gifts One office or each recipient’s home. Get a quote
Before release day
Need them before Aug 31?
Books ship on release and usually arrive around the release date. Early delivery is common, and we arrange it often. It needs the publisher’s OK, so tell us why you need them early and we’ll make the request for you.
- Tell us the date and the reasonA class unit, an event, a program launch: one line is enough.
- We ask the publisherWe make the request on your behalf. It’s a routine part of what we do.
- We confirm with youYour specialist confirms the date by email before anything ships.
Other times a quote is the better path
- Several addressesOne order split across schools, branches, classrooms or homes.
- Signings and eventsTell us the venue and the date, and we’ll plan the delivery around it.
- Custom touchesBookplates, belly bands, gift notes or packaging for your copies.
- Purchase ordersSchools, libraries and agencies can pay by PO.
The Bankruptcy Machine for groups: pricing
Volume pricing applies automatically in your cart. No codes, no account needed.
| Copies | Price per copy | You save |
|---|---|---|
| 25 – 99 | $17.70 | 41% off list |
| 100 – 249 | $16.80 | 44% off list |
| 250 – 499 | $15.90 | 47% off list |
| 500 – 999 | $15.30 | 49% off list |
| 1,000+ | $14.70 | 51% off list |
Where can I buy 100 copies of The Bankruptcy Machine?
BookPal sells The Bankruptcy Machine in quantity. At 100 copies the price is $16.80 a copy, against a list price of $30.00, and the cart applies the volume tier automatically. Free shipping on most orders over $95 in the contiguous US. A specialist can quote a larger or mixed order.
- New books only, straight from the publisher
- Volume prices apply automatically in the cart, with no code needed
- Order at least 10 business days before you need the books (11 from mid-November through December)
What does The Bankruptcy Machine cost when I buy for a group?
Volume pricing applies automatically in your cart, with no code needed. Price per copy: 25 to 99 copies, $17.70 (41% off list); 100 to 249 copies, $16.80 (44% off list); 250 to 499 copies, $15.90 (47% off list); 500 to 999 copies, $15.30 (49% off list); 1,000+ copies, $14.70 (51% off list). Need a different quantity, or a quote to forward for approval? Ask a specialist and we will confirm pricing before you pay.
How fast can I get copies of The Bankruptcy Machine?
This title is not released yet. Pre-orders ship when it is, currently scheduled for August 31, 2027. Need them by a specific date? Request a quote and we'll confirm timing before you pay.
Can you ship to several locations or people's homes?
Yes. We ship group orders to one address, to multiple sites, or to individual recipients, in the US and internationally. See fulfillment options.
Can I get a formal quote for approval before ordering?
Yes. Request a quote and we'll send a PDF you can forward for approval.
Do you accept purchase orders and tax-exempt orders?
Yes. We accept purchase orders upon approval, as well as cards, PayPal, ACH, wire transfers and checks. BookPal is a tax-exempt supplier in all 50 states. See purchase orders and sales tax exemption.
What if I find a lower price?
Send us the link. We match prices from other booksellers and distributors on a new copy in the same edition, available to ship in the quantity you need. Clearance sales and pricing errors are the exception, and we'll tell you quickly if that's the case. Start a price match.
Turn this order into a program
Groups that order together often pair the copies with something more. We handle the extras so you don't have to.
Bookplates, tipped-in pages, belly bands or author signatures. Subject to publisher approval.
Customization options Ship to every readerOne address, many sites or individual recipients' homes, in the US and abroad.
Fulfillment options Pair it with a branded journalJournals with your logo or each reader's name, for the same group.
Branded journals
Bring in a speaker
BookPal is partnering with Talezo to help you find and book authors, speakers and performers for your event.
BookPal × TalezoWrite a Review
The Bankruptcy Machine: How Chapter 11 Became Corporate America's Secret Weapon
Teams also order
A colleague asked you to approve this order
Your quote list
Add books as you browse, then request one quote for all of them.