By patiently explaining laws, procedures, pitfalls and groundbreaking cases, the book provides time-tested insights on how to “not only blow the whistle but also how to win.”

The Whistleblower’s Handbook is presented in the form of “Rules.” This is a way of saying that if you don’t carefully follow the advice, your chances of losing your case – and perhaps your job, career and financial security along with it – could go up significantly. Kohn rightly notes than whistleblower laws “are confusing, and many are riddled with loopholes.” More than 50 US federal laws are on the books, along with hundreds more passed by states.

In plainspoken language, Kohn explains every major whistleblower US law, as well as many lesser-known provisions. He describes how each law can be used by employees to:

• expose crime, abuses and public health threats,
• kickstart investigations and deter future wrongdoing,
• be protected from workplace retaliation,
• be compensated for lost wages and other losses, and
• in some cases receive financial awards if regulators recover fines, penalties, stolen funds and/or ill-gotten gains.

Beyond detailing new laws, recent cases and other key developments in the field, Kohn also explores perhaps the most important trend for advancing whistleblower rights worldwide. Very few citizens know – and unfortunately, very few whistleblower advocates and attorneys know – that at least 10 US whistleblower laws now have global reach. This means that regardless of the country where they live or are based, employees can use these laws to report wrongdoing and public health threats, and potentially be rewarded for coming forward with information.

The book contains so many tools and so much information to help whistleblowers report misconduct and win their cases that The Wall Street Journal remarked, “Just don’t let your boss catch you reading it.