Political economy Books

Book SynopsisThe relentless pursuit of economic growth is the defining characteristic of contemporary societies. Yet it benefits few and demands monstrous social and ecological sacrifice. Is there a viable alternative? How can we halt the endless quest to grow global production and consumption and instead secure socio-ecological conditions that support lives worth living for all? In this compelling book, leading experts Giorgos Kallis, Susan Paulson, Giacomo D’Alisa and Federico Demaria make the case for degrowth - living well with less, by living differently, prioritizing wellbeing, equity and sustainability. Drawing on emerging initiatives and enduring traditions around the world, they advance a radical degrowth vision and outline policies to shape work and care, income and investment that avoid exploitative and unsustainable practices. Degrowth, they argue, can be achieved through transformative strategies that allow societies to slow down by design, not disaster. Essential reading for all concerned citizens, policy-makers, and students, this book will be an important contribution to one of the thorniest and most pressing debates of our era.Trade Review“COVID-19 is the symptom; the profit-driven destruction of natural and social habitants is the disease. There's only one cure consistent with global social justice. Read this eloquent and urgent book and find out what it is.”Mike Davis, University of California and author of Ecology of Fear and Planet of Slums “The Case for Degrowth is a brief and straightforward explainer, and a good starting point for anyone who wants to get their head around the degrowth movement and what it wants to acheive.”Jeremy Williams, editor of Time to Act and co-author of The Economics of Arrival “The Case for Degrowth does what its title promises; it assertively advocates for a society and economy that aim at the wellbeing of all while also sustaining the natural basis of life, refuting the myth of green growth, and providing a clear compass to evaluate the directionality of sustainability transitions.”Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions “This is a major contribution to the current debate on growth and degrowth. The authors lay bare the innards of each and show us the importance of degrowth. Wellbeing, equity, and sustainability are key vectors organizing this text. These should be understood in the fullness of their capacities to move us out of our current modernity --a decaying order that is today still dominant. But history has shown us across the centuries that no system of power can last for ever, and nor will our current system. Indeed, it is busy destroying itself.”Saskia Sassen, Columbia University and author of Expulsions “Degrowth is one of the most important ideas of the 21st century. Here it is in compact form. Clear, timely, urgent. Don't miss this book.”Jason Hickel, London School of Economics and author of The Divide and Less is More “The COVID pandemic is laying bare dysfunctions of the growth model and the urgency of a pathway to sanity, climate protection, and security for all. This wonderful and accessible introduction by leading degrowth scholars is a vital resource for anyone interested in viable alternatives, rooted in cooperative economic relations and respect for planetary limits.”Juliet Schor, author of After the Gig: how the sharing economy got hijacked and how to win it back “A superb account of why capitalist economies fail life on Earth, even as peoples initiatives in community sharing already revive joy and hope for our futures. This small book teaches economics like no other. It will reply to your doubts about change. It should be on every public library shelf and every syllabus; give copies to your friends.”Ariel Salleh, activist and editor of Eco-Sufficiency and Global Justice: Women write Political Ecology“As the panoply of growth-induced disasters becomes ever more evident with the COVID-19 crisis, it becomes patently clear that the growth imperative must come to a stop. A new vision of the economy –and, hence, of economics—is absolutely essential to the welfare of Earth and all its beings. With The Case for Degrowth, Kallis, Paulson, D’Alisa and Demaria give us a decisive chapter towards such reframing. They show that degrowth is about much more than just the economy: it’s about a radically different way of being, doing and world-making. Degrowth enlightens us on the design of wiser societies that go at a slower pace precisely because they are attuned to Earth. By incorporating the paradigms of care, mutual aid, commoning, and justice, this stunning short book by the foremost thinkers of degrowth finally makes tangible a radical transition towards the peaceful and mutually-enhancing co-existence of humans and the Earth.”Arturo Escobar, author of Encountering Development, and Designs for the Pluriverse and Professor of Anthropology at University of North Carolina “The case for degrowth as argued in this book is so well rounded and compelling that it is difficult to imagine how progressive politicians could avoid integrating the many policies advocated here into their party manifestos . . . unless of course they cannot escape the growth mentality that has suffocated progressive policies for decades. But even in this case, the book offers ways of changing that mentality through commoning and collective action.”Massimo De Angelis, University of East London, editor of The Commoner, and author of Omnia Sunt Communia "Many before have made the point that there are limits to growth, but few have pondered so convincingly on how to break from our addiction to growth." Stefania Barca, University of Coimbra, co-editor of Towards a Political Economy of Degrowth “The degrowth movement now has its Manifesto. A rigorous, practical analysis that will guide grassroots and institutional politics so they can realize a transformation akin to degrowth and turn the current global crisis into a new opportunity and pathway towards more sustainable and carrying societies.” Isabelle Anguelovski, Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability (BCNUEJ) and author of Neighborhood as Refuge “By this book, degrowth finally becomes adult. No longer a simple game of hide-and-seek with the growth regime. No longer a vague illusion postponed until the advent of a catastrophe that never comes. No longer a generous experimentation among circles of virtuosos nor an extreme form of resilience by the excluded from the banquet of the consumer society, but a mature and innovative political project, facing the hegemony challenge in the open field of the social arena. The authors are the best fruits of the degrowth movement: activists at the forefront and at the same time leading scholars.”Onofrio Romano, University of Bari and author of Towards a society of degrowth “Decrecer es la consigna. Más y más crecimiento económico en un mundo finito es una locura. Más todavía si éste ahonda las diferencias sociales, las frustraciones y la infelicidad. No podemos mantener ese ritmo despiadado de acumulación del que afloran múltiples pandemias, como la del coronavirus. No hay duda, requerimos una desaceleración programada de la actividad económica para reencontrarnos armónicamente con los ritmos de la Madre Tierra, así como para construir otras sociedades basadas en la diversidad, la sostenibilidad, la pluralidad y la reciprocidad; bases fundamentales del Pluriverso: un mundo donde quepan todos los mundos posibles que aseguren una vida digna a humanos y no humanos.”Alberto Acosta, former president of the Constituent Assembly of Ecuador and author of Buen Vivir “Degrowth is one of the most exciting approaches to emerge from the belly of the industrialised and colonising world, fundamentally challenging its unsustainable and inequitable path of 'development'. But approaches and concepts also need praxis, else they remain in rarified ivory towers. Perhaps for the first time, here, degrowth proponents transform visions and recommendations into a coherent set of actions, from our individual choices to macro-economics and politics. Essential reading for anyone interested in transforming society to be crisis-resilient and crisis-avoiding!”Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh/Global Tapestry of Alternatives and co-editor of Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary​"Is there life after economic growth? Kallis and his co-authors have taken up the baton from the early proponents of degrowth and created a vibrant, accessible discourse for the 21st Century. The Case for Degrowth provides the why, the where and the how of a better economy and a richer society. Its vision is needed now more than ever."Tim Jackson, Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, author of Prosperity without Growth“This is a bold book that goes beyond naysaying and critique, and in writing such a book, the authors are doing a great service to all us educators who are frequently asked by our students ‘now what? What can we do?’”Manisha Anantharaman, Saint Mary’s College of California“A concise and thorough overview of the case for degrowth and an alternative vision of sustainable and equitable wellbeing.”Anders Hayden, Dalhousie University“The Case for Degrowth is a brief and straightforward explainer, and a good starting point for anyone who wants to get their head around the degrowth movement and what it wants to achieve.”Jeremy Williams, editor of Time to Act and co-author of The Economics of Arrival“This pithy book offers a well-argued critique of growth systems while presenting policy packages for promoting degrowth that will help people produce only as much, consume less, share more, enjoy time, and live with dignity and joy.”The HinduTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 1. A case for degrowth 2. Sacrifices of growth 3. Making changes on the ground 4. Path-breaking reforms 5. Strategies for mobilization Frequently asked questions Notes

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Book Synopsis'Value' seems like an elusive and abstract concept. Nonetheless, notions of value underpin how we understand our lives, from discussions about the economic contribution of different kinds of work and productive activity, to the prices we pay for the things we consume. So what is value, and where does it come from? In this new book, Frederick Harry Pitts charts the past, present and future of value within and beyond capitalist society, critically engaging with key concepts from classical and neoclassical political economy. Interrogating the processes and practices that attribute value to objects and activities, he considers debates over whether value lies within commodities or in their exchange, the politics of different theories of value, and how we measure value in a knowledge-based economy. This accessible and intriguing introduction to the complexities of value in modern society will be essential reading for any student or scholar working in political economy, economics, economic sociology or management.Trade Review“Clear, comprehensive and critical, Value is a gem of a book for both students and scholars who grapple with the problem of value in economic thought. Harry Pitts's introduction offers well-argued and detailed engagement with central approaches and debates that should not be missed.”Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism “Harry Pitts has written an essential primer on that 'thing' that is central to economics, political economy and the social system they purport to explain – capitalism. Debunking all notions that there is anything scientific or objective about value, Harry teaches why we should understand it as a category of struggle, as 'something' that both emerges out of struggles and operates to fragment and suppress struggles.”David Harvie, co-author of Moments of Excess: Movements, Protest and Everyday Life""Value" is one of the most important concepts in economics, one that Marx deeply focused upon in his analysis of capitalist society. However there is a great deal of disagreement and confusion over the term, even among Marxists. In this handy book, Frederick Harry Pitts reconstructs debates over value within political economy, sociology, and critical theory, carefully weighing the analytical and political implications. Useful both as an introduction to value theory and as a reference for experts, Value is a book I anticipate coming back often as a teaching tool and as an aid for my own work." Gavin Mueller, Verso Books Blog - Authors' Favorite Books of the Year"The book is part of Polity’s fantastic What is Political Economy Series that presents other key concepts such as work, austerity and money. With Value, Pitts gives us a thorough theoretical examination of yet another major concept in economics and social study that has been taken for granted in the often neglected approaches of political economy. Pitts’ voice in the book is authoritative because he demonstrates a solid understanding of wide-ranging theories and disciplines." Zaynab El Bernoussi, Capital & Class

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Book SynopsisHarshly exploited migrant labour plays a fundamental role in the political economy of contemporary capitalism. The abstract and utopian theorising of many liberals and leftists on the migration question often ignores or downplays patterns of displacement and brutal class dynamics, which divide and weaken working people while empowering the ruling class. In this important new book, Hannah Cross provides a sober analysis of the class antagonisms of migration in the context of the nation, social democracy, and the racialized ordering of the world. Bringing Marxist methodology and strategy to a careful analysis of existing emancipatory movements, she sets out the programmes and approaches that are needed to promote global worker solidarity and create a future in which cheap labour is no longer a mainstay of wealthy economies. This focus on the labouring classes allows her to identify some important new directions for migration in a world beyond capitalism, exploitation and injustice. This book will be essential reading for students, scholars and general readers interested in the politics and political economy of migration in a world unhelpfully caught between racist authoritarian capitalism and the wishful-thinking of contemporary left-liberalism.Trade Review“Rooting her approach in the classical Marxist tradition, Hannah Cross provides an original critique of, and alternative to, much leftist and liberal thinking on the political economy of migration into core capitalist countries. Essential reading for all progressives.”Ben Selwyn, University of Sussex “A powerful and original analysis of migration's place in contemporary capitalism. Engaging with an impressive range of leftist debates and authors – both present and past – Cross pushes us to think in new ways about borders, internationalism and class. A much-needed contribution to both Marxism and the literature on migration, and essential reading for those seeking to build a better future.”Adam Hanieh, SOAS, University of London“While the post-materialist and nationalist views on migration are both symptomatic of a left that has resigned itself to the established order, Cross’s analysis points towards the possibility of an independent left position. This left is not content with letting others set the terms of the debate, but is actively building an alternative to the non-choices the ruling class throws at us. This makes Cross’s perspective invaluable for the struggles ahead.”Counterfire “Cross’ approach provides a much-needed reorientation on the discussion around migration. By doing so, Cross effectively demonstrates why an internationalist working-class response is the key to defeating neoliberal power and creating a new world.”Review of African Political Economy “Migration Beyond Capitalism rescues an undoubtedly critical question for the twentieth-first century: the consequences of neoliberal politics over the displacement of the working class throughout the world and, more specifically, the movement from the Global South towards the North.”Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

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Book SynopsisWhat we count matters - and in a world where policies and decisions are underpinned by numbers, statistics and data, if you’re not counted, you don’t count. Alex Cobham argues that systematic gaps in economic and demographic data not only lead us to understate a wide range of damaging inequalities, but also to actively exacerbate them. He shows how, in statistics ranging from electoral registers to household surveys and census data, people from disadvantaged groups, such as indigenous populations, women, and disabled people, are consistently underrepresented. This further marginalizes them, reducing everything from their political power to their weight in public spending decisions. Meanwhile, corporations and the ultra-rich seek ever greater complexity and opacity in their financial affairs - and when their wealth goes untallied, it means they can avoid regulation and taxation. This brilliantly researched book shows how what we do and don’t count is not a neutral or ‘technical’ question: the numbers that rule our world are skewed by raw politics. Cobham forensically lays bare how these issues strike at the heart of our democracy, entrenching inequality and injustice – and outlines what we can do about it.Trade Review‘In this sharply written and persuasive book, Alex Cobham contrasts the rich who benefit from being uncounted for tax and regulation purposes with the poor who are denied their rights by being uncounted for public services. Essential reading to understand and address inequality.’ Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi ‘This book is a joy to read. Original and highly persuasive, it powerfully illustrates that statistics are political, and that the failure to count is a deliberate act that disempowers the poor and unfairly benefits the rich.’Andrew Sumner, King’s College London"An important contribution"Journal of Australian Political EconomyTable of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I Uncounted and Excluded: The Unpeople Hidden at the Bottom 1 Development’s Data Problem 2 The ‘Data Revolution’ 3 We the People – But Only Some of Them Part II Uncounted and Illicit: The Unmoney Hiding at the Top 4 Uncounted at the Top 5 Tax and Illicit Financial Flows in the Sustainable Development Goals 6 Inequality, Understated Part III The Uncounted Manifesto Notes Index

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Book SynopsisWhat we count matters - and in a world where policies and decisions are underpinned by numbers, statistics and data, if you’re not counted, you don’t count. Alex Cobham argues that systematic gaps in economic and demographic data not only lead us to understate a wide range of damaging inequalities, but also to actively exacerbate them. He shows how, in statistics ranging from electoral registers to household surveys and census data, people from disadvantaged groups, such as indigenous populations, women, and disabled people, are consistently underrepresented. This further marginalizes them, reducing everything from their political power to their weight in public spending decisions. Meanwhile, corporations and the ultra-rich seek ever greater complexity and opacity in their financial affairs - and when their wealth goes untallied, it means they can avoid regulation and taxation. This brilliantly researched book shows how what we do and don’t count is not a neutral or ‘technical’ question: the numbers that rule our world are skewed by raw politics. Cobham forensically lays bare how these issues strike at the heart of our democracy, entrenching inequality and injustice – and outlines what we can do about it.Trade Review‘In this sharply written and persuasive book, Alex Cobham contrasts the rich who benefit from being uncounted for tax and regulation purposes with the poor who are denied their rights by being uncounted for public services. Essential reading to understand and address inequality.’ Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi ‘This book is a joy to read. Original and highly persuasive, it powerfully illustrates that statistics are political, and that the failure to count is a deliberate act that disempowers the poor and unfairly benefits the rich.’Andrew Sumner, King’s College London"An important contribution"Journal of Australian Political EconomyTable of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I Uncounted and Excluded: The Unpeople Hidden at the Bottom 1 Development’s Data Problem 2 The ‘Data Revolution’ 3 We the People – But Only Some of Them Part II Uncounted and Illicit: The Unmoney Hiding at the Top 4 Uncounted at the Top 5 Tax and Illicit Financial Flows in the Sustainable Development Goals 6 Inequality, Understated Part III The Uncounted Manifesto Notes Index

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Book SynopsisChina has gone from being a marginal to a leading power in Africa in just over two decades. Its striking ascendancy in the continent is commonly thought to have been primarily driven by economic interests, especially resources like oil. This book argues instead that politics defines the ‘new era’ of China–Africa relations, and examines the importance of politics across a range of areas, from foreign policy to debt, development and the Xi Jinping incarnation of the China model. Going beyond superficial depictions of China’s engagement as predatory or benign, this book explores how Africa is – and isn’t – integral to China’s global ambitions, from the Belt and Road Initiative to strategic competition with the United States. It demonstrates how African actors constrain, shape and use China’s engagement for their own purposes. As China seeks to protect its more established interests and Chinese citizens, it also shows how security has become a particularly notable new area of engagement. This innovative book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to contemporary China–Africa relations. It will be essential reading for students and scholars working on global politics, development and international relations.Trade Review‘The China–Africa relationship has generated legends and almost a mythology of use and misuse, often based on biases and misinformation. In this new book Daniel Large takes a hard-headed and extraordinarily perceptive look at the relationship as it has evolved under President Xi. Balanced, but anchored in an unsentimental realism, Large's book offers a significant corrective to strands in the current debate and does so in a timely and prescient manner.’Stephen Chan OBE, SOAS University of London ‘Daniel Large’s well-buttressed argument that politics is the foundation, and security the new leading edge, makes this book an essential guide to the China–Africa relationship at a key moment of transition.’Deborah Bräutigam, Director of the SAIS China Africa Research Initiative, Johns Hopkins UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Chronology List of Abbreviations List of Tables and Boxes Introduction 1: The New Era in Context 2: Africa in China’s Global Politics 3: New Era Economics 4: Xi’s China Model, African Politics 5: Chinese-African Relations 6: Security: a New ‘Pillar’ Conclusion References

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Book SynopsisSpiralling inequality since the 1970s and the global financial crisis of 2008 have been the two most important challenges to democratic capitalism since the Great Depression. To understand the political economy of contemporary Europe and America we must, therefore, put inequality and crisis at the heart of the picture. In this innovative new textbook Mattias Vermeiren does just this, demonstrating that both the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis resulted from a mutually reinforcing but ultimately unsustainable relationship between countries with debt-led and export-led growth models, models fundamentally shaped by soaring income and wealth inequality. He traces the emergence of these two growth models by giving a comprehensive overview, deeply informed by the comparative and international political economy literature, of recent developments in the four key domains that have shaped the dynamics of crisis and inequality: macroeconomic policy, social policy, corporate governance and financial policy. He goes on to assess the prospects for the emergence of a more egalitarian and sustainable form of democratic capitalism. This fresh and insightful overview of contemporary Western capitalism will be essential reading for all students and scholars of international and comparative political economy.Trade Review"Vermeiren's Crisis and Inequality is a lucid book that analyses the shift from Keynesianism to neoliberalism and the resulting bifurcation of debt-driven and export-driven growth models, the global financial crisis and the ensuing secular stagnation. It offers a clear examination of the impact of rising inequality and economic instability. This is an important book that demonstrates the vitality of the growth models approach to political economy."Engelbert Stockhammer, King's College London"A must-read on inequality, firmly anchored where it should be, in the politics of macroeconomic policy regimes."Daniela Gabor, University of the West of England, Bristol "Erudite, comprehensive, and stimulating, Crisis and Inequality is the best introduction to economic issues for political science students that I have read... It is an invaluable service to the discipline."Scott Lavery, Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI)Table of ContentsList of Figures, Tables and Boxes Introduction Chapter 1 Rising inequality in advanced capitalism Chapter 2 The rise and fall of egalitarian capitalism Chapter 3 Macroeconomic policy: From “full employment” to “sound money” Chapter 4 Social policy: Globalisation, deindustrialisation and liberalisation Chapter 5 Corporate governance: The rise of shareholder capitalism Chapter 6 Financial policy: Market-based banking and the global financial crisis Chapter 7 Macroeconomic imbalances before and after the crisis Chapter 8 The future of egalitarian capitalism Notes References

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Book SynopsisSpiralling inequality since the 1970s and the global financial crisis of 2008 have been the two most important challenges to democratic capitalism since the Great Depression. To understand the political economy of contemporary Europe and America we must, therefore, put inequality and crisis at the heart of the picture. In this innovative new textbook Mattias Vermeiren does just this, demonstrating that both the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis resulted from a mutually reinforcing but ultimately unsustainable relationship between countries with debt-led and export-led growth models, models fundamentally shaped by soaring income and wealth inequality. He traces the emergence of these two growth models by giving a comprehensive overview, deeply informed by the comparative and international political economy literature, of recent developments in the four key domains that have shaped the dynamics of crisis and inequality: macroeconomic policy, social policy, corporate governance and financial policy. He goes on to assess the prospects for the emergence of a more egalitarian and sustainable form of democratic capitalism. This fresh and insightful overview of contemporary Western capitalism will be essential reading for all students and scholars of international and comparative political economy.Trade Review"Vermeiren's Crisis and Inequality is a lucid book that analyses the shift from Keynesianism to neoliberalism and the resulting bifurcation of debt-driven and export-driven growth models, the global financial crisis and the ensuing secular stagnation. It offers a clear examination of the impact of rising inequality and economic instability. This is an important book that demonstrates the vitality of the growth models approach to political economy."Engelbert Stockhammer, King's College London"A must-read on inequality, firmly anchored where it should be, in the politics of macroeconomic policy regimes."Daniela Gabor, University of the West of England, Bristol "Erudite, comprehensive, and stimulating, Crisis and Inequality is the best introduction to economic issues for political science students that I have read... It is an invaluable service to the discipline."Scott Lavery, Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI)Table of ContentsList of Figures, Tables and Boxes Introduction Chapter 1 Rising inequality in advanced capitalism Chapter 2 The rise and fall of egalitarian capitalism Chapter 3 Macroeconomic policy: From “full employment” to “sound money” Chapter 4 Social policy: Globalisation, deindustrialisation and liberalisation Chapter 5 Corporate governance: The rise of shareholder capitalism Chapter 6 Financial policy: Market-based banking and the global financial crisis Chapter 7 Macroeconomic imbalances before and after the crisis Chapter 8 The future of egalitarian capitalism Notes References

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Book SynopsisEconomics used to be called political economy, and the loss of the “political” tracks the ascendance of the idea of rational choice within the discipline. Where does this idea of economic rationality – choosing to maximize benefits and minimize costs – come from? What are the consequences of its rise? In this new book, Stephen Engelmann assesses these questions through a consideration of the often-hidden links between choice and government, ranging from the Benthamic utilitarianism that inspired modern economics to the contemporary economic psychologists trying to nudge everyone to choose more rationally. Multiple global crises are exposing how deficient economic rationality is as a political theory, since a focus on choice turns actors away from relations in the common. Political economy once targeted aristocratic rule – heralding a politics and ethics of egalitarian self-command and spurring democratic reform – but economics allows domination and forecloses alternatives to it. This accessible volume will be of interest to students and scholars of politics and economics, and to general readers concerned about the various ways that psychology and management have infiltrated our politics.Trade Review“This is a beautifully written, highly literate, and engaging survey of the structure, history, and antecedents of neoclassical economics and its modern derivatives. It emphasizes the contrast between this conventional framework and many important things in social life.”Anwar Shaikh, The New School for Social Research“In this wonderfully lucid and erudite account, Stephen Engelmann uncovers and explains the function of economic rationality as an implicit form of political theory. He demonstrates that without an understanding of the organizing power of this concept, any attempt to reclaim the political sphere from neoliberal governance will necessarily founder. A crucial and highly recommended intervention.”Jane Elliott, King’s College LondonTable of Contents1 Introduction 2 Textbook Rationality and the Behavioral Critique 3 Political Economy 4 Economics as Politics 5 Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEconomics used to be called political economy, and the loss of the “political” tracks the ascendance of the idea of rational choice within the discipline. Where does this idea of economic rationality – choosing to maximize benefits and minimize costs – come from? What are the consequences of its rise? In this new book, Stephen Engelmann assesses these questions through a consideration of the often-hidden links between choice and government, ranging from the Benthamic utilitarianism that inspired modern economics to the contemporary economic psychologists trying to nudge everyone to choose more rationally. Multiple global crises are exposing how deficient economic rationality is as a political theory, since a focus on choice turns actors away from relations in the common. Political economy once targeted aristocratic rule – heralding a politics and ethics of egalitarian self-command and spurring democratic reform – but economics allows domination and forecloses alternatives to it. This accessible volume will be of interest to students and scholars of politics and economics, and to general readers concerned about the various ways that psychology and management have infiltrated our politics.Trade Review“This is a beautifully written, highly literate, and engaging survey of the structure, history, and antecedents of neoclassical economics and its modern derivatives. It emphasizes the contrast between this conventional framework and many important things in social life.”Anwar Shaikh, The New School for Social Research“In this wonderfully lucid and erudite account, Stephen Engelmann uncovers and explains the function of economic rationality as an implicit form of political theory. He demonstrates that without an understanding of the organizing power of this concept, any attempt to reclaim the political sphere from neoliberal governance will necessarily founder. A crucial and highly recommended intervention.”Jane Elliott, King’s College London Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 Textbook Rationality and the Behavioral Critique 3 Political Economy 4 Economics as Politics 5 Conclusion

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Book SynopsisOur broken economic model drives inequality and disempowerment, lining the pockets of corporations while extracting wealth from local communities. How can we reverse this? Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill argue for an approach that uses the power of democratic participation to drive equitable development and ensure that wealth is widely shared. They show how this model – Community Wealth Building – can transform our economic system by creating a web of collaborative institutions, from worker cooperatives to community land trusts and public banks, that empower and enrich the many, not the few. This book is essential reading for everyone interested in building more equal, inclusive, and democratic societies.Trade Review‘A new approach to economics is needed to tackle grotesque inequalities of wealth and power. Community Wealth Building offers a way for communities to confront corporate power and build a more equal and democratic economy. In this book Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill show what inspiring action is already happening on the ground and point beyond to what is possible.’Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party ‘Change is coming, and another world is not just possible but already within reach. Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill show how Community Wealth Building approaches can allow every community in the country to play their part in building a new economy from the ground up.’John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer ‘A new approach to economics is needed to tackle grotesque inequalities of wealth and power. Community Wealth Building offers a way for communities to confront corporate power and build a more equal and democratic economy. In this book Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill show what inspiring action is already happening on the ground and point beyond to what is possible.’Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party ‘Change is coming, and another world is not just possible but already within reach. Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill show how Community Wealth Building approaches can allow every community in the country to play their part in building a new economy from the ground up.’John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer ‘Joe Guinan and Martin O’Neill present a compelling vision of a more just, democratic economy in which wealth and power are more fairly shared. This book should be read by anyone who believes that a different economic order is possible and wants to know how we start to make it happen.’Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North and former Leader of the Labour Party ‘If you want to make the city where you live more equal and more democratic, this is the book for you. It shows what local government, institutions, and people can do to create a better world – even without the support of central government. It is at once both practical and inspiring.’Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, authors of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level ‘The Case for Community Wealth Building is an essential guide to a new and devolved economic movement that challenges forty years of neoliberalism and austerity. It articulates real progress towards a transformed and democratic economy.’Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements Introduction Economic Change, Starting at the Local Level Chapter One What is Community Wealth Building? Chapter Two Taking Control: Arguing for Community Wealth Building Chapter Three Community Wealth Building and the Institutional Turn: Routes to a Democratic Economy Further Reading and Resources for Action Notes

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Book SynopsisThe problem of rent is at the root of vital social concerns in the twenty-first century, ranging from the climate emergency and spiralling economic inequality to the repercussions of global economic crises. But while many of us may be familiar with rent (especially paying it), how should we really understand it? Examining both concrete contexts and complex concepts, in this book Joe Collins provides a comprehensive but concise survey of the theories and debates over rent and rentier capitalism. He examines global gentrification from São Paolo to Dublin, the tyranny of technology from Taipei to San Francisco, and the excesses of extractivism from Sekondi to Karratha. In doing so, he reveals how rent is fundamental to the current dominant form of capitalist social organization across the globe and how we can prevent the next generation from seeing our societies rent asunder. An essential resource for students and scholars alike, this groundbreaking book will be of interest to anyone working on capitalism, property, political economy, economic sociology and contemporary politics.Trade Review‘From twenty-first-century techno-patents to landlord sex scams, rentier capitalism tightens its grip on everyday life. In this short book, Joe Collins unpacks the multiple meanings of rent as these evolved through traditional economics to contemporary political economy. A lucid and compassionate account.’Ariel Salleh, Global University for Sustainability, Hong Kong ‘As rents become ever more important and rentiers become ever more powerful, this book provides an important theoretical underpinning to the idea of rent as a cause and consequence of monopoly. Contemporary capitalism cannot be understood without this.’Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts AmherstTable of ContentsChapter 1 – What is rent? Chapter 2 – Rent theory in historical perspective Chapter 3 – Mainstream rent theory Chapter 4 – Rent theory in modern political economy Chapter 5 – Why is rent important today? Notes References

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Book SynopsisUnions face a once in a generation opportunity for renewal. Decades of decline have been compounded by a global elite who increasingly generate profit from financial engineering in ways that side-step labour and undermine the power of organised workers. However, as this economic system begins to falter, there are signs of a renewed union movement emerging. Debt-laden firms – from supermarkets and nursery chains to outsourcing giants – are collapsing, and workers are organising to determine what comes next. Unionised bank cashiers are refusing to push predatory loans, teachers are striking against the exploitative housing market, and manufacturing workers are pooling redundancy pay to buy-out plants and become worker owners. Alice Martin and Annie Quick argue that these are seeds of union renewal. To be effective in an age of finance, the union movement must set its ambitions beyond narrow wage-bargaining, and towards the financial systems that have infiltrated workplaces and impoverished communities. By doing so, they can play a critical role in ushering in a new, democratic economy. No-one committed to economic justice can afford to miss this urgent, highly original book and its radical vision for unions.Trade Review“Unions Renewed is a must-read for all in the labour movement who believe that winning working class power extends beyond government, and must be built from organising in our communities and workplaces, democratising our economy and, necessarily, our trade unions.”Nadia Whittome, care worker and Labour MP for Nottingham East “Belongs on the desk of any activist who is serious about real, workable strategies for 2020 and beyond.”Morning Star “In one of the best simple explanations of financialization I have seen, Unions Renewed dissects how Private Equity corporations profit while destroying jobs. It calls on unions to develop new strategies to rebuild workers’ power based on how the economy has been reorganized.”Stephen Lerner, US Labor Organizer, Founder of the ‘Justice for Janitors’ campaign “Unions Renewed offers a critique of labour’s strategic status quo grounded in a clear and powerful analysis of the shifting economic ground beneath us. The authors think both historically and globally – and their insights just keep coming. This book will make a real difference.”Sam Pizzigati, labour journalist and associate fellow, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC “The profound social and workforce changes around the dynamics of class, race and gender pose significant challenges, and opportunities, to the trade union movement. To act on this, radical solutions are required which move beyond traditional modes of worker organization. Insights in this important new book shine a light on this changing context and help to chart new pathways to the restoration of trade union legitimacy and power.”Dr Ian Manborde, Equalities and Diversity Organizer, Equity trade union; former programme coordinator of the MA in International Labour and Trade Union Studies (ILTUS) at Ruskin College, Oxford; founding member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (UK) “Unions Renewed is a clarion call for a stronger, fiercer, better labour movement and it couldn't come at a more important time. While too much of the conversation about the working class is mired in nostalgic dreams of a past that never really was, Martin and Quick have explained why labour must understand the economy that we currently have in order to take power and shape the future. Read it, and then share it with your coworkers.”Sarah Jaffe, author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt and Work Won't Love You Back “Unions Renewed engages especially well with the grassroots of current efforts at renewal... It stands as an urgent and accessible contribution to discussions on union revitalisation, and it will become ever more essential reading as we consider how to build workers’ power in the midst of crises like that of Arcadia.”Marx & Philosophy Review Of Books“Unions Renewed offers […] an admirably clear explanation of […] a notoriously complex phenomenon”New Statesman

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Book SynopsisUnions face a once in a generation opportunity for renewal. Decades of decline have been compounded by a global elite who increasingly generate profit from financial engineering in ways that side-step labour and undermine the power of organised workers. However, as this economic system begins to falter, there are signs of a renewed union movement emerging. Debt-laden firms – from supermarkets and nursery chains to outsourcing giants – are collapsing, and workers are organising to determine what comes next. Unionised bank cashiers are refusing to push predatory loans, teachers are striking against the exploitative housing market, and manufacturing workers are pooling redundancy pay to buy-out plants and become worker owners. Alice Martin and Annie Quick argue that these are seeds of union renewal. To be effective in an age of finance, the union movement must set its ambitions beyond narrow wage-bargaining, and towards the financial systems that have infiltrated workplaces and impoverished communities. By doing so, they can play a critical role in ushering in a new, democratic economy. No-one committed to economic justice can afford to miss this urgent, highly original book and its radical vision for unions.Trade Review“Unions Renewed is a must-read for all in the labour movement who believe that winning working class power extends beyond government, and must be built from organising in our communities and workplaces, democratising our economy and, necessarily, our trade unions.”Nadia Whittome, care worker and Labour MP for Nottingham East “Belongs on the desk of any activist who is serious about real, workable strategies for 2020 and beyond.”Morning Star “In one of the best simple explanations of financialization I have seen, Unions Renewed dissects how Private Equity corporations profit while destroying jobs. It calls on unions to develop new strategies to rebuild workers’ power based on how the economy has been reorganized.”Stephen Lerner, US Labor Organizer, Founder of the ‘Justice for Janitors’ campaign “Unions Renewed offers a critique of labour’s strategic status quo grounded in a clear and powerful analysis of the shifting economic ground beneath us. The authors think both historically and globally – and their insights just keep coming. This book will make a real difference.”Sam Pizzigati, labour journalist and associate fellow, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC “The profound social and workforce changes around the dynamics of class, race and gender pose significant challenges, and opportunities, to the trade union movement. To act on this, radical solutions are required which move beyond traditional modes of worker organization. Insights in this important new book shine a light on this changing context and help to chart new pathways to the restoration of trade union legitimacy and power.”Dr Ian Manborde, Equalities and Diversity Organizer, Equity trade union; former programme coordinator of the MA in International Labour and Trade Union Studies (ILTUS) at Ruskin College, Oxford; founding member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (UK) “Unions Renewed is a clarion call for a stronger, fiercer, better labour movement and it couldn't come at a more important time. While too much of the conversation about the working class is mired in nostalgic dreams of a past that never really was, Martin and Quick have explained why labour must understand the economy that we currently have in order to take power and shape the future. Read it, and then share it with your coworkers.”Sarah Jaffe, author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt and Work Won't Love You Back “Unions Renewed engages especially well with the grassroots of current efforts at renewal... It stands as an urgent and accessible contribution to discussions on union revitalisation, and it will become ever more essential reading as we consider how to build workers’ power in the midst of crises like that of Arcadia.”Marx & Philosophy Review Of Books“Unions Renewed offers […] an admirably clear explanation of […] a notoriously complex phenomenon”New Statesman

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Book SynopsisNot so long ago, people thought that a ten-hour, six-day week was normal; now, it’s the eight-hour, five-day week. Will that soon be history too? In this book, three leading experts argue why it should be. They map out a pragmatic pathway to a shorter working week that safeguards earnings for the lower-paid and keeps the economy flourishing. They argue that this radical vision will give workers time to be better parents and carers, allow men and women to share paid and unpaid work more equally, and help to save jobs – and create new ones – in the post-pandemic era. Not only that, but it will combat stress and illness caused by overwork and help to protect the environment. This is essential reading for anyone who has ever felt they could live and work a lot better if all weekends were three days long.Trade Review“In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, now is the time to rethink how we live our lives and care for our planet. This book sets out, clearly and powerfully, a compelling agenda for change.”Caroline Lucas, UK Green Party MP “Timely and important. A punchy, persuasive analysis of how a shorter working week can boost our collective health and wealth. A must-read for anyone who wants real change at work.”Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, UK Trades Union Congress “A compelling argument for limiting working hours to the equivalent of a four day week, backed by a range of suggested policy initiatives. Particularly valuable is the demonstration of the beneficial effects of reduced hours on the morale and performance of employees, and the account of case studies in reduction from round the world.”Roberet Skidelsky, British economic historian, member of UK House of Lords, biographer of John Maynard Keynes “This is the go-to book for understanding why it is time to reject austerity and commit to true sharing – of work, income and planet.”Juliet Schor, author of The Overworked American“A strong case for the four-day week. The three leading experts map out a pragmatic pathway to a shorter working week that safeguards earnings for the lower-paid and keeps the economy flourishing... vital reading for anyone looking for a better work/life balance."Glamour Magazine“Pragmatic and sensible”Social EuropeTable of ContentsTable of contents:Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Why We Need a Shorter Working Week Chapter 3 Some Challenges Chapter 4 Learning from Practical Experience Chapter 5 A Road Map for Transition In Conclusion

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Book SynopsisNot so long ago, people thought that a ten-hour, six-day week was normal; now, it’s the eight-hour, five-day week. Will that soon be history too? In this book, three leading experts argue why it should be. They map out a pragmatic pathway to a shorter working week that safeguards earnings for the lower-paid and keeps the economy flourishing. They argue that this radical vision will give workers time to be better parents and carers, allow men and women to share paid and unpaid work more equally, and help to save jobs – and create new ones – in the post-pandemic era. Not only that, but it will combat stress and illness caused by overwork and help to protect the environment. This is essential reading for anyone who has ever felt they could live and work a lot better if all weekends were three days long.Trade Review“In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, now is the time to rethink how we live our lives and care for our planet. This book sets out, clearly and powerfully, a compelling agenda for change.”Caroline Lucas, UK Green Party MP “Timely and important. A punchy, persuasive analysis of how a shorter working week can boost our collective health and wealth. A must-read for anyone who wants real change at work.”Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, UK Trades Union Congress “A compelling argument for limiting working hours to the equivalent of a four day week, backed by a range of suggested policy initiatives. Particularly valuable is the demonstration of the beneficial effects of reduced hours on the morale and performance of employees, and the account of case studies in reduction from round the world.”Roberet Skidelsky, British economic historian, member of UK House of Lords, biographer of John Maynard Keynes “This is the go-to book for understanding why it is time to reject austerity and commit to true sharing – of work, income and planet.”Juliet Schor, author of The Overworked American“A strong case for the four-day week. The three leading experts map out a pragmatic pathway to a shorter working week that safeguards earnings for the lower-paid and keeps the economy flourishing... vital reading for anyone looking for a better work/life balance."Glamour Magazine“Pragmatic and sensible”Social Europe

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Book SynopsisIndia has been catapulted to the centre of world attention. Its rapidly growing economy, new geo-political confidence, and global cultural influence have ensured that people across the world recognise India as one of the main sites of social dynamism in the early twenty-first century. In this book, research leaders John Harriss, Craig Jeffrey and Trent Brown explore in depth the economic, social, and political changes occurring in India today, and their implications for the people of India and the world. Each of the book’s fourteen chapters seeks to answer a key question: Is India’s democracy under threat? Can India’s Growth be sustained? How are youth changing India? Drawing on a wealth of scholarly and popular material as well as their own experience researching the country during this period of major transformation, the authors draw the reader into key debates about economic growth, poverty, environmental justice, the character of Indian democracy, rights and social movements, gender, caste, education, and foreign policy. India, they conclude, has undergone some extraordinary and positive changes since the early 1990s but deeply worrying threats remain: increasing authoritarianism, growing inequality, entrenched poverty, and environmental vulnerability. How India responds to these crucial challenges will shape the world’s largest democracy for years to come.Trade Review�As a book that covers a tremendous range of issues and refuses to fall for easy explanatory traps, India: Continuity and Change in the 21st Century offers an original, unique and comprehensive coverage of the economy, society and politics in 21st century India.� Philippa Williams, Queen Mary University of London �This book asks some of the most compelling questions about politics, society and the economy in contemporary India, and offers answers with historical depth, a comprehensive engagement with the latest scholarship on the subject, and nuanced analysis. An indispensable guide to understanding the multiple complexities of India today.� Niraja Gopal Jayal, Jawaharlal Nehru University �A crisply written account of key issues in the study of contemporary India. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike.� Rob Jenkins, City University of New York

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Book SynopsisIndia has been catapulted to the centre of world attention. Its rapidly growing economy, new geo-political confidence, and global cultural influence have ensured that people across the world recognise India as one of the main sites of social dynamism in the early twenty-first century. In this book, research leaders John Harriss, Craig Jeffrey and Trent Brown explore in depth the economic, social, and political changes occurring in India today, and their implications for the people of India and the world. Each of the book’s fourteen chapters seeks to answer a key question: Is India’s democracy under threat? Can India’s Growth be sustained? How are youth changing India? Drawing on a wealth of scholarly and popular material as well as their own experience researching the country during this period of major transformation, the authors draw the reader into key debates about economic growth, poverty, environmental justice, the character of Indian democracy, rights and social movements, gender, caste, education, and foreign policy. India, they conclude, has undergone some extraordinary and positive changes since the early 1990s but deeply worrying threats remain: increasing authoritarianism, growing inequality, entrenched poverty, and environmental vulnerability. How India responds to these crucial challenges will shape the world’s largest democracy for years to come.Trade Review�As a book that covers a tremendous range of issues and refuses to fall for easy explanatory traps, India: Continuity and Change in the 21st Century offers an original, unique and comprehensive coverage of the economy, society and politics in 21st century India.� Philippa Williams, Queen Mary University of London �This book asks some of the most compelling questions about politics, society and the economy in contemporary India, and offers answers with historical depth, a comprehensive engagement with the latest scholarship on the subject, and nuanced analysis. An indispensable guide to understanding the multiple complexities of India today.� Niraja Gopal Jayal, Jawaharlal Nehru University �A crisply written account of key issues in the study of contemporary India. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike.� Rob Jenkins, City University of New York

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Book SynopsisLargely privately funded with relatively little public regulation, the United States healthcare system is both expensive and inefficient, providing poor care to large parts of the population. For decades, Americans have wrestled with how to fix their broken healthcare system. In this razor-sharp contribution to the healthcare debate, leading economist and former adviser to Bernie Sanders Gerald Friedman recommends that we build on what works: a Medicare system that already efficiently provides healthcare for millions of Americans. Rejecting the discredited idea that healthcare should be treated like any other commodity, Friedman shows that healthcare is distinctive and can be best provided only through universal program of social insurance. Deftly exposing the absurdities of the opponents of reform, Friedman shows in detail how the solution to our health care crisis is staring us in the face: enroll everyone in Medicare to improve the health of all Americans. This bold and brilliantly argued book is essential reading for anyone who wants to see Congress and the White House act to provide America with a 21st century healthcare system.Trade Review“As we enter a new era in the fight for universal healthcare in America, Professor Friedman’s book distills the failures of our current system – and the complexities of what should replace it – into a compelling and easy-to-understand explainer for anyone looking to understand Medicare for All. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to go beyond the headlines to get a nuanced account of the politics and policy behind Medicare for All.”Jim McGovern, Congressman for the 2nd District of Massachusetts "We need a clear, concise analysis of universal Medicare in all its forms that cuts through the complexities, and that is what Professor Friedman has given us. As he shows, sixty-five million of us already enjoy its benefits in the U.S., an eloquent demonstration of its superiority in cost and efficiency to the private competition.”Michael Dukakis, Former Governor of Massachusetts and Democratic Party Presidential Nominee 1988 “Professor Friedman is one of the leading thinkers in the country on the economics that underpin universal healthcare coverage. His visionary work in The Case for Medicare for All is just what our country needs right now. The inequities in our current healthcare system are glaring and inexcusable, and I’m grateful to have Professor Friedman’s important and timely research in order to better understand how Massachusetts can transition from our current health care system to a single payer system.”Joanne M. Comerford, Massachussetts State Senator and former Campaign Director at MoveOn “Economics Professor Gerald Friedman has devoted his career to defending Medicare for All. In this convincing book, he explains his reasoning and why America would be transformed for the better.”Walter Tsou, University of PennsylvaniaTable of ContentsFigures and Tables Acknowledgements Preface: We Need Better Introduction: The Failure of Free Market Healthcare Chapter One: Why Markets Cannot Work in Healthcare Chapter Two: Can We Afford Medicare for All? Chapter Three: From Here to There is Politics Chapter Four: Universal Healthcare is Better Economics Because it Acknowledges Human Rights Notes

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Book SynopsisThe idea that healthcare and education should be provided as universal public services to all who need them is widely accepted. But why leave it there? Why not expand it to more of life’s essentials? In their bold new book, Anna Coote and Andrew Percy argue that this transformational new policy – Universal Basic Services – is exactly what we need to save our societies and our planet. The old argument that free markets and individual choice are the best way to solve pressing problems of poverty, inequality and environmental degradation has led us to catastrophe, and must be abandoned. The authors show that expanding the principle of collective universal service provision to everyday essentials like transport, childcare and housing is not only the best way of tackling many of the biggest problems facing the contemporary world: it’s also efficient, practical and affordable.Anyone who cares about fighting for a fairer, greener and more democratic world should read this book.Trade Review"If the UK is so rich, why do so many of us feel so poor? Coote and Percy argue that by rethinking what, how and why we provide collectively, we can ensure that the economy and society works for everybody."Jonathan Portes, Kings College London "This compelling book sets out how to build the capacities and capabilities of individuals and communities through reinvigorating and extending support for public services. UBS is a new and imaginative approach to the welfare state in the twenty first century. The argument presented here is required reading for anyone interested in how the UK can weather the coming storms of economic and political transformation"Henrietta L. Moore, Founder & Director, Institute for Global Prosperity "In arguing for universal basic services Anna Coote and Andrew Percy call on us to think differently about both the scope and character of public services in rich countries. They do not want free services for everyone, all of the time, but they explain why the state must take responsibility for seeing that our essential needs are met without cost ever being a barrier. These proposals are ambitious but not utopian and sit squarely within the practical traditions of post-1945 democratic socialism and human rights."Andrew Harrop, General Secretary of the Fabian Society "What if there were a way to reduce inequality, promote social solidarity, improve levels of education and health, and create a better functioning democracy, all in the context of sustainability? Universal Basic Services. How does it compare with Universal Basic Income? Read the book. It is beautifully simple in its writing and elegant in argument."Michael Marmot, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity "This is an important contribution to the debate about the future of our public services, which have been so damaged by austerity. Arguing for more and better collectively-funded public services to reduce inequalities at the same time as promoting solidarity and sustainability, the evidence presented reveals the limitations of a 'universal basic income'."Hilary Land, University of Bristol "Universal basic services speak to the necessity for everybody in a thriving society to have shared experiences and a common understanding of the resources needed for people to participate fully. We do not have that, after years of individualist policies and austerity; as a result our society is fracturing. This book speaks to the urgent need for everybody to have access to collective services that are sufficient to meet their needs."Diane Coyle, co-director, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge University

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Book SynopsisThe idea that healthcare and education should be provided as universal public services to all who need them is widely accepted. But why leave it there? Why not expand it to more of life’s essentials? In their bold new book, Anna Coote and Andrew Percy argue that this transformational new policy – Universal Basic Services – is exactly what we need to save our societies and our planet. The old argument that free markets and individual choice are the best way to solve pressing problems of poverty, inequality and environmental degradation has led us to catastrophe, and must be abandoned. The authors show that expanding the principle of collective universal service provision to everyday essentials like transport, childcare and housing is not only the best way of tackling many of the biggest problems facing the contemporary world: it’s also efficient, practical and affordable.Anyone who cares about fighting for a fairer, greener and more democratic world should read this book.Trade Review"If the UK is so rich, why do so many of us feel so poor? Coote and Percy argue that by rethinking what, how and why we provide collectively, we can ensure that the economy and society works for everybody."Jonathan Portes, Kings College London "This compelling book sets out how to build the capacities and capabilities of individuals and communities through reinvigorating and extending support for public services. UBS is a new and imaginative approach to the welfare state in the twenty first century. The argument presented here is required reading for anyone interested in how the UK can weather the coming storms of economic and political transformation"Henrietta L. Moore, Founder & Director, Institute for Global Prosperity "In arguing for universal basic services Anna Coote and Andrew Percy call on us to think differently about both the scope and character of public services in rich countries. They do not want free services for everyone, all of the time, but they explain why the state must take responsibility for seeing that our essential needs are met without cost ever being a barrier. These proposals are ambitious but not utopian and sit squarely within the practical traditions of post-1945 democratic socialism and human rights."Andrew Harrop, General Secretary of the Fabian Society "What if there were a way to reduce inequality, promote social solidarity, improve levels of education and health, and create a better functioning democracy, all in the context of sustainability? Universal Basic Services. How does it compare with Universal Basic Income? Read the book. It is beautifully simple in its writing and elegant in argument."Michael Marmot, Director, UCL Institute of Health Equity "This is an important contribution to the debate about the future of our public services, which have been so damaged by austerity. Arguing for more and better collectively-funded public services to reduce inequalities at the same time as promoting solidarity and sustainability, the evidence presented reveals the limitations of a 'universal basic income'."Hilary Land, University of Bristol "Universal basic services speak to the necessity for everybody in a thriving society to have shared experiences and a common understanding of the resources needed for people to participate fully. We do not have that, after years of individualist policies and austerity; as a result our society is fracturing. This book speaks to the urgent need for everybody to have access to collective services that are sufficient to meet their needs."Diane Coyle, co-director, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge University

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Book SynopsisMost humans are significantly richer than their ancestors. Humanity gained nearly all of its wealth in the last two centuries. How did this come to pass? How did the world become rich? Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin dive into the many theories of why modern economic growth happened when and where it did. They discuss recently advanced theories rooted in geography, politics, culture, demography, and colonialism. Pieces of each of these theories help explain key events on the path to modern riches. Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in 18th-century Britain? Why did some European countries, the US, and Japan catch up in the 19th century? Why did it take until the late 20th and 21st centuries for other countries? Why have some still not caught up? Koyama and Rubin show that the past can provide a guide for how countries can escape poverty. There are certain prerequisites that all successful economies seem to have. But there is also no panacea. A society’s past and its institutions and culture play a key role in shaping how it may – or may not – develop.Trade Review"A vivid and crystal-clear summary of the very large body of research compiled in the past two decades on the most important question in economic history. Well informed, solidly anchored in historical facts and economic analysis, this book is a must for economics students."—Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University "In our current moment, when many are worried about the future of growth for the environment and the planet, this thought-provoking book by two leading scholars tells the story of how and why economic growth took off, and how it hugely raised living standards, but also increased inequality and misery on the way. This is a must-read for anybody worried about the future of growth and poverty on our planet."—Daron Acemoglu, MIT "[T]imely, consolidated, and refreshingly succinct.... It is likely to be a seminal text for years to come."—The Economic History ReviewTable of ContentsPreface 1 Why, When, and How Did the World Become Rich? 2 Did Some Societies Win the Geography Lottery? 3 Is it all Just Institutions? 4 Did Culture Make Some Rich and Others Poor? 5 Fewer Babies? 6 Was it Just a Matter of Colonization and Exploitation? 7 Why Did Northwestern Europe Become Rich First? 8 Britain’s Industrial Revolution 9 The Rise of the Modern Economy 10 Industrialization and the World it Created 11 The World is Rich Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDoes work give our lives purpose, meaning and status? Or is it a tedious necessity that will soon be abolished by automation, leaving humans free to enjoy a life of leisure and basic income? In this erudite and highly readable book, Jon Cruddas MP argues that it is imperative that the Left rejects the siren call of technological determinism and roots it politics firmly in the workplace. Drawing from his experience of his own Dagenham and Rainham constituency, he examines the history of Marxist and social democratic thinking about work in order to critique the fatalism of both Blairism and radical left techno-utopianism, which, he contends, have more in common than either would like to admit. He argues that, especially in the context of COVID-19, socialists must embrace an ethical socialist politics based on the dignity and agency of the labour interest. This timely book is a brilliant intervention in the highly contentious debate on the future of work, as well as an ambitious account of how the left must rediscover its animating purpose or risk irrelevance.Trade Review‘This book seeks to re-establish Labour as the party of work. It is an ambitious and essential read for anyone interested in how our movement can rebuild.’Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party ‘The Dignity of Labour is an angry book: an exasperated cri de coeur from a politician who believes his party risks losing not only more elections, but also its grip on [its] historic mission’The Observer ‘a trenchant reassertion of the centrality of work in the politics of the common good’The Guardian ‘a call to arms for a coherent philosophy with which to define the [Labour Party]—something desperately needed by its current leader Keir Starmer’Prospect‘Timely [and] engaging'New Statesman ‘Ranging brilliantly across economics, ethics, politics, even film, this humane and hopeful book points the way to a new politics of the common good. It is essential reading for everyone who cares about repairing our civic life.’Michael Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?‘In this short book Jon Cruddas upends the assumptions of the modern left and offers a route back to relevance. Anchored in the moving story of loss, humiliation and resilience in Dagenham, he revives an exiled political tradition to restore the prospect of dignity and hope. In a time when we’ve briefly remembered the value of work, Cruddas reminds us there is nothing inevitable about the future. Surely among the most important political works of the coming decade, The Dignity of Labour offers the first, genuinely original answer to the question we are frequently asked: what is Labour for?’Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary‘Humane, intelligent and accessible. This wonderful book shows that dignity for workers must be at the heart of the post-Covid economy – and shape the future of work itself. A must-read for everyone on the left – and far beyond.’Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress‘Work is at the heart of a meaningful life. Its degradation has left people humiliated. Neither liberal technocracy nor far-left “end-of-work” utopias offer radical hope. This is one of the most important books written during the long interregnum since the 2009 financial crisis. It offers a deeper diagnosis than any binary analysis by showing how liberal democracy allied to capitalism commodifies work and incubates authoritarian populism. Played out in the history of his Dagenham constituency, Cruddas’ conception of community, nation and citizenship is anchored in a politics of work. Such a renewed public philosophy for the left can give people a more dignified life. A must-read for everyone interested in the future of social democracy and political pluralism.’Adrian Pabst, Professor of Politics at Kent and author of The Demons of Liberal Democracy‘… this book is a crucial, fixed marker in a political fog. Buy it and hold on to it.’Manchester Review of Books‘Cruddas with this work deserves to be part of mainstream thinking in the Labour Party and his ideas, if adopted, cannot help but improve Labour’s still-faltering electoral chances.’The Conservative WomanTable of ContentsPreface Prologue Chapter 1 Work and the Modern World Part I The Economics of Labour Chapter 2 The Labour Problem Chapter 3 Miracle Cures Chapter 4 New Labour Chapter 5 A Return to Marx Part II The Ethics of Labour Chapter 6 Dignity Chapter 7 What Do We Think and What’s Going to Happen? Chapter 8 Justice and the Left Chapter 9 Human Labour and Radical Hope Epilogue Notes

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Book SynopsisDoes work give our lives purpose, meaning and status? Or is it a tedious necessity that will soon be abolished by automation, leaving humans free to enjoy a life of leisure and basic income? In this erudite and highly readable book, Jon Cruddas MP argues that it is imperative that the Left rejects the siren call of technological determinism and roots it politics firmly in the workplace. Drawing from his experience of his own Dagenham and Rainham constituency, he examines the history of Marxist and social democratic thinking about work in order to critique the fatalism of both Blairism and radical left techno-utopianism, which, he contends, have more in common than either would like to admit. He argues that, especially in the context of COVID-19, socialists must embrace an ethical socialist politics based on the dignity and agency of the labour interest. This timely book is a brilliant intervention in the highly contentious debate on the future of work, as well as an ambitious account of how the left must rediscover its animating purpose or risk irrelevance.Trade Review‘This book seeks to re-establish Labour as the party of work. It is an ambitious and essential read for anyone interested in how our movement can rebuild.’Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party ‘The Dignity of Labour is an angry book: an exasperated cri de coeur from a politician who believes his party risks losing not only more elections, but also its grip on [its] historic mission’The Observer ‘a trenchant reassertion of the centrality of work in the politics of the common good’The Guardian ‘a call to arms for a coherent philosophy with which to define the [Labour Party]—something desperately needed by its current leader Keir Starmer’Prospect‘Timely [and] engaging'New Statesman ‘Ranging brilliantly across economics, ethics, politics, even film, this humane and hopeful book points the way to a new politics of the common good. It is essential reading for everyone who cares about repairing our civic life.’Michael Sandel, author of The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?‘In this short book Jon Cruddas upends the assumptions of the modern left and offers a route back to relevance. Anchored in the moving story of loss, humiliation and resilience in Dagenham, he revives an exiled political tradition to restore the prospect of dignity and hope. In a time when we’ve briefly remembered the value of work, Cruddas reminds us there is nothing inevitable about the future. Surely among the most important political works of the coming decade, The Dignity of Labour offers the first, genuinely original answer to the question we are frequently asked: what is Labour for?’Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary‘Humane, intelligent and accessible. This wonderful book shows that dignity for workers must be at the heart of the post-Covid economy – and shape the future of work itself. A must-read for everyone on the left – and far beyond.’Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress‘Work is at the heart of a meaningful life. Its degradation has left people humiliated. Neither liberal technocracy nor far-left “end-of-work” utopias offer radical hope. This is one of the most important books written during the long interregnum since the 2009 financial crisis. It offers a deeper diagnosis than any binary analysis by showing how liberal democracy allied to capitalism commodifies work and incubates authoritarian populism. Played out in the history of his Dagenham constituency, Cruddas’ conception of community, nation and citizenship is anchored in a politics of work. Such a renewed public philosophy for the left can give people a more dignified life. A must-read for everyone interested in the future of social democracy and political pluralism.’Adrian Pabst, Professor of Politics at Kent and author of The Demons of Liberal Democracy‘… this book is a crucial, fixed marker in a political fog. Buy it and hold on to it.’Manchester Review of Books‘Cruddas with this work deserves to be part of mainstream thinking in the Labour Party and his ideas, if adopted, cannot help but improve Labour’s still-faltering electoral chances.’The Conservative Woman

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Book SynopsisOne of the most enduring ideas in economics is that unemployment is both unavoidable and necessary for the smooth functioning of the economy. This assumption has provided cover for the devastating social and economic costs of job insecurity. It is also false. In this book, leading expert Pavlina R. Tcherneva challenges us to imagine a world where the phantom of unemployment is banished and anyone who seeks decent, living-wage work can find it - guaranteed. This is the aim of the Job Guarantee proposal: to provide a voluntary employment opportunity in public service to anyone who needs it. Tcherneva enumerates the many advantages of the Job Guarantee over the status quo and proposes a blueprint for its implementation within the wider context of the need for a Green New Deal. This compact primer is the ultimate guide to the benefits of one of the most transformative public policies being discussed today. It is essential reading for all citizens and activists who are passionate about social justice and building a fairer economy.Trade Review"The Job Guarantee is the next big, common-sense idea for economic reform. Over years of dedicated work, Pavlina Tcherneva has developed and advanced the plan, and today it stands poised to complement the Green New Deal and Medicare for All as a fundamental pillar of the progressive agenda. Read about it here... and go out to help make it happen."—James K. Galbraith, The University of Texas at Austin "More than any other piece of public policy, the Job Guarantee can help us build a more equitable economy and just society. Pavlina Tcherneva has written the perfect primer for anyone interested in understanding why and how the Job Guarantee can do so much good."—Ady Barkan, Activist and organizer and author of Eyes to the Wind "Pavlina Tcherneva offers an eloquent and convincing argument for a public sector job guarantee as an economic shock absorber. Particularly valuable is her demonstration of how such a program can revitalise local communities. Beyond this, her book is an indispensable primer for advocates of a Green New Deal."—Robert Skidelsky "Tcherneva lays out the case for how we can raise the roof by lifting the floor, as we transition away from a failed and cruel economy based on an assumed percentage of unemployment. She demonstrates how a jobs guarantee can help address some of our biggest challenges, including bridging the gap to a Green New Deal and the critical conversion from a fossil-fuel economy to a sustainable future. Through her book we can see a world where everyone who wants to claim the dignity of work as their own has that right."—Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIOTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. A Public Option for Good Jobs 2. A Steep Price for a Broken Status Quo 3. The Job Guarantee: A New Social Contract and Macroeconomic Model 4. But How Will You Pay for It? 5. What, Where and How: Jobs, Design, and Implementation 6. The Job Guarantee, the Green New Deal, and Beyond Notes

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics Capitalism is broken. The relentless pursuit of more has delivered climate catastrophe, social inequality and financial instability – and left us ill-prepared for life in a global pandemic. Tim Jackson’s passionate and provocative book dares us to imagine a world beyond capitalism – a place where relationship and meaning take precedence over profits and power. Post Growth is both a manifesto for system change and an invitation to rekindle a deeper conversation about the nature of the human condition.Now available as an audiobook narrated by the author.Trade Review‘A Reminder that judging political success and national prosperity by the entirely faulty measure of GDP is short-changing the present and the future.’Natalie Bennett, The House Magazine‘fascinating’The BMJ Opinion‘With great sensitivity and wonderful insight, Tim Jackson shows us that there is life after the growth imperative – and it’s a richer, more humane form of life. With its blend of science, history and biographical detail, Post Growth was a delight to read and gave me much to think about.’Svend Brinkmann – Author of The Joy of Missing Out ‘Through the window of our pandemic lockdown Jackson sees both the sins of capitalism and the renewal of hope. An instructive and stimulating read!’Herman Daly – Author of Steady State Economics ‘Tim Jackson’s compelling postgrowth vision strikes at the heart of today’s greatest existential challenge and human predicament: either we continue to propagate a capitalistic growth paradigm that fosters inequality, climate and health crises or we build our lives and livelihoods around a holistic system providing what is truly meaningful.’Sandrine Dixson-Declève – Co-President, The Club of Rome‘Joyous… Post Growth is one of the best written economic tomes I have read in a long while.’Dollars and Sense‘Post Growth is perhaps the most imaginative book I’ve read on the topic of economic growth, a lyrical and thoughtful account of where capitalism fails and the many ways that things could be done better.’The Earthbound Project‘Written almost as much in poetry as in prose, it is offered as a string of vignettes and parables giving us insights into what’s wrong with the way our economy works and what we can do to change it.’Ecologist ‘This book demonstrates that changing the current economic paradigm is not a crazy dream, but a real – and absolutely essential – possibility. For all of us. Right now. Taking the world towards the sustainable development we need is a revolution waiting to happen, if we only allow it.’Enrico Giovannini – Former Chief Statistician, OECD ‘Tim Jackson appeals to humanity's incredible ingenuity by replacing the tunnel vision of mainstream economics with a tour d'horizon of how good lives for all are perfectly possible without costing the Earth.’Maja Göpel, The New Institute‘Post Growth can be read as a playbook of how to turn the categorical imperative back on its feet again, how to build a world where equal rights to production and consumption do not ruin the planet, and how to subordinate the economy to a broader reflection on its purpose.’Green European Journal‘Jackson writes beautifully’Green House‘Abounds with prescriptions for the “economy of tomorrow” that challenge the orthodoxies of today… intriguing.’The Guardian ‘Post growth is one of the most important ideas of the 21st century, and Tim Jackson one of its most powerful proponents. Don’t miss this brilliant new book.’Jason Hickel – Author of Less is More ‘An unapologetic, clear-eyed vision.’Kerry Kennedy – President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights ‘A thrilling intellectual journey towards a post growth world.’Roman Krznaric – Author of The Good Ancestor ‘Some call Tim Jackson’s thesis about capitalism’s flaws, and proposed remedies, provocative. After two decades as a successful capitalist (or so they tell me) I don’t find it provocative at all, rather an existential imperative.’Jeremy Leggett – Founder of Solarcentury and SolarAid ‘Utterly inspiring … an urgent and eloquent plea for radical change.’Caroline Lucas – MP, Green Party ‘A tour de force, sinuous, disruptive – and a masterpiece of measured rage and love.’Jonathon Porritt – Author of Hope in Hell ‘Extraordinary, powerful and beautifully written – difficult to put down.’Mamphela Ramphele – Co-President, The Club of Rome ‘Economic wisdom wrapped up in poetry … A beautiful read.’Kate Raworth – Author of Doughnut Economics ‘Razor-sharp analysis and powerful storytelling’Johan Rockström – Professor of Earth Systems Science ‘An expansive, wise and uplifting work that will reorient the conversation. Highly recommended.’Juliet Schor – Author of After the Gig ‘Jackson is the great storyteller of economics – of what economies can and should be. In this book he draws on the stories of original thinkers near and far to show that post growth – a future beyond capitalism – is not just necessary for our planet, but also to sustain our human spirit.’Julia Steinberger – University of Lausanne ‘This is an important and urgent book. Tim Jackson exposes the cult of growth which is leading us down a path of human misery and destruction of the natural world. A book of questions, interwoven with stories and philosophy: our collective challenge is to create the answers.’Jo Swinson – Director, Partners for a New Economy ‘Tim Jackson offers us a book that is both honest and hopeful. It gently lets its stark messages unfold through writing that is often more like poetry than political prose. As rich in imagery as it is grounded with examples and clear explanations of why our economy is in urgent need of recalibration, this is a book that future generations will be glad was written.’Katherine Trebeck – Author of The Economics of Arrival ‘It is harder and harder to deny that we in the “developed” world are collectively prisoners of an addictive delusion – the myth of constantly increasing economic growth. In this brief but weighty book, Tim Jackson exposes this myth with unambiguous clarity, and asks whether we are able to seize the opportunities for tough self-questioning prompted by the current global crisis.’Rowan Williams – 104th Archbishop of Canterbury ‘Empowering and elegiac’Yanis Varoufakis – Author of Another NowTable of ContentsPrologue Chapter 1. The Myth of Growth Chapter 2. Who Killed Capitalism? Chapter 3. The Limited and the Limitless Chapter 4. The Nature of Prosperity Chapter 5. Of Love and Entropy Chapter 6. Economics as Storytelling Chapter 7. The Return to Work Chapter 8. A Canopy of Hope Chapter 9. The Art of Power Chapter 10. Dolphins in Venice Acknowledgements References Notes

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Book SynopsisRising inequality is the defining feature of our age. With the lion’s share of wealth growth going to the top, for a growing percentage of society a middle-class existence is out of reach. What exactly are the economic shifts that have driven the social transformations taking place in Anglo-capitalist societies? In this timely book, Lisa Adkins, Melinda Cooper and Martijn Konings argue that the rise of the asset economy has produced a new logic of inequality. Several decades of property inflation have seen asset ownership overshadow employment as a determinant of class position. Exploring the impact of generational dynamics in this new class landscape, the book advances an original perspective on a range of phenomena that are widely debated but poorly understood – including the growth of wealth inequalities and precarity, the dynamics of urban property inflation, changes in fiscal and monetary policy and the predicament of the “millennial” generation. Despite widespread awareness of the harmful effects of Quantitative Easing and similar asset-supporting measures, we appear to have entered an era of policy “lock-in” that is responsible for a growing disconnect between popular expectations and institutional priorities. The resulting polarization underlies many of the volatile dynamics and rapidly shifting alliances that dominate today’s headlines.Trade Review“Adkins, Cooper and Konings make a timely and persuasive attack on generational and electoral understandings of contemporary class conflict and class reproduction. This is a must read for understanding the politics around the increasingly Minsky-like dynamics of the housing market.”Herman Mark Schwartz, University of Virginia “In teasing out the logic of the booming asset economy, Lisa Adkins and her co-authors brilliantly update the analysis of class and inequality for the twenty-first century. This outstanding book will prove a vital point of reference to academics, students, and the wider public.”Mike Savage, London School of Economics“A timely, engaging and important book. If treated with the seriousness it deserves, The Asset Economy should set the agenda for future socio-logical studies of class and inequality concerned with their economic reproduction.”Sociology“This book offers an important and timely analytical lens by which we can better theorize the growth of contemporary inequality and exploitation.”Uneven Earth“a highly readable and timely intervention”LSE Review of Books“The book is an enjoyable read while persuasively and concisely unpacking the very foundations underpinning current societal challenges of inequality. A must read, not only for scholars interested in housing and the political economy of drivers of inequality, but highly recommended for all those implicated in the socio-economic structure it unpacks – in other words, everyone.”International Journal of Housing Policy“Excellent”Annie Lowrey, The AtlanticTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Asset Logics 3. The Making of the Asset Economy 4. New Class Realities 5. Conclusion References

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Book SynopsisFor decades, a secret army of tax attorneys, accountants and wealth managers has been developing into the shadowy Wealth Defence Industry. These ‘agents of inequality’ are paid millions to hide trillions for the richest 0.01%. In this book, inequality expert Chuck Collins, who himself inherited a fortune, interviews the leading players and gives a unique insider account of how this industry is doing everything it can to create and entrench hereditary dynasties of wealth and power. He exposes the inner workings of these “agents of inequality”, showing how they deploy anonymous shell companies, family offices, offshore accounts, opaque trusts, and sham transactions to ensure the world’s richest pay next to no tax. He ends by outlining a robust set of policies that democratic nations can implement to shut down the Wealth Defence Industry for good. This shocking exposé of the insidious machinery of inequality is essential reading for anyone wanting the inside story of our age of plutocratic plunder and stashed cash.Trade Review“It is no great surprise anymore that we are facing the greatest crisis in income and wealth inequality that we have seen since the 1920s. What is shocking is the sprawling system of corruption that the ultra-rich have designed in order to hoard their unimaginable wealth at the expense of everyone else. Chuck's book reveals not only the inner workings of this elaborate scheme to hide more than $20 trillion in wealth, it offers us a blueprint for reversing this obscene inequality so we can take back our democracy and ensure that our government works for everybody—not just the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors.”Senator Bernie Sanders “This book, a primer to the secrets of the money river, is an essential reformers’ handbook for navigating these dangerous times now facing us – and future generations.”Nicholas Shaxson, author, The Finance Curse and Treasure Islands "Skillfully blends personal narrative with social scientific research to create unique insights into a world of privilege that is ordinarily out of sight and out of mind for the rest of us."Brooke Harrington, Professor of Sociology at Dartmouth College. Author, Capital without Borders: Wealth Managers and the One Percent “The Wealth Hoarders reveals that a whole parallel world exists in which the rich and powerful enjoy the freedom to avoid not just taxes but all kinds of laws they find inconvenient. Accepting the existence this parallel world means putting democracy at risk.”Frederik Obermaier, author of The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money “This vital and expertly written book reveals the epic scale of theft occurring legally and in plain sight. Theft that destroys public services, removes access to housing and for which the poorest pay the highest price. The authors reveal how the fountain of wealth gushes ever upwards, we are all paying the price, some of us with our lives, as the wealth defence industry siphons off trillions. Chuck Collins is tireless in his determination to uncover the vicissitudes of the extremely wealthy. If you aren't already angry about inequality, then read this book. If you aren't angry enough to take action by the end of it, then you either work in the WDI or you are one of the 0.1 per cent.”Dr. Wanda Wyporska, Executive Director, The Equality Trust, UK “Chuck Collins shines a light on the powerful and pervasive “Wealth Defense Industry,” showcasing what it is and how it is entrenched in the ‘ecosystems’ that perpetuate the growing and harmful inequality of our time, and that the COVID19 pandemic has further unveiled. Collins brings his exceptional research, insights and experience to this informative piece that not only underscores the urgency for real systemic reform to reverse what can be an avoidable race-to-the-bottom, but helps unpack key leverage points for real change.”Abby Maxman, President and CEO Oxfam America “Chuck Collins reveals how the superrich are different than the rest of us. While government takes out taxes before we get paid, the wealthiest avoid taxes with trusts, evade taxes with help from tax haven governments and escape the IRS because Congress hobbles tax law enforcement. Collins, who rejected the privilege of his birth, explains in plain English how wealth hoarding works and shows how we can stop this costly corruption.”David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of Perfectly Legal and Free Lunch “Once again, Chuck Collins proves that building a better world is well within our reach. There is more than enough money to fund the societal transformation needed for equity, well-being, and a safe climate. It’s just hiding in the wrong places. With The Wealth Hoarders, we now know where to look.”May Boeve, Executive Director, 350.org “Collins gives us a rare insider’s view of the hidden wealth of the 0.1% and how the Wealth Defense Industry maintains inequality. This helps explain how concentrated wealth results in mass asset poverty and the path to building an economy that builds wealth for all, not just the wealthy.”Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Neighborhood Reinvestment Coalition of America “Chuck Collins’ Wealth Hoarders provides an invaluable perspective on the Architecture of Inequality. Through personal insights and thoughtful research he documents the extraordinary sums of hidden money in financial secrecy jurisdictions. Most importantly, he sets forth a realistic blueprint for essential reforms that can inform our strategies and actions as we work towards real economic justice and security.”Conrad Martin, Executive Director, Fund for Constitutional Government. “We won’t be able to effectively tax billionaires if they are hiding trillions in dynasty trusts. This useful book explains how to shut down the hidden wealth system in order to build a fairer tax system."Frank Clemente, executive director, Americans for Tax Fairness “Join inequality expert Chuck Collins in his riveting investigation of the secret world of the “Wealth Hoarders,” who are paid by the world’s richest people to protect private wealth. For years, I have used Collins’ books to teach my students about the hidden world of untouchable wealth, because nobody else writes so electrically and entertainingly about global plutocracy. In this book, Collins tracks down trillions of dollars that can be used to replenish our “common wealth” and solve our greatest justice crises.”Charles Derber, Professor of Sociology, Boston College, author of Moving Beyond Fear and Glorious Causes. “We can’t have a fair tax system while millionaires and billionaires are hiding trillions of wealth in the shadows. This book is essential to fixing our broken tax system.”Erica Payne, cofounder and president, Patriotic Millionaires and author of Tax the Rich“Everyone should read The Wealth Hoarders to understand the secret world of the super-rich. Chuck’s painfully beautiful description of the Wealth Defense Industry lifts the veil to this intricate, maniacal ecosystem set in motion centuries ago and provides critical truths to help us all decolonize wealth.”Edgar Villanueva, author, Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance“Collins […] writes with humor, urgency, and a heart for justice.” Christian CenturyTable of ContentsTable of contents:Acknowledgements Foreword: Nicholas Shaxson Prelude 1983: Discovering the Money River Prelude 2004: The Blue Hippo Swindle Prelude 2020: The Theft of Angola Introduction Chapter 1: The High Cost of Hidden Wealth Chapter 2: Who Are the Wealth Defenders? Chapter 3: Tools in the Wealth Hiding Toolbox Chapter 4: All in the Family Office Chapter 5: The Wealth Hiding in Your Neighborhood Chapter 6: Directly Engaging the Wealth Defense Industry Chapter 7: Solutions to Wealth Hiding Conclusion: A Time for Bold Action Epilogue: Grads, Don’t Work for the Billionaire Wealth Defense Industry Reading and Resource List Notes

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Book SynopsisThe logics and ethics of neoliberal capitalism dominate public discourses and politics in the early twenty-first century. They morally endorse and institutionalize forms of competitive self-interest that jettison social justice values, and are deeply antithetical to love, care and solidarity. But capitalism is neither invincible nor inevitable. While people are self-interested, they are not purely self-interested: they are bound affectively and morally to others, even to unknown others. The cares, loves and solidarity relationships within which people are engaged give them direction and purpose in their daily lives. They constitute cultural residuals of hope that stand ready to move humanity beyond a narrow capitalism-centric set of values. In this instructive and inspiring book, Kathleen Lynch sets out to reclaim the language of love, care and solidarity both intellectually and politically and to place it at the heart of contemporary discourse. Her goal is to help unseat capital at the gravitational centre of meaning-making and value, thereby helping to create logics and ethical priorities for politics that are led by care, love and solidarity.Trade Review“The force of this book demands that the reader viscerally engage with the destructive and life-threatening ideas, values, practices and consequences of capitalism and its servant neoliberalism, for human subjects, for non-human beings and the planet.... Lynch presents readers with a new language for social change.​” Irish Times“[A]n ambitious and impressive blockbuster […]at once a scholarly exploration and review of many of the most important contributions to care theory over recent years, and an inspiring, manifesto-like call for action.”Michael D. Fine, International Journal of Care and Caring"One of the most significant books I have read in years. Lynch challenges many of the key assumptions underpinning neoliberalism and the norms that guide it. At the same time, she provides powerful and insightful alternatives."Michael W. Apple, Beijing Normal University and University of Wisconsin–Madison"Kathleen Lynch brings her well-known understanding of care as affective relations to new realms. She deepens thinking about care’s relation to violence and extending care to non-human animals. Most importantly, she explains why capitalism is so hostile to care at all levels."Joan C. Tronto, University of Minnesota"This beautifully written indictment of neoliberal capitalism articulates a new definition of justice that goes beyond unfair appropriation to call out failures to reward necessary contributions to the public good. Impressive scholarship and passionate intensity make this book a stellar addition to the emerging discourse of care."Nancy Folbre, University of Massachusetts AmherstTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Care and Capitalism: Matters of Social Justice and Resistance Part I Care Matters Inside and Outside Capitalism 2 Care as Abject: Capitalism, Masculinity, Bureaucracy, Class and Race 3 Making Love: Love Labour as Distinctive and Non-Commodifiable 4 Time to Care Part II Challenges 5 Liberalism, Care and Neoliberalism 6 Individualism and Capitalism: From Personalized Salvation to Human Capitals 7 Care-Harming Ideologies of Capitalism: Competition, Measurement and Meritocratic Myths Part III Violence – the Nemesis of Care 8 The Violation of Non-Human Animals 9 Violence and Capitalism Part IV Conclusions 10 Resisting Intellectually, Politically, Culturally and Educationally Postscript: Care Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic

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Book SynopsisTraditional economics is built on the assumption of self-interested individuals seeking to maximize personal gain, but that is far from the whole story. Sharing, caring, and a desire to uphold the collective good are also powerful motives. In a world wracked by inequality, social divisions, and ecological destruction, can we build an alternative economics based on cooperation? In this book Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor invite us to imagine a new sort of solidarity economics – an approach grounded in our instincts for connection and community – and in so doing, actually build a more robust and sustainable economy. They argue that our current economy is already deeply dependent on mutuality, but that the inequality and fragmentation created by the status quo undermine this mutuality and with it our economic well-being. They outline the theoretical framing, policy agenda, and social movements that we need to revive solidarity and apply it to whole societies. Solidarity Economics is an essential read for anyone who longs for a fairer economy that can generate prosperity and preserve the planet.Trade Review“Solidarity Economics offers a way out of the zero-sum politics of neoliberalism at a crucial time. It is going to be a classic of our current era.”Heather C. McGhee, author of The Sum of Us “Economics makes us forget that solidarity is the glue that holds society together, and the force that can be harnessed for social progress. Solidarity Economics is a fascinating and much needed book to think bigger and act boldly.”Emmanuel Saez, University of California, Berkeley “Brilliant and superbly readable.”James K. Boyce, University of Massachusetts Amherst “’We got us’ was the powerful refrain heard throughout the Black and Brown communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Behind this pithy motto were countless mutual aid networks providing supplies, care, and cash for families left reeling from the pandemic. It's against the backdrop of these inspiring acts of solidarity that Drs. Pastor and Benner put forth their vision for a caring American economy built on mutuality and driven by the social movements that have delivered for our people time and again. Indeed, as we reckon with the moral failings of neoliberalism, Solidarity Economics challenges us to center the unique potential of collectivities in shaping our economic future — one that delivers for us all, not just the wealthiest among us.”Dorian Warren, co-President of Community Change and co-Chair of the Economic Security Project “There has never been a more critical moment to shift away from an economic approach that benefits the few to one prioritizing the greater good. We have been sold a false bill of goods over the last four decades of American policy that you cannot have a thriving economy and shared prosperity. With its focus on how we all do better when we all do better, Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter, not only smashes that myth –but provides an essential framework for how we finally reimagine and restructure an economy that works for all.”Anne Price, President, Insight Center for Community Change “In this powerful blueprint for an equitable future, Manuel Pastor and Chris Benner provide a bold critique of conventional wisdom about who owns the economy. They challenge us to radically imagine how we can design OUR economy to be fully inclusive and guided by the principles of mutuality and solidarity, ensuring that we put people first.”Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, PolicyLink, and host, Radical Imagination podcastTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Chapter 1: Reimagining Our Economy Chapter 2. Solidarity and Prosperity Chapter 3. Solidarity and Innovation Chapter 4. Solidarity and Social Support Chapter 5. Solidarity and the Planet Chapter 6. Solidarity and Social Change Notes

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Book SynopsisTraditional economics is built on the assumption of self-interested individuals seeking to maximize personal gain, but that is far from the whole story. Sharing, caring, and a desire to uphold the collective good are also powerful motives. In a world wracked by inequality, social divisions, and ecological destruction, can we build an alternative economics based on cooperation? In this book Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor invite us to imagine a new sort of solidarity economics – an approach grounded in our instincts for connection and community – and in so doing, actually build a more robust and sustainable economy. They argue that our current economy is already deeply dependent on mutuality, but that the inequality and fragmentation created by the status quo undermine this mutuality and with it our economic well-being. They outline the theoretical framing, policy agenda, and social movements that we need to revive solidarity and apply it to whole societies. Solidarity Economics is an essential read for anyone who longs for a fairer economy that can generate prosperity and preserve the planet.Trade Review“Solidarity Economics offers a way out of the zero-sum politics of neoliberalism at a crucial time. It is going to be a classic of our current era.”Heather C. McGhee, author of The Sum of Us “Economics makes us forget that solidarity is the glue that holds society together, and the force that can be harnessed for social progress. Solidarity Economics is a fascinating and much needed book to think bigger and act boldly.”Emmanuel Saez, University of California, Berkeley “Brilliant and superbly readable.”James K. Boyce, University of Massachusetts Amherst “’We got us’ was the powerful refrain heard throughout the Black and Brown communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Behind this pithy motto were countless mutual aid networks providing supplies, care, and cash for families left reeling from the pandemic. It's against the backdrop of these inspiring acts of solidarity that Drs. Pastor and Benner put forth their vision for a caring American economy built on mutuality and driven by the social movements that have delivered for our people time and again. Indeed, as we reckon with the moral failings of neoliberalism, Solidarity Economics challenges us to center the unique potential of collectivities in shaping our economic future — one that delivers for us all, not just the wealthiest among us.”Dorian Warren, co-President of Community Change and co-Chair of the Economic Security Project “There has never been a more critical moment to shift away from an economic approach that benefits the few to one prioritizing the greater good. We have been sold a false bill of goods over the last four decades of American policy that you cannot have a thriving economy and shared prosperity. With its focus on how we all do better when we all do better, Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter, not only smashes that myth –but provides an essential framework for how we finally reimagine and restructure an economy that works for all.”Anne Price, President, Insight Center for Community Change “In this powerful blueprint for an equitable future, Manuel Pastor and Chris Benner provide a bold critique of conventional wisdom about who owns the economy. They challenge us to radically imagine how we can design OUR economy to be fully inclusive and guided by the principles of mutuality and solidarity, ensuring that we put people first.”Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence, PolicyLink, and host, Radical Imagination podcastTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Chapter 1: Reimagining Our Economy Chapter 2. Solidarity and Prosperity Chapter 3. Solidarity and Innovation Chapter 4. Solidarity and Social Support Chapter 5. Solidarity and the Planet Chapter 6. Solidarity and Social Change Notes

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Book SynopsisWe think our wealth today comes from productive corporations and workers, but they merely add icing to a cake baked long ago. In this provocative book, Peter Barnes argues that most of today's wealth is co-inherited from nature and past human efforts, not individually earned. If some of that co-inherited wealth were placed in trust for each of us, living and yet-to-be born – creating what Barnes calls “universal property” – capitalism would be fundamentally transformed. As Barnes notes, capitalism as we know it has two tragic flaws: it relentlessly widens inequality and destroys nature. Both flaws are a result of one-sided property rights that favor capital over everything else. Adding universal property to the current property mix would create a market economy in which businesses prosper, nature’s limits are respected, and a large middle class thrives. This smart and concise book could set the agenda for a post-COVID world.Trade Review“Ours offers an elegant, market-based solution to inequality that is hiding in plain sight. It’s not subsidies or tax credits, just smart and fair management of wealth we inherit together. Thomas Paine pointed the way two centuries ago; Peter Barnes shows how to do it today.”Chuck Collins, author of The Wealth Hoarders “Whether on the political right or left, thoughtful people should support the core idea of this exciting book – a trust fund for providing everybody with basic income security.”Guy Standing, SOAS University of LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by James K. Boyce Author’s Note 1 What Is Universal Property? 2 Why Markets Fail 3 Twenty-First Century Realities 4 The Jobs Of Universal Property 5 Interlude for Imagination 6 Universal Money Pumps 7 Toll Gates at Nature’s Edges 8 The Politics of Universal Property 9 The Adjacent Possible Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWe think our wealth today comes from productive corporations and workers, but they merely add icing to a cake baked long ago. In this provocative book, Peter Barnes argues that most of today's wealth is co-inherited from nature and past human efforts, not individually earned. If some of that co-inherited wealth were placed in trust for each of us, living and yet-to-be born – creating what Barnes calls “universal property” – capitalism would be fundamentally transformed. As Barnes notes, capitalism as we know it has two tragic flaws: it relentlessly widens inequality and destroys nature. Both flaws are a result of one-sided property rights that favor capital over everything else. Adding universal property to the current property mix would create a market economy in which businesses prosper, nature’s limits are respected, and a large middle class thrives. This smart and concise book could set the agenda for a post-COVID world.Trade Review“Ours offers an elegant, market-based solution to inequality that is hiding in plain sight. It’s not subsidies or tax credits, just smart and fair management of wealth we inherit together. Thomas Paine pointed the way two centuries ago; Peter Barnes shows how to do it today.”Chuck Collins, author of The Wealth Hoarders “Whether on the political right or left, thoughtful people should support the core idea of this exciting book – a trust fund for providing everybody with basic income security.”Guy Standing, SOAS University of LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by James K. Boyce Author’s Note 1 What Is Universal Property? 2 Why Markets Fail 3 Twenty-First Century Realities 4 The Jobs Of Universal Property 5 Interlude for Imagination 6 Universal Money Pumps 7 Toll Gates at Nature’s Edges 8 The Politics of Universal Property 9 The Adjacent Possible Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisLong before the pandemic, economies across the world were in trouble, with growth slowing across the board. This downturn coincided with growing inequality and social exclusion. Rising political dissatisfaction with ruling elites fuelled the rise of populism. Add to this the alarming environmental emergency and few can deny we live in a time of multiple sustainability crises. While this conclusion can lead to despair, in this broad-ranging book Raphael Kaplinsky, a leading development policy analyst, argues that the future is not necessarily bleak. Interrogating the causes and nature of the systemic crises we are living through, he shows how the challenges which we now face mirror previous historical epochs, in which dominant ‘techno-economic’ paradigms flourish, mature and run into crisis. In each case, decisive action is required to move to a more economically and socially sustainable world. In our time, we are witnessing the exhaustion of the Mass Production paradigm. How we herald and manage the transition to the next paradigm – that of Information and Communications Technologies – will determine our capacity to build a more prosperous, equitable and environmentally sustainable world. This book sets out an integrated agenda for action by multiple stakeholders to achieve this end.Trade ReviewOne of Martin Wolf's 'Best Books of 2021' in the Financial Times‘There are many critics of the current capitalist system. And equally many others who profess how to organize it better. What is often missing is a link between the two. That is, an understanding of how we got into the mess we have, and using this understanding to analyse what is required to do better. Kaplinsky’s book does just that, bringing together historical, political and economic research in a way that allows us to both learn from history, and to have a more prosperous and sustainable future.’Mariana Mazzucato, Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and author of Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism ‘If you want to understand today’s world and how to fix it, this is the book to read. Kaplinsky shows a formidable capacity to encompass the whole spectrum of today’s global problems and provides realistic – though ambitious – solutions. Indispensable reading!’Carlota Perez, author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages ‘A compelling read, brilliantly written and bubbling with thought-provoking ideas, experience and outlines for the future.’Sir Richard Jolly, former Assistant Secretary-General of the UN​ ‘Faced with what some describe as extinction-level threats, Kaplinsky dares to say this is no time to despair. With his considerable expertise as a developmental economist, he shows that trying to tick off each problem as it comes along is doomed to failure. Part history, part manifesto, Sustainable Futures calls for an integrated approach which brings together the resources of government and the power of the people. Those who want to avoid the mistakes of the past and re-make our future should read this book.’George Alagiah, BBC Journalist and Author ‘Dedicated to “all the grandchildren”, Sustainable Futures is written in the hope of contributing to a pathway out of the current dreadful state of our world and into a sustainable future for them. Kaplinsky provides a theoretical and conceptual framework to better understand the current crises and to extract lessons for the future from epochal moments in history and sets out an ambitious agenda for change. He has indeed provided a compelling and hopeful message “for the grandchildren”.’Keith Bezanson, former President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre ‘A most inspirational and enlightening book by a leading development scholar and thinker, analysing courses and actions to build an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future. A book with historical and analytical depth as well as a global and forward vision which is much needed at a moment when the world is at crossroads.’Xiaolan Fu, Professor of Technology and International Development, University of Oxford ‘Read this book! It’s tightly argued, packed with an astonishing depth and range of evidence on our current crises, and yet is ultimately equally full of hope and practical inspiration, ambitiously laying out a sweeping agenda for change. Kaplinsky combines the big vision of how society must come to grips with innovation together with the mechanics of driving change.’Harriet Lamb, CEO of Ashden and former CEO of Fairtrade International ‘As the pandemic continues to grip the world, we are facing increasing demands for a more resilient and sustainable socio-economic system. Taking a Schumpeterian perspective, this book offers an effective clue to a way out of the current crisis. While it still sees a window of opportunity in the potentials of information communication technologies, it also sets outs a blueprint for collective action by us. It is a must read for all of us, who should participate in this joint effort.’Keun Lee, Winner of the Schumpeter Prize, 2014, and Professor of Economics, Seoul National University ‘This work is a tour de force by a mature and insightful social scientist, worth reading by anybody concerned with how to tackle simultaneously challenges such as global warming and growing inequality. It explains how the world got into its current unsustainable state and it comes with brave and radical ideas for how to move it back towards sustainability.’Bengt-Åke Lundvall, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Aalborg University​ ‘Kaplinsky has laid out with clarity, historical perspective and illuminating supporting data just how the current economic picture indicates a turning point in advanced capitalism. Kaplinsky's driving and compelling historical narrative undergirds an ambitious case for political change that is both grounded and hopeful, touching on income equality, environmental resilience and economic development. Sustainable Futures is a serious and highly readable account of our recent economic history and our potential path forward. Informative, insightful and inspiring.’William Milberg, Dean and Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research, New York ‘A timely and must-read book as the world ponders how to build better. It shows that the age of mass production, with endless harnessing of energy and matter, has resulted in multiple crises of declining growth, the rise of plutocracies and populism, and the ravaging of the environment. Kaplinsky argues that the power of the financial sector and the plutocracy needs to be overcome, in order to realize the potential of the ICT-based techno-economic paradigm to build a more sustainable and environment-friendly system of production.’Dev Nathan, Visiting Professor at the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, and Director of GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation, India ‘Kaplinsky illustrates the depth of the crises of the twenty-first century. Sustainable Futures distinguishes itself in its interdisciplinary, pluralist, and historical approach coupled with an emphasis on the broader techno-economic paradigm: technological drive, economic development, environmental sustainability, social change and political structure. This timely book is extremely relevant to policymakers and researchers of both the industrialized and developing world.’Arkebe Oqubay, Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and Distinguished Fellow of the Overseas Development Institute ‘Engagingly written and spanning economic, social and environmental agendas in an exemplary way, Sustainable Futures places Information and Communication Technology at the heart of a compelling argument, but never as a technology fix. On the contrary, the book argues convincingly for a wide range of social and political solutions that should provide a much-needed and powerful directionality to the opportunities offered by these technologies.’Johan W. Schot, Professor of Global History and Sustainability, Utrecht University ‘This work provides a careful, historically based, tough-minded but ultimately optimistic agenda for action that could rise to the challenges of the rapidly deteriorating climate and environment, threats to social cohesion, predatory elites, and destructive nationalism. We really can go beyond the fragile and destructive models and paths that we have followed, towards a much better economy, society and way of living. But we must decide and decide now; as the book's final sentence states, drawing on Sartre, “to choose not to act, is to choose”.’Lord Nicholas Stern, co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and former Chief Economist of the World Bank ‘Sustainable Futures is a triumph. Drawing on all the social sciences, it demonstrates how bulldozer trends of our time can be understood as fuelled by the declining phase of the Mass Production “techno-economic paradigm”. The book ends with a vision of what an ICT-enabled, more sustainable world could look like. Anybody interested in the future of human – and non-human – society should debate it.’Robert H. Wade, Professor of Global Political Economy, London School of Economics and Political Science ‘The journey from the world’s current multiple crises to a sustainable future looks almost impossibly difficult. But in Raphael Kaplinsky we have a guide who inspires confidence. He is that rare thing: an economist who combines a real understanding of society and politics with a seasoned idealism, and in this book he gives us what is perhaps our best chance.’Richard Wilkinson, co-author of The Spirit Level and co-founder of The Equality Trust‘This is a big book; not in terms of length (it comes in very readable form at just over 200 pages of very well-researched and written argument) but in the role it might play. It is both an excellent and convincing analysis of one of the biggest problems confronting society today and at the same time a roadmap for change.’John Bessant, International Journal of Innovation Management‘Kaplinsky is surely correct about what needs to be done. [… The book helps] move the policy debate forward by highlighting the social and political sides of technology-based solutions to the climate crisis.’The Journal of Development Studies‘The "how" aspect of Kaplinsky's book is truly ambitious and visionary, if not simple to operationalize. Although it will be incredibly challenging to attain the synchronized responses that Kaplinsky lays out, it is a worthy task.’Warigia Bowman & Rhyder Murree Jolliff, Energy Law Journal'Sustainable Futures accomplishes much of what it sets out to do in providing a hopeful account of how to address the climate crisis. … Bridging this divide [between popular and academic audiences], especially when it comes to an urgent topic in desperate need of action, should be encouraged and Kaplinsky's attempt lauded.'International Affairs​'A very compelling book with a positive and convincing message. […] From a well-argued and broad-ranging critique of the mass production economy, Kaplinsky presents an open and heartfelt analysis of the severity and urgency of the junction our economy and society face today.'Lisa De Propris, Regional Studies'Kaplinsky’s book is hopefully a sign of the return of public intellectuals, desperately needed in a fake-news-distorted and information-overloaded world. […] Raphael Kaplinsky has written an essential book for a wide range of audiences addressing today’s most significant global challenges.'Slavo Radosevic, Research PolicyTable of ContentsChapter 1 A Fork in the Road Chapter 2 The Rise and Fall of the Mass Production Economy Chapter 3 The Bumpy Ride to Social Decay Chapter 4 The Collapse of Environmental Sustainability Chapter 5 Mass Production Runs out of Steam Chapter 6 Information and Communication Technologies: The Motor of the New Paradigm Chapter 7 Transformative Change in Practice Chapter 8 What’s to be Done? Chapter 9 Who Will Do It? Making Change Happen

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Book SynopsisLong before the pandemic, economies across the world were in trouble, with growth slowing across the board. This downturn coincided with growing inequality and social exclusion. Rising political dissatisfaction with ruling elites fuelled the rise of populism. Add to this the alarming environmental emergency and few can deny we live in a time of multiple sustainability crises. While this conclusion can lead to despair, in this broad-ranging book Raphael Kaplinsky, a leading development policy analyst, argues that the future is not necessarily bleak. Interrogating the causes and nature of the systemic crises we are living through, he shows how the challenges which we now face mirror previous historical epochs, in which dominant ‘techno-economic’ paradigms flourish, mature and run into crisis. In each case, decisive action is required to move to a more economically and socially sustainable world. In our time, we are witnessing the exhaustion of the Mass Production paradigm. How we herald and manage the transition to the next paradigm – that of Information and Communications Technologies – will determine our capacity to build a more prosperous, equitable and environmentally sustainable world. This book sets out an integrated agenda for action by multiple stakeholders to achieve this end.Trade ReviewOne of Martin Wolf's 'Best Books of 2021' in the Financial Times‘There are many critics of the current capitalist system. And equally many others who profess how to organize it better. What is often missing is a link between the two. That is, an understanding of how we got into the mess we have, and using this understanding to analyse what is required to do better. Kaplinsky’s book does just that, bringing together historical, political and economic research in a way that allows us to both learn from history, and to have a more prosperous and sustainable future.’Mariana Mazzucato, Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and author of Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism ‘If you want to understand today’s world and how to fix it, this is the book to read. Kaplinsky shows a formidable capacity to encompass the whole spectrum of today’s global problems and provides realistic – though ambitious – solutions. Indispensable reading!’Carlota Perez, author of Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital: The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages ‘A compelling read, brilliantly written and bubbling with thought-provoking ideas, experience and outlines for the future.’Sir Richard Jolly, former Assistant Secretary-General of the UN​ ‘Faced with what some describe as extinction-level threats, Kaplinsky dares to say this is no time to despair. With his considerable expertise as a developmental economist, he shows that trying to tick off each problem as it comes along is doomed to failure. Part history, part manifesto, Sustainable Futures calls for an integrated approach which brings together the resources of government and the power of the people. Those who want to avoid the mistakes of the past and re-make our future should read this book.’George Alagiah, BBC Journalist and Author ‘Dedicated to “all the grandchildren”, Sustainable Futures is written in the hope of contributing to a pathway out of the current dreadful state of our world and into a sustainable future for them. Kaplinsky provides a theoretical and conceptual framework to better understand the current crises and to extract lessons for the future from epochal moments in history and sets out an ambitious agenda for change. He has indeed provided a compelling and hopeful message “for the grandchildren”.’Keith Bezanson, former President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre ‘A most inspirational and enlightening book by a leading development scholar and thinker, analysing courses and actions to build an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future. A book with historical and analytical depth as well as a global and forward vision which is much needed at a moment when the world is at crossroads.’Xiaolan Fu, Professor of Technology and International Development, University of Oxford ‘Read this book! It’s tightly argued, packed with an astonishing depth and range of evidence on our current crises, and yet is ultimately equally full of hope and practical inspiration, ambitiously laying out a sweeping agenda for change. Kaplinsky combines the big vision of how society must come to grips with innovation together with the mechanics of driving change.’Harriet Lamb, CEO of Ashden and former CEO of Fairtrade International ‘As the pandemic continues to grip the world, we are facing increasing demands for a more resilient and sustainable socio-economic system. Taking a Schumpeterian perspective, this book offers an effective clue to a way out of the current crisis. While it still sees a window of opportunity in the potentials of information communication technologies, it also sets outs a blueprint for collective action by us. It is a must read for all of us, who should participate in this joint effort.’Keun Lee, Winner of the Schumpeter Prize, 2014, and Professor of Economics, Seoul National University ‘This work is a tour de force by a mature and insightful social scientist, worth reading by anybody concerned with how to tackle simultaneously challenges such as global warming and growing inequality. It explains how the world got into its current unsustainable state and it comes with brave and radical ideas for how to move it back towards sustainability.’Bengt-Åke Lundvall, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Aalborg University​ ‘Kaplinsky has laid out with clarity, historical perspective and illuminating supporting data just how the current economic picture indicates a turning point in advanced capitalism. Kaplinsky's driving and compelling historical narrative undergirds an ambitious case for political change that is both grounded and hopeful, touching on income equality, environmental resilience and economic development. Sustainable Futures is a serious and highly readable account of our recent economic history and our potential path forward. Informative, insightful and inspiring.’William Milberg, Dean and Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research, New York ‘A timely and must-read book as the world ponders how to build better. It shows that the age of mass production, with endless harnessing of energy and matter, has resulted in multiple crises of declining growth, the rise of plutocracies and populism, and the ravaging of the environment. Kaplinsky argues that the power of the financial sector and the plutocracy needs to be overcome, in order to realize the potential of the ICT-based techno-economic paradigm to build a more sustainable and environment-friendly system of production.’Dev Nathan, Visiting Professor at the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, and Director of GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation, India ‘Kaplinsky illustrates the depth of the crises of the twenty-first century. Sustainable Futures distinguishes itself in its interdisciplinary, pluralist, and historical approach coupled with an emphasis on the broader techno-economic paradigm: technological drive, economic development, environmental sustainability, social change and political structure. This timely book is extremely relevant to policymakers and researchers of both the industrialized and developing world.’Arkebe Oqubay, Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and Distinguished Fellow of the Overseas Development Institute ‘Engagingly written and spanning economic, social and environmental agendas in an exemplary way, Sustainable Futures places Information and Communication Technology at the heart of a compelling argument, but never as a technology fix. On the contrary, the book argues convincingly for a wide range of social and political solutions that should provide a much-needed and powerful directionality to the opportunities offered by these technologies.’Johan W. Schot, Professor of Global History and Sustainability, Utrecht University ‘This work provides a careful, historically based, tough-minded but ultimately optimistic agenda for action that could rise to the challenges of the rapidly deteriorating climate and environment, threats to social cohesion, predatory elites, and destructive nationalism. We really can go beyond the fragile and destructive models and paths that we have followed, towards a much better economy, society and way of living. But we must decide and decide now; as the book's final sentence states, drawing on Sartre, “to choose not to act, is to choose”.’Lord Nicholas Stern, co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and former Chief Economist of the World Bank ‘Sustainable Futures is a triumph. Drawing on all the social sciences, it demonstrates how bulldozer trends of our time can be understood as fuelled by the declining phase of the Mass Production “techno-economic paradigm”. The book ends with a vision of what an ICT-enabled, more sustainable world could look like. Anybody interested in the future of human – and non-human – society should debate it.’Robert H. Wade, Professor of Global Political Economy, London School of Economics and Political Science ‘The journey from the world’s current multiple crises to a sustainable future looks almost impossibly difficult. But in Raphael Kaplinsky we have a guide who inspires confidence. He is that rare thing: an economist who combines a real understanding of society and politics with a seasoned idealism, and in this book he gives us what is perhaps our best chance.’Richard Wilkinson, co-author of The Spirit Level and co-founder of The Equality Trust‘This is a big book; not in terms of length (it comes in very readable form at just over 200 pages of very well-researched and written argument) but in the role it might play. It is both an excellent and convincing analysis of one of the biggest problems confronting society today and at the same time a roadmap for change.’John Bessant, International Journal of Innovation Management‘Kaplinsky is surely correct about what needs to be done. [… The book helps] move the policy debate forward by highlighting the social and political sides of technology-based solutions to the climate crisis.’The Journal of Development Studies‘The "how" aspect of Kaplinsky's book is truly ambitious and visionary, if not simple to operationalize. Although it will be incredibly challenging to attain the synchronized responses that Kaplinsky lays out, it is a worthy task.’Warigia Bowman & Rhyder Murree Jolliff, Energy Law Journal "Sustainable Futures accomplishes much of what it sets out to do in providing a hopeful account of how to address the climate crisis. … Bridging this divide [between popular and academic audiences], especially when it comes to an urgent topic in desperate need of action, should be encouraged and Kaplinsky's attempt lauded."International Affairs​"A very compelling book with a positive and convincing message. […] From a well-argued and broad-ranging critique of the mass production economy, Kaplinsky presents an open and heartfelt analysis of the severity and urgency of the junction our economy and society face today."Lisa De Propris, Regional Studies"Kaplinsky’s book is hopefully a sign of the return of public intellectuals, desperately needed in a fake-news-distorted and information-overloaded world. […] Raphael Kaplinsky has written an essential book for a wide range of audiences addressing today’s most significant global challenges."Slavo Radosevic, Research PolicyTable of ContentsChapter 1 A Fork in the RoadChapter 2 The Rise and Fall of the Mass Production EconomyChapter 3 The Bumpy Ride to Social DecayChapter 4 The Collapse of Environmental SustainabilityChapter 5 Mass Production Runs out of SteamChapter 6 Information and Communication Technologies: The Motor of the New ParadigmChapter 7 Transformative Change in PracticeChapter 8 What’s to be Done?Chapter 9 Who Will Do It? Making Change Happen

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Book SynopsisMore and more people have turned to Marxian economics in recent years. But isn’t it a defunct branch of the ‘dismal science’, disproven by the experience of the past 150 years, of no interest to anyone except historians? In this book, David Ruccio demonstrates why the answer to that question is a resounding ‘no’. He offers a clear and accessible introduction to the basic concepts and theoretical strategies of Marxian economics, its key differences from mainstream economics, and its many applications to the real world. Focusing on Marx’s critique of both mainstream economic theory and capitalism, Ruccio extends that analysis to contemporary topics—from inequality and economic crises to racial capitalism and the climate crisis—and outlines the key debates among Marxian economists. He concludes with a discussion of the ways Marxian economists today think about the possibility of moving beyond capitalism. The book is suitable for students and professors, as well as readers outside the academy interested in learning about Marxian economics. It will be useful both as a stand-alone text and as a companion to reading Capital.Trade Review“This is a very important, timely book. Capitalism's three crashes since 2000 plus its ever-deepening inequalities lead people everywhere to seek the kinds of critical analysis Marx exemplified and that David Ruccio has built upon. Ruccio is well prepared and positioned to bring a powerful and directly relevant Marxian economics to a time that needs it more than ever.”Richard D. Wolff, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and founder of Democracy at Work “Marxism remains central to our understanding of capitalism and the inequities it creates. Marxism as a theory also requires regular scrutiny and rethinking as economies evolve. Ruccio's book provides both a solid treatment of the basic principles and the foundations for the rethinking that must be part of any meaningful paradigm. Amidst the vast literature, this book is a standout. It is sophisticated and accessible, crisply written and consistently relevant.”William Milberg, The New School for Social ResearchTable of ContentsAbout the Author Preface Acknowledgements Glossary References Variables Part 1 Chapter 1 Marxian Economics Today Chapter 2 Marxian Versus Mainstream Economics Chapter 3 Origins of the Marxian Critique of Political Economy Part 2 Chapter 4 Commodities and Money Chapter 5 Surplus-Value and Exploitation Chapter 6 Profits, Wages, and Distribution of Surplus-Value Part 3 Chapter 7 Applications of Marxian Economics Chapter 8 Debates in and around Marxian Economics Chapter 9 Transitions to and from Capitalism Notes Index

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Book SynopsisPopulist upheavals like Trump, Brexit, and the Gilets Jaunes happen when the system really is rigged. Citizens the world over are angry not due to income inequality or immigration, but economic unfairness: that opportunity is not equal and reward is not according to contribution. This forensic book draws on original research, cited by the UN and IMF, to demonstrate that illiberal populism strikes hardest when success is influenced by family origins rather than talent and effort. Protzer and Summerville propose a framework of policy inputs that instead support high social mobility, and apply it to diagnose the differing reasons behind economic unfairness in the US, UK, Italy, and France. By striving for a fair, socially-mobile economy, they argue, it is possible to craft a politics that reclaims the reasonable grievances behind populism. Reclaiming Populism is a must-read for policymakers, scholars, and citizens who want to bring disenchanted populist voters back into the fold of liberal democracy.Trade Review“Highly recommended"Vancouver Sun“Eric Protzer at Harvard and his [Canadian] collaborator, Paul Summerville, have crunched vast amounts of data from opinion polls and social surveys to address the question “why populism?” and they give us some clues about how to counter it ... they come to some highly significant conclusions. The usual explanations from the left (that populist politics is a response to growing inequality) or from the right (that it is due to permissive immigration policies) both appear to be wrong. Rather, what lies behind the political rage which produces populist politics is a generalised sense of “unfairness” which arises from a decline in social mobility and frustrated opportunities. In other words, people have little objection to a minority becoming “filthy rich,” provided it is achieved through hard work, risk taking or good luck when opportunities are open to all and provided the wealthy are contributing as well as being rewarded.”Vince Cable, The Independent“The growing economic inequality we see today has failed to explain how populism arises in some places such as the United States and not in others. And government measures to encourage more equal outcomes have failed to combat populism. Eric Protzer and Paul Summerville argue persuasively in Reclaiming Populism that electorates tolerate inequality but not what they see as economic unfairness, especially in times of limited social mobility. This thought-provoking book should be read by anyone wanting to understand and deal with today’s turn to populism.”Christopher Gainor – author, historian“By focusing so well on the lack of social mobility as a major contributor to the rise of populism, this book makes a big contribution to the debate about how to create better, more productive, and fairer societies”Bob Rae“Reclaiming Populism provides much needed insights into the reasons for populism. By debunking popular explanations, it shows why we need to create fairer societies and how this can be achieved.”Professor Ian Goldin, Oxford University “This book is an important contribution to the vital debate about why so many voters feel disenchanted and how to assuage their concerns. As the authors show with rigorous analysis and empirical research, it is the lack of opportunity, not an absence of equality, that is undermining the social contract in Western societies - and it is only by giving people the chance to realise their potential that we can start to repair it. Wherever you sit on the political spectrum, no matter where in the West you live, this book has something for you.”Will Tanner, Director of Onward “Reclaiming Populism is a must read for all those who think we are going through some weird era, that populism is some kind of strange unjust phenomenon and realise that there are numerous examples of unfairness out there that require proper policy attention in order to make capitalism work better. I have become a big believer of Profit with Purpose in recent years, and especially following the tragedy of Covid-19 the issues that relate to fairness of policy and the rise of populist backlashes need to be treated in a much more open manner. And as the authors demonstrate, much oft perceived causes of anger are often incorrect diagnoses, and dealing with issues in a fairer way lies at the heart of a better society and world.”Jim O'Neill, ex Commercial Secretary to the UK Treasury, ex Chief Economist of Goldman Sachs, Senior Advisor to Chatham House “This book is a timely reminder of the fundamental importance of making thoughtful political choices with a laser focus on fairness - "promoting equal opportunities and fair unequal outcomes" - because it is a winning formula. Protzer and Summerville's work comes at a critical juncture with a concerning number of possible shocks and opportunities for cheating in the mixed economic responses to the pandemic, the evolution of geo-politics and dominance shifts, intergenerational inequality and the pressure that the climate crisis places on policy makers. We can all learn the lesson that "fairness is a critical policy input." The book provides considerable food for thought, and refreshingly with practical solutions. It shouldn't be surprising to say, but sadly it still is, that embedding economic fairness is the key for the future of any pluralist trying to reclaim populism.”Annabel Mullin - Principal Consultant at OneFifty Consultancy, Co-Founder - Stand for Something“Protzer and Summerville contribute astutely to a large and varied literature on inequality with a work of sharp and timely analysis. Reclaiming Populism asserts that there is an ethic of fairness that underlies, or should underlie, economic arrangements. Their insight that a "fairness principle" is being undermined in a "rigged system" where "forgotten people' are desperately trying to communicate their pain through the populist channel, is deliciously incisive. Protzer and Summerville offer a set of policy prescriptions that are carefully calibrated to the subtle sense of unfairness that has governed the emergence of so many populist movements in recent years. This book is a home run.”Allan Dwyer, Associate Professor of Finance, Mount Royal University (Calgary)“Why have electorates around the world become more susceptible to populist political ideas? Is it income and wealth inequality? Is it immigration? Is it globalisation? Is it social media? According to Protzer & Summerville, it’s none of these. This deep, data rich analysis of the root cause of rising populism ekes out a more subtle but profound answer to the dilemma of our age. To paraphrase Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign strategist James Carville, “It’s fairness, stupid.” With a profound understanding of our natural Fairness Instinct as its foundation, this important book brings the current system’s flaws into sharp relief. Any politician wishing to find the centre of political gravity should read it.”Andrew McNally, CEO of Equitile Investments and Author of Debtonator – How Debt Favours the Few“A expert and even-tempered dissection of the myths of populism. It exposes the fundamental tensions that underlie the twin ideals of freedom and equality. By highlighting the crucial difference between equal opportunity and equal outcomes, the authors show how economic fairness is the best resolving chord.”John Brodie Donald, Author of Catataxis: When more of the same is different“Controversial and self-consciously provocative to be sure, this is a timely, thoughtful, original and even brave book that should be read by all those troubled by the rise of populism and the worrisome state of contemporary democracy.”Chris Watson, Former National Director, New Democratic Party of Canada“This clearly written and well researched book offers a fresh perspective on our current political malaise. It argues that an old-fashioned virtue – fairness – offers the way forward. Increasing equality of opportunity and social mobility is the road back to prosperity, pluralism and democratic resilience.”Rod Tiffen, University of Sydney“A deeply researched and trenchant examination of the economic forces that have led to populist movements in North America and Europe. Critically, the authors lay out how crucial it is for policymakers to create economic policies that are widely perceived by citizens as fair, stressing the vital importance of equality of opportunity for all.”Bill Powell, Chief Washington Correspondent, Newsweek Magazine“You think income inequality causes populism? Think again! Reclaiming Populism convincingly argues that the issue is not how unequal income is, it is the lack of social mobility. Unlike so many books on populism, the authors propose a policy agenda to guide action so that accidents of birth do not determine a person’s chances in life.”Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard University “Concise, clear and convincing… It takes populism seriously and makes a valuable contribution to the debate.”Nikkei AsiaTable of ContentsForeword Chapter 1 – The Inequality Delusion and Other Scapegoats for Populism Chapter 2 – The Fairness Instinct Chapter 3 – Economic Unfairness and the Rise of Populism Chapter 4 – The Twin Virtues of Equal Opportunity and Fair Unequal Outcomes Chapter 5 – Constraints and Solutions to Economic Fairness Conclusion – Scripting A Path Forward References

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Book SynopsisIs work a primordial curse? Or a spiritual calling? Or is it a tedious necessity that technology will abolish, freeing us to indulge lives of leisure? In this book David A. Spencer argues that work is only an alienating burden because of the nature of work under capitalism. He makes the case not for the abolition of work – which can remain a source of meaning and dignity - but for its lightening. Engaging with thinkers ranging from Marx and William Morris to Keynes and Graeber, he rejects the idea that high-quality work can only be open to a few while the majority are condemned to menial tasks, and sets out an agenda for shortening the working week while also making work a site of creativity, usefulness and joy for all. This erudite book sets out a compelling agenda for radical change. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in the future of their work.Trade Review‘Bold and lucid.’Robert Skidelsky, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy, Warwick University ‘David Spencer has set out a forceful case for a future that would bring less but better work for all, permeated by the visionary ideas of Marx and Morris.’Francis Green, Professor of Work and Education Economics, UCL Institute of Education ‘Making Light Workwill inspire you to contemplate the heavy work necessary for lightening work to make it more meaningful and less burdensome.’John W. Budd, University of MinnesotaTable of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Meanings of Work Chapter 3: The (Lost) Dream of Working Less Chapter 4: Realities of Work: From Bullshit Jobs to Good Work Chapter 5: Demanding Better Work for All Chapter 6: Automation and a World without Work Chapter 7: Working for Change Chapter 8: Conclusion Notes References

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Book SynopsisIs work a primordial curse? Or a spiritual calling? Or is it a tedious necessity that technology will abolish, freeing us to indulge lives of leisure? In this book David A. Spencer argues that work is only an alienating burden because of the nature of work under capitalism. He makes the case not for the abolition of work – which can remain a source of meaning and dignity - but for its lightening. Engaging with thinkers ranging from Marx and William Morris to Keynes and Graeber, he rejects the idea that high-quality work can only be open to a few while the majority are condemned to menial tasks, and sets out an agenda for shortening the working week while also making work a site of creativity, usefulness and joy for all. This erudite book sets out a compelling agenda for radical change. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in the future of their work.Trade Review‘Bold and lucid.’Robert Skidelsky, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy, Warwick University ‘David Spencer has set out a forceful case for a future that would bring less but better work for all, permeated by the visionary ideas of Marx and Morris.’Francis Green, Professor of Work and Education Economics, UCL Institute of Education ‘Making Light Workwill inspire you to contemplate the heavy work necessary for lightening work to make it more meaningful and less burdensome.’John W. Budd, University of MinnesotaTable of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Meanings of Work Chapter 3: The (Lost) Dream of Working Less Chapter 4: Realities of Work: From Bullshit Jobs to Good Work Chapter 5: Demanding Better Work for All Chapter 6: Automation and a World without Work Chapter 7: Working for Change Chapter 8: Conclusion Notes References

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Book SynopsisWe were drowning in in record levels of debt before the COVID-19 crisis, and we are now deluged in it. U.S. private-sector loans have tripled relative to income since 1950 – and government debt is also at an all-time high. Soaring debt burdens individuals, stifles growth, compounds inequality, and brings falling living standards for millions. Richard Vague’s new book argues that, contrary to mainstream assumptions, we cannot simply hope that the trend will correct itself. Mounting debt is a feature of our economic system, not a bug: debts perpetually grow and compound, polarizing and impoverishing economies if not overtly dealt with. He offers a detailed plan for how we can restructure a range of debts – such as student loans, auto loans, medical debt and more – and offer hard-pressed debtors a ‘jubilee’ now, not in some utopian future. Vague’s bold polemic contains a wealth of ideas that will free millions from modern-day debt peonage, reduce inequality and bring new vigor to the economy as it struggles to emerge from the pandemic.Trade ReviewWall Street Journal Best Seller “Drawing on his experience as a practitioner and his expertise as a scholar, Richard Vague makes a compelling and timely case that private debt can be as dangerous as the government debt that gets most of the attention in public debate. Policymakers should pay heed.”Professor Michael Lind, University of Texas at Austin “If a radical economist or politician called for a Debt Jubilee, you may well think `he would say that, wouldn't he?’. But if a successful banker like Richard Vague calls for it? Then you should listen. Read this book and see how the USA could recharge its economic liberty and vitality via debt forgiveness.”Professor Steve Keen, Honorary Professor, UCL & ISRS Distinguished Research Fellow "Vague offers practical and politically feasible ways to reduce debt burdens."Dollars and SenseTable of ContentsChapter 1 High Levels of Private Debt Stifle the Economy Chatper 2 The Paradox of Debt Chapter 3 Policy Solutions that Won’t Work Chapter 4 The Path to Private Debt Jubilee Chapter 5 The Enigma of Government Debt Epilogue Concluding Thoughts Appendix Works Cited

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Book SynopsisWe were drowning in in record levels of debt before the COVID-19 crisis, and we are now deluged in it. U.S. private-sector loans have tripled relative to income since 1950 – and government debt is also at an all-time high. Soaring debt burdens individuals, stifles growth, compounds inequality, and brings falling living standards for millions. Richard Vague’s new book argues that, contrary to mainstream assumptions, we cannot simply hope that the trend will correct itself. Mounting debt is a feature of our economic system, not a bug: debts perpetually grow and compound, polarizing and impoverishing economies if not overtly dealt with. He offers a detailed plan for how we can restructure a range of debts – such as student loans, auto loans, medical debt and more – and offer hard-pressed debtors a ‘jubilee’ now, not in some utopian future. Vague’s bold polemic contains a wealth of ideas that will free millions from modern-day debt peonage, reduce inequality and bring new vigor to the economy as it struggles to emerge from the pandemic.Trade ReviewWall Street Journal Best Seller “Drawing on his experience as a practitioner and his expertise as a scholar, Richard Vague makes a compelling and timely case that private debt can be as dangerous as the government debt that gets most of the attention in public debate. Policymakers should pay heed.”Professor Michael Lind, University of Texas at Austin “If a radical economist or politician called for a Debt Jubilee, you may well think `he would say that, wouldn't he?’. But if a successful banker like Richard Vague calls for it? Then you should listen. Read this book and see how the USA could recharge its economic liberty and vitality via debt forgiveness.”Professor Steve Keen, Honorary Professor, UCL & ISRS Distinguished Research Fellow "Vague offers practical and politically feasible ways to reduce debt burdens."Dollars and SenseTable of ContentsChapter 1 High Levels of Private Debt Stifle the Economy Chatper 2 The Paradox of Debt Chapter 3 Policy Solutions that Won’t Work Chapter 4 The Path to Private Debt Jubilee Chapter 5 The Enigma of Government Debt Epilogue Concluding Thoughts Appendix Works Cited

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Book SynopsisIn the countries of the global North, workplace democracy may be thought of as a thing of the past. Increasingly, working relations are regulated primarily by contract; workforces are fissured and fragmented. What are the consequences of this? How should we respond? Ruth Dukes and Wolfgang Streeck argue that the time is ripe to restate the principles of industrial democracy and citizenship for the post-industrial era. Considering developments within political economy, employment relations and labour law since the postwar decades, they trace the rise of globalization and the ‘dualization’ of labour markets – the emergence of a core and periphery of workers – and the progressive insulation of working relations from democratic governance. What these developments amount to, they argue, is an urgent need for political intervention to tame the new world of ‘gigging’ and other forms of highly precarious work. This, according to the authors, will require far-reaching institution-building designed to fill legal concepts such as ‘employment’ with political substance. This eloquent call for a reimagining and renewal of the institutional and material conditions of freedom of association and the reinvention of industrial democracy will be crucial reading for anyone interested in work in the twenty-first century.Trade Review"Advanced economies are faced with changing forms of work that depart more and more from the employment contract model. We have empirical evidence on all sorts of aspects and problems related to them but still lack the conceptual tools that can guide the analysis and enable a clearer public debate. This book by Dukes and Streeck is a timely rescue that lucidly updates the frameworks of labour law and of social theory to today's challenges around work."Guglielmo Meardi, Scuola Normale Superiore, Florence"Democracy at Work provides a compelling analysis of the past and future of employment relations and of the attempts to regulate them, building on classic thinkers of the past to analyse the consequences of digitalization, liberalization and globalization. Professors Dukes and Streeck have produced a work of outstanding depth and scope that will be essential reading for anyone interested in labour law, employment and the future of work."Alexandre Afonso, Leiden University Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction 2. Justice, Productivity and Power at Work 3. The Rise and Fall of Industrial Citizenship 4. Liberalization as Emancipation? 5. Post-Industrial Justice? References

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Book SynopsisWhen the Treasury lost control of interest rates to the Bank of England in 1997, its status looked under threat. However, it quickly reasserted its power by dominating policymaking across Whitehall and diminishing other ministries in the process. It also successfully fought off attempts by Prime Ministers, from Blair to Johnson, to cut it down to size. In this fascinating insider account, based on in-depth interviews with the Chancellors and key senior officials, Howard Davies shows how the past twenty-five years have nonetheless been a roller-coaster ride for the Treasury. Heavily criticized for its response to the global financial crisis, and for the rigours of the austerity programme, it also ran into political controversy through its role in the Scottish referendum and the Brexit debate. The Treasury’s dire predictions of the impact of Brexit have not been borne out. Redemption of a kind, though a costly one, came from its muscular response to the COVID crisis. Anyone with an interest in economic policymaking, in the UK and elsewhere, will find this a valuable and entertaining account.Trade Review"A thoughtful, gossipy and highly readable account of recent British economic history, Howard Davies’s survey covers all the big Treasury issues and personalities of the past twenty-five years, with especially interesting insights on financial regulation and the Treasury’s post-Brexit policy challenges."Ed Balls, former Education Secretary and Shadow Chancellor "These are fascinating, personal assessments of the performance of our Chancellors by someone particularly well qualified to make them."Gus O’Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury"Witty and essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Treasury."House Magazine"Howard Davies has written a succinct and fascinating assessment of the Treasury’s crucial role since 1997. How the department responds to the challenges of the future is likely to determine the UK’s prospects for decades to come.”Literary Review“A succinct and fascinating assessment of the Treasury’s crucial role.”David Gauke, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice“This insider’s view […] manages to be both authoritative and quite cheeky.”Ferdinand Mount, The Spectator“Davies is kinder to the Treasury than I would be. Nevertheless, he recognises that trouble lies ahead: political and economic realities do not look friendly to the belief in free markets and fiscal discipline that guides this powerful institution.”Martin Wolf, The Financial Times“It’s a “fascinating” story, covering many challenges and changes.”The Weekly“informative and entertaining”William A. Allen,The Society of Professional Economists"a source of great insight"Craig Berry, University College London Table of ContentsForeword 1. Economic Performance 2. Macroeconomic Policy 3. Public Expenditure 4. Tax Policy 5. Scotland: Saving the Union 6. Europe: the ins and outs 7. Financial Regulation and the City of London 8. Climate change: the road to Net Zero 9. The Treasury’s changing shape 10. Leadership 11. Trouble ahead Notes

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Book SynopsisLow growth has become the economic default in the West. While China and other Asian Tigers continue to steam ahead, western commentators either argue that stagnation is inevitable, ignoring growth in order to focus on other factors such as inflation or inequality, or disclaim growth altogether. In Why the West is Failing, veteran businessman and economist John Mills strongly refutes these arguments. He maintains that the anaemic performance of western economies since the 1970s is due to the dominance of a policy framework that has fatally ignored the importance of industrial competitiveness. He shows that the key to driving up productivity – and thereby growth – is to promote a revival of manufacturing through investment and a competitive exchange rate policy. This would produce the extra resources needed to tackle climate change and reduce the risk of western politics continuing to spiral towards populist excess. It would also allow us to impede the baleful political consequences of Chinese economic domination.Trade Review"Attempts to level up Britain will be in vain unless there is a revival of the manufacturing base and an improvement in the balance of trade, which has now been in deficit for four decades. In this provocative book, John Mills lays out a plan for how this much-needed renaissance might happen."Larry Elliott, The Guardian "If ever there was a time for new economic solutions and fresh ideas, it is now. Mills is one of the few economic thinkers to present the bold ideas needed to lift Britain out of economic crisis. His book has the big thinking this country needs."Rt Hon. Caroline Flint, former Government MinisterTable of ContentsCHAPTER 1 – What has Gone Wrong? CHAPTER 2 - Economic Growth CHAPTER 3 – Economic History CHAPTER 4 – Is Faster Growth Desirable? CHAPTER 5 – Is Faster Growth Feasible? CHAPTER 6 – Conclusion Notes

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Book SynopsisDigital technologies are now central to the machinations of capitalism. How are they giving rise to new forms of capital accumulation and domination? And in what terms are these changes being promoted and justified by a new and incredibly powerful elite? This book takes on such questions. Beyond demonstrating how digital technologies make new forms of capital accumulation possible, Huberman interrogates the ideological transformations that have accompanied the emergence of digital capitalism. She examines how business gurus, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists make claims about how digital technologies contribute to the common good, foster collaboration and connectivity, and render life more convenient, even if this convenience comes at the expense of values such as privacy and liberty. Ultimately, Huberman argues that the spirit of digital capitalism is Janus-faced and reveals deeper cultural contradictions at the heart of contemporary American society: promising, in the same moment, to liberate us and surveil us, enrich us, and yet render our lives more economically precarious. Smart and thought-provoking, this book offers new perspectives that will speak to anyone interested in the contours of contemporary capitalism, particularly students and scholars of economic anthropology and sociology.Trade Review“With energetic purpose and grounded arguments, Huberman lays out the ideological spirit animating digital capitalism. This book shows how the avatars of digital capitalism ‒ through the use (and abuse) of concepts like convenience ‒ seek to convince us to embrace this new regime.”Jathan Sadowski, Monash University “If there is one book you plan to read or assign this year to get a handle on why today’s digital world feels inescapable, it should be this. Huberman offers readers crisp, elegant prose dissecting contemporary cases of the material consequences that befall us all when a few elites are gripped by an ideology of digital progress. This is at once a synthetic treatise on why we are where we are and a roadmap for pushing against the soullessness of digital economies.”Mary Gray, Microsoft Research and Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsDetailed Table of Contents Acknowledgments Prologue: An Occupational Hazard Introduction: The Digital Age and the Spirits of Capitalism Chapter 1: The Spirit of Competition: Crowdsourcing through Incentive Competitions Chapter 2: The Spirit of Collaboration: Crowdsourcing through Communities Chapter 3: The Spirit of the Game: Smartphone Apps and the Digital Extraction of Surplus Value Chapter 4: In the Spirit of Convenience: Amazon Go and Surveillance Capitalism Chapter 5: The Spirit of the Gift: The Work of Techno-philanthropy Conclusion: The Spirit and Contradictions of Digital Capitalism Bibliography Endnotes

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Book SynopsisDigital technologies are now central to the machinations of capitalism. How are they giving rise to new forms of capital accumulation and domination? And in what terms are these changes being promoted and justified by a new and incredibly powerful elite? This book takes on such questions. Beyond demonstrating how digital technologies make new forms of capital accumulation possible, Huberman interrogates the ideological transformations that have accompanied the emergence of digital capitalism. She examines how business gurus, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists make claims about how digital technologies contribute to the common good, foster collaboration and connectivity, and render life more convenient, even if this convenience comes at the expense of values such as privacy and liberty. Ultimately, Huberman argues that the spirit of digital capitalism is Janus-faced and reveals deeper cultural contradictions at the heart of contemporary American society: promising, in the same moment, to liberate us and surveil us, enrich us, and yet render our lives more economically precarious. Smart and thought-provoking, this book offers new perspectives that will speak to anyone interested in the contours of contemporary capitalism, particularly students and scholars of economic anthropology and sociology.Trade Review“With energetic purpose and grounded arguments, Huberman lays out the ideological spirit animating digital capitalism. This book shows how the avatars of digital capitalism ‒ through the use (and abuse) of concepts like convenience ‒ seek to convince us to embrace this new regime.”Jathan Sadowski, Monash University “If there is one book you plan to read or assign this year to get a handle on why today’s digital world feels inescapable, it should be this. Huberman offers readers crisp, elegant prose dissecting contemporary cases of the material consequences that befall us all when a few elites are gripped by an ideology of digital progress. This is at once a synthetic treatise on why we are where we are and a roadmap for pushing against the soullessness of digital economies.”Mary Gray, Microsoft Research and Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsDetailed Table of Contents Acknowledgments Prologue: An Occupational Hazard Introduction: The Digital Age and the Spirits of Capitalism Chapter 1: The Spirit of Competition: Crowdsourcing through Incentive Competitions Chapter 2: The Spirit of Collaboration: Crowdsourcing through Communities Chapter 3: The Spirit of the Game: Smartphone Apps and the Digital Extraction of Surplus Value Chapter 4: In the Spirit of Convenience: Amazon Go and Surveillance Capitalism Chapter 5: The Spirit of the Gift: The Work of Techno-philanthropy Conclusion: The Spirit and Contradictions of Digital Capitalism Bibliography Endnotes

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Book SynopsisThe world is entering a new age of catastrophe. The exceptional is becoming normal. The last such crisis, between 1914 and 1945, witnessed two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Holocaust. Now humankind faces fresh existential threats – the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events caused by accelerating climate change, and the danger of nuclear war in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These threats, argues Alex Callinicos, have their common source in a multidimensional crisis of the capitalist system, which is hitting the buffers, hurling us towards societal collapse. It embraces the increasing destruction of nature and the degradation of labour, a world economy stagnant since the global financial crisis, and escalating inter-imperialist conflicts between the United States, China, and Russia. So far, the main political beneficiary has been the far right, which may capture the White House again. But the new age of catastrophe is also an age of revolt. Following on from Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo protests, and the revolts in Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Iran, multiple faultlines in the system will provoke still more mass movements that can challenge myriad forms of oppression and open the way to a just and sustainable world.Trade Review"This splendid new book by one of the world’s foremost Marxist thinkers is essential reading to understand the permanent state of emergency that characterises contemporary politics, its history, its causes and the path to an alternative. Callinicos’s lucid effort to reflect from a unified perspective on the multiple crises – environmental, economic, geopolitical, social – the world confronts is as intellectually rewarding as it is politically urgent."Lea Ypi, London School of Economics"A timely, informative and highly readable commentary for anyone wanting to make sense of the turmoil of world affairs today."Justin Rosenberg, University of Sussex"Covid. Economic immiseration. War. We are living in a time of perpetual crisis. Crisis is inherent to capitalism, and as Alex Callinicos compellingly argues in his new book, to avert catastrophe, we must confront capitalism."Paul A. Passavant, Hobart and William Smith Colleges“Vital reading for anyone who wants to be part of the struggle for a future we can live in.”Socialist WorkerTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 Antechamber to the Present Chapter 2 The Destruction of Nature Chapter 3 Economic Stagnation Chapter 4 Hegemonic Decline and Geopolitical Antagonism Chapter 5 Revolt and Reaction Chapter 6 Pulling the Emergency Cord Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIs money precious and scarce, necessitating iron fiscal discipline? Must the government always balance the books or risk ruin? Or is money, in fact, a flexible tool that can be used to mobilize our collective resources to serve those who need them? In this book, leading Modern Money Theory (MMT) advocate Randy Wray explains that the only real constraints on public policy are physical resources, technological capacity and political will: but never money. He shows how modern sovereign governments spend by keystroking money to bank accounts. While taxes serve other important purposes, they do not – contrary to popular belief – fund spending. If we recognize this, and totally reframe how we think about money and debt, we can marshal our national wealth to make us all richer, eliminate unemployment and “look after our own.” We can make money work for us – the US. This book's account shows how MMT can become a new American political and economic orthodoxy, replacing the dominant conservative framework forever. It is essential reading for all progressives.Trade Review“Neoliberal economics does not have the answers to dealing with multi-generational collective action problems but MMT holds many nuggets of wisdom … Perhaps the most important contribution of Wray’s latest writings is to stress that MMT is not a carte blanche call for government to spend without restriction but it can nonetheless shed light on how to formulate a progressive economic agenda to face the problems of today.”The Society of Professional EconomistsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface Chapter 1. What is Money? Chapter 2. Where does Money Come From?Chapter 3: Can We Have Too Much Money ?Chapter 4. Balances Balance Chapter 5 : Life is Full of Trade-offs Chapter 6. The MMT Alternative Framework for Policy Chapter 7. MMT and Policy

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