Capitalism, Alone: The Future of the System That Rules the World

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Product Details
Price
$29.95  $27.85
Publisher
Belknap Press
Publish Date
Pages
304
Dimensions
6.1 X 9.3 X 1.0 inches | 1.25 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780674987593

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About the Author

Branko Milanovic is a Serbian-American economist. A development and inequality specialist, he is currently a visiting presidential professor at City University of New York's Graduate Center and an affiliated senior scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study Center.

Reviews
A brilliant sequel to the pathbreaking Global Inequality. Drawing on original research and a typically wide sweep of history, Branko Milanovic poses all the important questions about our future.--Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Branko Milanovic, a master economic statistician, here divides modern capitalism broadly into two versions: the 'liberal' one found in the West, and the 'political' one that has emerged in China. In this searching and richly argued work he weighs the choices we face and discusses whether the future may lie with one version, alone.--James K. Galbraith, author of The End of Normal
Leaves little doubt that the social contract no longer holds. Whether you live in Beijing or New York, the time for renegotiation is approaching.-- (10/09/2019)
Milanovic outlines a taxonomy of capitalisms and traces their evolution from classical capitalism before 1914, through the social-democratic capitalism of the mid-20th century, to 'liberal meritocratic capitalism' in much of the rich world, in particular America. He contrasts this with the 'political capitalism' found in many emerging countries, with China as the exemplar. These two capitalistic forms now dominate the global landscape. Their co-evolution will shape world history for decades to come.-- (10/31/2019)
A remarkable book, possibly the author's most comprehensive opus so far...I highly recommend Capitalism, Alone to all readers and scholars interested in challenging their understanding of the (supposed) sole socio-economic system we live in.--Roberto Iacono"LSE Review of Books" (11/11/2019)
May turn out to be a seminal work on the fin de siècle de capitalisme...His conclusions and concepts, make extraordinary contributions to considerations of the state of capitalism.--Business Day (10/01/2019)
Capitalism, Alone is an excellent work that covers a broad swath of the history of modern capitalism.--Edward Wolff, author of A Century of Wealth in America
Milanovic has written what may be his most ambitious book yet. Featuring his trademark clarity and erudition, Capitalism, Alone contains wide-ranging and thoughtful insights into the nature of capitalism as it is currently structured and considers how it will evolve in the coming century.--Arjun Jayadev, Azim Premji University
Branko Milanovic, the master narrator of global equality, brings an entirely new perspective to the topic in this remarkably astute book. By tracing the deep and evolving ideological foundations of capitalism and communism and analyzing the rise of Asia and particularly China, he contributes thought-provoking insights on the critical role of institutions and ideology for the long-term prospects of global economies.--Debin Ma, London School of Economics and Political Science
Milanovic gives an impressive amount of space and effort in his book to provide a thorough analysis of the role of corruption in globalization...What I have always most valued about Branko Milanovic is his willingness to follow his intuition to open up new aspects of the political discussion. I may not agree with him on some issues, but I always come away greatly enriched by the experience.-- (09/23/2019)
A data-rich, provocative account of where capitalism is today and where it may be headed.--Samuel Hammond"Quillette" (10/24/2019)
[The] first three chapters are brilliant, original and make for gripping reading...Relish the erudition and panache.--Duncan Green"From Poverty to Power" (11/15/2019)
A gift to those of us grappling with economic and political inequality, as we seek ways to promote a fairer and more productive, sustainable society.--Tim Page"Trades Union Congress (TUC) blog" (10/25/2019)
Countries with larger tax cuts experienced bigger increases in inequality... [The consequences] are richly detailed in Capitalism, Alone... Builds on Milanovic's previous book, Global Inequality... Ideally the two should be read together... [Milanovic] belongs to a new generation of data-driven economists who have helped track what has happened to income distribution in recent years.--Liaquat Ahamed"New Yorker" (09/02/2019)
An extraordinarily valuable book for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of current topics in economic research and their bearing on policy debates.--Matt Mazewski"Commonweal" (12/05/2019)
A scholar of inequality warns that while capitalism may have seen off rival economic systems, the survival of liberal democracies is anything but assured. The amoral pursuit of profit in more liberal capitalist societies has eroded the ethical norms that help sustain openness and democracy, he argues; now that tendency threatens to push such places in the direction of more authoritarian capitalist societies, such as China.-- (12/07/2019)
Attempts to make sense of the new world order and what could come of it. For that, it deserves to be read...An interesting and important read about the state of capitalism today and the directions it may take in the future. Milanovic's history of focusing on economic data--rather than simplistic theory--and his healthy skepticism of meritocratic capitalism ensure that Capitalism, Alone will inform and provoke readers.-- (11/15/2019)
When politicians, pundits, and academics speak of a growing competition, or even a New Cold War, between the United States and China, one thing that is not asked enough is what is being competed for. Likewise, when we speak of an 'American' or 'Western' model, in contrast to a 'Chinese' one, it is worth asking what or who exactly is being modeled, and to what end. One of the virtues of Branko Milanovic's new book, Capitalism, Alone, is that it addresses these questions head-on and with useful insights and results.-- (11/18/2019)
An excellent new book on the past, present, and future of economic systems.--Umair Javed"Dawn" (12/02/2019)
Milanovic writes as a good teacher, telling us what is coming, sharing the content, and then reminding us what we just learned. He takes the reader on diverting side journeys into the history of communism, the implausibility of a universal basic income, and even a brief summary from first principles of the past development and possible trajectories of Western liberal capitalism. The effect can be both exhilarating and overwhelming...Capitalism, Alone is a book to scribble questions all over, and then read again.-- (01/07/2020)
Few economists can compete with [Milanovic's] stunning erudition, or with his skill in weaving together seemingly disparate figures with complex philosophical ideas to produce a coherent thesis that feels highly relevant to our troubled times. Capitalism, Alone is one of the most ambitious economics books published this year, in terms of its breadth and scope, and definitely one of the most fascinating.-- (12/20/2019)
Milanovic's method is eclectic and empirical, informed by Marxist concepts but not limited to them.--Max B. Sawlicky"Jacobin" (01/16/2020)
Milanovic's greatest contributions in Capitalism, Alone come from his fresh approach to the history of different capitalist countries. His taxonomy of Western countries evolving from classical, social-democratic, and now liberal-meritocratic capitalism helps us put the current state of affairs into better context and think about the ways policy can and cannot improve the system...His analysis of the forces and magnitudes of different kinds of inequality give a more nuanced story than is often found in public discussions.-- (12/30/2019)