Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This book is not very accessible in terms of reading, so I would not recommend it to anyone trying to get into the topic for the first time. However, if you are already familiar with a lot of these concepts, it does provide a thorough, comprehensive alternative to the currently orthodox view of capitalism. If you are researching the topic, I recommend it!
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Honestly I recommend the works of Robert Brenner supplemented by Capitalism and Slavery by Eric Williams instead.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
First third or so of the book is a bit of a slog, recounting various debates people have had over time. But the rest of the book is very insightful. It gave me a great understanding of what separates capitalism from just people trading on the market in Ancient Rome, and why capitalism was not inevitable even within places like France and Florence
The best intro to Marxist economic history from the Brenner-ites. Well written and covers a lot, though you'll need to look elsewhere for the close detail
informative
slow-paced
Prose tends to be overly complicated but informative on the historical development of capitalism that reveals its functions and laws of motion.
This book requires some substantial prior knowledge on markets and competing arguments. Without that prior knowledge this short book will be hard to parse. The thesis laid out is quite important though and turns on its head some fundamental assumptions on the evolution and transition of our social system transition from a feudal mode of production to our current market based mode. The analysis of differences between England and France is quite illuminating.
For Wood, it is all about social property relations. That is the key that unlocks the pathway to our current exploitative mode of economic relations.
For Wood, it is all about social property relations. That is the key that unlocks the pathway to our current exploitative mode of economic relations.