by Sven Beckert
First published 2025
No force has transformed human existence more completely than capitalism. Sven Beckert places this economic system within the broadest possible geographic and historical context. Capitalism emerged as a global phenomenon from the start, Beckert contends. It grew from merchant networks spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe, gradually reshaping economic relationships before exploding across world markets. European states formed alliances with traders that carried them over the seas. This expansion never resembled the free market ideal. Government institutions and imperial conquest drove capitalism's growth throughout its history. Beckert shifts focus away from Europe to examine how people worldwide exercised power, fought back, created new methods, and faced brutal oppression. His account reaches the present moment as Asian economies gain strength, especially China. Rather than simply tallying capitalism's costs and benefits, Beckert enables readers to reconsider history and envision different futures.
Genres: history, business, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-study
Setting: Africa, Asia, Europe
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
1344 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press