First published 2019
Joseph Stiglitz argues that corporate power has corrupted American capitalism. The Nobel laureate demonstrates how a handful of companies now control entire economic sectors, driving up inequality while slowing growth. Financial firms write their own rules. Tech giants collect personal data without meaningful limits. Trade agreements serve corporate interests over worker welfare. Stiglitz traces how wealth increasingly flows from exploitation rather than creation. He warns that emerging technologies could worsen unemployment and inequality without intervention. The economist identifies learning, scientific progress, and legal institutions as true drivers of prosperity. He argues that attacks on courts, universities, and media threaten the foundations of both economic strength and democracy. Despite these challenges, Stiglitz insists citizens retain power to demand change. He outlines concrete solutions to harness market benefits while controlling market failures. His agenda aims to restore middle class opportunity and build what he calls progressive capitalism with shared prosperity.
Genres: business, political-science, economics, social-issues, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: informed-consent
366 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company