First published 2021
Vivek Ramaswamy argues that American capitalism has been hijacked by stakeholder capitalism, a system that uses social causes to manipulate consumers while enriching corporate elites. The biotech CEO and former hedge fund partner draws on his experience in boardrooms and business conferences to show how companies exploit identity politics for profit. Ramaswamy contends that this woke-industrial complex fragments American society by selling superficial moral causes to people searching for meaning and purpose. He traces how business leaders combine progressive messaging with consumer products, creating what he sees as a scam that undermines authentic democratic participation. The book moves from critiquing corporate social responsibility initiatives to proposing an alternative vision for American identity that transcends demographic categories. Ramaswamy offers readers both an insider's view of how modern capitalism operates and a framework for reclaiming individual agency from corporate manipulation.
Genres: business, political-science, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: critical, insightful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, social-commentary
368 pages · Hardcover · Center Street