Economic History

Caliban and the Witch is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction.

NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER From two winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, “who have demonstrated the importance of societal institutions for a country’s prosperity” “A wildly ambitious work that hopscotches through history and around the world...

The classic Michael Lewis book that defined an era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune, available for the first time unabridged and read by the author....

John D. Rockefeller, Sr., history’s first billionaire and the patriarch of America’s most famous dynasty, is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, a National Book Award-winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the...

Now in audio, the updated and expanded edition: David Graeber's "fresh...fascinating...thought-provoking...and exceedingly timely" (Financial Times) history of debt. Here, anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: He shows that before there was money...

The world-renowned economist offers "dourly irreverent analyses of financial debacle from the tulip craze of the seventeenth century to the recent plague of junk bonds."—The Atlantic. With incomparable wisdom, skill, and wit, world-renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith traces the history...

Sacred Economics traces the history of money from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, revealing how the money system has contributed to alienation, competition, and scarcity, destroyed community, and necessitated endless growth. Today, these trends have reached their extreme—but in...

The New York Times bestseller hailed as "the best business book of 2010" (Huffington Post). As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on Wall Street, Main Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue? On greedy traders, misguided regulators, sleazy subprime...

Can you imagine even the poorest country in the world achieving the prosperity and quality of life of today's Switzerland—by 2100? Seems crazy, doesn't it? After all, we live in uncertain times. But we have pulled off marvels before. Human advances over the past 100 years have been unprecedented.

In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from 20 countries, ranging as far back as the 18th century, to uncover key economic and social patterns....

Human Action is the most important book on political economy you will ever own....

The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State is an 1884 treatise by Friedrich Engels. The work is partially based on notes by Karl Marx to Lewis H. Morgan's book Ancient Society (1877) and is regarded as one of the first major works on family economics....

Manias, Panics, and Crashes is a scholarly and entertaining account of the way that mismanagement of money and credit has led to financial explosions over the centuries. Covering such topics as the history and anatomy of crises, speculative manias, and the lender of last resort, this book has...

When Hank Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, was appointed in 2006 to become the nation's next Secretary of the Treasury, he knew that his move from Wall Street to Washington would be daunting and challenging. But Paulson had no idea that a year later, he would find himself at the very...

The Economics of Inequality is the ideal place to start for those who want to understand the fundamental issues at the heart of contemporary economics....

Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals....

A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Best Seller In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the...

The coronavirus pandemic, the deepening economic crash, dangerously divisive political responses, and exploding social tensions have thrown an already declining American capitalist system into a tailspin. The consequences of these mounting and intertwined crises will shape our future. In this...

Longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year The "rich and gripping" true story of the first time machines came for human jobs—and how the Luddite uprising explains the power, threat, and toll of big tech and AI today (Naomi Klein) The most urgent story in modern tech begins...

The gripping story of how the end of the Roman Empire was the beginning of the modern world The fall of the Roman Empire has long been considered one of the greatest disasters in history. But in this groundbreaking book, Walter Scheidel argues that Rome's dramatic collapse was actually the best...

In March 2006, the world’s richest men sipped champagne in an opulent New York hotel. They were preparing to compete in a poker tournament with ­million-dollar stakes. At the card table that night was Peter Muller, who managed a fabulously successful hedge fund called PDT. With him was Ken...

A lively, inviting account of the history of economics, told through events from ancient to modern times and the ideas of great thinkers in the field. What causes poverty? Are economic crises inevitable under capitalism? Is government intervention in an economy a helpful approach or a disastrous...

In the space of a few months, across Asia, a miracle became a nightmare. This was the Asian financial crisis of 1995-98. In this economic crisis, hundreds of people died in rioting, political strongmen were removed, and hundreds of billions of dollars were lost by investors....

Why do stock and housing markets sometimes experience amazing booms followed by massive busts, and why is this happening more and more frequently? In order to answer these questions, William Quinn and John D. Turner take us on a riveting ride through the history of financial bubbles, visiting...

To modern Western society, capitalism is the air we breathe, and most people rarely think to question it, for good or for ill. But knowing what makes capitalism work - and what makes it fail - is crucial to understanding its long-term health and the vast implications for the global economy that...

International Bestseller From Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and coauthor of Why Nations Fail, an ambitious and expansive inquiry into the biggest story in global politics over the last hundred years: the rise and fall of liberal democracy. "A very important work and a...

What transformed American business from simple trade into one of the most powerful forces in modern life? In Business, influential journalist and economic thinker Garet Garrett traces the extraordinary development of American commerce from the colonial era to the rise of corporations, mass...

Ruthless taxation, vast wealth inequality, and ancient global trade engineered the rise and collapse of an empire. Perfect for your daily commute or focused learning, this immersive economic history shifts the spotlight from bloody battlefields to the bustling ports, crowded markets, and busy...

Uncover how a modest Roman settlement evolved into a global powerhouse of European history and economic innovation. Whether you are preparing for a trip to northern Italy or seeking an immersive morning commute, this story-driven narrative transforms centuries of urban development into a...

Uncover the tragic economic collapse of a global powerhouse in this gripping, educational history of a fallen nation. Perfect for a focused commute, this cautionary tale reveals how extreme wealth and unchecked ambition transformed a thriving frontier into a landscape of relentless crisis...

Master the hidden psychology of financial history and protect your wealth from the herd mentality of market speculation. Whether you're absorbing economic insights on your morning commute or making sense of today’s chaotic investing landscape, this fascinating narrative turns complex market...

This book is about the birth of the corporatist state in America. It did not occur instantaneously or even within a couple of years; it spanned the eight decades from the collapse of the Jacksonian Democrats in 1849 to the pervasive dominance of Wall Street and big business before the Great Depression. The evolution of the government into a powerful cartelizer of the economy—finance, transportation, manufacturing, labor, food, and drugs—required multiple stages of myriad special interests persistently lobbying to reduce competitive market pressures.

Uncover the hidden financial forces and ruthless geopolitical struggles fueled by mankind’s ultimate monetary obsession. Perfect for your morning commute, this dramatic narrative reveals how a soft yellow metal quietly engineered the rise and fall of global empires. From sacred ancient temples...

Decode the hidden rules of American economics and discover how wealth, power, and inequality shape your daily life. Whether you are commuting to work or trying to make sense of a volatile political landscape, this objective, enlightening history exposes the true machinery of our financial system...

Immerse yourself in the epic urban history of a frontier town that conquered disaster to forge an industrial metropolis. Perfect for your daily commute, this sweeping narrative nonfiction journey transports listeners to the gritty, bustling streets of a rapidly changing American heartland...

Experience the gripping narrative nonfiction of a historic financial crash that destroyed everyday life savings. Perfect for your daily commute, this cinematic economic history translates complex Wall Street jargon into a tense, character-driven thriller. Watch a towering house of cards collapse...

Trace the explosive clash of capitalism, power, and wealth inequality that forged the modern American landscape. Perfect for your daily commute, this thought-provoking deep dive transforms historical records into a high-stakes narrative of ambition and survival. Grasp the true origins of our...

Track the dramatic economic history of global capitalism, where financial crises and fierce struggles shape modern wealth. Perfect for an intellectually stimulating commute, this thought-provoking narrative transforms abstract theory into a high-stakes saga of power, scarcity, and opportunity...

The 1920s economic boom hid a fragile financial system that doomed global markets to a historic stock market crash. Perfect for an engaging daily commute, this eye-opening historical narrative transforms monetary policy into an intense story of dangerous leverage and unchecked consumerism...

Unravel the gripping economic history of a superpower's rise and fall, exposing the stark realities of Soviet communism. Perfect for your morning commute, this deep dive transforms complex political science into an intense narrative. Witness the collision of utopian ambition and devastating...

Explore the dramatic political history of how a war-ravaged continent forged an unprecedented economic superpower. Perfect for your daily commute or focused learning sessions, this engaging narrative trades dry legal technicalities for high-stakes rivalries and tense negotiations. Listen as...

Explore the volatile economic history of American wealth, from colonial trade to modern digital currency wars. Money is far more than metal or paper—it is a fierce social contract forged through political battles, technological innovation, and financial crises. Discover how every shift in our...

Trace the epic history of global economics and discover how human ingenuity conquered scarcity to build modern wealth. Perfect for a productive commute, this engaging narrative sweeps you from ancient Silk Road deserts to the bustling factories of the Industrial Revolution. Immerse yourself in a...

Explore how an agrarian empire evolved into a global economic superpower through ten dramatic historical turning points. Perfect for your morning commute, this sweeping narrative bypasses tedious chronologies to deliver a high-energy journey through the defining eras of Asian history. Whether...

Trace the dramatic economic history of how glittering metals built global empires, triggered wars, and shaped finance. Perfect for your morning commute or focused learning, this sweeping narrative transforms ancient myths and bloody conquests into an awe-inspiring journey through the evolution...

Experience the gripping economic history of the 1929 market collapse and the extraordinary fight for human survival. When dazzling prosperity shattered overnight, an anxious world was plunged into a desperate struggle against mass unemployment and financial ruin. Perfect for your daily commute...

Uncover the hidden triggers of the 2008 financial crash to build wealth protection and secure your retirement savings. Whether you are commuting to the office or anxiously navigating today’s unpredictable global markets, this high-energy guide transforms complex economic history into...

Trace the brutal economics of global slavery to learn how coerced labor forged modern capitalist power. Perfect for a focused commute or deep study session, this thought-provoking narrative dismantles the myth that bondage was merely a moral failure. It exposes a ruthless regime of property...

Explore the sweeping financial history of human debt and discover how money secretly engineers everyday social power. Perfect for your morning commute, this thought-provoking journey travels from ancient village markets to modern online spaces. You will see firsthand how cash and credit have...

Discover how dramatic economic shifts and brutal conflicts forged modern American capitalism from colonial markets. Perfect for your morning commute, this thought-provoking historical narrative tracks the relentless engine of commerce. Follow the daily human struggles that repeatedly...