Supercapitalism
Robert Reich
A New York Times bestseller
'I found Supercapitalism very stimulating and often very profound. I would have no hesitation recommending it to readers of all political persuasions and am confident that each of them would come away with some ideas that they found interesting, and a few compelling.'
Ian Macfarlane, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, 1996–2006 (Australian Literary Review)'Supercapitalism's economic history is insightful. Its cynical take on the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility is welcome.'
Chris Zappone (The Age)A 'compelling and important analysis of the triumph of capitalism and the decline of democracy ... Provocatively argued, this book could help begin a necessary national conversation.'
(Publishers Weekly)Mid-twentieth-century capitalism has turned into global capitalism, and global capitalism — turbocharged, Web-based, and able to find and make almost anything just about anywhere — has turned into supercapitalism. But, as Robert Reich makes clear in this eye-opening book, supercapitalism enlarges the economic pie, while democracy — charged with caring for all citizens — is becoming less and less effective under its influence.
Reich explains how widening inequalities of income and wealth, heightened job insecurity, and the spreading effects of global warming are the logical outcomes of supercapitalism. He shows us why companies, fighting harder than ever to maintain their competitive positions, have become even more deeply involved in politics; and how average citizens, seeking great deals and invested in the stock market to an unprecedented degree, are increasingly loath to stand by their values if it means biting the hands that feed them. He makes clear how the tools traditionally used to temper social problems — fair taxation, well-funded public education, trade unions — have withered as supercapitalism has burgeoned.
Reich sets out a clear course to a vibrant capitalism and a concurrent, equally vibrant democracy. He argues forcefully that the spheres of business and politics must be kept distinct. And he calls for an end to the legal fiction that corporations are citizens, as well as the illusion that corporations can be ‘socially responsible’ until laws define social needs.
This is a hugely important book — timely, impassioned, and persuasive.
'A grand debunking of the conventional wisdom ... the main thrust of Reich’s argument is right on target ... Reich documents in lurid detail the explosive growth of corporate lobbying expenditures and campaign contributions since the 1970s.'
(The New York Times Book Review)'An engaging and insightful account.'
(Harvard Business Review)Robert Reich
Robert Reich is professor of public policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, and is a former secretary of labor under president Bill Clinton. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2003, Reich was awarded the prestigious Václav Havel Foundation Prize for pioneering work in economic and social thought. He lives in Berkeley, California. This is his eleventh book.
Website: http://www.robertreich.org
Buy from Readings
Extent: 288pp
Size: 234mm x 153mm
ISBN (13): 9781921372056
RRP: $32.95
Pub date: June 2008
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