Capital and Ideology
- Author Thomas Piketty
- Narrator Rick Adamson
- Run Time 2 days and 57 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Central / national / federal government policies, Development economics and emerging economies, Economic history, Economic theory and philosophy, Economics, Political economy.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
The epic successor to one of the most important books of the century: at once a retelling of global history, a scathing critique of contemporary politics, and a bold proposal for a new and fairer economic system
Thomas Piketty’s bestselling Capital in the Twenty-First Century galvanized global debate about inequality. In this audacious follow-up, Piketty challenges us to revolutionize how we think about politics, ideology, and history. He exposes the ideas that have sustained inequality for the past millennium, reveals why the shallow politics of right and left are failing us today, and outlines the structure of a fairer economic system.
Our economy, Piketty observes, is not a natural fact. Markets, profits, and capital are all historical constructs that depend on choices. Piketty explores the material and ideological interactions of conflicting social groups that have given us slavery, serfdom, colonialism, communism, and hypercapitalism, shaping the lives of billions. He concludes that the great driver of human progress over the centuries has been the struggle for equality and education, and not, as often argued, the assertion of property rights or the pursuit of stability. The new era of extreme inequality that has derailed that progress since the 1980s, he shows, is partly a reaction against communism, but it is also the fruit of ignorance, intellectual specialization, and our drift toward the dead-end politics of identity.
Once we understand this, we can begin to envision a more balanced approach to economics and politics. Piketty argues for a new “participatory” socialism, a system founded on an ideology of equality, social property, education, and the sharing of knowledge and power. Capital and Ideology is destined to be one of the indispensable books of our time, a work that will not only help us understand the world, but that will change it.
Critics Review
-
“If inequality has become the subject of intense public attention, a good deal of the credit goes to the French economist Thomas Piketty.”
New Yorker -
“A global overview to understand the most pressing economic and social issues of our time.”
New York Times Book Review -
“In Piketty’s story, now is the time to build a new coalition on the basis of a new ideology.”
Washington Post -
“In an election cycle where the political discourse has been thoroughly shaped by Piketty’s work, his new book feels especially urgent.”
GQ magazine -
“Piketty explains why this could be the moment for a turn to equality, and which policies could make that happen.”
Financial Times (London) -
“The world’s most famous economist sets out the case for socialism. Thomas Piketty’s new book may prove as famous—and controversial—as its predecessor.”
The Economist (London)
More from the same
Narrator
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.