In the bracing chapter, “Dramatis Personae,” Chang presents a sharp-edged summary of individuals and organizations that comprise the world economy. Chang notes depressingly that economic history has, for economists, turned into a “harmless distraction, like trainspotting, and at worst as a refuge for the intellectually challenged who cannot handle ‘hard’ stuff like mathematics and statistics.” The book’s first section tries to reconcile and differentiate lines of thought, examining capitalism as a system through classical, Marxist, Keynesian, Schumpeterian, and other perspectives. The result is a synthesis-half textbook, half browser-that the author suggests should be read in snippets. Cambridge economist Chang ( 23 Things They Don’t Tell You about Capitalism) wants to popularize his field through accessible writing and explanations of our material world.
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