A People's Guide to Capitalism: An Introduction to Marxist Economics

by Hadas Thier

Overview

A lively, accessible, and timely guide to Marxist economics for those who want to understand and dismantle the world of the 1%.

Economists regularly promote Capitalism as the greatest system ever to grace the planet. With the same breath, they implore us to leave the job of understanding the magical powers of the market to the “experts.”

Despite the efforts of these mainstream commentators to convince us otherwise, many of us have begun to question why this system has produced such vast inequality and wanton disregard for its own environmental destruction. This book offers answers to exactly these questions on their own terms: in the form of a radical economic theory.

“Thier’s urgently needed book strips away jargon to make Marx’s essential work accessible to today’s diverse mass movements.” —Sarah Leonard, contributing editor to The Nation

“A great book for proletarian chain-breaking.” —Rob Larson, author of Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley

“Thier unpacks the mystery of capitalist inequality with lucid and accessible prose . . . . We will need books like A People’s Guide to help us make sense of the root causes of the financial crises that shape so many of our struggles today.” —Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership

“Ranging from exploitation at work to the operations of modern finance, this book takes the reader through a fine-tuned introduction to Marx’s analysis of the modern economy . . . . Thier combines theoretical explanation with contemporary examples to illuminate the inner workings of capitalism . . . . Reminds us of the urgent need for alternatives to a crisis-ridden system.” —David McNally, author of Blood and Money

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642592184
Publisher:	Haymarket Books
Publication date:	11/04/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	410
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Hadas Thier is an activist, writer, and socialist, and in her spare time, an amateur paleontologist (aka mom to a toddler).

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Birth of Capital

Chapter 2: The Labor Theory of Value

Chapter 3: Money

Chapter 4: Where Do Profits Come From?

Chapter 5: The Accumulation of Capital

Chapter 6: Capitalist Crisis

Chapter 7: Credit and Financialization

Conclusion: Capitalism’s Gravediggers

GLOSSARY

FURTHER READING

Editorial Reviews

"When Marxist economics becomes usable by the people most threatened by capitalism—that is when it becomes great and dangerous. Hadas Thier's urgently needed book strips away jargon to make Marx's essential work accessible to today's diverse mass movements." —Sarah Leonard, contributing editor to the Nation

"As the world descends into a financial and public health crisis, the savage inequalities of capitalism are being laid bare. Hadas Thier’s new book A People’s Guide to Capitalism, has arrived right on time to clearly explain why the poor and working class always bear the brunt of capitalism’s crises. Erudite and sharp, Thier unpacks the mystery of capitalist inequality with lucid and accessible prose. As we all enter into a world of new realities, we will need books like A People’s Guide to help us make sense of the root causes of the financial crises that shape so many of our struggles today." —Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation and Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership

"Economists have every incentive to mystify their craft and to dress up their political judgments as scientific fact. Hadas Thier's A People's Guide to Capitalism is a thorough and accessible corrective, and sure to be an important primer for generations of activists." —Bhaskar Sunkara, founding editor of Jacobin

“A People’s Guide to Capitalism is a breath of fresh air on the left. Avoiding the obscure jargon of economics, Hadas Thier provides a rich, accessible introduction to how capitalism works. Ranging from exploitation at work to the operations of modern finance, this book takes the reader through a fine-tuned introduction to Marx’s analysis of the modern economy. Along the way, Thier combines theoretical explanation with contemporary examples to illuminate the inner workings of capitalism. In addition, A People’s Guide to Capitalism reminds us of the urgent need for alternatives to a crisis-ridden system.” —David McNally, Cullen Distinguished Professor of History and Business at the University of Houston

“Times of economic instability, pandemics, and rising fascism have people looking for understanding. Luckily, radical traditions offer helpful tools. Hadas Thier's book offers a brisk and manageable introduction to many of these ideas, and is unusually playful about it. A great book for proletarian chain-breaking.” —Rob Larson, Economics professor and author of Bit Tyrants: The Political Economy of Silicon Valley

“It is not easy explaining relatively complex ideas in a simple and clear manner. Ask any teacher. It's a skill lacking in many. Hadas Thier has brilliantly succeeded in that challenge with her book introducing Marxist economics. She has delivered a clear, straightforward and entertaining explanation of all Marx’s basic theoretical insights into the nature and development of capitalism. And she has done so using modern examples that help the reader to understand why Marxist political economy is so clinical in its analysis of the reality of modern capitalist economics. I would say no one has done it better.” —Michael Roberts, author of The Long Depression: Marxism and the Global Crisis of Capitalism

“Thier’s book is a valuable introduction to Marxist concepts which helps us to see how Marxism can be used to deepen our knowledge of capitalism, beyond the level of mere appearance.” —Daniel Saunders, Bias Magazine

“A People’s Guide to Capitalism is a tremendous contribution to the understanding of economics today...It will be very useful both to veteran Marxists and people new to the subject. Everyone interested in this topic, and indeed anyone interested in fundamentally changing the world, should read this book.” —Steve Leigh, New Politics

From the Publisher