Capitalism and Its Critics - A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI

By: John Cassidy

Published by Picador, 2026-06-23

Named a Top 10 Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post

Now with an updated final chapter

Capitalism has long been understood as a driving force behind the biggest political, economic, and social dislocations of our time. But in this sweeping, kaleidoscopic history of the economic system that has shaped our world, the New Yorker writer John Cassidy adopts a bold new approach: he examines global capitalism through the eyes of its critics. From the English Luddites to early-twentieth-century communists in Germany and Russia, Latin American dependistas, the international Wages for Housework campaign of the 1970s, and the modern degrowth movement, this absorbing narrative traverses the globe. It visits with familiar names, but also focuses on many lesser-known figures whose impact was nonetheless undeniable.

Blending rich biography, panoramic history, and lively exploration of economic theories, Capitalism and Its Critics tells an expansive story that illuminates the deep roots of many of the most urgent issues we face today, from widening inequality and the ecological crisis to technological transformation and resurgent authoritarian politics.