The Soul of Capitalism examines how the greatest wealth-creation engine in the history of the world is failing most of us, why it must be changed, and how intrepid pioneers are beginning to transform it. Best-selling author William Greider analyzes how our relentless pursuit of unprecedented affluence has eroded family life, eaten away at our sense of personal and professional security, corroded our communities, impoverished our spiritual lives, and devastated our natural environment. The solution, he contends, will come from a fundamental realignment of power that is already underway on many fronts.Brilliantly perceptive and sweeping in its ambition, The Soul of Capitalism is also hardheaded and practical. Greider illustrates how American capitalism can be aligned more faithfully and obediently with what people want and need in their lives, and with what American society needs for a healthy, balanced, and humane future.
The Soul of Capitalism (solid, pragmatic, visionary, and optimistic) addresses the nation's most urgent needs.
LOLDavid
Reviewer LOLDavid
February 17, 2006
William Greider’s thesis is that he hates American capitalism in its present state because it’s wasteful, irresponsible, and doomed for an apocalyptic end that could take the whole globe along for the ride. And from that thesis he mentions hundreds of alternatives regarding labor, finance, corporations, ecology, government, and much more. And even though I agree with him on many points, his constant pessimistic attitude toward every single thing American capitalism does gets a little tiring. I’d recommend the abridged version of this, but I just realized that it is the abridged version. I really liked Greider’s “One World, Ready or Not” which was a little more analytical of the global economy and a little less instructional regarding what we should do about it. I’ve also listened to Timothy Taylor’s wonderful Teaching Company Course “Contemporary Economic Issues” which seemed more moderate in its view of American capitalism and the global economy. And I didn’t particularly like Peter Johnson as the narrator here since he sounded pretty robotic. I eventually speeded my iPod up to Faster reading (which plays it at about 1.5x speed) and that made it go a lot faster and I was still able to pick up on everything. Good thing to do for those audio books that just don't seem to end.