Seventeen Contradictions and the End of Capitalism

Youthoughtcapitalismwaspermanent?Thinkagain.DavidHarveyunravelsthecontradictionsattheheartofcapitalism-itsdrive,forexample,toaccumulatecapitalbeyondthemeansofinvestingit,itsimperativetousethecheapestmethodsofproductionthatleadstoconsumerswithnomeansofconsumption,anditscompulsiontoexploitnaturetothepointofextinction.Thesearethetensionswhichunderpinthepersistenceofmassunemployment,thedownwardspiralsofEuropeandJapan,andtheunstablelurchesforwardofChinaandIndia.Notthatthecontradictionsofcapitalareallbad:theycanleadtotheinnovationsthatmakecapitalismresilientand,itseems,permanent.Yetappearancescandeceive:whilemanyofcapital'scontradictionscanbemanaged,otherswillbefataltooursociety.Thisnewbookisbothanincisiveguidetotheworldaroundusandamanifestoforchange.