A New York Times Notable Book

What forms will capitalism take in the twenty-first century? To answer this question, noted economist and social philosopher Robert Heilbroner looks beyond economic theory to the social and political problems of modern economic society.

In this sweeping examination of the past, present, and possible future, Heilbroner considers capitalism both as an economic system and a political order. He argues persuasively that, even in an increasingly globalized economy, government remains crucial to a healthy private sector, due to the limited ability of markets to order themselves, let alone make contributions to the common good such as tackling environmental problems or providing sufficient educational programs. Heilbroner concludes this penetrating technique by speculating on whether some more participatory forms of capitalism might emerge this century.

Robert Heilbroner was an economic historian and the bestselling author of many books, including The Worldly Philosophers, which launched his scholarly career and has sold nearly four million copies, The Making of Economic Society, and An Inquiry into the Human Prospect. A graduate of Harvard, he later earned a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research, where he became Norma Thomas Professor of Economics and remained for some fifty years. Heilbroner died in January 2005.

Robert Heilbroner's profile page