Reviewed summary
The Invention of Capitalism: Classical Political Economy and the Secret History of Primitive Accumulation
Ever wonder how capitalism really got started? Spoiler: it wasn’t some smooth, natural progress toward free markets and happy entrepreneurs. Instead, it was a messy, often brutal process involving kicking people off their land and forcing them into wage labor. Michael Perelman’s book drags the polished myths of classical economics out into the daylight and shows the ugly, coercive backstage deals that made capitalism possible.
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