Synopses & Reviews
This brilliantly concise book is a classic introduction to Marxs key work, Capital. In print now for over a quarter of a century, and previously translated into many languages, the new edition has been fully revised and updated, making it an ideal modern introduction to one of the most important texts in political economy. The authors cover all central aspects of Marxs economics. They explain the structure of Marxs analysis and the meaning of the key categories in Capital, showing the internal coherence of Marxs approach. Marxs method and terminology are explored in detail, with supporting examples. Short chapters enable the meaning and significance of Marxs main concepts to be grasped rapidly, making it a practical text for all students of social science. Discussing Capitals relevance today, the authors consider Marxs impact on economics, philosophy, history, politics and other social sciences. Keeping abstract theorizing to a minimum, this readable introduction highlights the continuing relevance of Marxs ideas in the light of the problems of contemporary capitalism.
Review
"This expert guide to the political economy of Marx's Capital has always been the very best available. The fourth edition, welcome in its own right, updates the text in the light of recent scholarship. It is thoroughly recommended not only for beginners but to anyone interested in the applicability of Marxian theory to the parlous condition of contemporary capitalism." --David Harvey, author of Limits to Capital and The Condition of Postmodernity "For almost thirty years, Marxs Capital has provided an invaluable introduction to Marx's great work. This fourth edition is much more than an updating of its predecessors: its coverage is more comprehensive and sophisticated and the book provides very useful guides to key debates and further reading. The book is not only of interest to students of Marx -- it should be compulsory reading for all serious students of economics." --Professor Simon Clarke, University of Warwick "Marx's Capital is an admirably clear explanation of complex ideas, which has the rare virtue of saying something important to economists while being accessible to non-specialist readers. It also does a very good job of showing the urgent relevance of Marx's Capital today." --Ellen Meiksins Wood, author of The Empire of Capital (2003) and The Origin of Capitalism (2002) "The new edition of "Marx's Capital" is definitely the best edition yet. It reflects both current discussions among Marxist economists and developments in the world economy and has no equal as an introduction to Capital for undergraduate students." --Professor Michael A. Lebowitz, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Synopsis
Leading writer Boris Kagarlitsky offers an ambitious account of 1000 years of Russian history.
About the Author
Ben Fine is Professor of Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He most recently co-authored
From Economics Imperialism to Freakonomics: The Shifting Boundaries Between Economics and Other Social Sciences (2009) and serves on the Social Science Research Committee of the UK's Food Standards Agency. Alfredo Saad-Filho teaches political economy in the Department of Development Studies at SOAS, University of London.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements * Preface to the Fifth Edition * 1 History and Method * 2. Commodity Production * 3. Capital and Exploitation * 4 The Circuit of Industrial Capital * 5. Economic Reproduction * 6. Accumulation of Capital * 7. Capitalism and Crisis * 8. The Compositions of Capital * 9. The Falling Rate of Profit * 10. The So-Called Transformation Problem * Merchants Capital * 11 Banking Capital and the Theory of Interest * 12 Marxs Theory of Agricultural Rent * 13 Marxism and the Twenty-First Century * 14 Conclusion: Financialisation, Neoliberalism and the Crisis * References * Index