"[ Block] rightly shows that, without government constraints, the rich and powerful shape capitalism to give themselves the advantage, undermining competition and exploiting others, eventually undermining the capitalist system itself." * Times Literary Supplement * This insightful analysis of capitalism places primary emphasis on the subtitle of the book." * CHOICE * "Block's prose is sharp, unaffected, and devoid of cumbersome jargon and fastidious technicality. His informed, synthetic overviews of significant historical cases of successful economic development (e.g. nineteenth-century America) or more or less disastrous decline (e.g. 1990s Russia, and the gold standard regime) are true gems of crystal-clear and intelligent brevity. As such, his book should appeal to the educated public at large, well beyond the confines of academia alone." * The European Legacy *
