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Sebastian Ritscher
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CAPITALISM IN AMERICA

Adrian Wooldridge Alan Greenspan

A History

From the legendary former Fed Chairman and the acclaimed Economist writer and historian, the full, epic story of America's evolution from a small patchwork of threadbare colonies to the most powerful engine of wealth and innovation the world has ever seen.
From even the start of his fabled career, Alan Greenspan was duly famous for his deep understanding of even the most arcane corners of the American economy, and his restless curiosity to know even more. To the extent possible, he has made a science of understanding how the US economy works almost as a living organism--how it grows and changes, surges and stalls. He has made a particular study of the question of productivity growth, at the heart of which is the riddle of innovation. Where does innovation come from, and how does it spread through a society? And why do some eras see the fruits of innovation spread more democratically, and others, including our own, see the opposite?

In Capitalism in America, Greenspan distills a lifetime of grappling with these questions into a thrilling and profound master reckoning with the decisive drivers of the US economy over the course of its history. In partnership with the celebrated Economist journalist and historian Adrian Wooldridge, he unfolds a tale involving vast landscapes, titanic figures, triumphant breakthroughs, enlightenment ideals as well as terrible moral failings. Every crucial debate is here--from the role of slavery in the antebellum Southern economy to the real impact of FDR's New Deal to America's violent mood swings in its openness to global trade and its impact. But to read Capitalism in America is above all to be stirred deeply by the extraordinary productive energies unleashed by millions of ordinary Americans that have driven this country to unprecedented heights of power and prosperity.

At heart, the authors argue, America's genius has been its unique tolerance for the effects of creative destruction, the ceaseless churn of the old giving way to the new, driven by new people and new ideas. Often messy and painful, creative destruction has also lifted almost all Americans to standards of living unimaginable to even the wealthiest citizens of the world a few generations past. A sense of justice and human decency demands that those who bear the brunt of the pain of change be protected, but America has always accepted more pain for more gain, and its vaunted rise cannot otherwise be understood, or its challenges faced, without recognizing this legacy. For now, in our time, productivity growth has stalled again, stirring up the populist furies. There's no better moment to apply the lessons of history to the most pressing question we face, that of whether the United States will preserve its preeminence, or see its leadership pass to other, inevitably less democratic powers.

Alan Greenspan was born in 1926 and reared in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. After studying the clarinet at Juilliard and working as a professional musician, he earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics from New York University. From 1974 to 1977, he served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Ford. In 1987, President Reagan appointed him chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, a position he held until his retirement in 2006. He is the author of The New York Times bestsellers The Map and the Territory and The Age of Turbulence.
Adrian Wooldridge is The Economist's political editor and writes the Bagehot column. With John Micklethwait he is the author of six previous books: The Fourth Revolution, The Witch Doctors, A Future Perfect, The Company, The Right Nation, and God is Back.
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Book

Published 2018-10-16 by Penguin Press

Book

Published 2018-10-16 by Penguin Press

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The Wall Street Journal has acquired exclusive first serial rights to CAPITALISM IN AMERICA by Alan Greenspan and Adrian Woolridge. This will appear as the cover of the Journal's new weekend section, Exchange, which focuses on Business and Finance. The excerpt will have a headline at the top of A1 in print as well as tons of social and newsletter support. The Wall Street Journal sees 42.4 mm unique readers a month and 2mm weekend subscribers in print.

The Wall Street Journal has acquired exclusive first serial rights to CAPITALISM IN AMERICA by Alan Greenspan and Adrian Woolridge. This will appear as the cover of the Journal's new weekend section, Exchange, which focuses on Business and Finance. The excerpt will have a headline at the top of A1 in print as well as social and newsletter support. The Wall Street Journal sees 42.4 mm unique readers a month and 2mm weekend subscribers in print.

Alan Greenspan On "Capitalism in America". Read more...

First serial excerpt in WSJ (Please note there was a last minute switch from the Exchange section to Review, with all the accompanying bells and whistles intact.): How to Fix the Great American Growth Machine - The U.S. economy is losing its historic capacity for 'creative destruction.' A few key reforms are essential to keep it on top. Read more...

A work of bold sweep and illuminating insight that tells nothing less than the story of American capitalism - both its extraordinary achievements and its darkest moments - from the earliest days in colonies 'at the edge of the world,' to the Internet revolution. Greenspan and Wooldridge combine penetrating analysis with striking portraits of the people who made it all happen, which, together, demonstrate their theme of the constant capacity for innovation and reinvention. At a time when 'capitalism' itself is a subject of doubt and target of assault, this is a book that the times demand, and one that will contribute much to the debate.

This book snaps, crackles and pops....Three themes are highlighted - productivity as the measure of economic progress; the 'Siamese twins of creation and destruction' as the sources of productivity growth; and the political reaction to the consequences of creative destruction....Readers will emerge from this heady blend of economic, business, and political history with a sense of exhilaration that so much of the American experience could be described so vividly and insightfully. Read more...

UK: Penguin Press UK ; Brazilian: Editora Record ; Korea: Sejong Books ; Simplified Chinese: CITIC ; Russian: Alpina

Barron's Magazine ran a lengthy, thoughtful interview with Alan Greenspan which got picked up by Market Watch and got a lot of social media shares. Read more...

A sweeping and brilliantly told narrative by two authors who have spent their careers thinking about the wellsprings of economic growth. Anchored by the combination of Alan Greenspan's legendary skill with data and talent for analysis, and Adrian Wooldridge's knowledge and perspective on business history, Capitalism in America is full of insights that will surprise you and change your perspective on many of the key episodes of U.S history.

'Capitalism in America' makes a strong case, with some wonderful insights into business history. Innovation, spread to the masses, is indeed the engine of capitalist economies. Read more...