A review by titus_hjelm
Capital and Ideology by Thomas Piketty

4.0

Don't let the page count (or, in my case, the length of the audiobook) turn you off from this book, because it is better and more important than Capital in the 21st Century. Much of this book is standard political science combined with economic data, making it a great example of political economy, which we really should call all economics. The main point of the book underlines this: There is nothing inevitable about capitalism nor the type of capitalism we live in today--despite what neoclassical economics and neoliberal politicians tell us. The way societies are organised are always an outcome of political choices. A sociologist would add that actions have unintended consequences, but in the main, the argument is exceptionally well outlined and backed with data. Piketty tries to expand his horizons from the Anglo-European sphere and does succeed to an extent, although the rather long historical sections on India and China will no doubt bore some readers looking for the economics 'hard data' here. Despite the breadth, Piketty always keeps the reader on track by plentiful reminders about the issues at hand. That's why the audiobook version works as well. Where I don't necessarily share his enthusiasm, is the future of the European Union and/or democratic socialist federalism (as he calls it). It is difficult to see how in our current juncture, where fascism is not just a historical anomaly, but everyday politics, something like this could realistically be accomplished. But I liked the message of hope, anyway. We cannot stop working towards that better future, despite the grim situation.