The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles (Red Letter) Paperback – October 20, 2020
by David Harvey (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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Amidst waves of economic crises, health crises, class struggle and neo-fascist reaction, few possess the clarity and foresight of world-renowned theorist, David Harvey. Since the publication of his bestselling A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Harvey has been tracking the evolution of the capitalist system as well as tides of radical opposition rising against it.
In The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles, Harvey introduces new ways of understanding the crisis of global capitalism and the struggles for a better world. While accounting for violence and disaster, Harvey also chronicles hope and possibility. By way of conversations about neoliberalism, capitalism, globalization, the environment, technology, social movements and crises like COVID-19, he outlines, with characteristic brilliance, how socialist alternatives are being imagined under very difficult circumstances. In understanding the economic, political and social dimensions of the crisis, Harvey’s analysis in The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles will be of strategic importance to anyone wanting to both understand and change the world.
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About the Author
David Harvey is one of the most cited authors in the humanities and social sciences. A leading theorist in the field of urban studies whom Library Journal called ‘one of the most influential geographers of the later twentieth century,’ he is currently a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the author of many books, including Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason (Profile Books, 2017) and A Brief History of Neoliberalism (Oxford University Press, 2005).
Product details
Publisher : Pluto Press (October 20, 2020)
Language : English
Paperback : 240 pages
Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars 39 ratingsoved recommendations.
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David Harvey
David Harvey is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the author of many books including Social Justice and the City, The Condition of Postmodernity, The Limits to Capital, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, The Enigma of Capital and the Crises of Capitalism, Seventeen Contradictions and the End of Capitalism, etc. His new book, published by Oxford University Press, is called Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason.
David Harvey has been teaching Karl Marx’s Capital for over 40 years. His lectures on Marx’s Capital Volumes I and II are available for download (free) on his website.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States
Tomas Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read of current economics
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021
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This book is a breezy and fascinating survey of Capitalism, from an expert on Marx. These days, there’s much chatter about the 1% and income inequality. Anyone who was around in the 60’s or 70’s wonders “What happened… and how can we fix it?” How often people exclaim “Let’s End Capitalism Now!” The buzz suggests that Socialism and Marxist economics could provide a solution. It was in this context that I read David Harvey’s book The Anti-Capitalistic Chronicles.
David Harvey is a Professor at the City University of NY. He’s teaches and has written books on Neoliberalism and Marxist economics. The book is a series of essays, a Marxist critique of capitalism, with chapters on the growth and transformation of capitalism, shifts from labor to financial assets, references to the economies of Chile and China, Covid-19, and ideas for the future.
What I learned from this book:
- Capital is always about doubling the economy every 25 years
- Neoliberalism is about sustaining and growing upper class wealth & power
- Housing availability has decreased as housing has shifted from being a place to live to a speculative asset
- The economy was rescued from collapse in 2007-8 by the expansion of the Chinese economy
- A bewitching chapter on the $25B, 28 acre Hudson Yard development of retail, office, and high end housing, in NYC. Harvey says that it’s “a very barren environment… a symbolic presentation of the nature of what contemporary capital is about” and asks “How did this monstrosity get built”… as opposed to the more needed affordable housing?
- Capitalism is less about the labor of the working class, and more about increasing financial assets
I suppose because Harvey is an expert on Marxist economics, he frequently compares trends in capitalism to things Marx said, ranging from the plight of workers, technology, and the growth of assets. This may have historic value, but lacks corrective ideas.
There are significant efforts today in the US to create more income equality, access to health care, jobs, and housing. There are many ideas from the left, such as increasing taxes, the Green New Deal, and controls on corporations. Harvey’s final page or two are about the idea of creating “an alternative socialist society” where “we work only six hours a day and the rest of the time we do exactly as we please”. My view is that this a dated Marxist fantasy that hides from more practical changes in the economy needed for income equality. The book however, is a fascinating read for anyone interested in current economics.
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9 people found this helpful
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Howard
2.0 out of 5 stars biased interpretation of Capital/Labor
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2021
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There is a whole cadre of authors- Harvey, Klein and other arguing that socialism should replace capitalism. Instead of keeping the good characteristics of capitalism and fixing certain problems, they argue that the whole system should be replaced. What are we then left with? No entrepreneurship, no new medical innovations, etc. And who gets to decide what is best for society? Of course-they do. Or President Xi , Mr. Putin, Bernie or the Squad. In many examples within the book, such as an airline going bankrupt, Harvey assumes that only the workers get hurt because they lose pensions etc. What about shareholders like state pension funds, 529 accounts for children, and mom and pop middle class investors who invested and took the risk in the airline? Conveniently not mentioned. This is what Marxists do-look at arguments from one side and try to make Marxist axioms fit the bill. My dad lived under Marxism, Communism and when he came here he kissed the ground. Socialism leads to extreme concentration of power which eventually results in dictatorship. I am open to new thought and I have read many of Harveys books, but most of this stuff has been declared dead and buried. Capitalism has reduced global poverty and produced many wonderful outcomes- medicine, etc. . Of course there are defects such as climate change, but we should fix the existing system -not tear it down.
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David P. Seibert
5.0 out of 5 stars Harvey unlocks Marx
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2021
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A great book for anyone wondering if there can be a better way to work and live. Harvey breaks down not only how we got in this mess with capital but lays out the path to the future. Indeed! Why can't we.
One person found this helpful
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Russell Standridge
3.0 out of 5 stars Just ok
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2021
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Big fan of Harvey's summary of Marx's Kapital so bought this book when I noticed it was fairly new and included perspectives on COVID. Although the content is decent, there is little new here if you are already familiar with the works and ideas of Marx and Engels. If you are not familiar with them already, this is a decent place to start.
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IAIN SCOTT
5.0 out of 5 stars A different way to live
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2021
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Ok I have just finished reading David’s book, for the first time and know that I need to read it again. The book draws heavily from Marx and this is not a criticism, on the contrary it demonstrates how Marx, in very relatable language, was centuries ahead of his time.
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Aaron
Dec 02, 2020Aaron rated it it was amazing
If you’ve reading this, you may have noticed some extreme reviews that are, ah... extra. Ignore them. For the topics being covered, David Harvey is among the best to read. He’s clear, concise, and a well-regarded communicator in his field.
We don’t turn books about baking cupcakes into cosmic-scale online battles over whether people should eat food itself. And so we’re capable of reading, and commenting on, the specific topic of the book. ...well, not everyone here, obviously. But YOU are! 😁
The book reads easily. You don’t need to come equipped with a lot of background knowledge or theory. You’ll get a very thorough description of what Harvey (and many others) regard as a problem, and a selection of efforts that have been/are being undertaken to combat the problem. You’re a reading, thinking, talking being—you can process the information you read critically, and then make up your own mind.
I’m very familiar with the subject matter, and I still found a lot to enjoy in the book. Even if I were to disagree with the author, I think this book would be worth understanding. (less)
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Rhys
Jan 09, 2021Rhys rated it liked it
Some insights into Harvey's thinking in a conversational, even exploratory, way.
"Finally, one point. It is often said that in order to achieve socialism, we have to surrender our individuality and we have to give up something. Well, to some degree, yes, that might be true; but there is, as Polanyi insisted, a greater freedom to be achieved when we go beyond the cruel realities of individualized market freedoms. I read Marx as saying the task is to maximize the realm of individual freedom, but that can only happen when the realm of necessity is taken care of. The task of a socialist society is not to regulate everything that goes on in society; not at all. The task of a socialist society is to make sure that all of the basic necessities are taken care of – freely provided – so that people can then do exactly what they want when they want. It’s not only that individuals have access to the resources to do it, but they also have the time to do it. Freedom – free time – real free time – is something which is absolutely crucial to the idea of a socialist society. Genuinely free time for everyone to do whatever they like is the measure of what socialism aspires to." (less)
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Peter Harrison
Oct 04, 2021Peter Harrison rated it it was amazing
Shelves: politics
This is a great little book which reads like exactly what it is - almost a transcription of David Harvey's "Anti Capitalist Chronicles" podcast. This gives it a great conversational style and makes it light on theory despite being written by one of the foremost writers on Marx's theory. This makes it a great route into thinking about how to apply the theory to practical situations in short digestible bursts, with links to books of more significant theory that talk to the issue at hand, and with questions to prompt further thought. It ends with a rallying cry to use the COVID19 pandemic as a lever to change society for the better, something which unfortunately looks like being thoroughly ignored by both government and opposition in the UK. (less)
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Ben
May 31, 2021Ben rated it liked it
As always Harvey's writing is great. Each chapter is short and accessible, covering a different topic of contemporary relevance with reference to Marxist theory. It just didn't feel particularly novel or interesting as a collection though. I guess it's a nice introduction to 2020 Harvey, but there are better texts on marxist theory that are relevant today (less)
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Leen
Dec 30, 2020Leen rated it liked it
3.5 stars... Good, interesting, then a bit boring. First few chapters were great, and then it got very repetitive. The book kind of reads out like a transcript of Harvey's podcast with the same name (which I preferred) (less)
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Ietrio
Nov 16, 2020Ietrio rated it did not like it
Shelves: junk
Step one to get rid of capitalism: pay your taxes.
Step two to get a better life for the poor: tax the heck out of them.
Step three to save the planet: raise the pension for all bureaucrats.
Step four to bring happiness to the exploited: expand the University because Harvey has lots of nieces and nephews.
Now, never mind Capitalism, Harvey is good.
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IAIN R MORRIS
Oct 24, 2021IAIN R MORRIS rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
A different way to live
Ok I have just finished reading David’s book, for the first time and know that I need to read it again. The book draws heavily from Marx and this is not a criticism, on the contrary it demonstrates how Marx, in very relatable language, was centuries ahead of his time.
flagLike · comment · see review
Dave Seibert
Oct 16, 2021Dave Seibert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Harvey unlocks Marx
A great book for anyone wondering if there can be a better way to work and live. Harvey breaks down not only how we got in this mess with capital but lays out the path to the future. Indeed! Why can't we. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Viki Sonntag
Aug 28, 2021Viki Sonntag rated it liked it
Accessible.
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Review of The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles by David Harvey (Pluto Press)
by Austin Gallas | Book Reviews, Issue 10.1 (Spring 2021)
ABSTRACT The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles is a collection of accessible, loosely connected essays by influential Marxist geographer David Harvey. Based on episodes of Harvey's podcast of the same name, the book tackles topics related to the contemporary and historical crises of global capitalism. In nineteen brief, topical chapters, Harvey appropriates and reimagines Marxian categories and anti-capitalist frameworks of various kinds in order to report on the changing shape of global capitalism considered as a historically distinct social formation, the internal logics and contradictions which govern capital's movements in the world, and the obstacles to be overcome by socialist politics.
KEYWORDS capital, socialism, political economy, global capitalism, geography
The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles. By David Harvey. London: Pluto Press, 2020, 240 pp. (paperback) IBSN 9780745342092. US List: $19.95.
David Harvey is perhaps the world’s best-known living Marxist intellectual. Harvey has for decades introduced audiences around the globe to accessible analyses of global capitalism. A senior scholar in his field of geography and author of more than two dozen books, including Seventeen Contradictions and the End of Capitalism (2014) and Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason (2017), Harvey’s articulation of neoliberalism as a class project is well known by scholars across the humanities and social sciences. His open-access lecture series on volumes 1 and 2 of Marx’s Capital (and, more recently, the Grundrisse) have contributed to the wave of popular and scholarly interest in Marx’s critique of political economy which has followed in the wake of the Great Recession.
Harvey’s latest public-facing effort, The Anti-Capitalist Chronicles (2020), offers readers two things. It contains useful commentaries on the crises of global capitalism and the socialist possibilities opened up in the contemporary conjuncture. But it is also a handy portal into some of the most exciting realms of Harvey’s intellectual output. Readers already familiar with Harvey’s work will appreciate how he revivifies concepts and interventions from various periods in his career, using them to weave together insightful, unfamiliar commentaries on important matters, from financialization to urban development to geopolitical and military contests. Newcomers to Harvey’s work are sure to find in the Chronicles ample incentive to begin the long and fruitful journey through his prodigious oeuvre. Educators will be pleased to encounter a book constructed with them in mind.
The basic premise of the book—that global capitalism is facing a number of existential crises, many of which are products of capital’s own internal contradictions—will surely resonate with many readers who have lived through the rolling disasters of 2020. But there is a secondary thesis running through the book which is equally important: that socialists need to arrive at a more holistic appreciation of the obstacles in the path of anti-capitalist programs. To be successful, says Harvey, socialism will have to “negotiate a knife-edge path,” for, on the one hand, the existing systems for distribution and provision seem “too big to fail,” while, on the other hand, these same systems are breaking down under the weight of their own contradictions, and are foreclosing on the future by compromising the possibility of harmonic relations between humanity and the natural world (11).
The book is composed of a series of thematic essays on various urgent theoretical, historical, and contemporary concerns. Some chapters, like those on the resurgence of anti-austerity politics in Chile and China’s rising significance within the global economic order, distill and reinforce insights Harvey has been writing about for decades. Other chapters, such as the one on anti-capitalism in the time of COVID-19, engage in speculative commentaries on geopolitical, environmental, and technological tensions that are fluid and still unfolding.
Chapters can be broadly categorized into three areas: how global capitalism works and how it fails, the internal logics and contradictions of a capitalist economy, and the challenges and radical potentialities involved in the creation of socialist alternatives. Each chapter tends to emphasize one theme over the rest, even as these three themes often blur together in significant ways.
Chapters 1, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14 focus on various crises within the actually existing global capitalist system. In Chapter 8, a sprawling narrative takes us from the opium wars in China to the post-crisis austerity politics in today’s Greece. Harvey retools some of his best-known categories like the “spatial fix” to analyze the shape of the modern global capitalist system and the historical processes which played parts in its construction. In Chapter 14, he appropriates Marxian critiques of the endless growth syndrome inherent to industrial capitalism to offer a nuanced analysis of the political–economic origins of the carbon dioxide buildup driving catastrophic climate change.
In chapters 2, 3, 4, 10, 13, and 15, the emphasis is on the internal logics and contradictions of capital itself, as well as on the mainstream economic theories that obscure these logics and contradictions. While the level of analysis in these chapters tends towards the theoretical, these chapters offer more than abstract ideas. They underline the real-world implications of the internal laws of motion natural to industrial capital. In chapter 13, for instance, Harvey deploys value theory to elaborate the implications of the growth of the service economy and new forms of consumerism to the composition of the working classes in de-industrialized nations like the United Kingdom and the United States.
The third group of essays, consisting of chapters 5, 6, 16, 17, 18, and 19, concerns the challenges facing anti-capitalist projects. Harvey considers possible routes along which anti-capitalist transformation might proceed, including opportunities which might be seized by workers situated across various geographic and national contexts. In chapter 6, Harvey argues that socialist politics must be concerned with the protection and development of individual, as well as collective, freedoms.
In the hopes that it will be taken up by reading groups around the world, the book’s editors, Jordan T. Camp and Chris Caruso, have worked to make it as friendly as possible to divergent learning environments. For example, discussion questions and additional reading suggestions are provided for each of its nineteen chapters.
Though less elaborate than some of Harvey’s other scholarly productions, Chronicles is nonetheless a welcome addition to the library of anyone working to understand the possibilities and theoretical nuances of contemporary anti-capitalist politics. It offers essential, timely commentaries on subjects of the highest significance to the present and future shape of global capitalism. Best of all, it does so in a charming, approachable way––a rare and commendable feat.
Author Information
Austin Gallas
Austin Gallas is a doctoral candidate in Cultural Studies at George Mason University. His research explores bourgeois police reform, undercover surveillance, and the political economy of prostitution in Progressive-era New York City through a Marxist lens. He is a member of the Cultural Studies Association.
View all of Austin Gallas's articles.
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