Michael Sonenscher is a fellow of King's College, University of Cambridge. His books include Sans-Culottes and Before the Deluge (both Princeton).
"""A thorough summary of the Western thinkers who most influenced today's understanding of capitalism."" * Library Journal * ""Provocative. . . . [Capitalism] will provoke much discussion in the fields of modern intellectual thought, political economy and various stripes of global history.""---Tom F. Wright, Times Literary Supplement ""Sonenscher astutely calls our attention to the original meaning of capitaliste and its implications.""---Martyn Ross, Applied Political Theory ""This page-turner book, which is well written and accessible even to a nonspecialist audience, can certainly help to define the capitalist system more clearly through a refined critical approach.""---Giampaolo Conte, Journal of European Economic History ""Capitalism: The Story Behind the Word, offers a much-needed historical account of the contentious concept and encourages a reframing of current political discussion. The book provides a fascinating backstory by revisiting little-known nineteenth- century debates about commercial society and the division of labour, terms which—though distinct at their conception—were gradually subsumed under the broader ‘problem of capitalism’.""---Joel Byman, Politics and Poetics ""This page-turner book, which is well written and accessible even to a nonspecialist audience, can certainly help to define the capitalist system more clearly through a refined critical approach.""---Giampaolo Conte, The Journal of European Economic History"