The SQUEEZE: The study and practice of neoliberalism has become an important topic since the early 1970s. David Harvey examines the term within the context of understanding the relationship between free markets, free trade, and the free flow of capital, which are all three concepts central to neoliberalism. In A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Harvey discusses the origins of neoliberalism, its global proliferation and critical engagement with history. Harvey structures the narrative to support a framework for analyzing both political and economic dangers common to the present age and for assessing prospects advocated by oppositional movements. Harvey’s work is significant and insightful in that it offers a keen view into the concept without the bias that would otherwise make it less useful.

Notable Endorsement: "The most accessible and succinct overview of neoliberalism as an ideology and economic practice yet written. It lays out the origins of the idea, the devastating impact it has had on labor in both the advanced and developing world, and how it deepened crisis tendencies within the system...Harvey has done the left a great service in laying out a clear, concise, and provocative history of neoliberalism, one that can help educate a new generation of radicals and revolutionaries."--International Socialist Review

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• How has China’s practice of neoliberalism contributed to high growth rates over the years?
• How did Reagonomics mark the beginning of a new era for global capitalism?
• What is the distinction between neoliberalism and classic liberalism and how did each produce a climate conducive for national and global success?

About the Author: David Harvey is a professor of anthropology with the Graduate Center of the University of New York. Harvey has held posts at Oxford University and The Johns Hopkins University. Harvey has also written on such topics as the political economy of globalization, urbanization, and cultural change. A recent title includes The New Imperialism (2003). Harvey completed a doctorate program through the University of Cambridge. For more information, visit: DavidHarvey.org.

Book Vitals:

Publisher: Oxford University Press (January 2007)