'The greatest story of our age ... Be very afraid' John Arlidge, Sunday Times

Michael Lewis's epic bestseller tells the outrageous story of the multi-millionaires and whizz kids who scammed the banking system in the blink of an eye - and the whistleblowers who tried to stop them. It's hilarious, terrifying and it's all true.

'Thrilling, a masterclass' Robert McCrum, Observer, Books of the Year

'Jaw-dropping, astonishing ... Lewis has lit the touch paper' Liam Halligan, Spectator

'The kind of writer who creates his own weather system' John Lanchester, London Review of Books

'I read Michael Lewis for the same reasons I watch Tiger Woods. I'll never play like that. But it's good to be reminded every now and again what genius looks like' Malcolm Gladwell

Is Capitalism Working? is a deeply relevant question today, especially to a generation coming of age in a world still experiencing aftershocks from the near-meltdown of the world economy in 2008. Economic theory can be complex, but Jacob Field’s well-structured and thought-provoking text lays out the debate in a clear, accessible, and engaging way. Augmenting Field’s text are shrewdly selected illustrations that help readers grasp the basic tenets, history, and context of capitalism.

Field lays out this entry in the “Big Idea” series in four distinct sections: “How Capitalism Evolved,” which provides a brief history of capitalism and theories such as utilitarianism and Marxism; “How Modern Capitalism Works,” which explores the successes of capitalism as a national and international economic model; “Capitalism in Crisis,” which lays out the failures and arguments against capitalism; and “Adapting the Capitalist Model,” which scrutinizes successful alternatives to capitalism. Ultimately, Is Capitalism Working? allows readers to draw their own conclusions, providing a helpful primer on capitalism and a framework for understanding the challenging question of its effectiveness.