Capitalism: The Future of an Illusion
with Professor Fred L. Block
Fred Block’s latest book, Capitalism: The Future of an Illusion (University of California Press, 2018), explains how U.S. politics got caught in a loop that alternates between center-left Democrats and increasingly extreme-right Republicans. In the book, he argues that to exit this cycle of raised hopes followed by dashed dreams, we must challenge the idea that we live in a society that operates according to its own inner laws. The book is intended to guide readers through the reality that market societies are complex institutional hybrids and that, periodically, we must consider (despite our fears) radical economic reforms to restore a healthy society. Join us for a presentation of the book, and a chance to think outside the box!
Fred L. Block is a critical intellectual who has written widely on issues of politics and political economy.  He is a research professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis.He also serves as President of the Center for Engaged Scholarship. Fred’s wide ranging writings cover topics such as state theory, the organization of the international monetary system, changes in the U.S. innovation system, and the prospects for radical reform of U.S. society. Fred’s books include The Vampire State and Other Myths and Fallacies About The U.S. Economy (1996), Postindustrial Possibilities: A Critique of Economic Discourse (1990), The Mean Season: The Attack On the Welfare State (co-authored with Richard A. Cloward, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Frances Fox Piven) (1987), Revising State Theory: Essays In Politics and Postindustrialism (1987), The Origins of International Economic Disorder: A Study of United States International Monetary Policy From World War II to the Present (1977),  The Power of Market Fundamentalism: Karl Polyani’s Critique (co-authored with Margaret Somers) (2014), and State of Innovation: The U.S. Government’s Role in Technology Development (2011).