This accessible and persuasive book challenges the notion of our capitalist destiny. It provides a clear and concise history of the problems facing the economies of Europe, Japan, and the US during the latter half of the twentieth century and questions whether capitalism has really brought the levels of economic growth and prosperity that were hoped for. Andrew Glyn then looks at the impact that the rapidly developing economies of China and the South are likely to have on the older economies of the North. As the race is on to maintain growth and protect competitive advantage, Glyn asks: is the "race-to-the bottom" inevitable as the anti-globalizers predict, with welfare states being dismantled to meet competitive demands? Or is there an alternative model, which sees a strong commitment to welfare provision as essential to economic growth? Can we afford not to tackle inequality at home as well as abroad?

Andrew Glyn has been Tutor in Economics at Corpus Christi College Oxford since 1969,was an economic advisor to the National Union of Mineworkers, has been a consultant for the the International Labour Organisation and the UK Treasury and co-edits the Oxford Review of Economic Policy. He co-authored several books on post-war capitalism, edited Social Democracy in Neoliberal Times (OUP, 2001) and has published journal articles on unemployment, profitability, globalisation and the history of economic thought and newspaper articles on current economic policies.