Capitalism vs. Capitalism: How America's Obsession with Individual Achievement and Short-Term Profit has Led It to the Brink of Collapse [Paperback]

Michael Albert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993

The author believes two approaches are currently used in defining the economic policy of a nation: a Rhine model which emphasizes collective achievement and public consensus, and a supply-side model based on individual achievement and short-term profits. Favoring the Rhine approach, he urges the adoption of specific policy changes by the US and other governments, which he believes will lead to a more balanced economy and society.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In the new world order, where capitalism reigns supreme, who will reign over capitalism: the United States? Germany? Japan? French businessman Albert identifies two variants of capitalism now at odds with each other. The Anglo-American model is characterized by individual gain and laissez-faire government. The Rhine model (followed by Germany and, in some respects, Japan) is a kinder, gentler capitalism in which long-term success of the entire society is paramount. Originally published in France in 1991, this book cannot take into account recent shake-ups in each system, but Albert's case is still significant. This topic will be debated in academia and industry into the next century. Recommended for business collections.
- Kris Swank, American Graduate Sch. of International Management Lib., Glendale, Ariz.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568580053
• ISBN-13: 978-1568580050
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,055,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh, different point of view on capitalism, May 2, 1998

By 

Marco Coppola - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capitalism vs. Capitalism: How America's Obsession with Individual Achievement and Short-Term Profit has Led It to the Brink of Collapse (Paperback)

Capitalism is now without competition : it must find in itself the reasons for being THE economic system for the third millennium. Are we shure it coldn't use some influx from europe ?

2 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Individual achievement is the fountainhead of progress, November 21, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capitalism vs. Capitalism: How America's Obsession with Individual Achievement and Short-Term Profit has Led It to the Brink of Collapse (Paperback)

Capitalism Vs. Capitalism is a book about history that is devoid of history. Individual achievement, far from being the source of any of our current societal woes, is the very source of the modern progress that allows paupers in the West to live better than the emperors of Antiquity. Eighty years of socialism in Europe and the United States has proved unable to squelch the natural aspirations that individual--as opposed to collective--achievement serves.

2 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars More erroneous Predictions from Socialists, April 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Capitalism vs. Capitalism: How America's Obsession with Individual Achievement and Short-Term Profit has Led It to the Brink of Collapse (Paperback)

Paul Ehrlich, the mouthpiece of the enviromental movement, once bet Julian Simon - an anarcho-capitalist $50 in 1980 to see whether overpopulation would cause the Earth's resources to become more rare, and thus, more expensive. Simon let Ehrlich pick the five commodities - Oil, Tungsten, Iron, Gold, and Natural Gas. All 5, ten years later, were either the same - adjusted for inflation - or LOWER in 1990. The world population rose 50% in this time, and the world's per capita income, 20% (really 70% to account for the population). Here in the beginning of 2000, seven years after this book was written, Youth Crime is down (despite the media frenzy over Columbine), the market is way up, unemployment is the lowest since the post-Vietnam recession, and everything is looking hunky-dory. Another "The Sky is Falling" book by another socialist... put this under religion, because no matter what the scientific evidence, the 'scientific' socialists just can't let go of their pet theory.