Extractive Capitalism: How Commodities and Cronyism Drive the Global Economy

(Paperback, Main)

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Whether it's pumping oil, mining resources or shipping commodities across oceans, the global economy runs on extraction. Promises of frictionless trade and lucrative speculation are the hallmarks of our era, but the backbone of globalisation is still low-cost labour and rapacious corporate control. Extractive capitalism is what made - and is still making - our unequal world.In this landmark collection, Professor Laleh Khalili reflects on the hidden stories behind late capitalism, from seafarers abandoned on debt-ridden container ships to the nefarious reach of consultancy firms and the cronyism that drives record-breaking profits. Piercing, witty and constantly revealing, Extractive Capitalism is a definitive account of the dark truths behind the world's most crucial industries.

Reviews

'Praise for Sinews of War and Trade: Readers will delight in the book's originality - there is truly nothing else like it' - Marcus Rediker, author

'The scale of this book is breath-taking but the story is intimate and expertly crafted, moving from entire coastlines to city streets and singular body movements. This is a poetry of place' - Deborah Cowen, author

'Laleh Khalili's fascinating new book opens the window on another world' - Adam Shatz

Author Bio

Laleh Khalili is Professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter. An expert on transnational politics, she has written widely on globalisation, capital and neo-colonialism, and has worked as a consultant and an engineer. Her recent books include Sinews of War and Trade and The Corporeal Life of Seafarers.