Capitalizing on Change - (The Luther H. Hodges Jr. and Luther H. Hodges Sr. Business, Entrepreneurship, and Public P) by Stanley Buder (Paperback)

About the Book

Capitalizing on Change: A Social History of American Business

Book Synopsis

Americans love "this year's model," relying on the "new" to be always "improved." Enthusiasm for the new, says Stanley Buder, is essential to American business, where innovation and change stoke the engines of economic energy. To really understand the history of business in America, he argues, we must understand the intertwining dynamics of social and business values.

In a history spanning over three hundred years, Buder examines the enveloping expansion of the market economy, the laggardly use of government to modify or control market forces, the rise of consumerism, the shifting role of small business, and much more. He concludes with the explosive development of business in the 1990s and its aftermath of crises and scandals. Along the way, he analyzes the ways American social values foster an entrepreneurial ethos and why the identification of change with progress provides a distinctive and provocative theme in American life.

Buder studies American business as not only an engine of wealth accumulation but also an important generator and reflector of American values. Capitalizing on Change is the first full-length business history in recent years to make this relationship clear.

Review Quotes

"A sweeping synthesis of American business history. . . . Deserves to be widely read and discussed, particularly at this moment in our history." -- Enterprise & Society

"Do you love history? Do you enjoy business analysis? How about reflecting on social mores? Throw in a healthy dash of political drama and you've created the multiple layers of Capitalizing on Change. . . . Buder makes the intertwining dynamics of our 300 years of history so very readable." -- Better Investing

"Makes a good case that understanding business history is essential to understanding American history. . . . Recommended." -- CHOICE

"Synthesizes an extensive array of secondary sources into a judicious, accessibly written survey of American business. . . . Provid[es] a wealth of information and insight and giving readers a fine overview of the broad sweep of American business history." -- Journal of American History