"This book focuses on the beginnings of capitalism in Central Europe with emphasis on the German speaking areas from … medieval and early modern European histo-ry, the so-called transition debate of feudalism to capitalism, social scien-tists and … transition from feudalism to capitalism by way of comparison and con-trast." …

the cardinal regulatory role of the financial sphere in capitalism. Achim Szepanski, following Marx’s analyses, takes … finance seriously. He shows that ‘financialization’ is not a deviation from some ‘good’ industrial capitalism, or a new … mode of production.” — John Milios, Author of The Origins of Capitalism as a Social System The book’s central theme is to …

Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Before Capitalism -- Chapter 3. The Protestant Reformation and the Rise of … 10. Capitalism vs. Socialism: A Conflict of Ideas -- Chapter 11. A Conflict of Ideas—continued -- Chapter 12. The Rise of … Corporate Capitalism and its Champions -- Chapter 13. A Brief History of Financial Booms and Bubbles -- Chapter 14. The rise and …