The Divine Right of Capital: Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy

[Dora]

I read this book early last year, and I want to re-read it. Would anyone else like to read it too?

The Divine Right of Capital: Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy by Marjorie Kelly

It was one of my first forays into economics, and I found it accessible and enjoyable. There's some writing in there about the public commons that I think would be especially relevant now, and I'd be curious to know what other DUers have to say about the book and her ideas.

[Union Thug]

1. Thank you for the tip... exactly the kind of read I'm looking for.

[Dora]

4. It has a website

www.divinerightofcapital.com

I just looked at Powell's online, and they have zero/zip/nada for used copies in stock. I purchased mine from Amazon last year, but my edition doesn't have the new chapter/s on Enron.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. FYI, that link took me to a "site under construction" page of the sort

that belongs to a corporation that rents out webspace to many site owners. Maybe they'll get their site back up soon, who knows?

Title reminds me of the ol' Divine Right stories in the Last Whole Earth Catalog! :7

[Dora]

11. They must've let the domain expire

http://www.business-ethics.com/TDROC-PBACK.htm

Try this link instead.

[Dr.Phool]

2. Maybe you could read it to us?

[Dora]

3. I could!

If the newfangled improvements to DU include conference calls and story hour!

Gather round...

[NashVegas]

5. Got About Halfway Through

and dropped the trail for some reason.

Kelly's argument about the over-protection of the stock market is dead on. If you buy a used car, you aren't investing in Ford, you're propping up the previous owner's committment. With stocks, you're propping the previous owner, and gambling that Ford is going to be profitable enough to see an annual return on your investment. It's ridiculous that stockholders whose purchases were based not on new issuances but used, are arrogant enough to demand that 10% return when they didn't invest a dime in Ford manufacturing.

[Dora]

6. I tried explaining that to my mother

But at that point she'd already lost a bunch in the market and I think she reached a state of apathy. All the money she'd invested was "found money" that came by way of an inheritance, and she quickly gave to a financial manager for stock investments.

This was in 1998.

She says she's going to just leave what she has left in the market alone.

It's only money, and it's hers.

[indigo32]

7. I'm gonna find this one

it looks really good.

[BurtWorm]

9. Have you read One Market Under God?

It's by Thomas Frank, the guy who wrote What's the Matter with Kansas? It has a similar title, I note, and perhaps not too different a theme. He's rather critical of the Clinton Democrats' tolerance for unleashed globalization, so if you're strongly pro-Clinton it might be a little tough going in places. But essentially, he criticizes the American religion of business. I haven't finished it yet, but it's very interesting and sharply written.

[Dora]

10. I'm no Clinton fan

I voted for him twice, but I was glad his term was up. He f'ed up and caused the party a lot of damage (as though the party needs any help hurting itself).

thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to see if I can find it. I'd like to understand the issues of globalization and free trade better, so I hope that this book could help.