Runaway Capitalism

James H. Mittelman is Distinguished Research Professor and University Professor Emeritus at American University.

• List of Illustrations Other Books by James H. Mittelman Preface and Acknowledgments Foreword by Susan L. Robertson Acronyms Introduction: Plan PART I: FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 1 The Matrix of Runaway Capitalism CHAPTER 2 Beyond Tropes, PART II: THREE FORCES CHAPTER 3 Algorithmic Capitalism CHAPTER 4 Cognitive Capitalism CHAPTER 5 Philanthropic Capitalism PART III: TOWARD A MORE HUMANE FUTURE CHAPTER 6 The Dialectic of Precarity and Anti-Precarity CHAPTER 7 The Precarious Future of Runaway Capitalism References Index

“Squarely facing the most ominous impacts of runaway capitalism--such as democratic backsliding, environmental degradation, growing disparities in wealth and wellbeing, and the crumbling of taken-for-granted social norms--Mittelman nonetheless gives us hope by sketching a constructive path toward a more humane future. This book should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the complex social dynamics shaping our planet in the 21st century."- Manfred B. Steger, Professor and Chair of Sociology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa“Runaway Capitalism claims we are in uncharted territory and lacking the tools needed to understand our increasingly dysfunctional capitalist world order. This insightful book not only provides us with these tools but also suggests ways in which we might get beyond our current crises. A must read for those concerned with the multiple dangers facing the global political economy today.”- J. Ann Tickner, Professor Emerita, University of Southern California"Mittelman’s Runaway Capitalism provides an original and groundbreaking analytical framework for understanding the fundamentally evolving nature of contemporary capitalism, driven by three intersecting forces: digital innovation, which fuels algorithmic capitalism; knowledge production, which underpins cognitive capitalism; and the emergence of philanthropic capitalism. It draws on rich empirical evidence from both the global North and South, offering critical insights into the dynamics of power, inequality, and transformation. Forward-looking and provocative, it is essential reading for researchers, students, policymakers, and practitioners alike."- Arkebe Oqubay, British Academy Global Professor, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London“This vividly written and globally informed book offers a bold interpretation of the capitalist world economy's latest transformations, centring on the convergence of algorithmic, cognitive, and philanthropic forms. It provokes essential questions about power, precarity, and resistance in today’s world. A timely and original contribution, it challenges readers to rethink the contours and futures of capitalism itself.”- Heikki Patomäki, Professor of World Politics and Global Political Economy, Faculty of Social Sciences