''A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of he Planet'' is a book by

Raj Patel Rajeev "Raj" Patel (born 1972) is a British Indian academic, journalist, activist and writer who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the United States for extended periods. He has been referred to as "the rock star of social ju ...

and Jason W. Moore published in 2018.

Premise

The book considers the development of Capitalism and the

Anthropocene The Anthropocene ( ) is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change. , neither the International Commissi ...

through the interrelationship of seven 'cheap things'. These are: * Cheap Nature * Cheap Money * Cheap Work * Cheap Care * Cheap Food * Cheap Energy * Cheap Lives Cheapness is defined as 'a set of strategies to manage relations between capitalism and the web of life'. Cheapness then is not just about low cost. It is rather a strategy capitalism has employed transform undenominated objects and relationships into circuits of production and consumption that have the lowest possible dollar value. The authors adopt a world ecology approach. This approach commits to understanding human relations of power, production, and environment-making in the web of life.

Reception

The Guardian praised the book's 'impressive ability to synthesise disparate elements'.

References

2018 non-fiction books University of California Press books Verso Books books Black Inc books {{nonfiction-book-stub