The Insatiable Machine

Trevor Jackson's 'The Insatiable Machine' offers a sweeping history of capitalism from early monetization in the fifteenth century through the crises and contestations of the early twentieth century.

Jackson analyzes how markets for land, labor, and capital became socially general, the role of European colonialism and silver in monetization, and the intertwining of slavery, industrialization, and empire.

He emphasizes capitalism as historically contingent rather than inevitable, examines environmental consequences of industrial growth, and engages debates from the new history of capitalism.

Written for a broad audience, the book combines scholarly synthesis with vivid vignettes to show how large-scale economic change unfolds over centuries.