New Books Network Trevor Jackson, "The Insatiable Machine: How Capitalism Conquered the World" (Norton, 2026)
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Apr 28, 2026 Trevor Jackson, an economic historian at UC Berkeley and author of recent books on capitalism, traces how marketization, colonial silver flows, slavery, industrial energy, and financial instruments reshaped the modern world. He discusses why capitalism is neither natural nor inevitable. Short, clear takes on global origins, environmental costs, and the choices behind writing history for general readers.
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How A Missed Signup Sparked The Book
- Trevor Jackson arrived at the Warren Center and, forced into the first presentation slot, turned that pressure into a draft that became the book's core.
- The year-long fellowship and teaching experience let him convert course material into a quick full draft within a year with student feedback sharpening it.
Capitalism Is Markets For Land Labor And Capital
- Jackson defines capitalism by markets in the factors of production: land, labor, and capital, not merely commodity markets or cultural traits.
- This definition focuses analysis on legal, state, and institutional changes needed to create land, labor, and capital markets historically.
Why The Story Runs From 1415 To The Interwar Low
- Jackson periodizes his narrative from roughly 1415 to 1933 to show capitalism's global rise through monetization, industrialization, and imperial expansion.
- He chose an unsettled end (interwar low point) to avoid triumphant teleology and provoke rethinking of capitalism's contingency.
