'This extremely valuable book offers an insightful tour of the historical debates surrounding the transition from feudalism to capitalism ... a must read for anyone with even the remotest interest in the origins of capitalism, or economic thought in general, from undergraduates through professionals.' --Choice

'The writing is so supple and accessible, and the argument so persuasive, it's like watching a cloudy mixture of ideas being turned into a clear solution.' --Adrienne Rich

'[A] brilliant book ... Into the central thread of her argument, Ellen Meiksins Wood has woven a wonderfully rich texture of comment on the arguments and debates that preceded her ... not just a valuable new interpretation of an old history, it carries important lessons for our own times.' --The Spokesman

Ellen Meiksins Wood, for many years Professor of Political Science at York University, Toronto, is the author of many books, including "Democracy Against Capitalism "and, with Verso, "The Pristine Culture of Capitalism, The Origin of Capitalism, Peasant-Citizen and Slave, Citizens to Lords, " "Empire of Capital "and "Liberty and Property."

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