An important review by the Nobel Prize-winning economist on the relationship between capitalism and freedom. Despite its obvious failures, the narrative of neoliberalism maintains its momentum in public thought and government policies around the world. According to this narrative, less regulation and more 'animal spirits' in capitalism produce not only greater prosperity but also more freedom for individuals in society—and is therefore morally better.

In the book "The Road to Freedom," Stiglitz asks, what freedom are we thinking of – should we be thinking about? What happens when one person's freedom comes at the expense of another's freedom? Should the freedoms of corporations be allowed to impinge on those of individuals in the ways that happen today?

Looking at neoliberal giants such as Hayek and Friedman and examining how public opinion is shaped, Stiglitz reclaims the language of freedom from the right to show that 'free'—unregulated—markets actually reduce growth and entrepreneurship, limiting economic opportunities for the majority and diverting wealth from the many to the few—both individuals and countries.

Stiglitz shows how neoliberal economics and its moral system have influenced our legal and social freedoms in surprising ways, from property and intellectual property rights to education and social media. Stiglitz always keeps an eye on how we could create true human flourishing, which should be the great goal of our economic and social system, and offers an alternative to the prevailing one today.

"The Road to Freedom" offers a powerful reassessment of democracy, economics, and what constitutes a good society—and provides a roadmap for how we could achieve it. Pages: 384, Dimensions: 16.2x16.2cm