The Law of Capitalism and How to Transform It

Name: The Law of Capitalism and How to Transform It
Price: 61.95 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9780300282801

Katharina Pistor

$61.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Yale University Press
28 February 2026

Political ideologies; Political economy; Economic systems & structures; Legal history

A fascinating study of the legal underpinnings of capitalism, reasons why the system must be transformed, and actions we can take

Even though capitalism has been conventionally described as an economic system, it is actually a deeply entrenched legal regime. Law provides the material for coding simple objects, promises, and ideas as capital assets. It also provides the means for avoiding the legal constraints that societies have frequently imposed on capitalism. Often lauded for creating levels of wealth unprecedented in human history, capitalism is also largely responsible for the two greatest problems now confronting humanity: the erosion of social and political cohesion, which undermines democratic self-governance, and the threats that emanate from climate change.

By exploring the ways that Western legal systems empower individuals to advance their interests against society, Katharina Pistor reveals how capitalism is an unsustainable system designed to foster inequity. She offers ideas for rethinking how the transformation of the law and the economy can help us create a more just system—before it is too late.

By: Katharina Pistor
Imprint: Yale University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780300282801
ISBN 10: 030028280X
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 28 February 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Katharina Pistor is the Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School. She is the author of The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality. She lives in New York.

Reviews for The Law of Capitalism and How to Transform It

""The Law of Capitalism and How to Transform It is a tour de force. In this sweeping and expansive study, Pistor offers a compelling account of how influential private actors use private law to place ever-expanding areas of life beyond the reach of public control and accountability. This is essential reading to understand the past as well as to envision a more equitable and sustainable future.""--Kathleen Thelen, author of Attention, Shoppers! American Retail Capitalism and the Origins of the Amazon Economy “A compelling manifesto explaining how our laws produce a malfunctioning global capitalism and degraded public order. Pistor then shows how lawyers can use their insights into rights and powers to make a better world.”—Joshua Getzler, Oxford University