For nearly two centuries, scholars and politicians have debated the future of capitalism. In India, its critics have viewed it as intrinsically unstable, seeing signs of its collapse in every fall of the Mumbai stock market. Its supporters see it as the best way to allocate resources. In between are all those searching for a middle ground-a kinder capitalism or a more market-driven socialism.

Raghuram G. Rajan, one of the few economists who had warned of a financial sector crisis before it turned to reality in 2008, and co-author Luigi Zingales, who has been involved in developing interventions to cope with its aftermath, argue that free, healthy and competitive financial markets occupy this very delicate middle ground. They are an extraordinarily effective tool in spreading opportunity and fighting poverty. Without them, economies would invariably ossify and decline.

Yet, financial markets are among the most highly criticized and least understood parts of the capitalist system-because of the executives who extol their virtues with every breath while attempting to extinguish them with every action.

Published previously but just as relevant today, Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists is a groundbreaking book that will radically change our understanding of the capitalist system, particularly the role of financial markets. It breaks free of traditional ideological arguments of the right and left and points to a new way of understanding the wealth-generating capabilities of capitalism.