EMPIRE OF COTTON A Global History

"White gold" sparked an Industrial Revolution and the U.S. Civil War, which rippled worldwide. This isn't quite an economics textbook, but the story of cotton involves a lot of economic concepts, such as bills of lading and futures. Narrator Jim Frangione can't make international spindle count comparisons dramatic, but he makes business concepts understandable. At the same time, he relishes more interesting topics like family business dynasties. Listeners also will learn about the brutality and poverty spawned by capitalism and colonialism. The emphasis on business won't be to every listener's taste as the sheer mass of economic terms and concepts doesn't make for easy listening. However, Frangione ably delivers a solid primer on economics and capitalism. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2015]