The Entropy of Capitalism

Biel (international relations, London School of Economics) analyzes the capitalist system of production and control from a systems perspective, emphasizing the ways that late capitalism adapts to its own entropic decay. He argues that we must stabilize human relations with the environment, but not confuse this project with stabilizing the capitalist mode of production. This is where he offers a Marxist approach to systems theory and eco-energetics, which takes value-accumulation as an unsustainable distortion in the way the environment renews not only itself, but the material base of human society. He prioritizes self-organization over command structures and explores the way that capitalism in its neoliberal mode accepts the superiority of self-organization while it also seeks to contain it. Crucial to his strategic suggestions is in developing local food systems to recuperate natural renewal processes. His focus on food-production makes this book relevant interesting for food-policy students as well as political scientists. It also features a beautiful, well-made hard cover with a photo of a spiral galaxy. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Robert Biel M, PhD (1991) International Relations, London School of Economics, teaches political ecology at University College London and publishes extensively, including The New Imperialism (Zed Books, 2000). He researches systems theory and conducts a wide-ranging practical programme on urban agriculture.