In his book, Irrationality of Capitalism and Climate Change, Andrew Kolin shines a spotlight on the irrational way in which capitalism acts to destroy nature and the environment. The pursuit of profit, accumulation, and the expansion of capitalism override all other concerns, explaining our current climate catastrophe. Drawing on, and considerably advancing, debates in Marxist theory, and through an engagement with the history of political thought, science, and imperialism, Kolin's new book shows us in no uncertain terms how both historically and in the present, it is the irrationality inherent to capitalism that is responsible for the assault on the environment that we experience today.

David Bailey, University of Birmingham

In this slim but dense volume, Kolin argues against the insanity of capitalism, demonstrating how capital has manifested in environmental destruction and climate breakdown. He extensively documents capital’s fatal assault on the environment—how it irrationally wrecks the very bough on which it nests. James O’Connor famously termed this madness the “second contradiction of capitalism.” Kolin expands on the second contradiction, without naming it as such, enumerating capital’s drive for ceaseless extraction, production, consumption, accumulation, and growth, which has brought climate apocalypse ever closer. In the process, capital’s inefficiencies fuel its irrationalities—capital’s obsession with its reproduction through accumulation. What sets Kolin apart from contemporary critics of capitalism is his powerfully persuasive case for a “rational socialism,” which, in his view, does not cause environmental and social harm. This is a must-read volume for anyone seeking to comprehend the destructive relationship between capital and climate. It is particularly suitable for those in the fields of climate sciences, environmental studies, environmental politics, ecological economics, political sociology, geography, and Marxist studies. This book is highly recommended for general readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals.

Choice Reviews