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What the book does
Wolf looks at why the relationship between liberal democracy and market capitalism has come under strain. He covers the history, the rise of rentier capitalism, populism, inequality, and declining institutional trust. It is a big-picture book, but the themes are very relevant to everyday governance conversations.
What it changes in practice
In practice, the book gives a wider lens for reading board papers, policy notes and strategy proposals. It encourages challenge beyond the immediate financial or operational case: does the decision build or damage trust, fairness, public goods and institutional resilience? If those points are absent, it is worth asking for them to be detailed before a recommendation or approval is made at board level.
Why I recommend it
The book helped me connect governance decisions with the social conditions that allow organisations to retain legitimacy. Wolf makes the point that issues such as citizenship, inequality, resilience and trust are not abstract policy ideas; they show up in real decisions and should be named properly. The book is not a quick fix, and many remedies sit at national-policy level, but it gives a useful lens for challenging papers and proposals more thoughtfully.
Who it suits
Experienced board, governance and policy readers who want a sharper lens for challenge, without reading the book as an academic text.
Recommended by
Nanette van Vliet, NEDness Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer