Review
Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Book of the Year Award
"Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire...should encourage a new era of co-operation & collaboration between government, business & communities of individuals."
--Andrew Hill, Financial Times
"Reimagining Capitalism is a breath of fresh air. Written in lively prose, easily accessible to lay readers, and chock full of interesting case studies, Henderson comprehensively surveys what we need to secure a workable future. Some readers may think she goes too far in places, others may think she doesn't go far enough, but everyone will want to think about the economy she urges us to create."--Larry Kramer, president of the Hewlett Foundation
"A breakthrough book, beautifully written, combining deep humanity, sharp intellect, and a thorough knowledge of business. It rigorously dismantles old arguments about why capitalism can't be transformed and will reach people who haven't yet connected with the need for deep change."--Lindsay Levin, founding partner, Leaders' Quest and Future Stewards
"A must-read for every person with a stake in our economic system since change or die is the inescapable reality confronting capitalism. The question is how. Rebecca Henderson provides investors and corporate executives with the thought leadership and compelling examples foundational for understanding how to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth."--Hiro Mizuno, executive managing director and chief investment officer, GPIF
"A well-constructed critique of an economic system that, by the author's account, is a driver of the world's destruction... A readable, persuasive argument that our ways of doing business will have to change if we are to prosper-or even survive."--Kirkus Reviews
"Capitalism as we know it has gotten us this far, but to take the next steps forward as a society and species we need new ways of seeing and acting on our world. That's exactly what Rebecca Henderson's book helps us do. This is a smart, timely, and much-needed reimagining of what capitalism can be."--Yancey Strickler, cofounder and former CEO, Kickstarter, and author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World
"Coupling detailed accounts from companies taking strides toward redefining capitalism with her own rich understanding of the potential of modern businesses, Henderson makes a compelling argument that capitalism as we know it is a missed opportunity, and builds the framework for business to prosper while complying with environmental factors and championing social justice."
--WBUR.org The ARTery
"Henderson's convincing arguments and passion will be a clarion call to action for business leaders and interested readers everywhere."--Library Journal, starred review
"If you are unsatisfied with today's economic arguments--which too often seem to present an unappealing choice between unbridled markets and old-school collectivism--you need to read Rebecca Henderson's Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire. Henderson offers a system that rewards initiative and respects the power of free enterprise, but that also recognizes that we have a higher purpose in life than pure profit maximization. This is a book for the realist with a heart."--Arthur C. Brooks, president emeritus, American Enterprise Institute; professor of practice, Harvard Kennedy School; senior fellow, Harvard Business School; and author of Love Your Enemies
About the Author
Rebecca Henderson is the McArthur University Professor at Harvard University (the highest honor that can be awarded to a faculty member), where she teaches the acclaimed course on "Reimagining Capitalism." Henderson spent the first twenty-one years of her career at MIT's Sloan School where she was "teacher of the year" and where her research focused on the economics of innovation and on the question of how large organizations can reinvent themselves..
Inducted in to the American Academy of Arts and Science in 2018, Henderson is also a Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the recipient of a number of academic prizes, including most recently the Viipuri Prize for strategy research and a recent election to the British Academy.
Henderson's academic career is complemented by a deep engagement with the practice of management. She has been on the boards of Amgen, a Fortune 200 company, for eight years, and Idexx, an S&P 500 company, for fifteen. She has also consulted with a wide variety of companies including IBM, Motorola, Cisco, Nokia, Eli Lilly, BP, ENI, Unilever, P&G, and many smaller firms, and is routinely invited to speak to executives across the world.
