Life Inc.: How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take It Back

By Douglas Rushkoff

Categories: Business & Money, Politics & Social Sciences

Douglas Rushkoff traces how corporations evolved from convenient legal fictions into the dominant force in modern life. He argues that an ideology he calls corporatism has seeped into civic life, commerce and culture, shaping how people judge worth and success. Rushkoff follows the story from the first chartered monopolies and the invention of central currency to the branding of the self, and suggests ways for people to reconnect with their communities, with the value they create and with one another.

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• Seth Godin: “Doug is at the cutting edge of recognizing the collision between corporate values and human values. Most of this book is fairly pessimistic, and it argues that money has pushed people apart from each other. Harking back to The Gift, his point is that barter and community exchange do more than create commerce.”