The Company

Chosen byBusinessWeekas One of the Top Ten Business Books of the Year With apologies to Hegel, Marx, and Lenin, the basic unit of modern society is neither the state, nor the commune, nor the party; it is the company. From this bold premise, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge chart the rise of one of history's great catalysts for good and evil. In a "fast-paced and well-written" work (Forbes), the authors reveal how innovations such as limitations on liability have permitted companies to rival religions and even states in importance, governing the flow of wealth and controlling human affairsall while being largely exempt from the rules that govern our lives. The Companyis that rare, remarkable book that fills a major gap we scarcely knew existed. With it, we are better able to make sense of the past four centuries, as well as the events of today.

<b>John Micklethwait</b> oversees coverage of the United States for <i>The Economist</i>. He lives in London. <b>Adrian Wooldridge</b> works for <i>The Economist</i> in Washington, D.C. They are coauthors of <i>A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Promise of Globalization</i> and <i>The Witch Doctors: Making Sense of the Management Gurus</i>.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>