Super Short Summary

In Saving Capitalism, Robert B. Reich explores the manipulation of America's political-economic system by large corporations, wealthy individuals, and Wall Street, leading to growing economic inequality. Divided into three sections—“The Free Market,” “Work and Worth,” and “Countervailing Power”—the book dissects how rules governing property, monopoly, contracts, bankruptcy, and enforcement are skewed to benefit the few. Reich argues that wage stagnation and exorbitant CEO pay result from market manipulation, not market forces. He examines the decline of unions, the rise in political contributions from the wealthy, and suggests restoring countervailing power through new alliances and policy changes to balance stakeholder and shareholder interests.