Drawing out the author's formulations of social organization, cultural evolution, and the relationship between technology, ecology, and culture, this theoretical work traces a vast expanse of history from the earliest forms of capitalism to the inner workings of contemporary democratic institutions.

A lost masterwork by Leslie A. White represents twenty-five years of his scholarship on the anthropology of modern capitalism. This abridged version of Modern Capitalist Culture delivers all of Whiteas major arguments in a clear and concise manner.