The Mountain That Eats Men: A New History Rewrites Capitalism's Story

A new book tells a 1,000-year global history of capitalism. It challenges the common idea that the system grew only from European democracy and free markets. Harvard professor Sven Beckert, author of the award-winning "Empire of Cotton," wrote the book. He finds capitalism's roots in a much wider and older story of exploitation and global trade. He uses the example of Potosí, a 17th-century city in modern-day Bolivia. The city produced 60% of the world's silver from a mine called Cerro Rico, or "the rich mountain." This silver funded Spain's wars. It also sped up economic growth in India and China. The city's elites bought luxury goods from Venice and Ceylon. But one in four indigenous miners died there. This gave the mountain another name: "the mountain that eats men." Beckert's history links such extravagant wealth with immense suffering. It shows how complex international networks transformed the world. The book argues capitalism has a "tendency to grow, flow, and permeate all areas of activity." It presents a story far bigger than the standard Eurocentric version.