Beyond Self-Interest

Why the Market Rewards Those Who Reject It

By: Krzysztof Pelc

Narrated by: Thomas Judd

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents Beyond Self-Interest by Krzysztof Pelc, read by Thomas Judd.

We’ve learned that the way to get ahead is through strong will, grit and naked ambition. The belief that self-interest makes the world go round has served us well: it has helped make our society more affluent. But does that premise still hold?

In Beyond Self-Interest, Krzysztof Pelc argues that those who prosper increasingly do so by spurning prosperity, or by convincing others that they are pursuing passion, purpose, love of craft—anything but their own self-advancement. From the Puritans, who followed a religious calling and yet made a killing, to the fastest-growing firms of today, who claim to be ‘changing to the world’ through ‘doing what they love’, declaring passion over profit is a profitable move.

A bold, incisive and original work that draws on three centuries of intellectual thought, Beyond Self-Interest is an audiobook to upend how we relate to capitalism. What if the true driver of market society is not the appearance of self-interest, but its opposite?

©2022 Krzysztof Pelc (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"We cannot obtain happiness by pursuing it. Happiness is a by-product of the pursuit of other goals. In this stimulating and important book, Krzysztof Pelc argues that the same is true of prosperity." (Martin Wolf)

"It takes scholarly courage and knowledge to upend Adam Smith, but this is what Krzysztof Pelc has done.... Profound and brilliant." (Robert Skidelsky)

"A fascinating book, bursting with paradoxes, riddles and counterintuitive ideas that will challenge some of your strongest beliefs about how society works." (Daniel Susskind)