"A wonderful outline of how capitalism works and a spirited defense of its classical principles. This is a text of great use both to those who celebrate the achievements of capitalism and those who want to critique its basic tenets."—O.A. Westad, Elihu Professor of History and Global Affairs, Yale University

"Wyatt Wells' Permanent Revolution is a brisk, lively, and thoroughly original anatomy of, and meditation on, capitalism. At a time when capitalism's future is increasingly being called into question, Wells offers a powerful but balanced defense of this economic system. Broadly conceived and well executed, this book constitutes an important and necessary contribution both to the scholarly literature and to contemporary debates."—Peter A. Coclanis, Albert R. Newsome Distinguished Professor of History and Director of the Global Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"This is a beautifully written small book about a very big subject: the origin and worldwide spread of dynamic, ever-changing free market economies. Wells celebrates the almost unbelievable material growth achieved by the role-governed competition of risk-taking, profit-seeking entrepreneurs. He evaluates the claims of anticapitalist critics, and explores the often conflicted interaction of economic systems and the broader social realm, including even religion and the arts."—Paul K. Conkin, Distinguished Professor of History, Vanderbilt University

"Permanent Revolutionis a superb integrative discussion of capitalism that unites history and economics with its political, cultural, and sociological foundations. When academics typically confine themselves to an in-depth 'silo' of knowledge cut off from other domains, this form of integration is rare and welcome."—Raymond C. Niles, EH.net