This title outlines the history and development of capitalism and addresses important 21st-century issues, such as New Labour's relationship with capitalism, recent crises in capitalist systems, the significance of global capitalism, and distinctive national models of capitalism. The word is heard and used frequently. Most people have an opinion about it. Has capital escaped the nation-state by going global? Is it doomed? There are alternatives to capitalism, in the guises of socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and alternatives proposed by environmentalists.