Monopoly capitalism

Recent Books text relies quite heavily on microeconomic theory. The second edition has been largely rewritten and several appendices have been added. A strength of the text is its reliance on graphs and tables to support the exposition of the material. Contains a brief review of calculus and analytic geometry. Monopoly Capitalism. Keith Cowling. New York: Halstead Press, John Wiley and Sons, 1982. 200 pp. $25.95. Cowling’s book explores the division of national income between workers and capitalists in a world where monopoly or oligopoly capitalism dominates, both for its intrinsic interest and because of its relevance for the process of accumulation in a capitalist society. He argues that the major corporations are now organized in, often interlinked, oligopoly groups, in many cases with an international base, and have captured dominant positions which are relatively unassailable. Of general interest. ORANI: A Multisectoral Model of the Australian Economy. Peter B. Dixon, B.R. Parmenter, John Sutton, and D.P. Vincent. Contributions to Economic Analysis, Volume 142. Amsterdam and New York: North-Holland, 1982. 372 pp. $74.50. The ORANI model of the Australian economy has been used in the analysis of many policy issues. Readers will recognize the model as belonging to the Johansen class, with several extensions to the usual Johansen framework. The model incorporates multiproduct industries and multi-industry products; detailed coverage is given to the role of transport and other marginal costs. Highly technical . Production, Purpose and Structure: Towards a Socialist Theory of Production. Jeremy Bray. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1982. 173 pp. $19.95. In Britain, at least, the practical results of Socialist governments have been disappointing. Here Bray, a Labor Party MP, argues that the lack of a socialist theory of production has proved damaging to the prospects of success of socialist governments and social causes generally. Bray outlines a socialist theory of production which might remedy the deficiency. Of general interest.

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