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Through engaging vignettes, A Brief History of Entrepreneurship charts how the pursuit of profit by private individuals has been a prime mover in revolutionizing civilization. Entrepreneurs often butt up against processes, technologies, social conventions, and even laws. So, they circumvent, innovate, and violate to obtain what they want. Consulting rich archival sources, including some that have never before been translated, Carlen maps the course of human history through nine episodes in which entrepreneurship reshaped our world. Yet the pursuit of profit hasn't always been positive. From slavery to organized crime, Carlen explores how entrepreneurship can sometimes work at the expense of others. Lastly, he discusses the new entrepreneurs who, through the nascent space tourism industry, are leading humanity to a multiplanetary future.
List of contents
Introduction
1. "One Shekel of Your Private Silver"
2. The Pirates of Phoenicia
3. The Reluctant Romans
4. An Enterprising Faith
5. Flying Money and Capitalist Monks
6. Western Europe and a "New World" of Profit
7. Captains of the Revolution
8. The Land of (Entrepreneurial) Opportunity
9. Flattening the World and Colonizing Space
Conclusion
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the author
Joe Carlen is the cofounder of Know Thy Market, LLC, and a certified valuation analyst. He is the author of
The Einstein of Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham (2012).
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"Carlen delves in primary and secondary sources, including texts on modern management, and presents them in readable and attractive prose. It is a light and enjoyable read." - Ali Kahn, Johns Hopkins University
