A lexicon of our age of inequality, which decodes the new vocabulary of capitalism for a broad readership.
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<p><em>Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism</em> chronicles the rise of a new vocabulary in the twenty-first century. From Silicon Valley to the White House, from kindergarten to college, and from the factory floor to the church pulpit, we are all called to be <strong>innovators</strong> and <strong>entrepreneurs</strong>, to be <strong>curators</strong> of an ever-expanding roster of <strong>competencies</strong>, and to become <strong>resilient</strong> and <strong>flexible</strong> in the face of the insults and injuries we confront at work. In the midst of increasing inequality, these keywords teach us to thrive by applying the lessons of a competitive <strong>marketplace</strong> to every sphere of life. What’s more, by celebrating the values of <strong>grit</strong>, <strong>creativity</strong>, and <strong>passion</strong> at school and at work, they assure us that economic success is nothing less than a moral virtue.</p><p><br> Organized alphabetically as a lexicon, <em>Keywords</em> explores the history and common usage of major terms in the everyday language of capitalism. Because the words in this book have successfully infiltrated everyday life in the English-speaking world, their meanings often seem self-evident, even benign. Who could be against <strong>empowerment</strong>, after all? <em>Keywords</em> uncovers the unexpected histories of words like <strong>innovation</strong>, which was once synonymous with “false prophecy” before it became the prevailing faith of Silicon Valley. Other words, like <strong>best practices</strong> and <strong>human capital</strong>, are relatively new coinages that promise us a kind of freedom within a <strong>marketplace</strong> extending its reach across the public sector and into our private lives. The new language of capitalism burnishes hierarchy, competition, and exploitation as <strong>leadership</strong>, <strong>collaboration</strong>, and <strong>sharing</strong>, modeling for us the habits of the economically successful person: be visionary, be self-reliant, and never, ever stop working.</p>
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