Book Bits: 14 March 2026

● The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow
Timothy Mitchell
Review via Publishers Weekly
Political theorist Mitchell (Carbon Democracy) offers a paradigm-shifting critique of the logic that underlies the modern economy. Today is “an age in which extraordinary wealth seems to arrive from unfathomable sources,” Mitchell writes, noting that even critics of the current system seem unable to reckon with the vast and concentrated wealth “conjured… out of thin air” by speculative financial markets. To fully reckon with this “mode of acquiring unearned wealth” that is “the defining feature of our contemporary form of life,” Mitchell argues that one must understand what capital actually is. Capital, he asserts, is foremost “a practical means of consuming the future.”

● Good Money: Six Steps to Building a Financial Life with Purpose
John Coleman
Essay by author via Harvard Business Review
In my book, Good Money, I argue that the traditional retirement model—40 years of work followed by decades of withdrawal from it—is out of step with modern life and with what we know about human flourishing. Americans now live longer lives than any generation before them, as do others around the world, and many can expect 15-20 years or more of retirement. Yet research repeatedly shows that leaving work entirely can sometimes lead to poorer physical health, cognitive decline, and even increased mortality if handled poorly. This is perhaps not surprising given that full retirement can lead to decreased physical activity, lower community engagement, and loss of a sense of purpose and direction.

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