POLITY -- Preface -- ECONOMY -- The Poverty of Laissez Faire - The Evidence -- Laissez Faire Has Not Worked -- Early Symptoms of Economic Decline -- Laissez Faire - It Can't Possibly Work -- Laissez Faire Cannot Maximize Wealth -- Do We Want What Laissez Faire Promises? -- Decline and Disaster -- History: The Effects of Economic Inequality -- Decline -- Disaster -- Wealth and Taxes -- The Spawn of "Laissez Faire" -- Institutional Incubi -- Short-Term vs. Long-Term Investment Horizons -- Credit Overload -- Mutual Funds and Corporate Management -- Trade -- Free Trade vs. Mercantilism -- Why We Fall for Laissez Faire -- Mythology of Early Laissez Faire -- Laissez Faire and Our Present Interests -- The Virtual Reality of Classical Economics -- Economics: Theory vs. Reality -- Ebullient Markets - Dangerous Economy -- A New Economic Paradigm -- An Alternative Approach -- Nonlinear Thermodynamics and Economics -- Appendix -- Nonlinear Economics -- Values, Science, Reason -- Humanism -- The Propriety of Humanism -- "Strict Constructionist" as a Label -- The Focus of Humanism -- Individuals vs. Classes -- Humanism and Government -- A Humanistic Rationale for Government -- Curbing Excessive Power -- Rejecting Liberalism -- Freedom, Rights, and Libertarianism -- Libertarianism and the Relativity of Values -- Democracy -- Do We (Should We) Have a Democracy? -- Do We? -- Should We? -- Democracy vs. Laissez Faire -- Is Local Government the Answer? -- Prerequisities to Functional Democracy -- Masses vs. Elites -- The Critical Role of Education -- Ultimate R&D: Education -- Education and the Foundations of Democracy -- FINALITY? -- Denouement -- The Free Market vs. The Environment -- References -- Index of US Corporations -- Index of Names -- Index of Terms.